Bendable Heat Shield With Flexible Intermediate Area
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current heat shields for internal combustion engines are inflexible and require complete removal for servicing, leading to complications and high costs when prevailing torque fasteners break during maintenance, necessitating the replacement of components like turbochargers.
Innovation Solution
A bendable heat shield with a flexible intermediate area formed by parallel and alternating ridges and grooves, allowing it to be temporarily bent out of position for access to underlying components without removing all fasteners, including prevailing torque fasteners, thereby facilitating maintenance without compromising heat shielding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the heat shield is made rigid and inflexible to maintain effective heat protection, then heat shielding performance is improved, but ease of servicing is worsened because complete removal is required for maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The heat shield is divided into distinct sections: rigid end sections that maintain heat protection and a flexible intermediate section that enables bending. This segmentation allows the shield to be partially removed or bent for servicing while maintaining protection where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat shield transitions from a completely rigid structure to a dynamic structure with a flexible intermediate section that can bend. This allows the shield to adapt its position during servicing operations while maintaining its heat protection function when in place.
2Ease of operation
If complete removal of the heat shield is required for servicing, then access to underlying components is improved, but device complexity and service difficulty increase due to fastener removal requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The heat shield is segmented into rigid end sections and a flexible intermediate section. This allows technicians to remove only the necessary portions or bend the flexible section to access components, rather than removing the entire shield and all its fasteners.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible intermediate section can be extracted or bent away from the engine components being serviced, providing access without requiring complete removal of the heat shield or removal of all fasteners, thereby simplifying the service procedure.
3Reliability
If prevailing torque fasteners are used to ensure retention, then reliability of attachment is improved, but ease of repair is worsened when fasteners break during maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The heat shield is segmented into sections with different fastening requirements. The flexible intermediate section can be accessed or removed independently, allowing technicians to service components without removing or replacing difficult-to-access prevailing torque fasteners located in rigid sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible intermediate section can be extracted or bent away from the service area, allowing access to underlying components without requiring removal of the prevailing torque fasteners that secure the rigid end sections, thereby avoiding the complexity of replacing broken fasteners.
4Ease of operation
If the heat shield is designed to be completely removable, then ease of servicing is improved, but heat protection effectiveness is worsened due to potential gaps or misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The heat shield is segmented into rigid end sections that maintain tight seals and alignment for effective heat protection, and a flexible intermediate section that can be bent or removed for servicing. This ensures heat protection effectiveness is maintained where the shield remains in place.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat shield dynamically adapts its configuration based on operational needs. During normal operation, the rigid sections maintain effective heat protection through precise alignment. During servicing, the flexible intermediate section can be bent or removed to provide access while the rigid sections remain in place to maintain protection.
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
Enables easy access to engine components during servicing by allowing selective fastener removal, reducing maintenance complexity and costs associated with broken fasteners, while maintaining effective heat protection.
Implementation Method 1
The intermediate area of the heat shield is formed from a series of parallel and alternating ridges and grooves that define a flexible bellows
Implementation Method 2
Radiation is a 'line of sight' mechanism which can be reduced with reflective shielding
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed inventive concept allows an underlying component requiring servicing to be serviced without removing the heat shield entirely. The heat shield has two ends and an intermediate bendable area that allows it to flex, thereby giving the service technician access to the underlying component when only some of the fasteners are removed. The intermediate area of the heat shield is formed from a series of parallel and alternating ridges and grooves. The intermediate area of the heat shield is nominally flat and straight while the bellows are formed in the straight area by a process such as stamping. This combination of a flat and bellow enables the heat shield to be bent out of position and then restored to the original position after service. The heat shield may be entirely formed from a metal or the intermediate bendable area may be composed of a polymerized material such as rubber.