Over-molded Rotationally Coupled Assemblies for Sanitary Conduits

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing rotationally coupled assemblies in patient conduits for delivering breathing gas face challenges in sanitization and sterilization due to vacant cavities formed by snap connections, which can harbor dirt or biological agents, and are prone to disengagement.

Innovation Solution

The use of an over-molding process to permanently couple components, eliminating clearance gaps and creating a sealed passage, with dissimilar materials reducing bonding and shrinkage issues, ensuring a secure and sanitary connection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If snap together components are used for rotational coupling, then ease of assembly is improved, but sanitation and reliability deteriorate due to vacant cavities harboring dirt and biological agents

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of assemblyVSAvoidcontamination risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges two separate components (first component with protrusion and second component with recess) into a unified sealed structure through overmolding. The material of the second component is overmolded directly onto the first component, eliminating the vacant cavities between mating surfaces while maintaining ease of assembly. This creates a continuous sealed passage that prevents contamination.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of manufacture

If snap together components are used for rotational coupling, then ease of assembly is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential disengagement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of assemblyVSAvoidconnection stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The overmolding process performs the bonding action in advance during manufacturing, creating a permanent mechanical interlock between components. The material of the second component is molded directly onto the protrusion of the first component, forming integral bonds that prevent disengagement while allowing rotational movement. This preliminary bonding action eliminates the risk of unsnapping during use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Object-affected harmful factors

If over-molding process is used to couple components, then sanitation and reliability are improved by eliminating clearance gaps, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontamination riskVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs composite construction where the second component is made of material that is overmolded onto the first component. This composite approach allows the creation of a sealed, contamination-resistant joint through a single integrated manufacturing process. The overmolding technique bonds dissimilar materials together to form a unified structure that eliminates clearance gaps while managing the complexity through process integration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentUS9339625B2Over-molded rotationally coupled assemblies

Publication Date: 2016.05.17 KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV

AI summary

An assembly including a first component and a second component movably coupled to the first component. The second component is formed about and coupled to at least a portion of the first component via an over-molding process.