Ball Coupling Seal for Contaminant Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ball couplings are prone to increased wear due to the ingress of impurities such as dirt and water into the contact area, which disrupts the lubricating film and reduces operational reliability and stability.
Innovation Solution
A ball coupling with a seal that protects the contact area from external contaminants, featuring a circular or ring-shaped sealing path that maintains contact pressure and prevents the ingress of dirt and water, ensuring the lubricant remains effective.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the contact area is left open for relative movement between ball socket and coupling ball, then ease of operation is improved, but impurities can ingress into the contact area causing increased wear
Solution Approach 1:
A seal (flexible thin film) is introduced to close the contact area while allowing relative movement between the ball socket and coupling ball. The seal maintains closure during operation to prevent impurity ingress while accommodating the necessary mobility for coupling and uncoupling operations.
2Reliability
If a seal is introduced to close the contact area, then reliability is improved by preventing impurity ingress, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A simple seal structure (flexible film) is used to close the contact area, providing reliable protection against impurities without introducing complex mechanical systems. The seal's flexibility allows it to accommodate relative movements while maintaining closure.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal follows a circular or ring-shaped path that conforms to the spherical geometry of the coupling ball, allowing the seal to maintain contact and closure while accommodating rotational and angular movements during operation.
3Manufacturing precision
If the seal runs along a circular path, then manufacturing precision is improved for sealing effectiveness, but ease of manufacture decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is configured to follow a circular or ring-shaped path that matches the spherical geometry of the coupling ball. This curved configuration provides consistent sealing contact during rotation and movement while being manufacturable using standard forming processes for flexible seals.
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 seal significantly enhances the operational reliability and stability of the ball coupling by maintaining a clean contact area, reducing wear, and ensuring consistent lubrication, even during relative movements.
Implementation Method 1
a seal (38) is provided between the coupling ball (12) and ball socket (16), which seals the contact area (28) to the outside environment
Implementation Method 2
the seal does not have to, also prevent lubricant from escaping from the contact area to the outside environment or entry of any fluid from the outside environment into the contact area
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
Disclosed is a ball-shaped coupling (10) for coupling a tractor to a trailer. Said ball-shaped coupling (10) comprises a coupling ball (12) and a ball socket (16) that can be coupled thereto. The ball socket (16) surrounds a section of the coupling ball (12) and rests against a contact surface (24) of the coupling ball (12) by means of an opposite contact surface (22) in the coupled state so as to form a common contact area (28). According to the invention, a seal (38) which seals the contact area (28) towards the environment is provided between the coupling ball (12) and the ball socket (16).