Heating Air Adapter Layout for Exhaust Leak Containment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing air supply and exhaust adapters for heaters face challenges in reliably preventing exhaust air from escaping, especially during installation or replacement of heating devices, where fixed connection conditions require effective containment of flue gases.

Innovation Solution

The adapter design incorporates a passageway and branch path within the housing, with seal receptacles and inserts that allow for adjustable configurations, ensuring that any escaping exhaust air is diverted back into the system, preventing uncontrolled release into the installation room, and utilizing the Venturi effect to guide exhaust air back into the heater.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a simple adapter design is used for heating device installation, then ease of manufacture and installation is improved, but reliability of preventing exhaust air escape deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidreliability of preventing exhaust air escape
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The adapter employs nested passageways where an inner passageway is positioned within an outer passageway. The inner passageway carries exhaust air while the outer passageway carries supply air, creating a nested configuration that prevents exhaust air leakage without complex external structures. This nesting approach maintains manufacturing simplicity while significantly improving reliability of exhaust air containment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The adapter introduces sealing elements as intermediary components between the passageways and the housing. These seals act as mediators that prevent direct contact between exhaust air and the external environment, ensuring reliable prevention of exhaust air escape while maintaining a relatively simple adapter structure that is easy to manufacture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If multiple passageways with seals are implemented, then reliability of exhaust air containment is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereliability of exhaust air containmentVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The adapter merges multiple functions into a single integrated housing structure. The housing simultaneously provides structural support, contains both inner and outer passageways, and incorporates sealing receptacles. This merging approach reduces device complexity by eliminating the need for separate components while maintaining high reliability of exhaust air containment through the integrated multi-passageway design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The adapter housing serves multiple functions: it structures the nested passageways, provides mounting points for seals, and directs both supply air and exhaust air flows. This multi-functionality reduces the overall device complexity by consolidating what would otherwise require multiple separate components, while still achieving reliable exhaust air containment through the sophisticated internal passageway arrangement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of operation

If the through-path is made shorter to improve installation ease, then ease of operation is improved, but safety may deteriorate if exhaust air can escape

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidexhaust air escape
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The nested passageway configuration allows the inner exhaust air passageway to be positioned within the outer supply air passageway, creating a compact structure. This nesting enables shorter through-paths that are easier to install and operate while simultaneously preventing exhaust air escape, as any potential leakage is contained within the nested configuration and redirected back into the system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The adapter incorporates a feedback mechanism where exhaust air that attempts to escape through the housing is redirected back into the inner passageway. This feedback approach ensures that even with shorter through-paths that are easier to install, the system maintains safety by automatically correcting potential exhaust air leakage without requiring complex additional safety components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

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 design effectively prevents exhaust air from escaping into the installation room, enhancing safety by ensuring that exhaust air is routed back into the system, even when standard sizes are not perfectly matched, and allowing for various configurations to accommodate different air routes and diameters.

Implementation Method 1

utilizing the Venturi effect to guide exhaust air back into the heater

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVenturi effect: Venturi Effect

Data Source

PatentEP3418634B1Supply air and exhaust air adapter for a heating device
Publication Date: 2020.07.08 ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
  • EP3418634B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3418634B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3418634B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to an air supply and exhaust air adapter (10) for a heating device, which has at least one inlet opening for the inlet air and at least one outlet opening for the exhaust air, with a housing (12) which has receptacles (14, 16) for the inlet opening and the Has exit opening. It is proposed that a through-path (26) and a branch-off path (28) are provided within the housing (12).