Quick-mount low-profile connection with slotted connecting strip

Abstract

The invention relates to a connecting assembly for connecting two elements (10a, 10b) including flanges (12a, 12b) configured to be connected to each other, the flanges (12a, 12b) including inner sides configured to abut to each other and outer sides facing away from each other and an end face connecting the inner side and the outer side of each of the flanges (12a, 12b), wherein the connecting assembly includes a band (16) configured to be strapped around the outer circumference of the flanges (12a, 12b). It is proposed that the band (16) has a ladder-shaped structure comprising a plurality of transverse slots (18) separated by webs (22) in a longitudinal direction, wherein the transverse slots (18) are laterally delimited by continuous strip portions (20a, 20b) of the band (16) running along opposite edges of the band (16) in the longitudinal direction, such that the webs (22) connect the continuous strip portions (20a, 20b) and form rungs of the ladder-shaped structure, wherein the webs (22) are configured to be strapped over the end faces of the flanges (12a, 12b) and wherein the band clamps (24, 26) are configured to clamp the continuous strip portions (20a, 20b) onto the two elements (10a, 10b) at the outer side of each of the flanges (12a, 12b) and / or adjacent to the outer side of the flanges (12a, 12b).

Description

[0001] Quick-Mount low-profile connection with slotted connecting strip

[0002] The invention relates to a connecting assembly according to the preamble of claim 1 .

[0003] It is well-known to connect flanges of machine elements such as housing parts or tubes with nuts and bolts . As this requires multiple nuts and bolts and alignment of the holes in the flanges , the assembly of such a connection is burdensome and not flexible ion that a relative position of the elements in is predetermined by the alignment of the holes .

[0004] It has further been proposed to connect flanges using V-Clamps . The document US2017184238A1 discloses a connecting device between a turbine housing of an exhaust turbocharger and an exhaust manifold housing of an internal combustion engine . The turbine housing and the exhaust manifold housing are kept in position via a band clamp which acts with first and second limbs , which are oriented in a V shaped manner in cross section and are connected via a web , on supporting devices , which are attached to outer circumferences of the turbine housing and of the exhaust manifold housing .

[0005] While the use of V-Clamps with a single tightening device greatly facilitates the assembly and is more flexible with regard to positioning in the circumferential direction, this solution still has some drawbacks in that the tightening device requires assembly space , which may not be available and in that the contact between the clamping band and the elements being connected may entail galvanic corrosion if the band and the elements are made of different metal .

[0006] Moreover, some applications such as compressors for compressing oxygen and / or hydrogen in a fuel cell electric vehicle ( FCEV) require high safety standards in terms of the pull-off force , i . e . the minimum axial force required to disconnect the elements . The latter applies in particular to shock-like forces which may occur when a rotor is ruptures or in the event of ac- cidents . Experiments have shown that pull-off forces as high as 60 kN may be required in the context of air compressors of FCEVs .

[0007] In some of the applications mentioned above , the diameters and geometries of the elements to be clamped are diverse such that it is further required that the connecting assembly is easily adaptable to different diameters and geometries .

[0008] The invention seeks to provide a connecting assembly solving the above problems and drawbacks of connection assemblies according to the prior art .

[0009] The problem is solved by a device having the features of claim 1 . Advantageous embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims .

[0010] The invention relates to a connecting assembly for connecting two elements including flanges configured to be connected to each other, the flanges including inner sides configured to abut to each other and outer sides facing away from each other and an end face connecting the inner side and the outer side of each of the flanges , wherein the connecting assembly includes a band configured to be strapped around the outer circumference of the flanges .

[0011] It is proposed that the connecting assembly further includes two band clamps each including a tightening device and that the band has a ladder-shaped structure comprising a plurality of transverse slots separated by webs in a longitudinal direction, wherein the transverse slots are laterally delimited by continuous strip portions of the band running along opposite edges of the band in the longitudinal direction, such that the webs connect the continuous strip portions and form rungs of the laddershaped structure , wherein the webs are configured to be strapped over the end faces of the flanges and wherein the band clamps are configured to clamp the continuous strip portions onto the two elements at the outer side of each of the flanges and / or adj acent to the outer side of the flanges .

[0012] In a preferred embodiment , the webs are pre-shaped to conform the combined profile of the abutting flanges .

[0013] The inventors further propose that the band clamps are ear clamps . However , one of the advantages of the invention is that the band can be clamped using various kinds of clamps depending in the requirements of the application .

[0014] It is further proposed that the band is a stamped sheet-metal strip . In the context of the invention, the expression stamping includes a variety of sheet-metal forming manufacturing processes , such as punching using a machine press or stamping press , blanking, embossing , bending , flanging , and coining . In the context of the invention "clicking on" means exerting a certain pressure until snap-fitting structures engage with each other . In particular , the band may be cut from an "endless" roll of stamped sheet metal band at an appropriate length . It is therefore easy to adapt the connecting assembly to different diameters and / or different geometries of the elements to be connected .

[0015] In a further embodiment of the invention, at least one of the transverse slots is formed as a cut .

[0016] Preferably, a root portion of the outer sides of the flanges includes a radius or a slope . The root portion is preferably shaped such that the webs are tensioned by being pulled down the slope of the radius when the band clamps are being tightened .

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the inner side of at least one of the flanges includes a groove accommodating an O- ring . The function of the connecting assembly can thereby made more reliable . Air compressor in including two housing parts and a connecting assembly according to one of the preceding claims , wherein the two housing parts are the two elements including flanges connected by the connecting assembly .

[0018] Further features and advantages will be apparent from the following description of the embodiments and figures . The entire description, claims and figures disclose features of the invention in specific embodiments and combinations . The person s killed in the art will also consider the features individually and combine them into further combinations or sub-combinations to adapt the invention, as defined in the claims , to his needs or to specific fields of application .

[0019] The figures illustrate the following :

[0020] Fig . 1 illustrates a connecting assembly according to a first embodiment of the invention in the mounted configuration;

[0021] Fig . 2 is a partial section of the flanges of housing parts of an air compressor to be connected with the connecting assembly according the invention;

[0022] Fig . 3 illustrates a band of the connecting assembly in isolation; and

[0023] Fig . 4 illustrates he connecting assembly according to the invention with band clamps .

[0024] Fig . 1 shows a connecting assembly according to a first embodiment of the invention . The connecting assembly is designed for connecting two elements 10a , 10b formed as aluminium housing elements 10a , 10b of an air compressor, which is not shown in further detail . The elements 10a, 10b include flanges 12a, 12b configured to be connected to each other, the flanges 12a, 12b including inner sides 12al configured to abut to each other and outer sides 12b2 facing away from each other and a radially outer end face 12a3 , 12b3 connecting the inner side and the outer side of each of the flanges 12a , 12b . As illustrated in Fig . 2 , inner side of the two flanges 12a, 12b includes a groove accommodating an O-ring 14 . The connection is therefore sealed by the O-ring 14 and the connecting assembly must generate a continuous axial pressure to ensure the sealing while simultaneously withstanding a much higher pull-off force in the axial direction .

[0025] As illustrated in Fig . 2 , inner side of the two flanges 12a, 12b includes a groove accommodating an O-ring 14 . The connection is therefore sealed by the O-ring 14 and the connecting assembly must generate a continuous axial pressure to ensure the sealing while simultaneously withstanding a much higher pull-off force in the axial direction . A root portion of the outer sides of the flanges 12a , 12b includes a radius or a slope .

[0026] According to the invention, the connecting assembly includes a band 16 formed as a stamped sheet-metal strip and being configured to be strapped around the outer circumference of the flanges 12a , 12b and two band clamps 24 , 26 each including a tightening device 24a , 26a . The band clamps 24 , 26 are formed as ear clamps consisting of a stainless steel band into which one or more "ears" are formed as tightening devices 24a , 24b .

[0027] Fig . 3 illustrates the band 16 in more detail . The band 16 is cut from a roll to an appropriate length corresponding to the circumference of the elements 10a, 10b at the root portion of the flanges 12a , 12b . The band 16 includes a plurality of transverse slots 18 separated by webs 22 in a longitudinal direction, the slots 18 being laterally delimited by strip portions 20a , 20b of the band 16 . The webs 22 are configured to be strapped over the end faces of the flanges 12a, 12b and are preshaped to conform the combined profile of the abutting flanges 12a , 12b .

[0028] The band clamps 24 , 26 are configured to clamp the strip portions 20a , 20b onto the two elements 10a , 10b at the outer side of each of the flanges 12a , 12b and / or adj acent to the outer side of the flanges 12a, 12b . For assembly, the band 16 is and wound around the elements 10a, 10b such that the webs 22 reach over the flanges 12a, 12b to connect the elements 10a, 10b. The band clamps 24, 26 are then placed over the strip portions 20a, 20b of the band 16 as illus- trated in Fig. 4 and the band clamps 24, 26 are tightened by closing the tightening devices 24a, 26a at the base of the ears with a special pincer tool such that the ear permanently deforms, pulling the band of the band clamps 24, 26, and causing the band of the band clamps 24, 26 to tighten around the band 16. The size of band clamps 24, 26 is be chosen such that the ear(s) are almost completely closed on installation. Due to the curvature of the outer surface of the flanges, the webs 22 fan out as illustrated in Fig. 3 and 4.

[0029] List of reference numbers

[0030] 10a , 10b elements

[0031] 12a , 12b flanges

[0032] 14 0-ring 16 band

[0033] 18 slot

[0034] 20 web

[0035] 20a , 20b strip portions

[0036] 24 band clamp 24a tightening device

[0037] 26 band clamp

[0038] 26a tightening device

Claims

Claims1. Connecting assembly for connecting two elements (10a, 10b) including flanges (12a, 12b) configured to be connected to each other, the flanges (12a, 12b) including inner sides configured to abut to each other and outer sides facing away from each other and an end face connecting the inner side and the outer side of each of the flanges (12a, 12b) , wherein the connecting assembly includes a band (16) configured to be strapped around the outer circumference of the flanges (12a, 12b) , and two band clamps (24, 26) each including a tightening device (24a, 26a) , characterized by the band (16) has a ladder-shaped structure comprising a plurality of transverse slots (18) separated by webs (22) in a longitudinal direction, wherein the transverse slots (18) are laterally delimited by continuous strip portions (20a, 20b) of the band (16) running along opposite edges of the band (16) in the longitudinal direction, such that the webs (22) connect the continuous strip portions (20a, 20b) and form rungs of the ladder-shaped structure, wherein the webs (22) are configured to be strapped over the end faces of the flanges (12a, 12b) and wherein the band clamps (24, 26) are configured to clamp the continuous strip portions (20a, 20b) onto the two elements (10a, 10b) at the outer side of each of the flanges (12a, 12b) and / or adjacent to the outer side of the flanges (12a, 12b) .

2. Connecting assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the webs (22) are pre-shaped to conform the combined profile of the abutting flanges (12a, 12b) .

3. Connecting assembly according to one of the preceding claims , characterized in that the band clamps (24, 26) are ear clamps.

4. Connecting assembly according to one of the preceding claims , characterized in that band (16) is a stamped sheet-metal strip.

5. Connecting assembly according to one of the preceding claims , characterized in that at least one of the transverse slots (18) is formed as a cut .

6. Connecting assembly according to one of the preceding claims , characterized in that a root portion of the outer sides of the flanges (12a, 12b) includes a radius or a slope.

7. Connecting assembly according to one of the preceding claims , characterized in that the inner side of at least one of the flanges (12a, 12b) includes a groove accommodating an O-ring (14) .

8. Air compressor in including two housing parts and a connecting assembly according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the two housing parts are the two elements (10a, 10b) including flanges (12a, 12b) connected by the connecting assembly.

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