Water-Expandable Rubber Pad for Direct Cylinder Jacket Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rubber pads for cylinder jackets are complex to manufacture, costly, and prone to damage due to their structure and material limitations, requiring a metal plate for assembly and lacking durability.
Innovation Solution
A water-expandable rubber composition comprising hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) or ethylene-acrylic rubber (AEM) with a waterstop resin and filler, which expands by 100-150% upon contact with coolant, allowing direct assembly without a metal plate and enhancing heat retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a conventional foam rubber pad with metal plate is used to withstand coolant flow, then structural strength is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the metal plate reinforcement function directly into the rubber pad by embedding metal wires or meshes within the rubber matrix during molding. This integration eliminates the need for separate metal plate attachments and simplifies the assembly structure, while still providing the necessary strength to withstand coolant flow pressures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material structure by combining rubber with embedded metal wires or meshes. This composite approach provides both the flexibility and sealing properties of rubber and the structural strength of metal, eliminating the need for separate metal plate components while maintaining durability under coolant flow.
2Reliability
If a conventional foam rubber pad with metal plate is used, then durability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the metal reinforcement directly into the rubber pad during the molding process, eliminating the need for separate assembly steps of attaching metal plates. This reduces manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining the durability benefits of metal reinforcement throughout the product lifecycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the manufacturing approach from post-assembly of separate components to integrated molding of composite structures. This parameter change in the manufacturing process reduces assembly steps and labor costs while maintaining or improving durability through the integrated composite structure.
3Ease of operation
If a conventional foam rubber pad is used, then assembly is simplified, but heat retention performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material composition parameters by incorporating water-expandable polymers and optimizing the rubber compound formulation. These parameter changes enable the material to expand upon contact with coolant, improving heat transfer and retention performance while maintaining the simplicity of direct assembly.
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 solution reduces manufacturing costs, improves durability, and enhances engine fuel efficiency by providing superior adhesiveness and heat retention performance compared to conventional foam rubber pads.
Implementation Method 1
a water-expandable rubber composition capable of increasing in volume upon contact with coolant
Implementation Method 2
the water-expandable rubber may have excellent water absorption and be water-swellable
Implementation Method 3
a rubber component capable of expand or increase in volume or size upon contacting with water or moisture
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a water-expandable rubber composition and a water-expandable rubber pad including the same. The water-expandable rubber pad manufactured using the water-expandable rubber composition is rigid enough to be directly inserted into a cylinder jacket even without a metal plate, etc. Moreover, the water-expandable rubber pad may increase in volume upon contact with engine coolant, thereby being optimized for an assembly process and facilitating design. Thus, since no separate assembly parts are used compared to conventional cases, the number of parts can be reduced, and costs can be reduced, and adhesiveness of the rubber pad is superior to that of conventional foam rubber and thus heat retention performance is excellent, resulting in improved engine fuel efficiency.