Pneumatic Bellows Boot Mounting in Tight Seal Groove Space
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing boots face challenges in easy mounting to mounting target objects due to issues such as slippage of small-diameter annular seal portions and inadequate expansion of large-diameter annular seal portions, which can prevent proper fitting into seal grooves.
Innovation Solution
A boot design that is extendable and contractible along an axis, featuring an annular mounted portion, an abutting portion, and an extendable/contractible portion, allowing for fluid injection to facilitate easy mounting by enlarging and reducing the diameter of the mounted portion to fit into mounting portions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If air is injected into the boot to enlarge the large-diameter annular seal portion, then the seal portion can climb over the protruding end of the cylinder body, but the small-diameter annular seal portion may slide on the inserter and fail to fit properly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-coating the inserter's outer peripheral surface with a high-friction material before insertion. This preparatory measure ensures that when the small-diameter annular seal portion is inserted onto the inserter, the high-friction coating prevents slippage during the subsequent air injection process, allowing the seal portion to reliably climb over the cylinder body protruding end and fit accurately into the seal groove.
2Ease of operation
If grease is applied to the mounting portion to facilitate fitting, then the boot can be easily mounted, but grease drips and attracts dust, impairing the external appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the grease-based mechanical friction method with a pneumatic expansion method. Instead of relying on grease to reduce friction for easy fitting, the boot uses air injection to inflate the bellows portion, causing the large-diameter annular seal portion to expand and climb over the protruding end of the cylinder body. This substitution eliminates grease entirely, preventing both dripping and dust adhesion while maintaining ease of mounting through controlled pneumatic actuation.
3Ease of operation
If the mounting portion is formed into a tapered shape to facilitate fitting, then the boot can be easily mounted, but the mounting portion size becomes large, requiring more mounting space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the boot's diameter variable through pneumatic actuation. The bellows portion can be inflated to increase the diameter of the large-diameter annular seal portion, allowing it to expand and climb over the protruding end of the cylinder body, then deflated to reduce diameter for fitting into the seal groove. This dynamic size change eliminates the need for a large tapered mounting portion, enabling easy mounting within limited space constraints.
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 boot can be easily and securely mounted to mounting target objects, ensuring effective sealing and protection against environmental elements, even in spaces with limited mounting space.
Implementation Method 1
a boot which extends along an axis direction, is formed into a cylindrical shape that is extendable and contractible in the axis direction, and can be mounted to a mounting portion of a mounting target object by injecting fluid inside the boot
Data Source
AI summary
A boot of the present invention is a boot that is formed into a cylindrical shape that is extendable and contractible in an axis direction and can be mounted to a mounting portion O1 of a mounting target object O by injecting fluid inside the boot by a fluid injecting unit FI, wherein the boot 1 comprises an annular mounted portion 11 that is provided on one end 1a side in the axis X direction and is to be mounted to the mounting portion O1, an abutting portion 12 that is provided on an other end 1b side in the axis X direction and onto which a tip FIa of the fluid injecting unit FI can abut toward the one end la side in the axis X direction along the axis X direction, and an extendable/contractible portion EC that extends along the axis X direction between the mounted portion 11 and the abutting portion 12, and wherein the abutting portion 12 extends along a radial direction on the other end 1b side of the boot 1 in the axis X direction of the boot 1, is formed into an annular shape along a direction around the axis of the boot 1, and is provided, on an inner side in the radial direction of the abutting portion 12, with an opening 12a that allows fluid communication between the inside and the outside of the boot 1. With such a structure, it is possible to provide a boot that can be easily mounted to the mounting portion of the mounting target object.