Expandable Ferrite Tile Mounting Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Brittle ferrite tiles used for magnetic coupling in inductive energy transfer are difficult to mount due to high friction forces with rubber mounts, risking tile breakage during assembly.
Innovation Solution
A mounting assembly featuring tapered pins and expandable mounting members that engage laterally with the tiles, minimizing friction forces on the tiles and allowing secure clamping with reduced force, using resilient materials and surface features to expand and secure the tiles without direct contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If tiles are pressed between rubber mounts to clamp them firmly, then the tiles are securely supported and mechanical loads are absorbed, but high friction forces require considerable pressing force which increases the risk of breaking the brittle tiles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces mounting members with expandable bodies as intermediary elements between the rigid tile and the mounting system. These mounting members expand within holes to provide secure clamping without requiring high friction forces between the tile and mounting surfaces, thus resolving the contradiction between secure support and ease of mounting
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting members transition from a compressed state during insertion to an expanded state during clamping. This dynamic transformation allows the system to achieve secure tile support with reduced insertion forces, addressing both the reliability and ease of manufacture requirements
2Strength
If considerable force is applied to press tiles between rubber mounts, then the tiles are firmly clamped, but the high risk of breaking the brittle tiles increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting members dynamically expand after insertion to generate clamping force. This allows the system to achieve strong tile clamping without applying high forces during the insertion process, thereby maintaining both clamping strength and reliability by avoiding tile breakage
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting members are inserted in a compressed state through holes, and then expand to provide clamping force. This preliminary insertion followed by expansion allows the system to achieve strong clamping without applying high forces that could break the tiles during the mounting process
3Device complexity
If the mounting assembly uses simple pin and hole structures, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ability to securely clamp tiles without friction issues is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting members incorporate expandable bodies that transition from a compact insertion state to an expanded clamping state. This dynamic feature provides secure tile clamping while maintaining relatively simple pin and hole structures, balancing device complexity and clamping reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting members change their dimensional parameters by expanding within the holes. This parameter change allows the simple pin-hole structure to achieve secure tile clamping, as the expanding bodies generate sufficient friction and mechanical engagement without complex assembly mechanisms
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
Enables easy and secure mounting of brittle tiles with minimal risk of breakage, allowing for reduced mechanical loads and flexible material choices, suitable for various tile shapes and environments, including inductive energy transfer applications.
Implementation Method 1
The mounting members comprise a tile support surface, a resilient body protruding from the tile support surface, and a hole configured to receive a respective one of the plurality of pins. The pins and the respective mounting members are configured to co-operate to make the body expand upon sliding the mounting member along the respective pin
Data Source
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AI summary
Assembly (10) for mounting tiles (14), comprising a base support (11) comprising a plurality of pins (12) protruding from the base support towards respective tip ends (121), a mounting member (13) for each of the plurality of pins, the mounting member comprising a tile support surface (132), a body (133) protruding from the tile support surface, and a hole (134) configured to receive a respective one of the plurality of pins, and a plurality of tiles (14). The mounting member and the respective pin are configured to co-operate such that the body expands upon sliding the mounting member along the respective pin so as to laterally engage and clamp the tile.