Bellows-Sealed Coupling Assembly for Lubricant Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coupling arrangements fail to maintain a sealed environment both when a coupling element is coupled and uncoupled from the coupling ball, leading to contamination and increased wear due to lubricant leakage and exposure to external contaminants.
Innovation Solution
A coupling arrangement featuring a bellows with shoulder- and ball-side connections that ensure a sealed environment, utilizing axial preload and magnetic elements to maintain sealing even when the coupling element is tilted or uncoupled, with a design that allows lubricant to escape and distribute when coupled.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the bellows is attached to the coupling element by means of a snap ring with a lower bead resting against the shoulder portion, then the sleeve remains on the coupling element when uncoupled, but lubricant can escape and become contaminated
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system is segmented into multiple functional zones: the bellows provides flexible sealing, the shoulder-side connection provides structural attachment, and the ball-side connection provides dynamic sealing against the coupling element. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally while working together to prevent lubricant leakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The bellows is designed as a flexible membrane structure that can deform elastically to maintain sealing contact. The flexible material allows the bellows to adapt to dimensional changes and maintain reliable sealing contact with both the shoulder portion and the coupling element, preventing lubricant escape while accommodating operational movements.
2Reliability
If the sealing ring rests fully against the coupling ball, then sealing is maintained, but the design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is extracted from a single complex sealing ring and distributed across multiple simpler components: the bellows provides the primary flexible seal, the shoulder-side connection provides structural support and secondary sealing, and the ball-side connection provides dynamic sealing. This extraction reduces overall system complexity while maintaining or improving sealing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The bellows serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a flexible seal, a structural connector, a lubricant barrier, and a mounting element. By combining these functions into a single multi-functional component, the design reduces the number of separate parts needed while maintaining reliable sealing performance.
3Ease of operation
If the ball-side connection is lifted from the ball section when coupled, then lubricant can escape to lubricate surfaces, but sealing integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The ball-side connection is designed to be dynamic rather than static, allowing it to lift from the ball section when the coupling element is coupled to enable lubricant escape. The elastic resilience of the bellows ensures that the connection automatically returns to its sealing position when uncoupled, maintaining sealing integrity through dynamic adaptation to operational states.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing and lubrication processes occur periodically based on the coupling state: when coupled, the ball-side connection lifts to allow lubricant escape; when uncoupled, it returns to seal the interior. This periodic action between sealing and lubrication modes is enabled by the elastic deformation and recovery of the bellows structure.
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
Prevents contamination and wear by maintaining a sealed environment, ensuring effective lubrication and protection against external factors, while allowing lubricant distribution when needed.
Implementation Method 1
The bellows can be designed to be elastically resilient along its longitudinal axis, so that the ball-side connection of the bellows rests against the coupling element with preload when the coupling element is coupled to the coupling ball
Implementation Method 2
utilizing axial preload and magnetic elements to maintain sealing even when the coupling element is tilted or uncoupled
Implementation Method 3
allowing lubricant, such as grease, to escape from the interior of the bellows and penetrate between a surface of the ball section of the coupling ball and an inner surface of the coupling element to lubricate these surfaces and reduce wear
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~6
Figure 7~8
AI summary
Coupling arrangement comprising: a coupling ball (1) with a ball section (5) and a shoulder section (6) which are arranged centered relative to one another along a longitudinal axis (L), a bellows (15) which is arranged around the coupling ball (1), a shoulder-side connection (16) of the bellows (15) which bears sealingly against the shoulder section (6) of the coupling ball (1) and/or against a ball carrier (2) to which the coupling ball (1) is fastened, and a ball-side connection (17) of the bellows (15) which is designed to bear sealingly against the coupling element (3, 23) when a coupling element (3, 23) is coupled to the coupling ball (1), wherein the ball-side connection (17) of the bellows (15) is connected to the ball section when the coupling element (3, 23) is uncoupled from the ball section (5) of the coupling ball (1). (5) seals.