Starter Device Cover Ring Elimination for Automated Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing starter devices for internal combustion engines face challenges in assembly due to the need for precise alignment and the use of a cover ring, which complicates fully automatic assembly and increases the risk of water ingress when trying to eliminate the cover ring for rational assembly processes.
Innovation Solution
A cover ring that can be pushed onto a rubber bellows, eliminating the need for alignment with drilled holes, allowing for installation in any position and securing via helical fasteners, creating a non-positive connection to seal against moisture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cover ring is used to seal the rubber bellows, then moisture protection is improved, but assembly complexity increases due to alignment requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the cover ring component entirely and replaces it with a rubber bellows that has an integrated collar structure. The collar is formed directly from the rubber material and provides sealing without requiring a separate cover ring, thereby eliminating alignment requirements and simplifying assembly while maintaining moisture protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing function previously distributed between the rubber bellows and the cover ring is merged into a single integrated rubber bellows structure with a collar. The collar is formed as part of the rubber bellows itself, combining the sealing element and the sealing feature into one component that can be installed without alignment.
2Ease of manufacture
If the cover ring is eliminated for rational assembly, then assembly process is simplified, but water ingress risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a flexible rubber bellows with an integrated collar instead of a rigid cover ring. The rubber material can be deformed during installation and then elastically recovers to provide a tight seal against the housing, preventing water ingress while allowing simple assembly without alignment. The flexible nature of the rubber collar enables it to conform to the housing surface and maintain sealing under various conditions.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple alignment steps are required for the cover ring, then sealing precision is improved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The rubber bellows with integrated collar is designed to self-align and self-seal during installation. The collar is pulled over the bellows and automatically conforms to the housing surface through elastic deformation, creating a seal without requiring precise alignment or multiple adjustment steps. This self-service mechanism maintains sealing precision while dramatically improving assembly productivity.
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 solution simplifies the assembly process by eliminating the need for precise alignment and reduces the risk of water ingress, enabling more efficient and automated production while maintaining effective sealing against moisture.
Implementation Method 1
deforms the elastic rubber material in such a way that a linearly movable armature of the relay is sealed against moisture from the outside
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The seal has a rubber bellow (214) provided for sealing an inner area of a toe-in actuator and fastened to a housing (156) by using a deformable covering ring (210), where the rubber bellow has a cylindrical middle section. The covering ring is accommodated in a recess of a drive end bearing housing (19). The recess is graded in such a manner that movement possibility of the ring in a direction is limited by a circumferential surface between two layers of the recess, where breadth of the ring is smaller than the breadth of a collar for accommodating the rubber bellow at the housing.