Sealing Profile Design for Control Device Electrical Connections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic control unit housings with printed circuit boards require numerous interfaces for electrical connections, leading to potential errors, high production costs, and susceptibility to vibrations due to the inability to use plug connections and the need for high-quality sealing materials.
Innovation Solution
A double-walled housing design with a cavity filled with sealing material forming a sealing profile featuring a first sealing lip aligned perpendicularly and a second sealing lip oriented obliquely, allowing for a firmly enclosed electrical connection through the housing wall, reducing stress on the sealing material and enabling effective sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If printed conductor tracks on a circuit board are used for electrical connections, then electrical connectivity is achieved, but the number of interfaces increases leading to more potential error sources and higher production costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the conductor tracks from a traditional circuit board and forms them as separate, flexible printed conductor tracks that can be directly connected to electrical components. This eliminates the need for a rigid circuit board with multiple interfaces, reducing complexity while maintaining electrical connectivity and reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible printed conductor tracks serve multiple functions: they provide electrical connectivity, can be directly plugged into components, and can be routed flexibly without requiring a full circuit board infrastructure. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate interfaces needed
2Reliability
If printed conductor tracks are connected to electrical components via additional wires and interfaces, then electrical connectivity is achieved, but the connection becomes susceptible to vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the intermediate wires and multiple connection interfaces by extracting the conductor functionality into flexible printed tracks that can be directly attached to electrical components, eliminating vibration-prone connection points
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible printed conductor tracks act as thin, adaptable connections that can accommodate vibrations and movements without breaking, unlike rigid wire connections. The flexibility allows the tracks to absorb mechanical stress while maintaining electrical connectivity
3Reliability
If high-quality sealing materials are used to seal the passage of electrical connection through the housing wall, then sealing quality is improved, but production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing profile is segmented into multiple sealing lips (first sealing lip, second sealing lip, third sealing lip) that work together to provide effective sealing. This segmentation allows the use of standard sealing materials while achieving high sealing quality through the multi-lip design rather than requiring expensive high-performance materials
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing system uses a composite approach combining multiple sealing lips made of standard sealing materials, where the geometric configuration and arrangement of the lips create a composite sealing effect that rivals or exceeds the performance of expensive single-material solutions
4Device complexity
If a single sealing lip is used to seal the electrical connection passage, then the structure is simple, but adequate sealing under compression cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing profile is divided into multiple sealing lips (first, second, and third sealing lips) positioned at different locations and orientations. Each lip contributes to the sealing action, distributing the sealing function across multiple simple elements rather than requiring one complex single-lip structure
Solution Approach 2:
Each sealing lip is positioned and oriented to address specific local sealing requirements: the first sealing lip seals the passage, the second sealing lip seals against the cover/base, and the third sealing lip provides additional sealing. This local specialization achieves comprehensive sealing while keeping each individual lip structurally simple
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 configuration enhances the seal quality, allows for a higher compression set of sealing materials, and reduces the stress on the sealing lips, ensuring reliable and durable electrical connections while minimizing errors and production costs.
Implementation Method 1
The second sealing lip is essentially subjected to bending stress due to its arrangement, which is oriented obliquely to the direction of the closing movement, and its relatively thin cross section. When the cover and/or base is placed on the end face of the housing, pressure is applied to the first sealing lip axially... The second sealing lip enables good sealing of the cover and/or the base with the housing wall even if the first sealing lip undergoes partial plastic deformation.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
Disclosed is a housing which comprises at least one electrical connection (7) through a housing wall (4), is particularly inexpensive to produce, and allows the electronic components (2, 13) located on the internal face and the external face of the housing (1) to be attached in a particularly variable manner. The electrical connection (7) is directly surrounded by housing material while being additionally sealed by means of sealing material. The inventive housing seal is provided with a profiled seal encompassing at least two sealing lips (18, 19). Advantageously, the sealing material is additionally used for sealing the cover (3) and/or the bottom (5) relative to the housing wall (4). Said arrangement is also particularly well protected against oil and other aggressive media as a combination of housing material and sealing material (4, 6) is used for surrounding the electrical connection (7).