Compressor Assembly Bellows Mount for Vibration Isolation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Compressor assemblies in vehicles face challenges in reducing vibration transmission during mounting, which affects the reliability and efficiency of the air supply unit.

Innovation Solution

A compressor assembly that utilizes a flexible, hollow bellow as a bearing, pneumatically charged to change from an unpressurized to a pressurized state, providing a positive lock mechanism to fix the compressor assembly to the air supply unit housing structure, thereby absorbing and damping vibrations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a rigid mounting bracket is used to securely fix the compressor, then the mounting reliability is improved, but the vibration transmission to the vehicle increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemounting reliabilityVSAvoidvibration transmission
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies a flexible bellow (a type of flexible shell) as the mounting element between the compressor and vehicle. This bellow can deform elastically to absorb vibrations while maintaining the structural connection, thus reducing vibration transmission to the vehicle while preserving mounting reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the physical state of the mounting element from rigid to flexible by using a bellow that can be pneumatically charged. By adjusting the internal pressure of the bellow, the mounting characteristics can be dynamically modified to balance between secure fixation and vibration isolation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-generated harmful factors

If a flexible bellow is used as a bearing to reduce vibration transmission, then the vibration damping is improved, but the mounting complexity increases due to pneumatic charging requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevibration transmissionVSAvoidmounting complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The bellow serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as both the mounting element that secures the compressor and the vibration isolation element that reduces transmission. The pneumatic charging system is integrated into the existing air supply unit infrastructure, making the additional function manageable without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.

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

Solution Approach 2:

The bellow can be charged pneumatically using the air supply system that is already part of the vehicle's air supply unit. This means the system uses its own operational resources (compressed air) to achieve the vibration damping function, rather than requiring an entirely separate complex charging infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If the bellow is pneumatically charged to create a positive lock mechanism, then the connection security is improved, but the assembly effort and time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection securityVSAvoidassembly time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The bellow can be pre-charged with air before final installation, so that when it is mounted between the compressor and vehicle, the positive locking effect is immediately active. This preliminary preparation reduces the time required during actual assembly, as the complex pneumatic charging process doesn't need to be performed during the mounting operation itself.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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 solution effectively reduces vibration transmission between the compressor and the vehicle, ensuring a reliable and efficient mounting process with reduced assembly effort and parts, while maintaining a secure connection.

Implementation Method 1

the bellow is adapted to be pneumatically charged from an unpressurized state into a pressurized state

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPneumatics: Pressure Increase

Implementation Method 2

for each mounting bracket one bearing, for connecting, in particular dampingly fixing, the compressor assembly to a housing structure

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVibration damping: Damping

Data Source

PatentEP4208375B1Compressor assembly, air supply unit
Publication Date: 2025.01.01 ZF CV SYST EURO BV
  • EP4208375B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP4208375B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3B
  • EP4208375B1 patent drawingFigure 4A~4C

AI summary

The invention relates to a compressor assembly (400) for an air supply unit (900) of a vehicle (1000), comprising: - a compressor (410) for providing pressurized air (DL), with a compressor housing (420), - at least one mounting bracket (430), wherein the at least one mounting bracket (430) is fixed to the compressor housing (420), - for each mounting bracket (430) one bearing (100), for connecting the compressor assembly (400) to a housing structure (910) of the air supply unit (900). In accordance with the invention, it is proposed that - the bearing (100) comprises a flexible, hollow bellow (120), adapted to receive a gaseous medium (200), wherein the bellow (120) comprises - at least one mounting feature (130, 130', 130''), in particular recess (132, 134, 134.1, 134.2, 134.3, 134.4), adapted to receive the mounting bracket (430), and - the bellow (120) is adapted to be pneumatically charged from an unpressurized state (SU) into a pressurized state (SP), wherein - the mounting feature (130, 130', 130'') is adapted to mechanically connect the bellow (120) to the mounting bracket (420) in a pressurized state (SP) by means of a positive lock (PL).