Ring Seal Channel Assembly with Controlled Radial Deformation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for attaching ring-shaped elastic parts to component main bodies often result in irregular deformation, leading to incomplete recovery of elastic force, and risk of the ring becoming caught during attachment, especially for parts with weak elastic force or irregular shapes.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize a deformation engagement member to radially deform the seal body, holding it in a reduced diameter state, and then release it to attach to a ring-shaped channel, ensuring proper posture and alignment using guide portions and ring attaching members to distribute forces evenly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If deformation is caused by applying an external force to an attached part before attachment, then the attached part can be attached to the channel, but irregular deformation occurs making it difficult to produce the intended deformation state
Solution Approach 1:
The deformation engagement member is moved to a holding position inside the seal body before the seal body is transported to the attachment location. This preliminary deformation action ensures the seal body is properly sized for attachment while maintaining control over the deformation state, preventing irregular deformation and ensuring consistent attachment results.
Solution Approach 2:
The deformation engagement member acts as an intermediary tool that temporarily holds and deforms the seal body in a controlled manner. By using this intermediate mechanism rather than direct external force application, the system achieves precise control over the deformation state while maintaining reliability in the attachment process.
2Ease of operation
If the ring is held and conveyed in a deformed state, then transport is enabled, but the ring may remain deformed and become caught between the channel and pressing rollers
Solution Approach 1:
The seal body is deformed and held in the deformed state before transport, allowing it to be conveyed to the attachment location. The deformation engagement member maintains the deformed state during transport, and only releases it at the appropriate time for attachment, ensuring both transport capability and attachment success.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically transitions the seal body between deformed and restored states. During transport, the seal body remains deformed and held by the engagement member. During attachment, the engagement member releases the seal body, allowing it to restore its original shape and be properly pressed into the channel, preventing it from becoming caught.
3Manufacturing precision
If clamping force is applied to deform the O ring, then deformation is achieved, but large stretching force is applied to only part of the O ring causing partial stretching
Solution Approach 1:
The deformation engagement member is divided into multiple engagement portions that can independently engage different parts of the seal body. This segmentation allows uniform distribution of the deforming force around the entire seal body, preventing localized stretching and maintaining shape integrity while achieving the required deformation for attachment.
4Manufacturing precision
If the deformation engagement member is moved inward to deform the seal body, then the seal body diameter is reduced for attachment, but the seal body may move in unwanted directions
Solution Approach 1:
The deformation engagement member is designed with specific engagement portions that locally engage the seal body at predetermined positions. By concentrating the deforming action at these specific locations while restricting movement in other directions, the system achieves precise diameter reduction control while maintaining proper seal body positioning and orientation.
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
This approach reliably attaches the ring-shaped seal body to the channel in a predetermined posture, improving manufacturing yield by preventing deformation issues and ensuring consistent attachment, even for parts with weak elastic force or irregular shapes.
Implementation Method 1
causes deformation so that an outer diameter of the seal body becomes smaller than an inner circumferential diameter of the attachment channel
Implementation Method 2
return the seal body to a widened state and attach the seal body to the attachment channel of the component main body
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing produces an assembled product where a ring-shaped seal is attached to a channel in an inner circumferential surface of a ring-shaped component. The method includes: a holding step that moves an engaged portion of the seal inwardly in a radial direction using a deformation member, while restricting movement of the seal in a direction parallel to an inner circumferential wall of the channel, to cause deformation so that the outer diameter of part of the seal aside from the engaged portion becomes smaller than the channel inner circumferential diameter; and an attachment step that attaches the seal to the channel by releasing the seal to restore the seal from the deformation. The attachment step includes releasing the seal by releasing engagement by the deformation member and moving the seal body inside the channel while pressing out the seal body from inside.