Master Cylinder Pressure Chamber Air Bubble Venting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Air bubbles accumulate in the pressure chamber of hydraulic brake and clutch systems, making it difficult to pressurize the hydraulic medium due to their compressibility.

Innovation Solution

The transmitter unit is designed with a housing body that encloses the pressure space and connecting channel, where the connecting channel opens into the highest end region relative to the direction of gravity, allowing air bubbles to escape under gravity, and features a piston and valve unit configuration that promotes the escape of air bubbles while maintaining pressurization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the connecting channel opens into any region of the pressure chamber, then the structure is simple, but air bubbles accumulate in the pressure chamber and cannot escape easily

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural simplicityVSAvoidair bubble escape
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The connecting channel is positioned to open specifically into the highest end region of the pressure chamber, creating a localized quality difference that enables air bubbles to escape naturally under gravity without complicating the overall structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The gravity that causes air bubbles to rise and accumulate in the pressure chamber is converted into a beneficial force by positioning the connecting channel at the highest point, allowing the same gravitational force to now facilitate air bubble escape rather than accumulation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Reliability

If air bubbles are present in the pressure chamber, then the hydraulic medium cannot be pressurized effectively, but removing air bubbles requires complex drainage systems

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepressurization efficiencyVSAvoiddrainage system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The pressure chamber design allows air bubbles to escape automatically through the connecting channel positioned at the highest point, utilizing gravity and buoyancy forces without requiring external drainage systems or additional components

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of providing a drainage system to actively remove air bubbles from the pressure chamber, the invention inverts the approach by positioning the connecting channel to passively allow air bubbles to escape on their own through natural buoyancy and gravity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

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 ensures that air bubbles are effectively removed from the pressure chamber, facilitating the pressurization of the hydraulic medium and preventing operational issues caused by compressible air bubbles.

Implementation Method 1

the air bubbles float upwards under the influence of gravity in relation to the direction of gravity and thus escape of their own accord from the pressure chamber through the connecting channel that opens into the end region of the pressure chamber that is highest in relation to the direction of gravity

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectBuoyancy: Archimedes' Principle (Buoyancy)

Data Source

PatentEP3118073B1Master cylinder unit
Publication Date: 2020.06.03 GUSTAV MAGENWIRTH GMBH & CO KG
  • EP3118073B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3118073B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3118073B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

To improve a sensor unit, particularly for a hydraulic brake system, comprising a housing body, a piston movably arranged in the housing body between a starting position and a pressure position, a pressure chamber bounded by the housing body and the piston, a reservoir for storing hydraulic fluid connected to the pressure chamber via a connecting channel, a valve unit which, in an open position, allows the connection between the reservoir and the pressure chamber and, in a closed position, disconnects this connection, and a connecting opening for conveying pressurized hydraulic fluid from the pressure chamber to, for example, a connected hydraulic brake cylinder, in such a way that the escape of air bubbles from the pressure chamber is easily facilitated, it is proposed thatthat in a functionally correct orientation of the sensor unit, the connecting channel opens into an end area of ​​the pressure chamber that is highest with respect to a direction of gravity.