Magnet Housing Offset Design for Vibration Isolation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional magnetic resonance apparatuses face challenges in minimizing vibration and sound wave transmission from the magnet unit to the housing cladding, while ensuring secure and compact assembly, particularly due to the limitations of fastening methods near the outer edge of the magnet housing.

Innovation Solution

The magnet unit design incorporates a cylindrical magnet housing with a housing surface featuring a first sub-area inwardly offset from a second sub-area, allowing for space-saving fastening of housing shells and reducing the impact of weld seams and vibrations, enabling simpler assembly and tolerance compensation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the housing cladding is fastened close to the outer edge of the magnet housing, then the transmission of vibrations and sound waves is minimized, but vibration exaggerations occur at the fastening location

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevibration and sound wave transmissionVSAvoidvibration stability at fastening location
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating a specific fastening zone with modified properties on the magnet housing. The fastening zone is defined as an area offset inward from the outer edge by 5-20% of the housing radius, providing optimal vibration isolation while avoiding edge-related vibration exaggerations. This localized modification allows different regions of the housing to serve different functions: the fastening zone for stable attachment and the outer edge for vibration shielding.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent resolves the contradiction by transitioning from a one-dimensional radial positioning problem to a two-dimensional solution space. Instead of only considering radial distance from the center, the solution incorporates both radial offset (5-20% inward from outer edge) and axial positioning along the housing length. This dimensional expansion provides additional degrees of freedom for optimizing fastening location to simultaneously achieve vibration minimization and stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Volume of moving object

If the housing cladding is fastened on the outer edge of the magnet housing, then the assembly is compact, but vibration exaggerations occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly compactnessVSAvoidvibration stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent maintains compactness while improving reliability by creating a specialized fastening zone with distinct properties from the rest of the housing. This zone is positioned 5-20% inward from the outer edge, providing the necessary structural characteristics for stable fastening while maintaining overall assembly compactness. The localized modification ensures that compactness is not sacrificed for stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If the housing cladding is fastened away from the outer edge of the magnet housing, then vibration exaggerations are avoided, but the transmission of vibrations and sound waves increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevibration stability at fastening locationVSAvoidvibration and sound wave transmission
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the balance between vibration stability and transmission by defining a fastening zone with specific local properties positioned 5-20% inward from the outer edge. This localized approach ensures that the fastening location has optimal vibration isolation characteristics while still providing effective shielding of vibration and sound wave transmission. The specific offset range is determined to simultaneously satisfy both requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent resolves the trade-off by incorporating axial positioning along the housing length as an additional dimension. The fastening zone is positioned both radially (5-20% inward from outer edge) and axially along the housing, providing multiple degrees of freedom for optimizing vibration isolation while maintaining effective transmission shielding. This dimensional approach allows simultaneous optimization of both conflicting requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS10203383B2Magnetic resonance magnet unit having a magnet housing
Publication Date: 2019.02.12 SIEMENS HEALTHINEERS AG
  • US10203383B2 patent drawing
  • US10203383B2 patent drawing
  • US10203383B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A magnet unit for a magnetic resonance apparatus has a superconducting basic field magnet, a vacuum vessel, within which the superconducting basic field magnet is situated, and a cylindrical magnet housing. The magnet housing has a housing surface having a first sub-area and a second sub-area, with the first sub-area inwardly offset from the outside, in the direction of a longitudinal extent of the magnet unit, in relation to the second sub-area.