Vehicle Transmission Sensor Housing Uniform Wall Thickness

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing sensor housing designs for vehicle transmissions face challenges in achieving a consistent and reliable joining process due to variations in material thickness and optical properties, leading to inconsistent joint quality and potential defects.

Innovation Solution

The design involves a housing part with a joining area featuring constant or varying wall thicknesses and optical properties, optimized for transmission welding, ensuring a consistent radiation intensity for reliable connection, using materials like thermoplastics with adjustable transmission, absorption, and reflection properties to maintain uniformity and robustness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the housing part has varying wall thicknesses in the joining area to accommodate different surface contours, then the adaptability and sealing quality are improved, but the radiation intensity consistency during transmission welding deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurface contour adaptationVSAvoidradiation intensity consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by giving different regions of the housing part different wall thicknesses according to their specific functional requirements. The joining area has optimized local thickness to ensure radiation transmission, while other areas maintain necessary structural thickness. This localized differentiation allows the housing to accommodate various surface contours while maintaining welding quality through compensatory design in the joining region.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the wall thickness parameter in the joining area to optimize radiation transmission. By carefully controlling and adjusting the thickness parameter in this specific region, the design compensates for variations caused by different surface contours, ensuring that the radiation intensity remains consistent during transmission welding despite the overall varying thickness of the housing part.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Manufacturing precision

If the housing part is designed with constant wall thickness in the joining area, then the radiation intensity consistency during transmission welding is improved, but the adaptability to different surface contours and thicknesses deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveradiation intensity consistencyVSAvoidsurface contour accommodation
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the housing part into different functional zones: a joining area with constant or optimized thickness for radiation transmission, and other areas with varying thicknesses for structural requirements and surface contour accommodation. This segmentation allows each region to be optimized independently, resolving the contradiction between welding precision and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Manufacturing precision

If materials with different optical properties are used in sections with different wall thicknesses, then the radiation transmission consistency is improved, but the material complexity and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveradiation transmission consistencyVSAvoidmaterial property variation
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by selecting materials or material treatments specifically for the joining area to optimize radiation transmission. The joining area uses material with properties tailored for consistent radiation passage, while other areas use materials optimized for their specific functions. This localized material selection achieves radiation consistency without requiring all sections to use complex multi-material constructions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 approach enables a uniform, reliable, and sealed connection between housing parts, enhancing the quality, tightness, and robustness of the joint, while allowing for different surface contours and thicknesses, thus simplifying the joining process and reducing material costs.

Implementation Method 1

a constant or constant radiation generated during the joining method can be emitted along the section with a constant or constant radiation intensity

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLaser radiation transmission: Laser

Implementation Method 2

The two housings are bonded to one another in a joining area by means of a transmission welding process

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTransmission welding: Laser Beam Welding

Implementation Method 3

a housing part that is remote from the laser source is made of a material that absorbs the laser radiation

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLaser radiation absorption: Absorption (EM radiation)

Data Source

PatentEP2748563B1Sensor housing for a vehicle transmission
Publication Date: 2017.06.21 ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
  • EP2748563B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2748563B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2748563B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a housing part (220) for a housing of a sensor (210) for a vehicle transmission. The housing part (220) can be connected to another housing part (230) along a joining region using a joining method, to form the housing. The housing part (220) has in the joining region at least one uniform wall thickness or adapted optical material characteristics.