Flange profile for connecting rectangular air duct elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flange profiles for air ducts do not meet higher tightness and sealing requirements due to design limitations, such as reduced stability from locking mechanisms that compromise the system's tightness.
Innovation Solution
A flange profile design featuring a locking edge on the outer profile leg that protrudes into the insertion area, parallel to a stop, enhancing interaction with the duct wall's locking groove, combined with a seal or sealing compound adjacent to the stop, ensuring a defined rest position and improved clamping effect.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a latching edge is provided on the outer profile leg for interaction with a latching groove on the duct wall, then the locking connection is improved, but the tightness of the system is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The outer profile leg is segmented into two distinct functional elements: a latching edge (9) for mechanical locking with the latching groove, and a stop (11) for defining the insertion position and maintaining tightness. This segmentation allows each element to perform its specific function without compromising the other, resolving the contradiction between locking connection and system tightness.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the outer profile leg are given different local qualities: the latching edge (9) is designed for mechanical interlocking with high strength, while the stop (11) is designed to contact the duct wall insertion edge for tight sealing. This local differentiation allows the structure to simultaneously achieve both locking and tightness requirements.
2Ease of manufacture
If a pressure groove recessed in the direction of the inner profile limb is provided on the outer profile limb, then snap-in connection without welding is achieved, but sealing requirements are not met
Solution Approach 1:
The tightness function is extracted from the inner profile leg area and relocated to the outer profile leg through the stop (11). This extraction allows the inner profile leg to focus on providing a clean, smooth surface for sealing, while the stop on the outer profile leg handles the mechanical positioning and tightness maintenance, enabling snap-in connection without compromising sealing.
3Reliability
If the insertion edge of the duct wall is clamped with oversize between the latching edge and stop, then the latching and sealing effect is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flange profile structure is designed to automatically clamp the insertion edge of the duct wall between the latching edge (9) and stop (11) during the insertion process itself. The oversize dimensioning ensures that normal insertion forces automatically create the clamping effect without requiring additional actuators, sensors, or control mechanisms, thus improving latching and sealing while avoiding increased device complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a flange profile for forming a frame profile for connecting rectangular air duct elements (1) with a slot-shaped insertion area (8) formed by an inner and an outer profile leg (6, 7) that can be slid onto an insertion edge (2a) of a duct wall (2) of the air duct element (1) and a chamber (5) arranged at an angle to this for receiving corner brackets (4). It is provided that the end region of the slot-shaped insertion area (8) is limited by a stop (11) formed from the outer profile leg (7).