Flap Shaft Tolerance Compensation for Leak-Tight Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manufacturing and assembly tolerances in flap devices lead to gaps between the sealing surfaces, causing unwanted leakage flows when the device is closed.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of a tolerance compensation element that can be fastened to the flap shaft or body in various positions to bridge gaps, allowing for adjustment to compensate for manufacturing and assembly tolerances, ensuring the sealing surfaces make contact in the closed position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If rigid positioning of the flap shaft and counter-sealing surface is used, then manufacturing and assembly are simplified, but gaps between sealing surfaces occur due to tolerances, causing leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dynamic adjustment mechanism that allows the flap body's transverse position relative to the flap shaft to be varied. This enables the sealing surface to adapt its position to bridge gaps caused by manufacturing and assembly tolerances, transforming a rigid system into one that can compensate for dimensional variations while maintaining simple manufacturing processes
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the transverse position parameter of the flap body relative to the flap shaft. By allowing this parameter to be adjusted within a certain range, the system can compensate for tolerance accumulations in the manufacturing and assembly of the flap shaft bearing and counter-sealing surface, ensuring reliable sealing without complicating the manufacturing process
2Device complexity
If the flap body is rigidly attached to the flap shaft, then the structure is simplified, but sealing contact cannot be ensured due to tolerance variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the rigid attachment between the flap body and flap shaft with a dynamic adjustment mechanism. This allows the transverse position of the flap body to be modified, enabling the sealing surface to make contact with the counter-sealing surface despite variations in manufacturing precision, while adding minimal structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an intermediary adjustment mechanism between the flap shaft and flap body. This intermediary element enables precise positioning of the sealing surface relative to the counter-sealing surface, compensating for manufacturing precision issues without requiring complete redesign of the attachment structure
Data Source
AI summary
A flap device for a fuel cell system includes a flow housing, a flap shaft projecting into a flow channel, a flap body arranged in the flow channel which is attached to the flap shaft, and a tolerance compensation element. The flap shaft is rotatable about a longitudinal axis. The flap body is adjustable together with the flap shaft at least between a closed and an open position. During an assembly of the flap device, the tolerance compensation element can be fastened to the flap shaft in different positions to bridge a gap between the flap shaft and the flap body, whereby the flap body contacts the tolerance compensation element, or the tolerance compensation element is fastened to the flap body in different positions transversely to the longitudinal axis to bridge a gap between the flap shaft and the flap body, whereby the flap shaft contacts the tolerance compensation element.