Radial Fastening Plate for Compressed-Air Drying Agent Cartridge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drying agent cartridges in compressed-air treatment installations of utility vehicles face issues with limited service life due to oil mist deposition and mechanical breakdown, requiring frequent replacement, and existing fastening systems are difficult to access and prone to leakage and damage.
Innovation Solution
A device with a crimped formation and a radially projecting fastening plate that eliminates the central screw connection, allowing for secure and reliable detachment of the drying agent cartridge from the housing without thread-related issues, using a crimped plate and a fastening plate with outwardly projecting sections for radial fastening and sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a central screw connection with sealing ring is used to fasten the cartridge, then the cartridge can be securely fastened to the housing, but the sealing element is damaged or twisted during the screwing-on process due to co-rotation and friction fluctuations, resulting in leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the central screw connection and sealing ring from the fastening system. Instead of screwing the cartridge onto the housing, the invention uses a bayonet-style coupling mechanism where the cartridge is inserted radially and locked into position, eliminating the co-rotation and friction problems that damaged the sealing element in traditional designs
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the traditional fastening approach by eliminating the axial screw connection and replacing it with a radial insertion and locking mechanism. The cartridge is fastened by inserting it radially into the housing and engaging locking elements, rather than screwing it on axially, which reverses the direction and method of fastening to avoid sealing element damage
2Reliability
If a firmly seated cartridge is used to ensure secure fastening, then the cartridge remains firmly attached during operation, but a very high release moment is required that cannot be applied in the limited lateral free space available in the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic locking mechanism where the cartridge is securely fastened during operation through engaged locking elements, but can be easily released by actuating a release mechanism that disengages the locks. This allows the fastening system to transition between a firmly seated state during operation and an easily removable state during maintenance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a release mechanism as an intermediary that mediates between the firmly seated cartridge and the user. This release mechanism, accessible from the limited lateral space, disengages the locking elements to allow cartridge removal without requiring high release moments to be applied directly to the cartridge
3Device complexity
If the cartridge is always fastened to the top of the housing, then the fastening structure is simplified, but the accessibility to the cartridge for exchange is restricted by body structures in vehicles and workshop pit configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fastening orientation from vertical (top-mounted) to horizontal (side-mounted) by providing fastening means on the lateral side of the housing. This dimensional change allows the cartridge to be accessed from the side rather than from above, improving accessibility in configurations where the top is blocked by vehicle body structures or where work is performed from below in a workshop pit
Data Source
AI summary
A device is provided for the detachable fastening of a drying agent cartridge to a housing of a compressed-air treatment installation of a vehicle, in particular of a utility vehicle. The device includes at least one fastening plate, having a first section, which is crimped to an end region of a crimped plate of a cartridge base and to an end region of a cartridge cover to form a connecting seam, and a second section, which projects outward from the connecting seam.