Polymer Composite Attachment Regions for Creep-Resistant Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing components for vehicles, particularly electric vehicles, face challenges in achieving optimized stability and creep resistance while maintaining simplicity in production, especially in attachment regions where high compressive forces are applied.
Innovation Solution
A component comprising a polymer matrix material with a high proportion of non-compressible fillers, such as fiber materials, is used, with localized compression in attachment regions to enhance stability and reduce creep, allowing for a sleeve-free connection to metallic components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a high proportion of non-compressible filler is used in the component material, then stability and creep resistance are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases due to localized compression requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating attachment regions with locally increased filler proportion and localized compression, while the rest of the component maintains standard material composition. This allows the component to have different properties in different regions: high stability in attachment regions and standard properties in non-critical areas, resolving the contradiction between overall stability improvement and manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The component is segmented into attachment regions and non-attachment regions with different material characteristics. The attachment regions are specifically treated with localized compression and higher filler concentration, while other regions maintain standard composition. This segmentation allows targeted improvement of stability where needed without unnecessarily complicating the entire manufacturing process.
2Reliability
If localized compression is applied in attachment regions, then creep resistance is improved, but production time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of compressing the entire component, the patent applies compression only to specific attachment regions where creep resistance is critical. This localized approach significantly reduces the time and energy required compared to full-component compression, while still achieving the reliability improvement where it matters most for sleeve-free connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial compression action only to the necessary attachment regions rather than uniformly compressing the entire component. This partial action achieves sufficient creep resistance improvement for the connection points without the excessive production time that would result from comprehensive compression of the whole component.
3Quantity of substance
If a high proportion of filler material is used, then material costs are reduced, but the component becomes more difficult to process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses high filler proportion locally in attachment regions where mechanical strength and creep resistance are critical, while maintaining lower filler content in other regions for better processability. This local application of high filler concentration reduces overall material costs without making the entire component difficult to process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the filler proportion parameter locally in attachment regions versus other regions. By adjusting this parameter spatially, the component achieves cost efficiency through high filler usage in critical areas while maintaining ease of manufacture in non-critical areas with lower filler content.
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 component achieves increased stability and creep resistance in attachment regions, enabling a durable and lightweight assembly with reduced material costs and maintaining a significant portion of the original tightening torque over time, even during warm storage.
Implementation Method 1
non-compressible filler... under the effect of pressure, substantially does not change its volume at a constant temperature... compression modulus of the at least one filler is approximately 3.0·10^10 Pa or more
Implementation Method 2
a material of the component is compressed in the one or more attachment regions... Due to the local and/or punctiform compression of the material of the component in the one or more attachment regions, a creeping of the material can in particular be reduced and/or minimized
Data Source
AI summary
The aim of the invention is to provide a particularly planar component that is as simple as possible to produce and has an optimized stability. In order to achieve said aim, a component is proposed which comprises or is formed from a polymer matrix material and at least one non-compressible filler, wherein an average proportion of the at least one non-compressible filler is preferably approximately 75 wt. % or more, based on the total mass of the component and/or based on a local mass of the component in a locally compacted region of the component, wherein the component has one or more attachment regions for attaching the component to an additional component, and wherein a material of the component is compressed at least in the one or more attachment regions.