Air Conditioning Connector With Support Body For Bending Stress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connection arrangements for air conditioning systems, particularly in mobile applications, face challenges in achieving a durable and tight seal while being lightweight, as they must withstand high pressures, vibrations, and limited fastening means, making it difficult to prevent coolant leakage and ensure reliable connections.
Innovation Solution
A connection arrangement featuring a support body that transmits bending stresses to a radial flange, allowing for high contact forces to be distributed and enabling the use of high-sealing-force elements, with a composite material combination of plastic and metal, and a separate support body to manage these stresses, facilitating a durable and tight connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If connectors are made from plastic material to reduce weight, then the weight of the air conditioning system is reduced, but the connector cannot withstand high bending stresses from fastening means
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into two separate components: a plastic radial flange (first component) and a metal support body (second component). The radial flange provides lightweight sealing surface, while the support body withstands high bending stresses from fastening means. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function without compromise.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection arrangement uses a composite structure combining plastic material (radial flange) and metal material (support body). This composite approach leverages the advantages of both materials: plastic provides lightweight construction and corrosion resistance, while metal provides high strength and bending stress resistance.
2Reliability
If high contact forces are applied to the radial flange for adequate sealing, then sealing efficiency is improved, but the connector experiences considerable bending stress
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function and load-bearing function are separated into different components. The radial flange (first component) applies contact forces for sealing, while the support body (second component) absorbs and withstands the resulting bending stresses. This functional separation allows high sealing forces without compromising connector integrity.
3Device complexity
If the connector structure is simplified to reduce component count, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but the ability to provide durable sealing under vibrations and high pressures is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The radial flange and support body are designed to work together as an integrated connection arrangement. The radial flange integrates the sealing surface and connection interface, while the support body integrates the stress-withstanding structure. Together they provide durable sealing under vibrations and high pressures through their coordinated design.
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
This solution enables the creation of a stable, lightweight, and durable connection that maintains sealing efficiency under high pressures and vibrations, allowing for the use of high-sealing-force elements, effectively preventing coolant leakage and ensuring reliable connections in mobile air conditioning systems.
Implementation Method 1
a support body assigned to the radial flange, the support body enclosing the passage channel and being provided with a radially protruding projection, wherein the projection is equipped to be able to receive at least one connection means... the support body is being formed in such a way that it can receive high bending stresses and transmit them steadily to the radial flange
Implementation Method 2
The sealing element provides sealing in an axial direction and is pressed against the further pipe or the other component by the radial flange at the front face... Such sealing elements require a high contact pressure so as to ensure a sufficient and durable sealing efficiency
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
Connection arrangement (1) for an air conditioning system, comprising a connector (2), which is connected to a first pipe (12) and has a passage channel (3) and at least one cylindrical portion (4), which can be inserted into a further pipe (5) or into another component of the air conditioning system, and a radial flange (6), to which a sealing element (7) is assigned, characterized in that a support body (8) is assigned to the radial flange (6), the support body (8) enclosing the passage channel (3) and being provided with a radially protruding projection (9), the projection (9) being equipped to be able to receive at least one fastening means (10) and mobile air conditioning system, comprising the connection arrangement.