Sliding Cover Assembly for Contamination-Protected Electrical Connections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical assemblies in electric vehicles are susceptible to contamination, leading to poor conductivity, operation failures, and safety risks due to exposure to conductive materials, dirt, moisture, and corrosion, which current technologies have not adequately addressed.
Innovation Solution
An electrical assembly with a cover that includes a base, rails, and a leg with a detent, which is slidably coupled to a housing, allowing it to move between open and closed positions, thereby protecting the electrical connection from contaminants and ensuring secure engagement with the housing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the electrical connection is exposed to facilitate assembly and servicing, then ease of operation is improved, but contamination from conductive materials, dirt, moisture, and corrosion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical assembly is divided into separate components: a housing containing the electrical connection and a removable cover. This segmentation allows the cover to be detached for access to the electrical connection while remaining attached during normal operation to protect against contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover is designed to be movable between an open position (for assembly and servicing access) and a closed position (for contamination protection). This dynamic configuration allows the system to adapt between protection and accessibility needs.
2Reliability
If the cover is made securely coupled to protect the electrical connection, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in opening and closing
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling mechanism is divided into separate engagement elements: rails on the cover that interface with corresponding features on the housing, and a detent mechanism with discrete engagement positions. This segmentation allows for secure engagement while maintaining simplicity in the coupling action.
Solution Approach 2:
The detent mechanism automatically engages with the rails to secure the cover in either open or closed position without requiring additional fastening actions. The mechanism self-locks into position, providing secure coupling while requiring minimal user effort to operate.
3Ease of manufacture
If the cover structure is simplified for ease of manufacture, then ease of manufacture is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to insufficient protection against contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is designed as a simple base structure with attached rails and a separate detent component. This segmentation allows each element to be manufactured independently using simple processes, while the assembled structure provides comprehensive protection against contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover forms a simple enclosing structure that seals the electrical connection area. The basic shell-like cover geometry provides effective contamination protection while remaining simple to manufacture from standard materials.
Data Source
AI summary
A cover includes a base, a pair of rails, and a leg. The pair of rails extend from the base and are configured to be moveably-coupled to a housing. The leg extends from the base and includes a detent that is configured to restrict movement of the cover relative to the housing.