Hydraulic Clamping Element With Thin Membranes for Compact Radial Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing braking and/or clamping elements require significant installation space and are costly, lacking an efficient mechanism for compact operation and low-cost design.
Innovation Solution
The braking and/or clamping element features a radially oriented tie bolt connection between inner and outer walls, with a pressure chamber and compensating space, where the sum of the minimum wall thicknesses of the membranes is less than other boundary sections, allowing for hydraulic loading to increase the inner diameter and facilitate clamping and release without current usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a conventional braking and/or clamping element is designed with sufficient wall thickness to maintain stiffness, then structural strength is improved, but installation space increases and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed with thin-walled membrane structures (inner membrane and outer membrane) that replace traditional thick-walled rigid structures. These membranes are intentionally made thin to enable elastic deformation under hydraulic pressure, allowing the braking element to change its inner diameter for clamping and releasing while maintaining sufficient structural integrity through the membrane design and hydraulic pressure distribution
Solution Approach 2:
The housing transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic elastic structure that can deform under hydraulic pressure. The membranes are designed to elastically deform when hydraulic pressure is applied, changing the inner diameter of the braking element, and then return to their original shape when pressure is released, enabling repeated clamping and releasing operations without permanent deformation
2Strength
If the housing is made rigid to maintain structural integrity, then strength is improved, but the ability to deform elastically for clamping and releasing is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The housing incorporates flexible membrane structures (inner membrane formed by the inner wall and outer membrane formed by the outer wall) that are thin enough to deform elastically under hydraulic pressure but sufficiently engineered to maintain structural integrity during deformation and return to their original shape, thus combining flexibility with structural soundness
Solution Approach 2:
The structural parameters of the housing are optimized by controlling the wall thickness of the membranes to be within a specific range. The sum of the minimum wall thicknesses of the inner and outer membranes is designed to be less than the minimum wall thickness of other boundary wall sections, creating controlled weak points that deform first under pressure while other sections maintain structural support, enabling elastic deformation without compromising overall integrity
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform wall thickness is used throughout the housing, then manufacturing is simplified, but the stiffness distribution cannot be optimized for radial loading
Solution Approach 1:
The housing employs non-uniform wall thickness distribution with specifically designed thin-walled membrane sections (inner and outer membranes) at critical locations where deformation is needed, while other boundary wall sections maintain greater thickness for structural support. This local differentiation optimizes the stiffness distribution to accommodate radial loading requirements while maintaining manufacturing feasibility
Solution Approach 2:
The wall thickness parameter is varied strategically throughout the housing structure. The sum of the minimum wall thicknesses of the inner and outer membranes is designed to be less than the minimum wall thickness of other boundary wall sections, creating a controlled stiffness gradient that directs deformation to specific areas under hydraulic pressure while maintaining overall structural integrity
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 enables a compact, cost-effective braking and/or clamping element that efficiently clamps and releases shafts with minimal installation space, using hydraulic pressure to deform the housing and snap back into position, ensuring secure clamping without permanent deformation.
Implementation Method 1
the pressure of which is increased in a pressure chamber located within the housing
Implementation Method 2
the housing is elastically deformed, increasing the inner diameter of the brake and/or clamping element
Implementation Method 3
The housing acts as a spring, clamping a rotatable or longitudinally displaceable shaft when unloaded. When the clamp is released, the housing is elastically deformed
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
The invention relates to a braking and/or clamping element (10) with an annular housing (11) having at least one hydraulic connection (51), an inner wall (21) and an outer wall (31). The inner wall (21) and the outer wall (31) are connected to one another by means of radially oriented tie bolts (80). In the housing there is arranged a pressure space (100) which adjoins the outer wall (31), is spaced apart from the inner wall (21) and is connected to said hydraulic connection (51), wherein the outer wall (31) forms an outer membrane (104) of the pressure space. In the housing there is arranged a compensating space (110) which adjoins the inner wall (21) and is spaced apart from the outer wall (31), wherein the inner wall (21) forms an inner membrane (111). In addition, the sum of the minimum wall thicknesses of the inner membrane and of the outer membrane is less than the minimum wall thickness of every other pressure space-delimiting boundary wall portion of the housing, with the result that, upon hydraulic loading of the pressure space, the minimum stiffness of the braking and/or clamping element is oriented in the radial direction. By virtue of the present invention there is developed a cost-effective braking and/or clamping element that requires little overall space.