Fuel Tank Baffle Support Assembly for Flexible Rigidity Reinforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for assembling a baffle with a support in fuel tanks face challenges in designing and injection-molding a rigid support integrated with the baffle, limiting the flexibility of support placement and increasing the complexity of the assembly process, while also being prone to deformation due to temperature changes.
Innovation Solution
A baffle with multiple through holes and a support featuring a fastening portion with engagement wings and steps allows for secure fastening of the support at desired positions within the tank, enhancing assembly efficiency and preventing deformation through a connecting portion that maintains distance from the through holes, thereby minimizing shrinkage-induced deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid support is integrated with the baffle through injection molding, then the tank rigidity is improved, but the design flexibility and ease of manufacturing are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The support is separated from the baffle into two independent components. The baffle is injection-molded separately, and the support is installed afterward through through-holes using fastening portions with engagement steps. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently with optimized processes while maintaining the rigid connection function.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening portion acts as an intermediary element between the support and the baffle. It includes engagement steps that mechanically interlock with the support while being integrated into the baffle structure, providing a reliable connection without requiring complex integrated molding.
2Strength
If the support is integrated with the baffle, then the tank rigidity is improved, but the adaptability of support placement is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the support from the baffle, the support can be placed at multiple locations depending on structural needs. The through-holes are positioned at various locations on the baffle, allowing the support to be installed at different positions to address different rigidity requirements in the tank structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure serves multiple functions: it provides rigidity reinforcement, can be positioned at different locations based on structural needs, and works with the baffle's through-holes that can accommodate various support configurations. This universal design allows the same basic support structure to serve different functional requirements.
3Device complexity
If the fastening portion is formed close to the through hole, then the assembly is simplified, but the manufacturing precision is worsened due to shrinkage deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting portion serves as an intermediary element that bridges the fastening portion and the through hole. It is designed with sufficient length to maintain an appropriate distance between the fastening portion and the through hole, thereby reducing shrinkage-induced deformation while still ensuring structural connectivity and assembly feasibility.
4Reliability
If the support is securely fastened to the baffle, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening structure is segmented into distinct functional elements: the fastening portion integrated in the baffle, the engagement portion on the support, and the connecting portion linking them. This segmentation allows each element to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making the support complex to achieve secure fastening, the invention inverts the approach by integrating the complex fastening features into the baffle (the stationary component). The support remains relatively simple with engagement portions that mate with the pre-formed fastening structure, thereby achieving reliable fastening without complicating the support design.
Data Source
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AI summary
A support assembly type baffle is proposed. The baffle may include a baffle body provided in an inner space of a vehicle tank to reduce flow noise, and having a plurality of through holes spaced apart from each other and a fastening portion formed on the inner circumferential surface of the through holes; and a support having a columnar shape, being fitted into the through holes to penetrate the through holes, and having an engagement portion coupled with the fastening portion, formed on the outer circumferential surface thereof, so that the support is fastened to the baffle body in a state of penetrating the baffle body, each of both ends of the support being fixed to two opposite sides of the inner sides of the tank to maintain the shape of the inner space of the tank.