Deformable Seal Geometry for Filter Cartridge Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing replaceable cartridge type filters for water filtration systems face sealing instability due to geometric inaccuracies between filter edges and seating surfaces, particularly when filters from one manufacturer are used in systems from another, and when plastic components deform or contract, leading to incomplete engagement.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a deformable seal with various geometries, such as multiple lips or rounded profiles, co-moulded with the filter edge to ensure a secure fit in different seating configurations, allowing for radial compression and adaptation to non-matching seat geometries, enhancing sealing efficacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a rigid sealing edge is used in the filter cartridge, then the manufacturing precision can be maintained, but the sealing reliability deteriorates due to geometric inaccuracies and deformations
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing edge is changed from rigid to elastomeric material, fundamentally altering the physical parameter of rigidity to flexibility. This allows the sealing surface to deform and adapt to geometric inaccuracies in the fitting seat, resolving the contradiction between maintaining manufacturing precision and ensuring sealing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter cartridge incorporates a composite structure where an elastomeric sealing edge is combined with the rigid filter housing. This composite approach allows the rigid portion to maintain structural integrity while the elastomeric portion provides adaptive sealing, simultaneously achieving both manufacturing precision and sealing reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the filter cartridge is designed to adapt to smaller seats, then the adaptability improves for different manufacturers' systems, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the material parameter from rigid to elastomeric, the sealing edge gains inherent adaptability to various seat geometries without requiring complex geometric configurations. The material's elasticity automatically adjusts to different seat sizes and shapes, achieving versatility while maintaining simple device design.
3Ease of manufacture
If plastic materials are used for filter and jug components, then the ease of manufacture improves through moulding, but the reliability of sealing deteriorates due to deformations and contractions
Solution Approach 1:
The solution uses a composite material approach where the elastomeric sealing edge is integrated with the plastic filter housing. The elastomeric material compensates for the plastic components' deformations and contractions, maintaining sealing reliability while preserving the ease of manufacture through moulding processes for both materials.
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
This solution provides a universally adaptable filter system that compensates for dimensional and structural tolerances, ensuring reliable sealing and filtration performance across different manufacturers' products by utilizing deformable seals that can compress and fit securely in varying seat geometries.
Implementation Method 1
a deformable seal with various geometries, such as multiple lips or rounded profiles, co-moulded with the filter edge to ensure a secure fit in different seating configurations, allowing for radial compression and adaptation to non-matching seat geometries
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3e
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A replaceable cartridge type filter for filtering systems for processing drinking water includes a casing (11) for containing the filtering material which extends externally from an annular edge (13) which defines a sealing surface, which is provided so as to engage in a sealing manner with a corresponding seat (6) for receiving and retaining the cartridge so as to identify an upstream portion and a downstream portion with respect to the cartridge which communicate with each other only by way of the cartridge. At the annular edge the filter comprises a deformable seal (14a-e), whose deformability under load is substantially greater than the deformability of the edge (13).