Elastomeric Bushing Post-Installation Calibration via Material Displacement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing bearing bushings face challenges in calibration and fine adjustment, as current methods often require pre-installation calibration and lack precision, leading to difficulties in achieving the required pretensioning.

Innovation Solution

The bushing design incorporates an additional elastomer layer acting as a pressing region, which is compressed by mechanical or hydraulic means, causing the elastomer material to displace and pretension the bushing, allowing for adjustable and reversible tensioning even after installation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the bushing is pressed into the bearing eye or onto a bolt, then the bushing is installed in the bearing, but the bushing cannot be calibrated or pretensioned after installation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecalibration capabilityVSAvoidbushing structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The bushing is divided into an inner bushing and an outer bushing with an elastomeric layer between them. The pressing means is segmented into multiple pressing elements that can independently compress the elastomeric material at different locations, enabling localized calibration and pretensioning after installation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The pressing means is nested within the bushing structure, with pressing elements positioned inside the inner bushing or between the inner and outer bushings. This nested arrangement allows the pressing mechanism to be integrated into the bushing without significantly increasing external dimensions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Manufacturing precision

If the outer ring of the bushing is pressed through a hole for calibration, then the external diameter reduces and elastomer is pretensioned, but fine adjustment is difficult and calibration must be done before installation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecalibration precisionVSAvoidadjustment flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The pressing elements are made movable relative to the inner bushing, allowing dynamic adjustment of the compression force applied to the elastomeric layer. This enables fine-tuning of the pretensioning level and allows recalibration after installation, providing both precision and flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system allows for iterative adjustment where the effect of pressing can be observed and the pressing force can be modified accordingly. The movable pressing elements enable incremental adjustments to achieve the desired pretensioning level, providing feedback-based calibration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Strength

If a bolt is pressed through the inner sleeve to work up the bushing, then the elastomer is compressed, but this also requires pre-installation calibration and limits fine adjustment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepretensioning forceVSAvoidcalibration accessibility

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The pressing elements act as intermediaries between the calibration mechanism and the elastomeric layer. These elements transmit the compression force uniformly or selectively to the elastomer, enabling effective pretensioning while maintaining accessibility for adjustment after installation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Force

If the bushing is pretensioned by displacement of elastomeric material, then the bushing is tensioned against the bearing eye, but the elastomer volume in the central region is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepretensioning forceVSAvoidelastomer volume

Core Design Contradiction:

ForceVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The pressing elements can apply compression forces at specific locations within the elastomeric layer, creating localized high-stress regions that generate effective pretensioning even with limited overall elastomer volume. This selective compression optimizes the use of available elastomer material.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 enables precise calibration and tensioning of the bushing in the installed state, improving the bushing's radial stiffness and enabling better load transmission, while allowing for eccentric pretensioning to compensate for tolerance issues and extend the bushing's lifespan.

Implementation Method 1

the displacement of the elastomeric material from the interior of the bushing deforms and pretensions the latter and thus tensions it against the bearing eye

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS9816552B2Bushing which can be pretensioned by material displacement and bearing equipped with said bushing

Publication Date: 2017.11.14 FM ENERGIE GMBH & CO KG

AI summary

An elastomeric bushing for a bearing. The bushing can, even after installation in the bearing, be pretensioned or calibrated, by displacement of elastomeric material in the interior of the bushing, where the displacement is carried out by different pressing mechanism and tensioning mechanism in the bushing and/or in the surrounding bearing.