Flexible Vehicle Air Pipe With Support Rings for Negative Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air pipes for motor vehicles face challenges in maintaining dimensional stability under high temperature differences and mechanical loads, often resulting in irregular wall thicknesses and reduced reliability due to material fatigue, especially when subjected to high negative pressures and mechanical stresses.
Innovation Solution
The air pipe features support rings with varying widths along its curvature, providing stabilization and flexibility, produced using a two-component injection molding method to ensure precise dimensional accuracy and mechanical properties, with the flexible pipe material encasing the support rings for enhanced adhesion and stress distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a flexible pipe portion is provided to compensate for thermal expansion and mechanical vibrations, then the air pipe can withstand temperature differences and vibrations, but the pipe cross-sectional shape becomes unstable under negative pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible pipe portion with a specific wall thickness range (0.5-2.0mm) that provides sufficient flexibility to accommodate thermal expansion and mechanical vibrations while maintaining structural integrity. The flexible pipe is designed with controlled flexibility to prevent excessive deformation under negative pressure conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The air pipe utilizes composite construction combining flexible pipe material with rigid connection portions and support structures. This composite approach allows different sections of the pipe to have optimized properties - flexible sections for vibration compensation and rigid sections for maintaining cross-sectional shape under pressure.
2Strength
If the pipe wall thickness is increased to withstand high negative pressure, then the pipe maintains its cross-sectional shape, but the flexibility and vibration compensation capability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The air pipe is divided into distinct segments with different functional requirements - flexible pipe portions with optimized wall thickness for vibration compensation, and rigid connection portions with greater thickness for pressure resistance. This segmentation allows each section to be optimized for its specific function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
Different wall thicknesses are applied to different sections of the pipe based on local requirements. The flexible pipe portion has a specific thickness range (0.5-2.0mm) optimized for flexibility, while connection portions and areas subject to high negative pressure have increased thickness for structural strength.
3Reliability
If separate metal connectors are used to connect the pipe to hot and cold components, then air-tight connections are achieved, but the manufacturing complexity and labor requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connection portions are integrated directly into the pipe structure through co-molding or integral forming, eliminating the need for separate metal connectors and flanges. This merging of the connection function into the pipe body reduces the number of parts, simplifies assembly, and maintains air-tight connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The pipe design incorporates multi-functional connection portions that serve both as structural elements of the pipe and as connection interfaces for hot and cold components. These integrated connection portions can accommodate different connection types and configurations without requiring separate dedicated connector components.
4Ease of manufacture
If blow molding method is used to produce the pipe, then production costs are reduced, but the wall thickness uniformity and manufacturing precision deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process parameters are optimized to achieve the desired wall thickness uniformity while maintaining cost-effectiveness. This includes controlling injection pressure, temperature profiles, and mold design parameters to minimize wall thickness variations in critical sections of the pipe.
Solution Approach 2:
The pipe utilizes composite construction with strategically placed reinforcement elements or multi-layer structures that compensate for inherent variations in wall thickness from the molding process. This allows the use of cost-effective molding methods while achieving the required dimensional precision through material composition rather than relying solely on process control.
Data Source
AI summary
An air pipe for motor vehicles, in particular for connecting a hot component to a cold component, is provided. A first connector at a first end of the pipe is provided for securing the pipe in an airtight manner to a hot component and a second connector at a second end of the pipe is provided for securing the pipe in an airtight manner to a cold component. At least one flexible pipe portion is provided between the first and the second connectors. Supporting rings made from a material which is dimensionally stable in relation to the flexible pipe material are provided. The supporting rings surround a free pipe cross section and stabilize the cross-sectional shape of the flexible pipe portion.