Protective Ring Structure to Prevent Twisting in Annular Grooves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional protective rings, such as O-rings, experience twisting and nonuniform deformations when mounted in V-shaped grooves, leading to inadequate sealing, exposure to radicals or plasmas, and increased wear and cracking, which compromises their protective function and lifespan.
Innovation Solution
A protective ring with a band-shaped ring body and a semicircular ridge is designed to prevent twisting, featuring a width larger than 1.5 times its thickness, ensuring reliable sealing and reduced exposure to radicals or plasmas, and is made from materials like fluororubber or perfluoroelastomer for enhanced durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an O-ring with circular cross section is extended and mounted in a V-shaped groove, then the groove can be sealed, but the O-ring twists during mounting causing nonuniform strains and cracks
Solution Approach 1:
The protective ring employs an asymmetric cross-sectional design with a semicircular ridge on one surface and a flattened opposite surface. This asymmetry prevents twisting during mounting in V-shaped grooves by providing stable contact surfaces, while the ridge portion maintains effective sealing contact with the groove walls
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a symmetric circular cross-section to an asymmetric shape with a semicircular ridge and flattened surface, adding dimensional characteristics that prevent rotation and twisting during installation while maintaining sealing effectiveness
2Ease of operation
If a ring is compressed axially for mounting in a groove, then the ring can be installed, but sufficient space around the groove is required making removal and replacement difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The protective ring's asymmetric design with a flattened surface allows it to be self-guided during mounting into the groove without requiring external compression mechanisms. The flattened surface naturally aligns with the groove opening, enabling easy installation and removal by simply pulling the ring along the groove circumference
3Ease of operation
If the protective ring has a small cross-sectional area to fit in the groove, then mounting is easier, but wear due to radical exposure increases reducing lifespan
Solution Approach 1:
The protective ring features a semicircular ridge portion with sufficient cross-sectional area to resist wear from radical exposure, while the overall ring design maintains appropriate dimensions for groove mounting. The ridge acts as a protective barrier that absorbs radical attack, preserving the main body of the ring
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 effectively prevents twisting and wear, ensuring reliable sealing and extended lifespan of the protective ring, even in challenging environments like semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses, by maintaining the annular groove's closure and protecting the adhesive surface from radicals or plasmas.
Implementation Method 1
a protective ring with an annular shape that is formed of an elastic member and is mounted in an annular groove
Data Source
AI summary
A protective ring with an annular shape that is formed of an elastic member and is mounted in an annular groove formed in a butt adhesion surface of a first cylindrical member and a second cylindrical member includes a band-shaped ring body and a ridge protruding from a center of an inner surface in a width direction and pressed against the annular groove. The ridge is continuously formed such that a cross section of the ridge is semicircular-shaped and has a smaller diameter than a width of the ring body, and the width of the ring body is larger than a thickness of the protective ring in a radius direction.