Compact Elastic Fixed Bearing With Nested Elastomer Spring

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing elastic fixed bearings for mounting exhaust systems on vehicle floors are bulky due to their large dimensions, which limits their compactness and efficiency in supporting dynamically stressed components.

Innovation Solution

A compact elastic fixed bearing design featuring a cuboid-shaped cavity with central openings and a spring body made of elastomeric material, where the spring body is inserted into the cavity and secured through compressive preload and latching mechanisms, allowing for a defined position and secure attachment to the supporting component.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the spring body and frame are vulcanized together or use complex anchoring mechanisms, then the secure attachment is improved, but the device dimensions and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecure attachmentVSAvoiddevice dimensions
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The spring body is inserted into a cavity of the frame, with the bearing bush positioned within the spring body. This nested arrangement allows the bearing components to be contained within each other, achieving secure attachment through the cavity structure without requiring external anchoring elements that would increase the overall device dimensions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts the anchoring function from separate external components and integrates it into the cavity structure of the frame. The cavity itself serves as the retention mechanism, eliminating the need for additional anchoring ribs or complex vulcanization processes, thereby reducing device complexity and dimensions while maintaining secure attachment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Stability of the object's composition

If anchoring ribs and grooves are used to prevent lateral displacement, then the positional stability is improved, but the device complexity and dimensions increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositional stabilityVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The bearing bush is nested within the spring body, which is in turn positioned within the cavity of the frame. This nested configuration provides positional stability through the geometric constraints of the cavity and the elastic retention of the spring body, eliminating the need for separate anchoring ribs and grooves that would increase structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The spring body, made of elastomeric material, acts as a flexible element that provides lateral constraint through its elastic properties. The flexible nature of the spring body allows it to conform to the cavity shape and provide stable positioning without requiring rigid anchoring structures, thereby reducing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Ease of manufacture

If the spring body is vulcanized directly to the frame, then the manufacturing simplicity is improved, but the adaptability and replaceability of spring bodies decrease

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidspring body replaceability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The invention segments the bearing into two main components: the spring body and the frame with cavity. The spring body is inserted into the cavity as a separate component rather than being permanently bonded, allowing for easy replacement and adaptation of different spring bodies while maintaining a simple cavity structure in the frame.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cavity structure serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, retains the spring body through its geometric constraints, and allows for easy insertion and replacement of spring bodies. This universal cavity design enables the same frame to accommodate different spring body variants, enhancing adaptability while keeping the manufacturing process simple.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 achieves high performance with extremely small external dimensions, providing stable support and absorbing larger forces while maintaining compactness, thus addressing the bulkiness issue of previous designs.

Implementation Method 1

a spring body (3), which is located within the frame (5) in a main plane of the fixed bearing (1), bearing bushing (2) for the component to be supported is elastically supported

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

The spring body (3) is inserted into a cavity (10) of the frame (5), which has a cuboid basic shape

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCompression: Compression

Data Source

PatentEP2701934B1Compact elastic fixed bearing
Publication Date: 2014.12.31 WEGU GMBH SCHWINGUNGSDAEMPFUNG
  • EP2701934B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2701934B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2701934B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

An elastic fixed bearing (1) for mounting a dynamically loaded component to be supported on a supporting component has a dimensionally rigid frame (5), fastening devices (6, 7) for fastening the frame (5) rigidly to the supporting component, and a spring body (3) by means of which a bearing bush (2) for the component to be supported is elastically supported within the frame (5) in a main plane of the fixed bearing (1). The spring body (3), which is produced from an elastomer material (4), is inserted in a form-fitting manner into a cavity (10) of the frame (5), said cavity has a cuboidal basic shape, and those walls (11) of said cavity which run parallel to the main plane of the fixed bearing (1) have central openings (14) with a rounded periphery for the leadthrough of the component to be supported.