Vehicle Venting Shield With Offset Ports to Block Oil Carryover
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Membrane fabric-style venting systems are not suitable for powertrain components like beam axles due to manufacturing difficulties in creating a labyrinth, leading to issues with oil reaching the membrane and causing component failure, and vent hoses present packaging challenges and risk of fracture or disconnection, allowing water and debris to enter.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a body having an inlet, outlet, and internal shield that creates a tortuous path for air to pass while blocking liquids, featuring axially extending ports and offset fluid ports to prevent liquid from reaching the venting system, and a frustoconical portion to repel liquids back into the component.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a membrane fabric-style venting system is used for powertrain components, then water can be prevented from reaching the component while allowing air to pass through, but oil from the component can contact the membrane causing it to fail
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a labyrinthine structure as an intermediary element between the component interior and the membrane. This labyrinth consists of a series of tortuous pathways with multiple bends and restrictions that force oil to navigate a complex route, while air can still pass through. The labyrinth acts as a mediator that separates the harmful oil from the membrane while maintaining the venting function.
Solution Approach 2:
The venting pathway is segmented into multiple sections within the labyrinth structure. Instead of a direct path, the air and fluid flow is divided into multiple segments with bends, restrictions, and changes in direction. This segmentation creates a tortuous path that exploits the viscosity difference between oil and air, allowing air to pass while preventing oil from reaching the membrane.
2Ease of manufacture
If a labyrinth is cast into a housing to prevent oil from reaching the membrane, then oil can be blocked, but it is difficult to manufacture such a labyrinth in swaged axle tubes due to component clearances
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of casting the labyrinth directly into the swaged axle tube housing (which is difficult due to clearances and manufacturing constraints), the patent inverts the approach by creating the labyrinth structure as a separate insert or component that can be manufactured independently and then installed within the available clearance. This allows the complex tortuous pathway to be produced using conventional manufacturing methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The labyrinth structure is designed as a nested component that fits within the existing clearance of the swaged axle tube assembly. The tortuous pathway structure is contained within the outer housing dimensions, effectively nesting the complex internal structure within the available space without requiring modification of the original swaged tube geometry.
3Ease of operation
If vent hoses are used to couple beam axles to venting systems, then connection is achieved, but the hoses may fracture or become disconnected due to flexing and stress from environmental conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the venting connection function directly into the housing structure itself. Instead of using a separate flexible hose to connect the component to the venting system, the vent ports and pathways are integrated directly into the housing, eliminating the need for external hoses and their associated failure modes.
Solution Approach 2:
The vulnerable hose component is extracted from the venting system design. By removing the flexible hose and replacing it with a rigid integrated venting structure, the source of flexing and stress-related failures is eliminated, while the venting function is maintained through the housing's own structure.
4Ease of operation
If vent hoses are routed through suspension and exhaust areas, then connection is achieved, but packaging issues arise and additional expense is required to ensure secure routing free from collision
Solution Approach 1:
The external hose routing requirement is extracted and eliminated from the system. By integrating the venting pathways directly into the housing, the need to route hoses through complex suspension and exhaust areas is removed, simplifying both installation and reducing packaging constraints.
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 apparatus effectively prevents liquid from entering the venting system, ensuring component integrity by creating a labyrinthine path for air while repelling liquids back into the component, thus avoiding component failure due to oil-water mixing.
Implementation Method 1
an internal shield disposed between and spaced apart from both the inlet and the outlet and configured to block liquid from passing from the inlet to the outlet
Implementation Method 2
a frustoconical portion to repel liquids back into the component
Implementation Method 3
one or more fluid pathways extending between the inlet and the outlet through which air is permitted to pass
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for a vehicle component venting system comprises a body having an inlet, an outlet, and a fluid pathway(s) therebetween through which air may pass, and a shield between the inlet and outlet configured to block liquid from passing from the inlet to the outlet. The inlet includes a first set of ports extending from an interior surface of the body through an exterior surface; and the shield and interior surface of the body define a void therebetween. A second set of ports extends through the shield and are in fluid communication with the void and a passageway extending between the shield and the outlet, the first and second sets of ports, the void, and the passageway form the fluid pathway between the inlet and outlet. The ports of the second set of ports are offset from and linearly misaligned with the ports of the first set of ports.