Air Cleaner Flange Guide Wall Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air cleaners face challenges in increasing capacity and improving rigidity due to limited space in vehicles, especially with the installation of complex systems like motor generators and batteries, while maintaining effective filtration and sound deadening qualities.
Innovation Solution
The air cleaner design features a flat plate filter element sandwiched between cases with an inner flange type structure, where the flange and guide wall form a U-shaped cross-section, allowing the case wall to extend outside the flange portion, increasing capacity and rigidity, and enhancing manufacturing ease.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the air cleaner uses a conventional structure with limited space, then it can be easily manufactured and assembled, but the capacity and rigidity are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The case wall extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the air cleaner, creating a protruding section that utilizes three-dimensional space more efficiently. This dimensional change allows increased capacity without proportionally increasing the overall footprint, resolving the contradiction between capacity and structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The flange portion is formed by extending the case wall inward from the peripheral edge, creating a nested structure where the flange is integrated within the case body. This nesting approach increases rigidity and capacity while avoiding separate components, thus not increasing device complexity.
2Volume of moving object
If the case wall extends outside the flange portion to increase capacity, then the air cleaner volume increases, but the sealing performance may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The flange portion acts as an intermediary element between the case wall and the filter element sealing portion. By providing this intermediate structure that extends inward, the sealing surface is enhanced without compromising the seal between the case and filter element, allowing both increased capacity and maintained sealing performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The case structure is segmented into distinct functional zones: the main case body, the protruding section with extended case wall, and the flange portion formed by inward extension. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function optimally - the protruding section increases capacity while the flange portion maintains sealing integrity.
3Strength
If the flange portion extends substantially perpendicular to the case wall, then the rigidity is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flange portion and case wall are merged into a single integrated structure formed by continuous extension of the case wall material. This merging eliminates the need for separate flange components and complex assembly operations, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining the rigidity benefits of the perpendicular extension.
Solution Approach 2:
The case wall serves multiple functions: it forms the main case body, extends to create the protruding section for increased capacity, and continues inward to form the flange portion for enhanced rigidity and sealing. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional components and simplifies manufacturing while achieving multiple structural benefits.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an air cleaner including: a first case and a second case each having a case wall; and a flat plate filter element sandwiched between the first case and the second case, wherein the flat plate filter element has an annular sealing portion on a peripheral edge of the flat plate filter element, at least a partial section of a peripheral edge of at least one of the first case or the second case has a flange portion and a guide wall inside the case wall, the flange portion contacts the sealing portion and extends inside at least one of the first case or the second case substantially perpendicular to the case wall from an end of the case wall, and the guide wall extends substantially parallel to the case wall and facing the case wall from an inner end of the flange portion.