Vacuum Pump Radial Connector and Waterproof Wall Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vacuum pumps face challenges in on-site maintenance efficiency due to limited space for axial attachment and detachment of the pump main body and control apparatus, and the risk of water droplets penetrating into connector connecting portions during maintenance, which complicates circuit safety.
Innovation Solution
The vacuum pump design includes a connector arranged in the side portion of the base with a circumferentially protrusive wall portion that expands to the control apparatus, a gap cover portion, and a sealing member to prevent water infiltration, allowing for easier maintenance and ensuring circuit safety by preventing water penetration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the connector is arranged in the axial direction at the bottom portion of the pump main body, then the pump main body and control apparatus can be attached and detached, but the available space for maintenance is limited and alignment of terminals becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is relocated from the axial direction (bottom portion) to the radial direction (side portion) of the pump main body. This dimensional change allows maintenance personnel to access terminals from the side rather than through the limited axial gap, significantly improving accessibility and alignment ease while maintaining the attachable-detachable functionality.
2Ease of operation
If the cover is removed during maintenance work, then access to internal components is improved, but water droplets can penetrate into the connector connecting portion
Solution Approach 1:
A waterproof cover is introduced as an intermediary component that can be temporarily removed during maintenance to access internal components, then reinstalled to prevent water penetration. The cover acts as a barrier that maintains connector protection while allowing controlled access when needed, resolving the contradiction between maintenance accessibility and water protection.
3Reliability
If the pump main body and control apparatus are integrated, then cable connection errors are avoided, but maintenance requires moving the integrated unit to a location with sufficient working space
Solution Approach 1:
The connector and terminal arrangement in the radial direction (side portion) rather than axial direction enables maintenance personnel to access and align terminals from the side, improving ease of maintenance operation while keeping the integrated pump main body and control apparatus in their installed position, eliminating the need to move the entire integrated unit.
Data Source
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AI summary
To provide a vacuum pump, and a waterproof structure and a control apparatus applied to the vacuum pump which improve efficiency of on-site maintenance work and, at the same time, prevent water from penetrating into a connector connecting portion when a cover is removed during circuit separation or the like. When performing maintenance work, after a chassis of a control apparatus 200 is lowered by around several ten millimeters, the chassis of the control apparatus 200 is pulled out in a radial direction of a pump. Accordingly, a pump main body 100 and the control apparatus 200 can be readily attached and detached even when sufficient empty space is not available in an axial direction of the vacuum pump. A wall portion 202 is circumferentially protrusively provided in side portions of the base portion 129 and the control apparatus 200. Therefore, even when a wall portion cover 201 is removed during maintenance work, infiltration of water droplets can be prevented by the wall portion 202. Furthermore, a sealing member 219 and a lid 217 are inserted into a gap 210. Therefore, water droplets cannot easily penetrate into the gap 210.