Polygonal Foam Duct Structure for Rigidity and Secure Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Foam ducts with thin wall portions suffer from reduced rigidity, making them prone to deflection and difficult to attach to vehicle components, and when used in fluid flow applications, they experience vibration due to smooth inner surfaces which exacerbate these issues.
Innovation Solution
A foam duct with a cylindrical portion having a polygonal external contour and projections on its inner surface, where the wall thickness is greater at projection sites, enhancing rigidity and preventing easy detachment by ensuring secure engagement with other members.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If wall portions of the foam duct are made thin to reduce weight, then weight is reduced, but rigidity of the foam duct decreases and the foam duct becomes easily deflected
Solution Approach 1:
The foam duct incorporates protrusions at specific locations (connection portions and vibration-prone areas) to locally increase rigidity without making the entire wall thick. This allows weight reduction in non-critical areas while maintaining strength where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds a third dimension by creating protrusions that extend into the internal cavity of the duct. These protrusions increase the moment of inertia of the wall sections, enhancing rigidity without increasing the external dimensions or overall weight of the duct.
2Productivity
If inner walls of the foam duct are smoothed to improve fluid flow, then fluid flow is improved, but rigidity decreases and the foam duct becomes more prone to deflection
Solution Approach 1:
The foam duct has smooth inner walls in fluid flow paths for improved flow efficiency, while incorporating localized protrusions at connection portions and vibration-prone areas to maintain rigidity without compromising fluid flow in the smoothed sections.
3Weight of moving object
If wall portions are made thin to reduce weight, then weight is reduced, but the foam duct becomes difficult to attach to vehicle components
Solution Approach 1:
The foam duct incorporates protrusions specifically at connection portions to provide attachment features, while other areas can have thinner walls for weight reduction. The protrusions serve as localized reinforcement for mounting purposes.
4Ease of operation
If inner walls of edge portions are smoothed for connection engagement, then connection is improved, but gaps occur between the foam duct and member surfaces causing easy removal
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of smoothing the inner wall to achieve connection, the invention uses protrusions that extend into the connection space. These protrusions make contact with the outer surface of the connected member, inverting the traditional smooth-surface engagement approach and preventing gaps through positive mechanical contact.
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
The foam duct achieves increased rigidity and secure attachment to vehicle components, reducing vibration and deflection by utilizing projections that deform to match the outer surface contour of connected members, thereby preventing gaps and ensuring stable connections.
Implementation Method 1
projections that deform to match the outer surface contour of connected members
Data Source
AI summary
A foam duct in which rigidity is improvable includes a cylindrical portion having an external contour of a polygonal shape and a projection in an inner surface side of the cylindrical portion, and thickness of wall portions of the cylindrical portion is larger in a portion in which the projection is formed than in a portion in which the projection is not formed.