Sealing Member With Threaded Body For Even Venting Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the automotive industry, existing grommets often result in uneven seating of seal surfaces when attempting to seal openings, and there is a need for a reliable and repeatable sealing solution that can be installed from the interior of a vehicle to ensure complete sealing of battery compartments while allowing for venting.
Innovation Solution
A sealing member or grommet with a first and second body portion, featuring a threaded outer surface, inner and outer sealing surfaces, a sealing flange, and a channel with stop surfaces, allowing for even distribution and secure installation from the interior, with additional features like a locking tab and hand levers for easy installation and a securing member for external fastening, enabling sealed venting through a central passage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fasteners are used to seal and pull/push the grommet into position, then the grommet can be secured to the bulkhead panel, but the seal surface becomes unevenly seated
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member is divided into two separate body portions (first body portion and second body portion) connected by a channel. This segmentation allows each portion to be secured independently - the first body portion seals against the interior surface while the second body portion is fastened from the exterior, ensuring both uniform seal contact and secure attachment without compromising either sealing reliability or seal surface uniformity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention reverses the conventional sealing approach by enabling installation from the interior location rather than requiring exterior fastening to push the seal into position. The first body portion is inserted and rotated from the interior to seal the aperture, while the second body portion with external fasteners provides additional securing. This inversion allows the seal surface to be evenly distributed around the aperture while maintaining secure attachment
2Manufacturing precision
If the sealing member is installed from the interior location, then even distribution of the seal surface is achieved, but additional fastening from exterior is required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges two fastening approaches into a single integrated system: interior insertion and rotation of the first body portion for even seal distribution, combined with exterior fastening of the second body portion for secure attachment. The channel connecting the two body portions allows this combined approach to work seamlessly, achieving both uniform seal contact and reliable securing without requiring separate complex fastening systems
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing member with two body portions serves multiple functions simultaneously: the first body portion provides sealing against the interior surface, the channel provides structural connection and alignment, and the second body portion provides exterior fastening capability. This multi-functionality allows a single component to achieve even seal distribution while maintaining secure attachment, reducing the need for additional separate fastening systems
Data Source
AI summary
A system for sealed venting of a compartment includes a sealing member having a first body portion and a second body portion, an inner sealing member surface defining a central passage passing longitudinally from a first terminal end of the sealing member to a second terminal end of the sealing member, an outer sealing member surface defining an outer circumference of the sealing member, a sealing flange extending radially outward from the outer sealing member surface, and a channel including at least one stop surface. A securing member having a securing flange engages with the second body portion. The channel engages with the aperture defined in the body when the sealing member is inserted into and rotated in the aperture and the sealing flange and the securing flange seal the sealing member to the inner and outer surfaces of the body.