Vehicle Air Cleaner Reinforcement for NVH Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air cleaner designs for vehicles face challenges in ensuring airtightness and strength, leading to noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) issues due to inadequate sealing and reinforcement, particularly with ultrasonic welding techniques that struggle to maintain dimensional stability and form reliable seals.
Innovation Solution
The air cleaner apparatus incorporates an integral reinforcement structure with laterally bent support sections and plate-shaped reinforcement members, along with a mold unit that allows for the formation of grid-shaped ribs, enhancing strength and airtightness by adapting welding surfaces to a lower position and using sliding molds to create horizontal ribs, which are not possible in traditional designs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the welding surface is positioned at the upper side, then the cover and body can be welded together, but dimensional stability and sealing are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional welding surface position from the upper side to the lower side of the air cleaner case. This inversion allows the welding surface to be positioned at the bottom where dimensional stability is better maintained, while still achieving reliable welding through the specially designed lower welding surface structure
2Manufacturing precision
If the welding surface is positioned at the lower position, then dimensional stability is improved, but sufficient space for sealing structure is not obtained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the lower welding surface laterally in another dimension to create sufficient space for the sealing structure. This dimensional extension allows the sealing structure to be formed properly while maintaining the lower welding surface position that provides dimensional stability
3Reliability
If a flange structure is formed to fix the cover and body, then the cover and body are secured, but reinforcement ribs can only be formed in one direction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the reinforcement structure into multiple directional components by forming reinforcement ribs in both vertical and horizontal directions. This segmentation allows the cover and body to be securely fixed while providing comprehensive reinforcement through multi-directional rib structures
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 configuration significantly improves the NVH performance by increasing the strength and airtightness of the air cleaner, reducing noise and vibration, while allowing for easier filter replacement and maintenance, and providing a reliable seal through improved welding and reinforcement.
Implementation Method 1
the cover and the body are coupled with each other by vibration welding using ultrasonic waves
Implementation Method 2
strong vibration generates frictional heat such that welding and bonding occurs at bonding surfaces of the workpieces
Data Source
AI summary
An air cleaner apparatus for a vehicle includes a body defining therein a storage space. The body has an intake port through which air is to be taken in, a laterally-bent support section disposed at an upper portion, and plate-shaped reinforcement members disposed above the storage space and having a predetermined thickness, wherein a cover is coupled to the upper portion of the body, defines therein a storage space, and has a discharge port at one side through which air is to be discharged and a laterally-bent coupling section disposed at a lower side, wherein an opening is provided at front sides of the body and cover, and serves as an entrance through which a filter member is stored or taken out, and wherein a plate-shaped cover is coupled to a front portion of the storage part in order to open or close the storage part.