Extruded Wheel Well Heater Assembly for Ice Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
In colder climates, meltable contaminants like ice and snow can build up in vehicle wheel wells, leading to undesirable tire wear and body damage, especially in vehicles with reduced clearances, and manual removal is not always timely or feasible, particularly for autonomous vehicles.
Innovation Solution
An extruded heater assembly is mounted within the wheel well, comprising a backing, a heating layer with conductive ink printed on a film, and a wear layer, which is thermoformed to fit the wheel well shape, using insulative and thermally conductive layers to generate heat and detect contaminant buildup, with a capacitive portion for monitoring and a power supply for activation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual removal of contaminants is used, then the user can remove ice and snow buildup, but the removal is not timely and not feasible for autonomous vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel well heater assembly automatically prevents and removes contaminant buildup without requiring user intervention. The heating element activates based on temperature sensors or timers, allowing the system to service itself by maintaining temperatures above freezing points, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and response time.
Solution Approach 2:
The heater assembly performs preliminary heating actions before contaminants can accumulate to problematic levels. By maintaining continuous or periodic heating, the system prevents ice and snow buildup before it occurs, rather than waiting for manual removal to be necessary.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If heater assembly is installed in wheel well area, then meltable contaminants are inhibited and removed, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heater assembly combines multiple functions into a single integrated unit: the heating element, insulative backing, wear layer, and sensor components are merged into one compact assembly that fits within the wheel well area. This reduces the overall system complexity compared to having separate components for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The heater assembly uses thin film heating elements and flexible insulative backing materials that can be conformally mounted to the wheel well geometry. This approach reduces material usage and simplifies installation compared to rigid heating components, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining effectiveness.
3Productivity
If extruded heater assembly is used, then manufacturing efficiency is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The extrusion process parameters (temperature, pressure, speed) are optimized to achieve the desired dimensional tolerances for the heater assembly components. By carefully controlling these parameters during manufacturing, the system maintains both high productivity through efficient extrusion and sufficient manufacturing precision for proper fit and function.
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 heater assembly effectively inhibits and removes meltable contaminants by generating thermal energy, maintaining adequate clearances between the wheel and vehicle body, and can operate autonomously to prevent buildup even in unmanned vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
a heating layer having a conductive ink printed on a film
Implementation Method 2
the thermally conductive layer is sandwiched between the insulative layer and the heating layer
Implementation Method 3
the insulative layer and the thermally conductive layer both comprise a polyester material
Implementation Method 4
a capacitive portion printed on the film that provides a portion of a capacitive circuit
Data Source
AI summary
An exemplary extruded heater assembly includes, among other things, a backing, a heating layer having a conductive ink printed on a film, and a wear layer. The heating layer is sandwiched between the backing and the wear layer. An exemplary method includes, among other things, extruding together a backing, a heating layer having a conductive ink printed on a film, and a wear layer to provide an extruded structure. The method further includes mounting the extruded structure within a wheel well of a vehicle.