Cellular Flexible Sealer for Variable Vehicle Gap Leakage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current sealing methods for vehicles, such as aircraft, are inadequate in mitigating leakage due to manufacturing tolerances and changes in shape during flight, leading to acoustic, thermal, and airflow issues.

Innovation Solution

A sealer with an exterior wall and interior walls that subdivide a channel into cells, made of flexible polymeric material, allowing it to be squeezed into gaps and maintain a seal despite size changes and environmental fluctuations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If current sealing methods (tape, foam, isodamp) are used to seal gaps, then installation is simple and quick, but leakage mitigation is inadequate especially when gaps change during flight

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveleakage mitigationVSAvoidsealer structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sealer includes a plurality of interior walls spaced apart from each other and disposed in the channel transverse to the longitudinal direction to subdivide the channel into a plurality of cells. This segmentation allows the sealer to maintain effectiveness even when gaps change during flight, as each cell can independently adapt to dimensional changes while maintaining sealing integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The sealer is made of flexible polymeric material that allows it to be squeezed into gaps and maintain a seal despite size changes and environmental fluctuations. The flexible material enables the sealer to dynamically adapt to gap changes during flight without losing sealing capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Strength

If interior structures are attached directly to fuselage and cabin floor, then structural support is provided, but gaps open or change during flight causing increased leakage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural supportVSAvoidseal integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The sealer is made of flexible polymeric material that can change its physical parameters (shape, volume) in response to environmental conditions during flight. This allows the sealer to maintain seal integrity even when the gap dimensions change due to fuselage shape changes, without compromising the structural support function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Strength

If a solid non-compressible material is used for sealing, then structural strength is maintained, but the sealer cannot adapt to changing gap sizes during flight

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealer strengthVSAvoidgap size adaptation

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The sealer is made of flexible polymeric material that can be squeezed into gaps and maintain a seal despite size changes and environmental fluctuations. This flexible material allows the sealer to adapt to changing gap sizes during flight while maintaining sufficient strength to provide effective sealing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

4Reliability

If multiple ad-hoc sealing methods are applied, then various leakage paths are addressed, but the solution is inadequate for gaps that vary during flight and creates a complex assembly process

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveleakage preventionVSAvoidassembly process

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The sealer combines multiple sealing functions into a single integrated component. The exterior wall and interior walls form a unified structure that provides comprehensive leakage prevention across multiple paths simultaneously, eliminating the need for multiple separate ad-hoc sealing methods and simplifying the assembly process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

Effectively reduces and prevents leakage across various conditions, providing a quieter and more comfortable environment by maintaining a seal in fluctuating gaps without causing stress on surrounding structures.

Implementation Method 1

The sealer is made of flexible polymeric material that allows it to be squeezed into gaps and maintain a seal despite size changes and environmental fluctuations

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3896316A1Sealer for mitigating leakage on a vehicle

Publication Date: 2021.10.20 GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE CORP

Figure 1~2A
Figure 2B~3A
Figure 3B~4C

AI summary

Sealers and methods for making a sealer are provided. In one example, the sealer (36) includes an exterior wall (38) extending in a longitudinal direction (40) and at least partially surrounding a first channel (50). A first plurality of interior walls (60) are spaced apart from each other and are disposed in the first channel transverse to the longitudinal direction to subdivide the first channel into a first plurality of cells (66).