Rotatable Pneumatic Line Connection with Pressure-Responsive Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pneumatic connection arrangements face issues with sealing elements being displaced under high pressure, leading to reduced sealing action and potential damage, as they lack sufficient axial fixing force and self-retaining mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A connection arrangement featuring a first and second connection body with opposing circumferential recesses forming a circumferential chamber, where a sealing element, such as an O-ring, is inserted and deformed to create a latching connection, providing radial and axial retaining forces that increase with pressure, ensuring a sealed and secure pneumatic connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sealing element is installed in a recess to seal a pneumatic connection, then sealing action is achieved, but under high pressure the sealing element is forced out of its receiver and pressed into the sealing gap, causing damage and loss of sealing action
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing element is functionally segmented into two distinct roles: sealing the radial gap between connection bodies and providing axial latching retention. This is achieved by providing both a radial sealing surface and an axial latching surface on the sealing element, allowing it to perform both sealing and retention functions simultaneously without requiring separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the sealing function and the axial retention function into a single sealing element. The sealing element includes both a radial sealing surface for sealing the gap and an axial latching surface for engaging with the latching structure, combining multiple functions that were previously separated into different components.
2Reliability
If a sealing element is pretensioned to bear sealingly against sealing surfaces, then sealing action is achieved, but with increasing pressure the retaining force between bodies reduces, causing the sealing action to become reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The axial latching mechanism is designed to be dynamically responsive to pressure changes. As pressure increases, the latching surface of the sealing element engages more deeply with the latching structure, automatically increasing the retaining force to counteract the increased separating force, thereby maintaining constant sealing pressure throughout the pressure range.
Solution Approach 2:
The latching mechanism provides automatic feedback response to pressure changes. When pressure increases, the sealing element is pushed against the latching surface, which triggers increased engagement with the latching structure, creating a self-regulating system that maintains constant sealing force without external control.
3Force
If a sleeve or clamping ring is used to clamp the connection bodies together, then axial retention is achieved, but the device complexity increases and self-retaining clamping is not provided
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the separate sleeve or clamping ring component from the design. Instead, the axial retention function is achieved through the sealing element's own latching surface engaging with a latching structure on the connection body, removing the need for additional retaining components and simplifying the overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing element serves itself by incorporating both sealing and axial retention functions. The same sealing element that seals the radial gap also provides axial latching through its latching surface, eliminating the need for separate retention components and making the system self-sufficient.
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 provides enhanced retention and sealing action between connection bodies, allowing for secure, damage-free assembly and disassembly, and maintaining a sealed connection even under changing pressure conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The sealing element is arranged in at least one portion of a circumferential chamber for the latching connection of the first and second connection bodies
Data Source
AI summary
A connection arrangement includes a first connection body and a second connection body for forming a pneumatic connection along a connection axis, and a sealing element configured to seal a sealing gap which surrounds the pneumatic connection and which has a longitudinal dimension which extends parallel to the connection axis. A pneumatic flow is able to travel through the first and second connection bodies along the connection axis. The first connection body has a through-hole having a cross section transverse to the connection axis. The second connection body is arranged at least partially in the through-hole. An at least partially circumferential first recess transverse to the connection axis is formed on an outer face of the first connection body extending parallel to the connection axis for receiving the sealing element.