Air Cleaner Adhesive Joint Design for Compact Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air cleaners require significant assembly effort due to complex joint portions, leading to increased size and reduced adhesion strength.
Innovation Solution
An air cleaner design featuring a first casing with a protrusion and a second casing with a looped application surface and adhesive, where the protrusion is inserted into the adhesive, ensuring strong adhesion without increasing the air cleaner's size, and a filter element is secured to both casings with a common adhesive.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate joint portions are used for joining the filter element to the casing and for joining the end of the casing to the cover, then the assembly process becomes complex and requires much work, but the structural integrity is maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two separate joint portions into a single integrated joint portion. The first joint portion joins the filter element to the end of the casing, while the second joint portion joins the end of the casing to the cover. By combining these functions into one location, the assembly process is simplified and requires less work, directly resolving the contradiction between assembly ease and device complexity.
2Strength
If the contact area between the adhesive and the first casing is increased by outwardly increasing the width of the region, then the adhesion strength is improved, but the size of the air cleaner increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a protrusion at a specific location on the peripheral wall of the first casing. This protrusion locally increases the contact area between the adhesive and the first casing without outwardly increasing the overall width of the region. The adhesive is applied to the looped application surface and bonds to the protrusion, providing strong adhesion while maintaining a compact air cleaner size.
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 design facilitates easy assembly, maintains a compact size, and enhances adhesion strength by increasing the contact area between the adhesive and the casings, while reducing the amount of adhesive needed and preventing its bulging or flowing.
Implementation Method 1
The adhesive is applied to the application surface to fix the filter element to the second casing. The protrusion is inserted into the adhesive, ensuring strong adhesion without increasing the air cleaner's size.
Data Source
AI summary
An air cleaner includes an upper casing, a lower casing, and a filter element, which is located inside the upper casing and the lower casing. The upper casing includes an inlet, a lower opening, and a peripheral wall, which defines the lower opening. The lower casing includes an outlet and covers the lower opening of the upper casing. A looped application surface is formed on the lower casing. The filter element is fixed to the lower casing with an adhesive applied to the application surface of the lower casing. A protrusion, which is formed on the peripheral wall of the upper casing, is inserted into the adhesive.