Split Housing for Capacitive Liquid Level Sensor Insulation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing capacitive liquid level sensors face challenges in maintaining close contact with the liquid medium while ensuring insulation and avoiding corrosion and electrical safety risks, particularly in injection molding and overmolding processes, which are complex and costly.

Innovation Solution

A housing for capacitive liquid level sensors is designed with two independent complementary half-bodies made of insulating material, secured by a perimeter joint, allowing easy assembly and ensuring close contact with the liquid medium without the need for cores or inserts, and incorporating elastic elements for pressure maintenance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a separately molded insulating casing is used to ensure insulation between the functional assembly and the liquid medium, then electrical safety and corrosion prevention are improved, but the distance between the electrodes and the liquid medium increases, reducing measurement sensitivity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrical safetyVSAvoidmeasurement sensitivity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The insulating casing is divided into two separate half-shells that are assembled around the functional assembly. This segmentation allows the functional assembly to be positioned in close contact with the liquid medium while still being enclosed by the insulating material, thus maintaining both electrical safety and measurement sensitivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Measurement precision

If the functional assembly is arranged very snugly in the insulating outer casing to minimize distance and improve sensitivity, then measurement sensitivity is improved, but the mold core becomes very long and slim, increasing the risk of breakage during injection molding

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemeasurement sensitivityVSAvoidmold core robustness

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The casing is segmented into two half-shells that are molded separately and then assembled. This eliminates the need for a single long, slim mold core, allowing each half-shell to be molded with shorter, more robust cores that are less prone to breakage during the injection molding process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Measurement precision

If additional spring parts are added to maintain close contact between the functional assembly and the insulating casing, then measurement sensitivity is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemeasurement sensitivityVSAvoidnumber of parts

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The functional assembly is designed with inherent elastic properties that allow it to dynamically adapt and maintain close contact with the inner face of the insulating casing. This eliminates the need for additional spring parts, reducing device complexity while maintaining measurement sensitivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Reliability

If the insulating casing is made as a single piece to ensure leak-tight sealing, then sealing reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase due to the need for complex mold cores

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing reliabilityVSAvoidmolding complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The insulating casing is segmented into two half-shells that are molded separately using simpler mold cores and then assembled together with a leak-tight joint. This segmentation reduces molding complexity while maintaining sealing reliability through the joint between the half-shells.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

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 proposed housing provides efficient insulation and sensitivity by maintaining close contact with the liquid, reducing complexity and cost, while avoiding damage and ensuring leak-tight sealing.

Implementation Method 1

capacitive liquid level sensor

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCapacitance: Capacitance

Implementation Method 2

capacitive sensor

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDielectric: Dielectric

Implementation Method 3

layer of insulating material, in order to prevent the active electrical parts of the sensor from coming into contact with the liquid medium

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrical insulation: Electrical Resistance

Implementation Method 4

elastic elements that act by way of springs

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS12578218B2Housing for capacitive liquid level sensor

Publication Date: 2026.03.17 CEBI ELECTROMECHANICAL COMPONENTS SPAIN SA

AI summary

A housing for a capacitive liquid level sensor, for providing an insulating cover over the functional assembly (1) of a capacitive liquid level sensor, consisting of two independent half-bodies (2) and (3), which overlap one another and are secured with a perimeter joint (5) therebetween, the assembly of the half-bodies (2) and (3) determining an intermediate cavity (4) for accommodating the functional assembly (1) of the capacitive liquid level sensor of the application.