Utility Vehicle Terminal Compartment for Rain and Dust Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Utility vehicles designed for off-road travel lack a cabin, exposing driver sections to rain, earth, and sand, which can damage terminals like USB ports due to inadequate protection.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a hermetically sealable space with a door in the driver section to house terminals, ensuring they are protected from rain, earth, and sand, and allowing the terminals to be connected via a cable that can be extended outside for use while maintaining protection when not in use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cap is provided for terminal protection, then the terminal is protected against dust and water to some extent, but rain water and other contaminants can still reach the terminal causing rust, damage, or electric trouble
Solution Approach 1:
The driver section is segmented into a hermetically sealable space (cabin) that isolates the terminal from the external environment. This space is separated from the open driver section by a door, creating distinct zones with different protection levels. The terminal is placed inside this sealed cabin space, which is embedded in the driving panel, allowing it to be protected from rain water and contaminants while remaining accessible through the door mechanism.
2Reliability
If the terminal is placed in a hermetically sealable space, then the terminal is reliably protected against rain water and sand, but the terminal becomes less accessible for use
Solution Approach 1:
The door of the hermetically sealable space is designed to be movable, transitioning between open and closed states. This dynamic mechanism allows the terminal to be accessible when the door is open for use, and protected when the door is closed. The elastic member further enhances this by dynamically adjusting to hold the cable in position during door operation, ensuring continuous accessibility while maintaining protection during closed states.
3Reliability
If the door is closed to protect the terminal, then rain water is prevented from entering, but the cable connected to the terminal cannot pass through
Solution Approach 1:
The door includes a notch that changes the door's structure to create a passage opening. This structural modification allows the cable to pass through the door when needed while maintaining the hermetic seal when the door is closed. The elastic member works with this notch to hold the cable in position, enabling the door to adapt between sealed and open states for cable passage.
4Ease of operation
If the terminal is made removable for convenient use, then the terminal can be taken out for external use, but the terminal becomes vulnerable to contaminants when removed
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal is pre-positioned inside the hermetically sealable space, which is embedded in the driving panel at a location easily accessible to the driver. The cable is pre-routed through the door's notch and held by the elastic member, allowing the terminal to be removed for external use without exposing it to contaminants during the removal process. The preliminary positioning ensures that the terminal can be accessed and removed conveniently while maintaining protection during normal operation.
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
Effectively prevents damage to terminals by keeping them dry and dust-free, allowing for convenient use both inside and outside the sealed space without the need for additional caps, and ensures the terminals remain functional.
Implementation Method 1
provided with an elastic member along an edge of the notch, and with the door closed and the terminal being outside the hermetically sealable space, the cable is in close contact with and held by the elastic member
Data Source
AI summary
A utility vehicle includes an open driver section including a driver's seat for a driver to sit on; a hermetically sealable space disposed in the driver section and having a door; and a terminal in the hermetically sealable space.