Compact Damper Axial Retainer Reduces Outside Diameter
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing damper designs, such as those described in Patent Document 1, require a larger outside diameter due to the radial displacement of the retaining protrusion and the spring, leading to increased size and space requirements.
Innovation Solution
A damper design featuring a case member with a flange portion, a bottom portion, and a pin member with a spring member that biases the pin member to protrude, where the retained portion is disposed at the bottom portion and the engagement pawl is flexible to reduce the outside diameter, and a radially expandable retaining hole facilitates assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the retaining protrusion is disposed on the lateral face of the retainer, then the spring can be housed inside the retainer, but the outside diameter of the damping part increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent relocates the retaining protrusion from the lateral face (radial direction) to the bottom face (axial direction) of the retainer. This dimensional change allows the spring to be positioned axially rather than radially, reducing the outside diameter of the damping part while maintaining the spring's housing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of placing the retaining protrusion on the lateral face as in conventional designs, the patent inverts the approach by positioning it on the bottom face of the retainer. This inversion fundamentally changes the spatial arrangement, allowing the spring to be housed in the axial direction and reducing the radial dimension.
2Reliability
If the retaining protrusion warps inwardly in the radial direction, then engagement with the engagement window is achieved, but a given space must be secured between the retaining protrusion and the spring, increasing the outside diameter
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the retaining protrusion from radial warping to axial engagement. The protrusion on the bottom face engages with the engagement window in the axial direction, eliminating the need for radial warping and the associated clearance space, thus reducing the outside diameter.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the requirement for radial warping and associated clearance from the design. By relocating the retaining protrusion to the bottom face, the design eliminates the need for the given space between the protrusion and spring that was necessary in lateral-face configurations.
3Device complexity
If the spring is disposed inside the retainer in the radial direction, then the spring can be retained, but the outside diameters of the retainer and casing become larger
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the spring's housing direction from radial to axial. The spring is now positioned in the axial direction within the retainer, utilizing the height of the retainer rather than its radial depth, thereby reducing the outside diameter of both the retainer and casing.
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 design reduces the outside diameter of the damper, allowing for a more compact size and easier assembly, while maintaining the necessary elastic force for effective damping.
Implementation Method 1
a spring member housed in the case member while surrounding the shaft portion, the spring member having one end abutting on the pin member and the other end abutting on the case member to bias the pin member in a direction that the pin member protrudes out from the opening portion
Data Source
AI summary
In a damper, a case member has a body, a flange formed at one end of the body, and a bottom formed at the other end of the body. A pin member has a head, that protrudes from an opening of the flange and a shaft that is connected to the head and has a stopper on an end thereof. The bottom has a retaining hole, into which the tip of the shaft is inserted, for stopping the stopper. The body has locking claws, for sandwiching the rim of the mounting hole against the flange.