Gas Blower Inflow Device Pin Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing inflow devices for gas blowers face challenges in ensuring correct positioning of diffuser inserts within diffuser housings, leading to suboptimal fuel gas flow due to variations in size and improper assembly.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates a diffuser housing with an inlet nozzle and annular section forming an insertion area, featuring radial bearing surfaces and pins that guide the diffuser insert into a precise assembly position, preventing incorrect sizes from fitting and ensuring proper alignment for optimal fuel gas flow.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If diffuser inserts of varying sizes are used to adapt to different power outputs, then the adaptability of the inlet device is improved, but the risk of incorrect positioning and assembly errors increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to different power outputsVSAvoidcorrect positioning reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating specific geometric features at critical locations: the annular recess with defined radial depth in the diffuser housing, and the corresponding pins with specific diameters on the diffuser insert. These localized geometric characteristics ensure that only the correctly sized diffuser insert can be properly positioned, while incorrect sizes will be physically blocked from achieving proper alignment. This resolves the contradiction by making the assembly location-specific rather than requiring global precision control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs asymmetry through the use of pins with different diameters that correspond to specific diffuser insert sizes. The asymmetric pin design (with varying diameters rather than uniform dimensions) creates a unique geometric key that matches only the intended diffuser insert size. This asymmetric feature prevents incorrect inserts from being installed, as their geometry will not match the pin configuration, thereby ensuring reliable positioning while maintaining adaptability to different power outputs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

2Ease of operation

If the diffuser insert is made detachable for easy assembly and maintenance, then the ease of operation is improved, but the positioning precision and alignment accuracy may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of assembly and maintenanceVSAvoidpositioning precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring the pins on the diffuser insert with specific diameters and positions before assembly. These pins are designed in advance to match the annular recess geometry in the diffuser housing, ensuring that when the diffuser insert is detached and reassembled, it automatically returns to the correct position without requiring complex alignment procedures. This preliminary geometric configuration maintains positioning precision while enabling easy detachable assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses the pins and annular recess as an intermediary mechanism between the diffuser insert and diffuser housing. This intermediary feature acts as a self-aligning interface that guides the diffuser insert into the correct position during assembly and maintains precise alignment during operation. The geometric constraint provided by the pin-recess interaction ensures that the detachable connection does not compromise positioning precision, as the intermediary structure enforces proper alignment automatically.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of manufacture

If the inlet nozzle extends axially beyond the annular section to form a lower radial outer edge, then the ease of manufacture is improved by integral formation, but the insertion area for the diffuser insert is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of integral formationVSAvoidinsertion area
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dimensionality change by utilizing the radial dimension to compensate for the reduced axial insertion area. The annular recess is designed with sufficient radial depth to accommodate the diffuser insert pins, even though the axial extension of the inlet nozzle reduces the overall insertion space. By optimizing the radial geometry of the recess rather than relying solely on axial length, the patent maintains adequate insertion area while achieving the manufacturing simplicity of integral formation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP3739216B1Inflow device for a gas blower
Publication Date: 2023.01.25 EBM PAPST LANDSHUT GMBH
  • EP3739216B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3739216B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3739216B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to an inlet device for a gas blower (100) comprising a blower housing (2), a diffuser housing (3) with an inlet nozzle (5) which can be attached to the blower housing (2), and a diffuser insert (4) with gas pockets (29) received in the diffuser housing (3), wherein the diffuser housing (3) has an annular section (6) enclosing the inlet nozzle (5), such that an insertion area (8) for the diffuser insert (4) is formed between the inlet nozzle (5) and the annular section (6), wherein a first contact surface for the diffuser insert (4) is formed on the radial outer surface of the inlet nozzle (5) and a second contact surface for the diffuser insert (4) is formed on an inner surface of the annular section (6) facing the inlet nozzle (5), and wherein the diffuser insert (4) is held in a position attached to the blower housing (3) in The insertion area (8) is in a form-fitting manner on the first and second contact surfaces in the assembled state.