Sealed Control Housing Interface for Serviceable Autonomous Vehicles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing control housing systems for autonomous vehicles are not designed to withstand rough environments and do not allow for easy removal, insertion, or replacement of control components for service and repair purposes, leading to potential failures and wear due to environmental factors like dust, water, and corrosion.
Innovation Solution
A control housing system with separable control sub-housings and an interface chamber, featuring a slide-in module support with a guide device, cable feedthrough, and a sealing mechanism that allows for easy plugging and unplugging of electrical connectors, ensuring protection against foreign bodies and enabling maintenance while maintaining a sealed environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If control housing systems are designed to be sealed and protected against environmental hazards, then reliability is improved, but ease of repair deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control housing system is divided into separable control sub-housings that can be independently removed from the sealed interface chamber. Each control sub-housing contains control components and can be detached via the guide device without compromising the overall sealing of the interface chamber, enabling easy repair while maintaining environmental protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide device acts as an intermediary mechanism between the control sub-housings and the interface chamber. It provides guided insertion and removal paths that maintain sealing integrity during component replacement, mediating between the need for easy repair access and the requirement for continuous environmental protection.
2Ease of repair
If control components are made easily removable and replaceable, then ease of repair is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential exposure to environmental factors
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions dynamically between sealed and accessible states. The control sub-housings can be removed when repair is needed, and the guide device ensures they are properly reinserted to restore the sealed environment. This dynamic capability allows easy repair while ensuring reliability is maintained through proper resealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide device is pre-configured with sealing surfaces and alignment features that automatically ensure proper sealing when control sub-housings are reinserted. This preliminary design of the sealing interface prevents exposure to environmental factors during maintenance operations.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the housing structure is made robust and sealed, then protection against foreign bodies is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system is segmented into modular sealing surfaces located at the interface between control sub-housings and the interface chamber. This segmentation allows the sealing function to be integrated into existing structural components rather than adding a separate complex sealing system throughout the entire housing.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing function is merged with the structural components of the control sub-housings and interface chamber. The housing walls themselves incorporate sealing surfaces, combining structural support and sealing functions into unified components, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A control housing system includes at least one control sub-housing having at least one housing rear wall, which supports at least one electrical connector; a slide-in module support; and an interface chamber, which is mechanically connected to the slide-in module support and which has at least one cable feedthrough device. When the control sub-housing is in a position coupled to the slide-in module support, the at least one electrical connector is connected to a corresponding mating electrical connector of the interface chamber. The housing rear wall of the control sub-housing is seated sealingly against a peripheral seal device of a coupling wall of the interface chamber.