Mixed-Material Component Assembly With Differential Thermal Expansion Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The connection of components with different coefficients of thermal expansion in mixed-material constructions, such as in vehicle manufacturing, often leads to high local stresses during heating/drying processes, causing damage to the joining elements and adhesive layers, which can result in component failure.
Innovation Solution
The use of a combination of fixed and floating bearings, along with a non-uniform adhesive gap design, such as a V-adhesive gap, allows for differential thermal expansion while minimizing stresses, using components like rivets, threaded bolts, or plastic clips to secure the assembly, ensuring the adhesive gap thickness adjusts with distance from the fixed bearing, thus maintaining structural integrity and reducing adhesive usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If components with different coefficients of thermal expansion are firmly connected using rigid fixation, then structural stability is improved, but high local stresses occur during thermal processes causing damage to joining elements and adhesive layers
Solution Approach 1:
The fixation system is segmented into multiple bearing points (first bearing point and second bearing point) along the longitudinal direction. This segmentation allows different portions of the composite component to have different degrees of freedom, with some areas providing stable fixation and others allowing thermal expansion compensation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic adaptability into the fixation system by allowing certain bearing points to accommodate thermal expansion movements. The bearing points are positioned and designed to enable the structure to dynamically adjust to thermal stresses without compromising overall stability.
2Ease of manufacture
If the adhesive gap has uniform thickness, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but the adhesive layer cannot accommodate differential thermal expansion causing stress concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive gap thickness is varied locally along the longitudinal direction of the composite component. The gap is thicker in regions where thermal expansion differences are expected to be greater, allowing the adhesive layer to accommodate differential expansion without stress concentration, while maintaining thinner gaps in regions requiring stronger bonding.
3Reliability
If more adhesive is used to ensure complete coverage, then bonding reliability is improved, but weight and material cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive is applied in a strategically varied pattern rather than uniform coverage. Higher adhesive concentration is applied in regions requiring stronger bonding, while thinner or reduced adhesive application is used in regions where the structural design already provides adequate connection, thereby reducing overall adhesive usage while maintaining bonding reliability.
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 approach prevents damage to the joining elements and materials, ensures reliable bonding, and minimizes adhesive usage while maintaining process efficiency and lightweight construction, ensuring the composite component's properties are preserved and its rigidity is maintained.
Implementation Method 1
components with different coefficients of thermal expansion... high local stresses can occur on the individual components or the so-called joining partners, the joining elements and the adhesive layer
Implementation Method 2
The connection properties are guaranteed by the bonding. In other words, the necessary different length displacement between the components is realized by suitable technical measures, namely so-called floating fixation... until the adhesive is crosslinked or hardened
Data Source
Figure 1~5
AI summary
The component assembly (10) has two components (11,12) which are formed of different materials and different coefficient of thermal expansion. The components are communicated with each other via an adhesive material (13). The components are interconnected by a fixed bearing (14) and a movable bearing (15). An independent claim is included for method for connecting two components with different coefficient of thermal expansion.