Duct Holding Element With Elastic Plates for Vibration Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing holding elements for ducts lack effective vibration-damping characteristics and are not well-suited for stabilizing ducts of varying diameters, often requiring modifications for different diameters and not providing uniform vibration damping across all directions.
Innovation Solution
A holding element comprising a first and second frame element with arch-shaped areas and elastic damping elements that bulge towards the duct's axis, providing a circular receiving opening with elastic plates that distribute restoring forces uniformly, allowing for efficient vibration damping and stabilization of ducts across a range of diameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rigid metal strips or simple clamps are used to hold ducts, then the ducts are securely fastened, but vibration damping is insufficient and excessive wear occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The holding element combines a rigid plastic main body with elastic damping inserts made of different material properties. The rigid plastic provides structural support and holding force, while the elastic inserts provide vibration damping and wear protection, creating a composite solution that addresses both securing and protection needs simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic damping inserts are placed specifically at contact points with the duct where vibration and wear occur most, rather than making the entire holding element soft. This localized application of different material properties provides targeted vibration damping and wear protection while maintaining overall structural rigidity for secure fastening.
2Reliability
If holding elements are designed for specific duct diameters, then they provide precise fit and stabilization, but they require modifications for different diameters
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic damping inserts are designed to be deformable and adaptable to different duct diameters. When a duct is inserted, the elastic material deforms to conform to the duct's circumference and diameter, providing secure contact and stabilization. This dynamic adaptability allows the same holding element design to work with various duct sizes without modification.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic inserts can change their physical parameters (shape, volume, contact pressure) in response to the duct diameter. This parameter change allows the holding element to maintain effective contact and stabilization across a range of duct diameters, providing versatility without requiring different designs for each size.
3Reliability
If cushion strips are added to dampen vibrations, then vibration damping improves, but the complexity of assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic damping inserts are integrated directly into the holding element structure during manufacturing, combining the holding function and vibration damping function into a single unified component. This eliminates the need for separate cushion strips that would need to be installed separately, reducing assembly complexity while maintaining vibration damping effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping inserts are pre-installed and fixed within the holding element structure before the holding element is assembled to the duct. This preliminary action ensures proper positioning and eliminates the need for separate installation steps, simplifying the overall assembly process while ensuring vibration damping is already in place.
4Reliability
If elastic damping elements with uniform curvature are used, then vibration damping is provided, but restoring forces are not uniformly distributed
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic damping inserts feature asymmetric cross-sectional geometries with different curvature radii on opposite sides. This asymmetric design allows the inserts to generate uniformly distributed restoring forces when deformed by a duct, compensating for the non-uniform stress distribution that would occur with symmetric designs. The varying curvatures balance the force distribution across the contact surface.
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 achieves improved vibration damping and stabilization of ducts, independent of vibration direction, with the ability to accommodate ducts of varying diameters without needing modifications, using a two-step injection molding process for cost-effective and efficient manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
The elastic damping elements (13, 23) each have an elastic plate (14, 24) extending in a circumferential direction of the circular receiving opening (31)
Implementation Method 2
improved vibration damping and stabilization of ducts
Data Source
Figure 1~4
AI summary
The present invention relates to a holding element (1) for a duct with a first holding part (10) and a second holding part (20) that are moveable relative to each other between a closed state and an open state. Each of the first holding part (10) and the second holding part (20) comprises a frame element (11, 21) having an arch-shaped area (12, 22) and an elastic damping element (13, 23) provided thereon. In the closed state the frame elements (11, 21) together form a receiving opening (31), which is delimited by their arch-shaped areas (12, 22), with a circular opening cross section for circumferentially receiving the duct. In the open state the duct is released. Each of the elastic damping elements (13, 23) comprises an elastic plate (14, 24) extending in a circumferential direction of the circular receiving opening (31) along the corresponding arch-shaped area (12, 22). The elastic plates (14, 24) each have such a curvature that in the closed state of the holding element (1) they are curved from the corresponding arch-shaped area (12, 22) towards a middle axis (M) of the circular receiving opening (31) along their whole extension in the circumferential direction of the circular receiving opening (31) along the corresponding arch-shaped area (12, 22).