Shut-off flap and corresponding heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current airflow shut-off flaps in HVAC installations face challenges in optimizing weight, size, and manufacturing costs while maintaining strength and stiffness to withstand air pressure and torsion forces, with existing designs being complex and costly to produce.
Innovation Solution
A shut-off flap with a half-ellipse shaped rotation shaft and planar surfaces, featuring removals of material and longitudinal ribs, which reduces thickness and mass while maintaining equivalent strength and stiffness, allowing for efficient distribution of forces and reduced manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the shut-off flap uses traditional reinforcing parts to withstand air pressure and torsion forces, then the strength and stiffness are improved, but the weight and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by using an arc-shaped reinforcement element with a radius of curvature between L/10 and L/5, where L is the length of the shut-off flap. This curved geometry provides structural strength and stiffness to resist air pressure and torsion forces while maintaining a lightweight design, eliminating the need for heavy traditional reinforcing parts.
2Strength
If the shut-off flap uses complex cross sections to improve stiffness, then the ability to withstand torsion loading is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the reinforcement function into a separate arc-shaped reinforcement element that is distinct from the shut-off flap body. This element can be independently manufactured and then attached to the flap, simplifying the overall design and manufacturing process while providing the necessary stiffness and torsion resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The arc-shaped reinforcement element with specific radius of curvature provides the required stiffness through its geometric form rather than through complex cross-sectional shapes, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining structural performance.
3Weight of moving object
If the shut-off flap reduces thickness to optimize weight, then the weight is reduced, but the strength and ability to withstand forces decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The arc-shaped reinforcement element compensates for the reduced thickness of the shut-off flap by providing additional structural strength through its curved geometry. The specific radius of curvature (L/10 to L/5) is optimized to provide maximum strength-to-weight ratio, allowing the flap to be thinner while maintaining adequate strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure by combining the shut-off flap material with the arc-shaped reinforcement element. This composite design allows the thin flap to achieve the required strength through the synergistic combination of the flexible flap material and the rigid curved reinforcement, optimizing the weight-strength balance.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a damper door (1) having an axis of rotation (3), a first face (5), and a second face opposite the first face (5), said first (5) and second faces of the damper door (1) defining a plane, said damper door (1) comprising: •a rotation shaft (9) projecting from each side of the plane defined by the first (5) and second faces of the damper door (1), and •at least one side wall (11) having a flat surface arranged radially with respect to the rotation shaft (9), characterised in that the rotation shaft (9) has, in the plane of the at least one side wall (11), a semi-elliptical shape (13) extending over the side wall (11) and comprising a large diameter (G1) coinciding with the axis of rotation (3) of the damper door (1) and a small radius (P1) parallel to the plane of the at least one side wall (11).