Damper door, and corresponding heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning installation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current air flow shutters in HVAC systems face challenges in optimizing weight, size, and manufacturing costs while maintaining resistance to air pressure and torsional forces, often requiring complex designs and high production costs.

Innovation Solution

The design features a semi-elliptical rotation shaft with recesses and longitudinal ribs, allowing for a minimum thickness that reduces mass while maintaining equivalent resistance to torsional forces and air pressure, and includes radial and diagonal ribs for additional stiffness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Weight of moving object

If the damper thickness is reduced to optimize weight, then the mass decreases and energy consumption is reduced, but the structural strength and resistance to air pressure and torsional forces deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedamper massVSAvoidresistance to air pressure and torsional forces
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The damper blade is segmented into multiple hollow chambers separated by internal walls. This segmentation allows the structure to maintain strength through the distributed chamber framework while reducing overall material usage and weight compared to a solid blade of equivalent dimensions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The damper blade employs curved and rounded geometric forms in its chamber configurations and edge transitions. These curved structures provide enhanced structural efficiency and torsional resistance while using less material than sharp-edged or flat designs, optimizing the strength-to-weight ratio.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Strength

If reinforcing elements are added to improve rigidity, then the resistance to torsional forces improves, but the weight and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverigidity and torsional resistanceVSAvoiddamper mass
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Reinforcement is applied locally at critical stress points within the hollow chambers and at the blade root attachment area, rather than uniformly throughout the entire blade. This localized reinforcement provides necessary rigidity while minimizing additional material and weight.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The damper blade utilizes composite construction combining multiple materials with different properties - such as rigid materials for structural framework and lighter materials for chamber walls - to achieve optimal strength-to-weight ratio and torsional resistance without excessive weight gain.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Strength

If complex reinforcing structures are implemented to enhance strength, then the resistance to air pressure improves, but the manufacturing cost and production complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresistance to air pressureVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The hollow chamber structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural strength to resist air pressure, reduces weight compared to solid construction, and creates internal pathways for actuator mechanisms. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate reinforcement components, simplifying manufacturing.

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

Solution Approach 2:

Actuator mechanisms and control components are nested within the hollow chambers of the damper blade structure. This nesting eliminates the need for separate housings or mounting structures, reducing overall part count and manufacturing complexity while maintaining structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentEP3580500B1Damper door, and corresponding heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning installation
Publication Date: 2021.08.11 VALEO SYST THERMIQUES SAS
  • EP3580500B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP3580500B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2D
  • EP3580500B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3C

AI summary

The present invention relates to a damper door (1) having an axis of rotation (3), a first face (5), and a second face opposite the first face (5), said first (5) and second faces of the damper door (1) defining a plane, said damper door (1) comprising: • a rotation shaft (9) projecting from each side of the plane defined by the first (5) and second faces of the damper door (1), and • at least one side wall (11) having a flat surface arranged radially with respect to the rotation shaft (9), characterised in that the rotation shaft (9) has, in the plane of the at least one side wall (11), a semi-elliptical shape (13) extending over the side wall (11) and comprising a large diameter (Gl) coinciding with the axis of rotation (3) of the damper door (1) and a small radius (P1) parallel to the plane of the at least one side wall (11).