Sealed Bulkhead Cable Penetration Arrangement

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing solutions for sealing cable strands through the apron of a motor vehicle fail to provide adequate sound insulation and mechanical stability, often requiring significant assembly force and are not suitable for enlarged openings or multiple strands, leading to potential leaks and structural instability.

Innovation Solution

A sealed crossing arrangement using a closure plate with an overmolded wiring ring and positioning plate, featuring interlocking means and a strapping system that allows for easy assembly and secure locking without deformable materials, ensuring sound insulation and mechanical stability without requiring excessive assembly force.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a rubber ring is used to seal the cable strand through the apron opening, then the sealing function is provided, but the assembly force required becomes excessive and the structure becomes unstable

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing reliabilityVSAvoidassembly force
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameter from rubber (elastically deformable) to plastic (rigid or semi-rigid), fundamentally altering the mechanical properties. This allows the sealing ring to maintain sealing reliability through precise geometric design rather than elastic deformation, eliminating the need for excessive assembly force.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The sealing system is segmented into multiple functional elements: the plastic sealing ring for primary sealing, interlocking means for mechanical attachment, and positioning means for alignment. This segmentation allows each element to perform its specific function efficiently without requiring excessive force across the entire assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If the opening is enlarged to accommodate larger cable elements and intermediate connection elements, then the adaptability improves, but the sound insulation performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to different cable configurationsVSAvoidsound insulation
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by providing sound insulation specifically at the sealing interface where the plastic ring contacts the apron, rather than requiring the entire opening to be small. The rigid plastic material provides both sealing and localized sound blocking, allowing the opening to be large for adaptability while maintaining sound insulation at critical points.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Object-affected harmful factors

If a thick rubber ring is used to ensure sound insulation and retention, then the sound insulation improves, but the handling difficulty increases due to large radial size

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesound insulationVSAvoidhandling ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Changing from rubber to plastic material allows the sealing ring to achieve sound insulation through rigid geometric design rather than thick elastic material. This reduces the radial dimension significantly while maintaining or improving sound insulation performance, and the smaller size greatly improves handling ease during assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Ease of manufacture

If deformable interlocking means are used to secure the sealing ring, then the assembly simplicity improves, but the structural stability deteriorates due to fragility

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly simplicityVSAvoidstructural stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses composite construction with the rigid plastic sealing ring combined with separate interlocking means and positioning elements. This composite approach allows the main sealing structure to be strong and stable while the interlocking components provide simple attachment, achieving both assembly simplicity and structural stability simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentEP3384570B1Arrangement for sealed penetration of an opening of a bulkhead separating two compartments of a motor vehicle
Publication Date: 2020.02.05 RENAULT SA
  • EP3384570B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3384570B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5
  • EP3384570B1 patent drawingFigure 6~9

AI summary

The invention relates to an arrangement (34) for sealed penetration of at least one cable bundle (44) via a passage opening of a bulkhead (22) separating two compartments of a motor vehicle, comprising at least one fitting fixed to the bulkhead (22) and at least one cable bushing (42) made from plastic material overmoulded onto at least the cable bundle (44). The arrangement (34) comprises a closure plate (36) complementing at least the fitting, which is in contact with the cable bushing (42) and with the opening of the bulkhead (22), a housing for the cable bushing (42), complementary to the cable bushing (42), and at least one means (84,118) for blocking the closure plate (36) on the bulkhead (22) of the vehicle, and the arrangement (34) closing the opening (32) of the bulkhead (22) in a sealed manner.