Sealed Slotted Waveguide for Dirt-Resistant Data Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conductor rail systems face issues with dirt and moisture penetration into the cavity of slot waveguides, leading to corrosion and disrupted data transmission, especially in environments with moist, salty air, due to the asymmetry and design flaws in existing slot waveguide configurations.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of sealing elements, such as sealing strips, trough-shaped sealing elements, or sealing lips, are arranged on the slot waveguide to prevent dirt and moisture from entering the cavity, ensuring the antenna is completely surrounded by the sealing elements and the cavity is sealed from the outside environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the longitudinal slot of the slotted waveguide is arranged to open sideways or at an angle, then data transmission can be established, but dirt and moisture penetrate the slot from the environment causing corrosion and transmission disruption
Solution Approach 1:
A sealing lip made of flexible rubber material is attached to the slotted waveguide, extending into the longitudinal slot to form a sealing barrier. The flexible nature of the rubber allows it to conform to the slot geometry while preventing dirt and moisture from penetrating into the waveguide cavity, thus protecting the data transmission system from environmental contaminants.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a U-shaped plastic profile is projected into the waveguide and foamed with low dielectric constant material to prevent dirt penetration, then dirt protection is achieved, but manufacturing complexity and additional effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is extracted from the waveguide structure itself and implemented as a separate sealing lip component. This allows the sealing element to be independently manufactured and attached, avoiding the need to foam and adapt U-shaped profiles to the waveguide, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining effective dirt and moisture protection.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the longitudinal slot is tilted at an angle to prevent rainwater penetration, then rainwater protection is improved, but the transmission path length increases and asymmetry affects data transmission performance
Solution Approach 1:
A sealing lip acts as an intermediary barrier between the external environment and the waveguide cavity. Instead of tilting the slot to prevent water penetration, the sealing lip directly blocks contaminants at the slot opening, maintaining the optimal straight configuration for electromagnetic wave transmission while effectively preventing rainwater and moisture ingress.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution effectively prevents the ingress of dirt and moisture, thereby protecting the data transmission device from corrosion and ensuring reliable data transmission by maintaining a clean and dry environment within the slot waveguide.
Implementation Method 1
sealing elements, such as sealing strips, trough-shaped sealing elements, or sealing lips, are arranged on the slot waveguide to prevent dirt and moisture from entering the cavity
Implementation Method 2
an electromagnetic wave is guided in a longitudinal slot (28) of a cavity (25) of a hollow profile (24, 38) designed as a slotted waveguide
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~2a
Figure 3~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a data transmission device comprising an elongated hollow profile (24) with a cavity (25) which runs in a longitudinal direction (L) of the hollow profile (24). The hollow profile (24) has an elongated slot (28), which runs in the longitudinal direction (L), for a transmission unit (21), which can be moved relative to the cavity (25) at least in the longitudinal direction (L) and which at least partly penetrates the elongated slot (28). The invention also relates to a conductor line (6) for supplying at least one electric load, which can be moved on the conductor line (6) in the longitudinal direction (L), with electric energy, comprising at least one conductor strand (15) which runs in the longitudinal direction (L) and which comprises an electrically conductive conductor profile (10, 16) for contacting a conductor contact (22, 23) of the load and comprising at least one data transmission device which runs in the longitudinal direction (L). The invention also relates to a conductor line system (1). The aim of the invention is to allow a data transmission which is protected against dirt and humidity penetrating the cavity of the hollow profile. This is achieved by a data transmission device in which at least one sealing element (35, 36; 38; 41, 42) which runs along the hollow profile (24) is provided for sealing at least one part of the cavity (25), a conductor line (6) comprising such a data transmission device, and a conductor line system (1) comprising such a conductor line.