Air Damper Shaft Mount With Split Clamping for Round Axles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing air flap rotary drive actuator devices face challenges in achieving a resilient, non-positive and positive fixation on air flap axes, particularly with round axles, as they require mechanical contact that is both resilient and strong enough to transmit torque, while avoiding stress concentration and material limitations.

Innovation Solution

The proposed axle mount design incorporates tension and pressure side components that move in opposite directions, featuring a tension bracket with an internal thread engaging an external nut thread, and a pressure bracket with a V-shaped contact surface, allowing for elastic deformation and stress distribution, thereby enabling a resilient and cost-effective fixation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a resilient mechanical contact is used to fix the air damper shaft, then the fixation is resilient and adaptable, but the strength to transmit torque is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresilient fixationVSAvoidtorque transmission strength
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The clamp is divided into two separate clamp jaws (first clamp jaw and second clamp jaw) that can be adjusted independently. Each jaw can be positioned to optimally contact the shaft, allowing the resilient adjustment mechanism to provide adaptability while the segmented structure distributes the torque transmission load across multiple contact points, resolving the contradiction between resilient fixation and torque strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention employs an adjustable mechanism that allows the clamp jaws to dynamically adapt their position and contact force to the shaft dimensions. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the system to maintain resilient fixation while optimizing the contact area and force distribution to achieve sufficient torque transmission strength, rather than relying on a fixed rigid structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Strength

If the thread in the tension yoke extends to the top surface, then the structural integrity is maximized, but stress concentration occurs leading to material failure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidresistance to stress concentration
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the problematic thread structure from the critical stress area by positioning the thread below the top surface of the tension yoke. This creates a gap that removes the stress concentration source while maintaining the structural integrity function through the remaining yoke material and alternative load paths, resolving the contradiction between structural integrity and stress resistance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention converts the potential harm of thread-induced stress concentration into a benefit by deliberately designing the thread to end below the top surface. This creates a stress-free zone at the critical top surface area, and the gap itself becomes a feature that prevents material failure while the thread still provides the necessary mechanical engagement and adjustment capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Strength

If high-resilient and strong materials are used for the tension yoke, then the fixation strength is sufficient, but the manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefixation strengthVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention enables the use of less expensive materials for the tension yoke by designing a structure where the thread does not extend to the top surface. This design change allows the yoke to be made from cost-effective materials like sintered metal while still achieving sufficient fixation strength through the optimized geometry and stress distribution, making the component more economical to manufacture without compromising performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

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 design ensures a strong, non-positive and positive fixation of the air flap axis, reducing the risk of stress concentration and allowing the use of less resilient materials, while improving the load distribution and longevity of the components.

Implementation Method 1

a thread (internal thread) of the tension yoke engages a thread (external thread) of a nut to enable the tension yoke to move

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThread engagement: Screw

Implementation Method 2

allowing for elastic deformation and stress distribution

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Implementation Method 3

a pressure bracket with a V-shaped contact surface, allowing for elastic deformation and stress distribution

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectStress distribution:

Data Source

PatentEP3978770B1Damper rotary drive and axle housing for a damper rotary drive
Publication Date: 2024.01.31 SIEMENS SCHWEIZ AG
  • EP3978770B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3978770B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3978770B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention is a shaft mount (10) for an air damper rotary actuator and an air damper rotary actuator with such a shaft mount, which has opposing components (12, 14, 16) movable towards an axis (30) on the tension and compression sides, and a tension bracket (12) as a movable component on the tension side. For the movement of the tension bracket, a thread of the tension bracket engages with a thread of a nut (18). The tension bracket has the thread in a tension bracket upper part (12'), and the thread begins on a lower side of the tension bracket upper part and ends below a top side of the tension bracket upper part. The height of the thread in the tension bracket upper part, measured in the axial direction of the nut, is less than the height of the tension bracket upper part, also measured in the axial direction of the nut. Due to this height difference, a circumferential annular gap (50) remains on the top side of the tension bracket upper part.