Meander Clamping Ring Bellows for Uniform Sealing Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sealing bellows for ball joints in motor vehicles face challenges in maintaining tightness and durability due to non-uniform contact between clamping rings and machine elements, requiring complex and costly chemical pretreatment for adhesion promoters, which can lead to environmental hazards and assembly issues.
Innovation Solution
A sealing bellows design featuring a clamping ring with a meander-like configuration, allowing for radial expansion and automatic centering on the machine element, eliminating the need for chemical bonding and adhesion promoters, and utilizing metallic or polymeric materials for cost-effective and environmentally friendly production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If chemical pretreatment with adhesion promoters is used to bond clamping rings to machine elements, then bonding strength is improved, but environmental hazards and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the chemical adhesion promoter step from the bonding process. Instead of using chemical pretreatment, the patent employs a mechanically designed clamping ring with a meander-like configuration that achieves bonding through physical interlocking and elastic deformation, completely removing the harmful chemical substance from the process chain.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the chemical bonding system (adhesion promoters) with a mechanical bonding system. The clamping ring's meander-like structure enables mechanical interlocking with the machine element, and elastic deformation provides the bonding force, substituting chemical interactions with purely mechanical ones that are environmentally benign.
2Reliability
If chemical adhesion promoters are used for clamping ring bonding, then bonding reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the complex chemical pretreatment process from the bonding sequence. By extracting the adhesion promoter step, the process complexity is reduced while reliability is maintained through the mechanically robust meander-like clamping ring design that provides consistent bonding without chemical variables.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping ring is designed to be self-bonding through its meander-like configuration. The elastic deformation of the meander structure during installation automatically creates the bonding force, eliminating the need for external chemical agents or complex pretreatment processes, thereby simplifying the overall system.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional clamping rings are used without meander-like configuration, then manufacturing is simpler, but uniform contact and centering on machine elements cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces dynamic characteristics to the clamping ring through its meander-like configuration. The structure is designed to elastically deform during installation, allowing it to adapt dynamically to the machine element's surface and achieve automatic centering. This dynamic behavior enables precision centering without complex manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The meander-like configuration changes the physical parameters of the clamping ring, specifically its flexibility and deformability. By modifying the structural parameters to include meander sections, the ring can elastically deform to achieve uniform contact and precise centering, while the manufacturing process remains relatively simple.
4Stability of the object's composition
If rigid clamping rings are used, then structural stability is improved, but uniform contact distribution and adaptability to machine elements decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the clamping ring structure into rigid and flexible sections. The meander-like configuration divides the ring into alternating rigid and flexible segments, where rigid sections provide structural stability while flexible meander sections provide adaptability. This segmentation allows the ring to maintain overall stability while adapting locally to the machine element's surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping ring employs local quality variation through its meander-like design. Different sections of the ring have different mechanical properties: rigid sections provide structural stability while flexible meander sections provide adaptability and uniform contact. This local differentiation of material or structural quality enables simultaneous achievement of stability and adaptability.
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
The solution ensures a uniform, force-fitting connection with improved assembly efficiency, reduced environmental impact, and extended service life by automatically centering and securely sealing the bellows without chemical pretreatment, while maintaining flexibility and stability.
Implementation Method 1
The casing (1) is produced from a rubber-elastic material
Implementation Method 2
The clamping ring is formed by an annular disk which, viewed in the circumferential direction, has a meander-like configuration
Data Source
AI summary
A sealing bellows includes a casing. The casing includes a rubber-elastic material, which includes an edge region at the front side on both sides. A clamping ring for fastening the sealing bellows to a machine element is arranged in at least one of the edge regions. The clamping ring is formed by an annular disk which, viewed in the circumferential direction, has a meander-like configuration.