Segmented Ventilation Duct Flanges for Deformation-Free Nesting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ventilation ducts face challenges in packaging and transportation due to their design, which prevents efficient stacking and leads to unwanted deformation when trying to nest one duct into another, affecting storage and space efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A ventilation duct with a flange design featuring breaks and hooks allows for efficient stacking by enabling edges to spread apart without deformation, using a metal sheet with perforated zones and bent edges to form a tubular segment that can be easily connected and nested, utilizing a method of calendering and bending to create a rectangular shape with specific breaks and hooks for secure connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If ventilation ducts are stacked by inserting one duct into another, then storage space efficiency is improved, but the edges deform permanently and the outside surface is affected
Solution Approach 1:
The flange is segmented by introducing breaks (gaps) in its perimeter, dividing it into multiple discrete portions. This segmentation allows the flange to flex and accommodate the deformation required for nesting ducts without permanently damaging the entire flange structure, thereby enabling space-efficient storage while maintaining manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The breaks are strategically positioned at specific locations along the flange perimeter, creating local areas of flexibility where deformation is permitted and controlled. This local quality change allows the flange to adapt during nesting while maintaining structural integrity and surface quality in critical areas.
2Ease of operation
If the edges of ventilation ducts are spread apart to enable stacking, then ease of stacking is improved, but permanent deformation of the end flanges occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The flange is divided into segments by introducing breaks, allowing localized flexibility at the break points while maintaining overall flange integrity. This enables the edges to be spread apart for stacking without causing permanent deformation to the entire flange structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The flange's structural parameters are modified by introducing breaks that change its rigidity characteristics. The breaks allow the flange to temporarily deform during stacking operations while maintaining sufficient rigidity to return to its original shape, thus enabling ease of stacking while preserving flange integrity.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5A~6
AI summary
A ventilation duct (1) comprises a tubular segment (2) having a longitudinal axis of extension (A) and a pair of ends (2a) located along the longitudinal axis of extension (A); a pair of flanges (3) each located at a respective end (2a); each flange (3) has at least one break (4) along a perimeter of the tubular segment (2).