Sheet Cushioning Rubber With Hollow Protrusions for Low Reaction Force
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cushioning rubber with a flat design faces challenges in achieving a low reaction force characteristic, making it difficult to set a large compression margin, especially when used with components of poor strength like sheet metal, as the reaction force increases with compression.
Innovation Solution
The cushioning rubber features a sheet-shaped design with a planar base portion and three-dimensional protrusions that rise alternately, incorporating hollow portions and adjustable side rising surfaces, along with an exhaust passage system to manage internal pressure and stabilize the repulsive force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a cushioning rubber is made of a flat rubber having a predetermined thickness, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the reaction force becomes large when compression margin is increased, making it difficult to use with components of poor strength
Solution Approach 1:
The cushioning rubber is divided into multiple three-dimensional portions (protrusions) with hollow portions inside, rather than using a single flat rubber structure. This segmentation creates multiple independent cushioning elements that reduce the overall reaction force while maintaining structural simplicity and ease of manufacturing through molding processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The three-dimensional portions include hollow portions (cavities) inside them, creating a porous or cellular structure within the rubber. This hollow structure reduces the density and stiffness of the cushioning rubber, thereby lowering the reaction force generated during compression while maintaining the external flat shape for easy integration.
2Force
If a large compression margin is set to achieve low reaction force characteristic, then the cushioning performance improves, but the component strength requirement increases, making it difficult to use with sheet metal or similar weak components
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the structural parameters of the cushioning rubber by introducing three-dimensional portions with hollow portions, varying heights, and different cross-sectional areas. These parameter changes allow the cushioning rubber to achieve low reaction force characteristics with larger compression margins while distributing the mechanical stress, reducing the strength requirements for counterplate components.
Solution Approach 2:
Different three-dimensional portions can have different heights, hollow portion sizes, and rising surface inclinations, creating local variations in cushioning characteristics. This allows optimization of the reaction force distribution across different areas, enabling large compression margins in specific regions without requiring high component strength throughout the entire structure.
3Ease of manufacture
If the side rising surfaces are formed at right angles to the base portion, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the reaction force magnitude cannot be adequately adjusted for different application requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The side rising surfaces are designed with adjustable inclination angles rather than fixed right angles, allowing the cushioning rubber to adapt its mechanical response based on compression conditions. This dynamic adjustment of the rising surface geometry enables optimization of the reaction force characteristics while maintaining reasonable manufacturing simplicity through molding or forming processes.
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 configuration allows for a low reaction force characteristic even with large compression margins, effectively reducing the magnitude of the reaction force generated, suitable for use with components of poor strength and enhancing reliability in applications like EV housing.
Implementation Method 1
an exhaust passage is provided to allow air inside the cavity of each of the plurality of protruding portions to be exhausted to an outside
Implementation Method 2
Rubber is used as a cushion because it generates a reaction force when it is compressed and behaves like a spring
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet-shaped cushioning rubber including a planar base portion and a three-dimensional portion formed to rise from the base portion toward one side in a sheet thickness direction, the planar base portion and the three-dimensional portion being alternately provided in one direction of a sheet plane, wherein the three-dimensional portion includes a hollow portion that opens toward the other side in the sheet thickness direction. The three-dimensional portion is integrally provided with a first rising surface that is continuous from the base portion, a top surface, a second rising surface on a side opposite to the first rising surface, and a pair of rising surfaces on both sides in a sheet width direction, and the hollow portion opens only toward the other side in the sheet thickness direction.