Composite Tolerance Ring Coating for Heat Transfer and Retention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing tolerance rings fail to effectively manage axial and longitudinal forces in assemblies with rotary components, leading to potential loosening and misalignment due to differential thermal expansion and wear.

Innovation Solution

A tolerance ring design featuring a composite structure with a substrate and overlying layers, including a thermal enhancement layer for heat transfer and a retention layer for stability, which are coated or cladded onto the substrate, providing enhanced retention force and assembly force.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a conventional tolerance ring is used in an assembly with rotary components, then the assembly can be manufactured with standard materials and processes, but the tolerance ring fails to effectively manage axial and longitudinal forces, leading to loosening and misalignment under thermal expansion and wear

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveretention forceVSAvoidresistance to axial and longitudinal forces

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The tolerance ring employs a composite structure consisting of a substrate and an overlying layer with different material properties. The substrate provides structural integrity and basic retention force, while the overlying layer enhances resistance to axial and longitudinal forces through superior mechanical properties. This composite approach allows the tolerance ring to simultaneously achieve high retention force and exceptional strength against thermal expansion and wear forces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If a single-layer tolerance ring is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but it cannot compensate for thermal expansion and wear effectively

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompensation for thermal expansion and wearVSAvoidcomposite structure with multiple layers

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The multi-layer composite structure enables differential response to thermal and mechanical stresses. Each layer can be designed with specific thermal expansion coefficients and mechanical properties to compensate for cumulative effects of thermal cycling and wear. The substrate provides baseline compensation while the overlying layer enhances this capability through tailored material properties.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

By changing the material parameters of each layer (thermal conductivity, expansion coefficient, hardness, elasticity), the tolerance ring achieves enhanced compensation capabilities. The overlying layer uses materials with parameters specifically selected to counteract thermal expansion and wear effects that the substrate alone cannot manage effectively.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Strength

If a conventional single-material tolerance ring is used, then the manufacturing process is straightforward, but the assembly force and retention force are insufficient under operational loads

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly forceVSAvoidcoating or cladding process

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The composite structure combines materials with complementary properties to achieve superior assembly force. The substrate provides foundational strength while the overlying layer contributes additional mechanical strength and surface properties that enhance assembly force. This combination allows the tolerance ring to withstand operational loads that would exceed the capabilities of single-material rings.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

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 composite tolerance ring effectively maintains the alignment of components under axial and longitudinal forces, compensating for thermal expansion and wear, ensuring stable assembly performance.

Implementation Method 1

a thermal enhancement layer for heat transfer

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

compensating for thermal expansion and wear

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal expansion: Thermal Expansion

Data Source

PatentEP3824199B1Tolerance ring and assembly with a tolerance ring

Publication Date: 2025.09.17 SAINT GOBAIN PERFORMANCE PLASTICS RENCOL LIMITED

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Figure 5A~5B

AI summary

A tolerance ring (100) including a plurality of projections (120) protruding radially inward or radially outward, a substrate (119), and an overlying layer (104) including at least one of a thermal enhancement layer and a retention layer, the thermal enhancement layer including at least one of i) Vickers hardness < 400 VPM or ii) a thermal conductivity > 100 W/ m-K, the tolerance ring (100) being adapted to provide at least one of a) a thermal transfer between an inner member and an outer member, b) a coefficient of friction between the retention layer and the outer member which is higher than a coefficient of friction between the substrate (119) and the outer member or c) a retention force R f between the inner member and the outer member which is larger than 0.1 times an assembly force A f.