Sealing Device With Fluid-Expanded Adhesion For Cable Interfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connectors fail to provide adequate moisture sealing, particularly at the interface between the connector housing and the cable, leading to potential contact errors and short circuits in dusty or damp environments, necessitating a solution that meets the IP67 protection standard.
Innovation Solution
A sealing device with a stretchable adhesion-promoting element and a fluid reservoir that enlarges the sealing area when subjected to pressure, ensuring a fluid-tight connection between the cable and the connector, utilizing a thermoplastic polymer or elastomer and a double-sided adhesive tape for enhanced adhesion between different materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional sealing structure is used at the cable interface, then the device complexity remains low, but moisture sealing reliability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing device is divided into distinct functional components: a sealing element for creating the primary seal, an adhesion-promoting element for bonding to the cable, and a fluid reservoir for providing expansion pressure. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while working together to achieve IP67 protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesion-promoting element is pre-applied to the cable surface before the sealing device is assembled. This preliminary action ensures strong bonding between the sealing device and cable, preventing moisture ingress at the interface while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Reliability
If the sealing area is enlarged to improve moisture protection, then the sealing effectiveness increases, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing element is designed to be expandable upon contact with fluid from the reservoir. This dynamic expansion allows the sealing area to increase automatically to fill gaps and adapt to variations in cable diameter, achieving effective sealing without requiring extremely precise manufacturing tolerances.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing element changes its physical state or dimensions when exposed to fluid pressure from the reservoir. This parameter change enables the sealing surface to adapt and enlarge, ensuring effective moisture protection while accommodating manufacturing variations in the sealing area.
3Strength
If a stretchable adhesion-promoting element is used to improve bonding between different materials, then the adhesion strength increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing device combines multiple materials with different properties: a flexible sealing element, an adhesion-promoting material (such as adhesive tape or coating), and a fluid reservoir. This composite structure leverages the strengths of each material to achieve strong adhesion between dissimilar materials (cable insulation, connector housing) while maintaining practical complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesion-promoting element acts as an intermediary between the sealing device and the cable, facilitating strong bonding between incompatible materials. This intermediate layer enables effective adhesion without requiring direct bonding between difficult-to-bond materials, thus improving strength while keeping the overall device design manageable.
4Ease of operation
If the cable feed-through opening is designed as a continuous opening for easy cable passage, then the ease of operation increases, but moisture sealing reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The opening transitions from an initial open state during installation to a sealed state after assembly. The sealing element expands to close the opening after the cable is inserted, maintaining ease of installation while achieving reliable moisture sealing in the final assembled state.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing element is positioned to allow easy cable passage during installation, then subsequently expands or is activated to seal the opening. This preliminary open state facilitates easy operation, while the subsequent sealing action ensures moisture protection without requiring complex installation procedures.
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
The solution effectively prevents moisture ingress, ensuring reliable operation by creating a secure, moisture-tight seal that meets IP67 standards, thereby protecting electrical contacts from corrosion and short circuits.
Implementation Method 1
the adhesion-promoting element can be stretched and/or at least partially displaced by subjecting the fluid reservoir to a fluid at a predetermined pressure such that the diameter of the sealing device can be enlarged in the area of the adhesion-promoting element
Implementation Method 2
at least one stretchable adhesion-promoting element which is arranged on the lateral surface of the sealing device
Implementation Method 3
improved adhesion between the sealing device or the sealing compound and the further element can be achieved by means of the adhesion-promoting element
Implementation Method 4
at least one fluid channel through which a fluid can flow along the cable feed-through direction D to the fluid reservoir
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The device (7) has a stretchable pressure-sensitive switching element (19) arranged on a jacket surface of a sealing device main portion for covering a cable through-opening (11) to a fluid reservoir (13). A fluid is flowed through a fluid channel (15) along a cable feed-through direction (D) to the fluid reservoir. The stretchable pressure-sensitive switching element is made of elastic and located by pressurizing the fluid reservoir with the fluid of predetermined pressure to enlarge diameter of the sealing device main portion in a region of the switching element. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a connector (2) a method for manufacturing a connector.