Gas Filter Frame Curving Mechanism for Engine Air Cleaner
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing gas filtering devices for automobile engines, such as air cleaners, face difficulties in efficiently attaching and replacing the flexible filter elements due to insufficient rigidity, making the operation cumbersome and challenging, especially in confined engine rooms where visual alignment is hard.
Innovation Solution
The gas filtering device incorporates a frame holder and a temporary holder mechanism within the case members, where the frame holder holds the filter's periphery and the temporary holder temporarily holds the frame, allowing it to curve and facilitate easy insertion and alignment, with a ridge and claw system that assists in releasing the temporary hold when coupling the case members, enabling the filter to settle into place without manual pressing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the frame is made flexible to facilitate insertion, then ease of operation is improved, but stability of the frame's shape deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The temporary holder performs preliminary action by curving the frame in advance to facilitate insertion. The frame is curved by the temporary holder before insertion, and then restored to its original shape after insertion, enabling easy installation without compromising structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The temporary holder acts as an intermediary between the operator and the frame during insertion. It temporarily deforms the frame to an insertable state and then releases it, mediating the transition from stable to flexible and back to stable without requiring manual force
2Stability of the object's composition
If the frame is made rigid to maintain shape stability, then stability of the object's composition is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the frame permanently flexible, the system performs preliminary action by temporarily curving the rigid frame using the temporary holder during insertion, then restoring its rigid state for stable operation
Solution Approach 2:
The frame's rigidity is dynamically adjusted through the temporary holder mechanism. The frame remains rigid during normal operation but becomes temporarily flexible during insertion when acted upon by the temporary holder, combining stability with ease of installation
3Reliability
If manual pressing is used to secure the filter, then reliability of attachment is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism performs self-service by automatically securing the frame to the frame holder through elastic restoration. When the temporary holder releases the curved frame, the frame's elasticity automatically presses it against the frame holder, eliminating the need for manual pressing while ensuring reliable attachment
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
This configuration simplifies the attachment process by allowing the filter to be easily inserted and secured without manual force, reducing operator effort and improving the alignment process, while using elastic deformation for a simple and effective attachment mechanism.
Implementation Method 1
The frame has flexibility... the frame is curved in a case where the first member is not coupled to the second member... cancel the temporary holding of the frame by the temporary holder
Data Source
AI summary
A gas filtering device includes an element and a case. The element includes a filter that filters a gas and a frame that holds a periphery of the filter. The case accommodates the element. The case includes a first member and a second member that are coupled to each other with the element interposed therebetween. The first member includes a frame holder that holds a periphery of the frame when the first member is coupled to the second member, and a temporary holder that performs temporary holding of the frame so that a part of the frame is separated from the frame holder and the frame is curved when the first member is not coupled to the second member. The second member includes a temporary-holding canceller that cancels the temporary holding of the frame by the temporary holder when the second member is being coupled to the first member.