Induction Hardening Coil Shielding Against Scale Scattering
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing induction hardening apparatuses fail to prevent the scattering and adherence of solid scales to the induction coil, which can lead to short circuits and damage, as they only address fluid splashing and not solid matter scattering.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a shielding portion with an annular base and a brush portion comprising elastically deformable non-magnetic wire bodies between the induction coil and the cooling portion to intercept and prevent scale scattering, ensuring continuous contact and blocking any gaps between the coil and the shaft-shaped body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a nozzle through which compressed air is sprayed is provided between the induction heating portion and the cooling liquid spraying portion, then scattering of cooling liquid can be prevented, but scattering of solid matter such as scales cannot be prevented
Solution Approach 1:
A shielding portion is introduced as an intermediary component between the induction heating coil and the cooling liquid spraying portion. This shielding portion captures solid scales generated during induction heating before they can scatter to the induction coil, while allowing the induction heating and cooling processes to continue normally. The shielding portion acts as a mediator that selectively intercepts harmful solid matter without interfering with the necessary fluid dynamics of the hardening process.
2Productivity
If the induction coil and the cooler are disposed close to each other to shorten the time from rapid heating to rapid cooling, then the facility becomes compact and heating-cooling uniformity is maintained, but cooling liquid bounces on the shaft-shaped body surface and excessively cools the shaft-shaped body
Solution Approach 1:
The shielding portion serves as an intermediary structure that modifies the trajectory of cooling liquid by intercepting scales that would otherwise cause excessive cooling through bouncing. This allows the induction coil and cooler to remain closely disposed for efficient heating-cooling cycles while preventing the harmful effect of cooling liquid bounce on the shaft-shaped body surface.
3Reliability
If scale adheres to gaps between wound wire portions of the induction coil, then short circuit may occur in the induction coil and the induction coil may be damaged, but providing shielding increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The shielding portion is positioned to intercept scales before they reach the induction coil, serving as a protective intermediary barrier. This simple structural addition significantly reduces the risk of scale-induced short circuits and coil damage without requiring complex modifications to the existing induction hardening apparatus.
Solution Approach 2:
The shielding portion can be designed as a simple, easily replaceable component made of inexpensive materials. Even if the shielding portion becomes contaminated with scales over time, it can be quickly removed and replaced, maintaining high reliability of the induction coil without requiring complex maintenance systems.
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
Effectively prevents scale scattering onto the induction coil, reducing the risk of short circuits and maintaining the efficiency of the hardening process by ensuring the scales are caught by the brush portion, even with varying shaft diameters and level differences.
Implementation Method 1
the shaft-shaped body is locally heated by the induction coil until at least the surface layer of the shaft-shaped body becomes austenitic
Implementation Method 2
the cooler that follows the induction coil sprays a cooling liquid or the like onto the surface of the heated shaft-shaped body to rapidly cool the surface within a short period of time, whereby the surface layer has a martensitic structure
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Provided is an (1) induction hardening apparatus comprising: a coil member (12) which is formed in an annular shape to cause a high frequency current to flow therethrough, allows a shaft-shaped body (101) to be inserted therein, and is relatively movable along an axial direction of the shaft-shaped body (101); a cooling portion (16) which has a spray nozzle (18) through which a cooling liquid can be sprayed onto a surface of the shaft-shaped body (101), is disposed behind the coil member (12) in a relative movement direction, and is relatively movable along the axial direction of the shaft-shaped body (101) together with the coil member (12); and a shielding portion (14) which is disposed between the coil member (12) and the cooling portion (16) and is relatively movable along the axial direction of the shaft-shaped body (101) together with the coil member (12) and the cooling portion (16), in which the shielding portion (14) comprises an annular base portion (14b) having an opening part (14a) through which the shaft-shaped body (101) is inserted, and a brush portion (15) that protrudes from the annular base portion (14b) toward the opening part (14a) and comes into contact with the shaft-shaped body (101) when the shaft-shaped body (101) is inserted.