Flat Web Corrugated Bellows for Articulated Vehicle Aerodynamics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional corrugated bellows between articulated vehicles experience significant vortex formation and air resistance due to their arched web design, which increases turbulence and air resistance, especially at high speeds.
Innovation Solution
The web of the corrugated bellows is designed with multiple layers of fabric to increase material thickness and stiffness, with the option of coating and plastic deformation to maintain a flat configuration, and is sewn or glued to the legs to prevent curvature, allowing elongation primarily through leg movement during vehicle movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the web is designed with an arched shape to accommodate pressure between vehicles, then the bellows can withstand longitudinal pressure, but vortex formation and air resistance increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional arched web design to a flat web design. Instead of curving the web upward to accommodate pressure, the flat web resists pressure through its rigid multi-layer fabric construction and connection to the legs, eliminating the aerodynamic turbulence caused by arched shapes while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by using multiple layers of fabric (such as polyester or polyamide) bonded together with adhesive or welding points. This composite structure provides the necessary rigidity and strength to replace the arched design, allowing the flat web to withstand longitudinal pressure without deforming into a curved shape that would create vortices.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the web is made flat with multiple fabric layers, then vortex formation is reduced and aerodynamics improve, but the web may lack sufficient rigidity to maintain shape under pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses multiple layers of fabric bonded together to create a composite web structure. The layers are connected through adhesive bonding or welding at specific points, creating a rigid assembly that maintains its flat shape under pressure. This composite construction provides the necessary stiffness without requiring an arched geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local reinforcement by concentrating connection points between fabric layers at strategic locations where stress is highest. The welding or adhesive bonding is not uniform across the entire web but is localized to specific areas, providing enhanced rigidity where needed while maintaining the overall flat configuration and minimizing material usage.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the web material thickness is increased to enhance rigidity, then shape stability improves, but the bellows material usage and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single thick layer of material, the patent employs multiple thinner fabric layers bonded together. This composite approach achieves the required rigidity and shape stability through the combined structure of multiple layers, distributing the mechanical load across several thin layers rather than requiring one thick layer, thus reducing overall material usage while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The web is segmented into multiple thin fabric layers rather than being a single solid piece. Each layer is connected at specific points through welding or adhesive bonding, creating a segmented composite structure. This segmentation allows the web to achieve necessary rigidity through the collective strength of multiple layers while using less total material compared to a single thick layer.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a bellows for a transition between two vehicles connected by joints, comprising several U-shaped shafts (1) in cross-section, wherein two adjacent shafts (1) are connected to each other by a frame (4), wherein the U-shaped shaft (1) in cross-section has two legs (2, 3) and a web (5) connecting the legs (2, 3), wherein the material thickness of the web (5) is greater than the material thickness of the legs (2, 3), wherein the material of the web (5) and legs (2, 3) is identical, and wherein the web (5) is essentially planar, so that the legs (2, 3) and the web (5) are at right angles to each other in the bellows' substantially neutral position.