Key-Fit Filter Connector for Fast, Misalignment-Safe Replacement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing filter systems in off-highway machinery face challenges such as time-consuming and labor-intensive filter swapping due to threaded interfaces, which can lead to misalignment, damage, and over-tightening, especially in large components.
Innovation Solution
A filter system with a key-fit attachment mechanism using alternating thread and slot sections on the filter holder and connectors, facilitated by O-rings or protruding stops/pegs, allowing for simple and secure attachment and detachment of filters with a quarter-turn rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If threaded interfaces are used for filter attachment, then secure locking and positioning is achieved, but filter swapping becomes time-consuming and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The threaded interface is segmented into alternating thread sections and slot sections around the circumference. This segmentation allows the filter connector to engage with only a portion of the threads at a time, enabling quick attachment by aligning the connector with the slot sections and rotating it a limited angle rather than requiring full threading engagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector and holder are designed with asymmetric key-fit patterns where thread sections and slot sections are arranged in specific non-uniform patterns. This asymmetry creates a unique engagement geometry that guides proper alignment during installation and enables rapid attachment while preventing misalignment, as the asymmetric features must match in a specific orientation.
2Reliability
If threaded interfaces are used for filter attachment, then secure locking is achieved, but misalignment and damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric arrangement of thread and slot sections creates a key-fit pattern that acts as a mechanical guide for proper alignment. The unique asymmetric geometry ensures that the connector can only engage with the holder in the correct orientation, preventing cross-threading and misalignment that could lead to damage of the threaded components.
Solution Approach 2:
The slot sections are positioned to receive the connector body before thread engagement occurs. This preliminary positioning action guides the connector into correct alignment with the thread sections, ensuring proper orientation is established before any threading engagement takes place, thereby preventing misalignment and potential damage.
3Reliability
If threaded interfaces are used for filter attachment, then secure locking is achieved, but installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the interface into alternating thread and slot sections, the installation process is simplified. The slot sections provide open spaces that guide the connector during insertion, and the segmented nature allows for a limited rotation angle rather than requiring multiple revolutions, making the installation process faster and easier while still achieving secure locking through the engaged thread sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector engages with only a portion of the available thread sections rather than requiring engagement with all threads around the circumference. This partial engagement is sufficient to achieve secure locking while significantly reducing the number of revolutions needed during installation, thereby simplifying the operation and reducing installation time.
4Reliability
If large threaded components are used in off-highway machinery, then secure locking is achieved, but the problems of misalignment and damage are magnified
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric key-fit pattern with alternating thread and slot sections provides a mechanical alignment guide that is particularly effective for large components. The asymmetric geometry creates a unique engagement path that guides the large connector into proper alignment with the holder, preventing misalignment issues that are more problematic in large-scale off-highway machinery applications where tolerance accumulation can be significant.
Solution Approach 2:
The slot sections are strategically positioned to provide preliminary guidance and positioning for large connectors during installation. This preliminary action ensures that even large components with potential manufacturing tolerances are guided into correct alignment before thread engagement, preventing misalignment and damage that could occur with large threaded components alone.
Data Source
AI summary
A filter system for a machine system includes a filter holder assembly having a filter holder, an inner filter connector, and an outer filter connector. The filter holder includes peripheral surfaces each configured with at least one thread section and at least one slot section. The filter system also includes an inner filter attached to the inner filter connector and an outer filter attached to the outer filter connector. Each of the inner filter connector and the outer filter connector includes a peripheral surface configured with at least one thread section and at least one slot section arranged in a key-fit pattern relative to one of the peripheral surfaces of the filter holder. In an example application the concepts may be applied in an intake air system for an engine in an off-highway machine.