Non-Circular Metal Seal With Variable Flexural Rigidity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional metal seals with non-circular configurations, especially those with R-shaped curved portions of small radius, often fail to achieve uniform sealing ability around the periphery, leading to reduced sealing effectiveness on straight portions.
Innovation Solution
A metal seal with a non-circular closed ring configuration featuring R-shaped curved and straight side portions, where the cantilever elastic leg pieces have varying protruding dimensions and thicknesses along the periphery, increasing flexural rigidity at specific positions to ensure uniform contact pressure and enhanced sealing ability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If the metal seal is made non-circular to match the window portion shape, then the seal fits the window portion better, but the sealing ability on straight portions decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the cross-sectional configuration of the elastic leg pieces non-uniform around the periphery. Specifically, the leg pieces at R-shaped curved portions have different dimensions than those at straight portions, allowing each location to have optimized sealing characteristics for its specific geometric context
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes physical parameters of the elastic leg pieces by varying their cross-sectional dimensions (thickness and height) at different peripheral locations. This parameter variation compensates for the different sealing requirements between curved and straight portions, maintaining uniform sealing performance throughout
2Reliability
If the elastic leg pieces have large protruding dimensions to improve sealing on straight portions, then sealing ability increases, but fastening force increases and may damage facing flat faces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by specifying that elastic leg pieces at straight portions have larger cross-sectional dimensions than those at R-shaped curved portions. This localized dimensional increase provides enhanced sealing at straight portions without requiring uniformly large dimensions around the entire seal, thereby controlling overall fastening force
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the elastic leg pieces have small protruding dimensions to reduce fastening force, then damage to facing flat faces is prevented, but sealing ability on straight portions becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the cross-sectional dimensions of elastic leg pieces based on their peripheral location. Leg pieces at straight portions have larger dimensions for sufficient sealing, while those at curved portions have smaller dimensions, collectively achieving both adequate sealing and controlled fastening force
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the cross-sectional parameters (thickness and height) of the elastic leg pieces at different locations to optimize the balance between sealing ability and fastening force. This parameter optimization ensures sufficient sealing without excessive compression force that could damage the sealed components
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 achieves uniform contact pressure and improved sealing ability across the entire periphery, particularly enhancing sealing on straight side portions and reducing fluid leakage, while allowing for reduced fastening force to prevent damage to facing flat faces.
Implementation Method 1
both the protruding dimension and the thickness of the cantilever elastic leg piece are made different from each other in the peripheral direction... making the contact pressure uniform around the whole periphery
Data Source
AI summary
A metal seal of a non-circular ring which shows uniform sealing ability on whole periphery. The whole configuration of the metal seal is a non-circular ring having an R-shaped curved portion and a straight portion, and a cross-sectional configuration of the metal seal is changed as to make cantilever flexural rigidity larger on the straight portion than on the R-shaped curved portion.