Noise dampening lumbar control valve

Abstract

The application provides a noise-proof waist rest control valve, which comprises a valve body, a working port, an air inlet, an air outlet, an air outlet valve rod and a piston assembly, the working port, the air inlet and the air outlet are arranged on the valve body, the air outlet valve rod and the piston assembly are arranged on the valve body, the piston assembly comprises a piston, a sealing ring and a reset spring, the piston is a cylinder, the middle section of the piston comprises a radially protruding support sheet, an air passage groove is arranged on one end of the piston which faces the air outlet valve rod, a plurality of radial air passage grooves are arranged on the bottom groove wall of the air passage groove, and the sealing ring is arranged on the valve body at a position corresponding to the air passage groove; and the reset spring is sleeved with one end of the piston which faces the air outlet. The application has the advantages of simple and compact structure, the piston is designed as a special-shaped structure with a drainage hole and an emptying groove, the flowing air flow of the piston is effectively controlled, the stability of the piston is ensured, and no noise is generated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a control valve, specifically to a noise-reducing lumbar support control valve for controlling the on / off valve of a vehicle seat back airbag. Background Technology

[0002] A lumbar support control valve is an air valve installed in a car seat to control the operation of the seat back airbags. This valve can be designed with one or more valve positions, each controlling multiple airbags installed in different locations. The principle of the lumbar support control valve is to adjust the inflation volume of the airbags through the buttons of the intake and exhaust switches, thereby adjusting the user's comfort. However, in actual use, it needs to adapt to various air pressures in different car models, meet the usage habits of different customers, and consider the airbag's own pressure resistance and burst resistance. Therefore, the design of the valve places very stringent requirements on it.

[0003] Existing lumbar support control valves generally produce noise due to unstable airflow. Research has shown that the noise is caused by piston vibration inside the valve body. During the exhaust process, the airflow flows from the outside of the piston, causing piston displacement and resulting in unstable airflow and noise.

[0004] To solve the above problems without changing the appearance, function, or customer technical requirements, and to better meet and adapt to the seat airbags of all car models on the market, a completely new lumbar support control valve needs to be designed and developed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned shortcomings, the purpose of this invention is to provide a lumbar support control valve with a simple and compact structure and stable performance, which does not change the appearance, function, or customer technical requirements, and can better meet and adapt to the seat airbags of all car models on the market, thereby solving the technical problems of the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A noise-reducing lumbar support control valve includes a valve body, a working port, an air inlet, an exhaust port, an exhaust valve stem, and a piston assembly. The working port, air inlet, and exhaust port are disposed on the valve body. The exhaust valve stem and piston assembly are disposed on the valve body. The exhaust valve stem is inserted into and connected to the piston assembly. The piston assembly includes a piston, a sealing ring, and a return spring. The piston is a cylinder, and its middle section includes a radially protruding support plate. A venting groove is formed at the end of the piston facing the exhaust valve stem. Multiple radial venting slots are formed on the bottom wall of the venting groove. The sealing ring is disposed on the valve body at a position corresponding to the venting slots. The return spring is sleeved and connected to the end of the piston facing the exhaust port.

[0008] According to the noise-reducing lumbar support control valve described in the embodiments of this application, the sealing ring includes a ring body, an upper sealing lip, and a lower sealing lip. The upper sealing lip and the lower sealing lip are respectively disposed at the upper and lower ends of the ring body, and the upper sealing lip and the lower sealing lip cover the venting slot to form an air-proof groove.

[0009] According to the embodiments of this application, the noise-reducing lumbar support control valve has an arc-shaped radial outer edge of the support plate.

[0010] The noise-proof lumbar support control valve according to the embodiments of this application further includes a button cover, which is disposed on the valve body.

[0011] According to the noise-reducing lumbar support control valve described in the embodiments of this application, the bottom of the vent groove includes a boss, and the radial outer edge of the boss is a slope.

[0012] The design concept of this application is to inherit the function of traditional lumbar support control valves in principle, without changing the appearance, function, or customer technical requirements. Improvements have been made to the internal structure, particularly the redesigned piston-sealing ring mating structure to prevent piston vibration. Furthermore, the diameter of the air inlet orifice has been calculated and its size and flow rate have been strictly defined. This makes the lumbar support control valve more stable and reliable in use, noiseless, and ensures that the working air pressure remains stable within the customer's required range even under unlimited inlet air pressure conditions, with an error not exceeding 0.01MPa. This solves the long-standing customer concern about noisy products, improves customer satisfaction, and enhances the product's core competitiveness in the market.

[0013] Due to the adoption of the above technical features, this invention has the following advantages and positive effects compared with the prior art:

[0014] First, the lumbar support control valve in this application does not change the appearance, function, or customer technical requirements, and can better meet and adapt to the seat airbags of all car models on the market.

[0015] Secondly, the structure of this application is simple and compact. The piston structure is designed as an irregular structure with drainage holes and anti-cavitation grooves, which effectively controls the airflow of the piston, ensures the stability of the piston, and does not generate noise.

[0016] Third, the sealing ring of this application is designed as an irregular structure with two sealing lips. One sealing lip contacts the outer wall of the piston to prevent the piston from shaking when it is blown open or reset, thus avoiding noise generation.

[0017] Fourth, the air intake channel of this application has been designed and verified by comparison with the actual product, and the optimal size and flow rate have been selected to ensure that the output air pressure will not be impactful, protect the stability of the airbag, and improve the reliability and service life of the product.

[0018] Of course, implementing any specific embodiment of the present invention does not necessarily have all of the above technical effects at the same time. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the lumbar support control valve structure of this application;

[0020] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the piston assembly;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the airflow in the piston assembly of this application;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the piston in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The following describes several preferred embodiments of the present invention in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. The present invention encompasses any substitutions, modifications, equivalent methods, and solutions made within the spirit and scope of the present invention. To provide the public with a thorough understanding of the present invention, specific details are described in detail in the following preferred embodiments, but those skilled in the art will fully understand the present invention without these details. Furthermore, to avoid unnecessary misunderstanding of the essence of the present invention, well-known methods, processes, procedures, elements, etc., are not described in detail.

[0024] Please refer to Figure 1 This application presents a schematic diagram of a lumbar support control valve. The lumbar support control valve includes a valve body 1, a working port 11, an air inlet 12, an exhaust port 13, an exhaust valve rod 21, and a piston assembly. The working port 11, air inlet 12, and exhaust port 13 are disposed on the valve body 1. The exhaust valve rod 21 and piston assembly are disposed on the valve body 1. The exhaust valve rod 21 is inserted into and connected to the piston assembly. Figure 1 As shown, after the gas enters through the air inlet 12, one air path leads unobstructed from the air inlet 12 to the working port 11; another air path leads from the air inlet 12 to the exhaust port 13. However, when the gas reaches the overflow chamber 5, the piston assembly is located in the overflow chamber 5, and the piston assembly forms a barrier to block the flow of gas. When the gas pressure is insufficient, the gas cannot be actively discharged from the exhaust port 13.

[0025] Please refer to Figure 2and Figure 4 In the figure, the piston assembly includes a piston 31, a sealing ring 32, and a return spring 33. The piston 31 is a cylinder, and the middle section of the piston 31 includes a radially protruding support plate 311. A venting groove 312 is formed at the end of the piston 31 facing the exhaust valve rod 21. Figure 2 In this configuration, the exhaust valve rod 21 is inserted into the vent groove 312 connected to the piston assembly. When the exhaust button 41 is pressed, the exhaust button 41 moves downward, abutting against the bottom of the vent groove 312 and continuing downward, pressing the piston assembly downward. This allows the gas in the overflow chamber 5 to be manually discharged. Multiple radial vent holes 313 are formed on the bottom wall of the vent groove 312. The sealing ring 32 is positioned on the valve body 1 corresponding to the vent holes 313. Gas entering the overflow chamber 5 enters from above the vent groove 312 and exits from the vent holes 313, pressing the sealing ring 32. The piston 31 is designed with an irregular shape and drainage holes, meaning gas enters from above the vent groove 312 and exits from the vent holes 313. This effectively controls the airflow of the piston, ensuring piston stability and preventing noise. The return spring 33 is sleeved and connected to the end of the piston 31 facing the exhaust port 13. Figure 2 In the process, the two ends of the return spring 33 are respectively connected to the support plate 311 and the stepped portion of the exhaust port 13. After assembly, the return spring 33 is in a compressed state, pushing the piston 31 against the sealing ring 32 to achieve a sealing effect. Figure 2 In the process, the pipe in which the reset spring 33 is located is composed of multiple components, which are well-known technologies and will not be described in detail here.

[0026] Please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The sealing ring 32 includes a ring body 321, an upper sealing lip 322, and a lower sealing lip 323. The upper sealing lip 322 and the lower sealing lip 323 are respectively disposed at the upper and lower ends of the ring body 321, as shown in the figure, at the upper and lower ends facing the piston. The upper sealing lip 322 and the lower sealing lip 323 cover the venting slot 313 to form a venting groove 6. As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, the piston 31 is an inwardly concave arc shape at the position of the venting slot 313. Therefore, the venting groove 6 is formed by the inwardly concave arc shape, the upper sealing lip 322, the lower sealing lip 323, and the end face of the support plate 311. The upper sealing lip 322, the lower sealing lip 323, and the end face of the support plate 311 form an airtight space to prevent gas leakage. Gas first enters the venting groove 6 and accumulates there. When the support plate 311 moves downward, the venting groove 6 generates a gap, and the gas is discharged from the gap.

[0027] This application designs the sealing ring 32 as an irregular structure with two sealing lips. One sealing lip contacts the outer wall of the piston to prevent the piston from shaking during opening or resetting, thus avoiding noise. The other sealing lip contacts the end face of the piston's support plate 311, providing a sealing function. This application designs the piston 31 as an irregular structure with a drainage hole and a cavitation groove 6, enabling the piston 31 to open normally under any air pressure. Simultaneously, it ensures sufficient flow through the piston drainage hole into the cavitation groove 6 after opening, thus guaranteeing smooth flow and ensuring that the opening air pressure of the control valve remains stable within a specified range.

[0028] For preferred options, please refer to [the following]. Figure 2 and Figure 4 The radial outer edge of the support piece 311 is arc-shaped. Figure 2 In this design, the diameter of the support plate 311 is almost equal to the inner diameter of the pipe wall. When the support plate 311 is deflected by the airflow, the radial outer edge of the support plate 311 makes smooth contact with the inner diameter of the pipe wall, which can stably support the piston and prevent it from shaking and making abnormal noise.

[0029] Figure 1 In this application, the lumbar support control valve also includes a button cover 4, which is disposed on the valve body 1. The lower surface of the button cover 4 includes an air intake button 42 and an air exhaust button 41. When air needs to be intake, the air intake button 42 is pressed, causing the air intake valve rod 22 to move downward, and gas enters from the air intake port 12. When air needs to be exhausted, the air exhaust button 41 is pressed, causing the air exhaust valve rod 21 to move downward, and gas is discharged from the air exhaust port 13.

[0030] like Figure 4 As shown, the bottom of the ventilation groove 312 includes a boss 314. The radial outer edge of the boss 314 is a slope. The boss 314 corresponds to the position of the ventilation slot 313. The angle between the slope of the radial outer edge of the boss 314 and the bottom horizontal line is greater than 90 degrees. With this design, when the airflow from top to bottom encounters this slope, it can be guided to the ventilation slot 313.

[0031] As described above, the lumbar support control valve of this application operates as follows: When the car seat requires adjustment of backrest comfort, pressing the air intake button 42 causes the air intake valve rod 22 to move downwards, allowing air pressure to flow through the groove of the air intake valve rod 22 to the working port 11 and the overflow chamber 5. The working port 11 is connected to the seat airbag, and the inflation volume of the airbag is crucial to seat comfort, requiring the air pressure to be neither too high nor too low, and to remain constant within a comfortable range. Therefore, the lumbar support control valve is equipped with an overflow chamber 5. The function of the overflow chamber 5 is to automatically open the overflow chamber when the air pressure exceeds the required pressure, releasing the excess air pressure. When the air pressure at the working port 11 reaches the required level, the overflow chamber automatically closes, ensuring a constant air pressure at the working port 11. Additionally, the lumbar support control valve can also be manually adjusted by pressing the exhaust button 41 to reduce the inflation volume.

[0032] The overflow principle of the overflow chamber 5 in this application is as follows: Under normal conditions, the piston 31 contacts the lower sealing lip 323 of the sealing ring 32 under the action of the spring force, thus providing a sealing function. When the intake air pressure is greater than the rated air pressure, the air pressure will overcome the spring force and push the piston 31 downward. After the piston 31 moves downward, the lower sealing lip 323 of the sealing ring 32 no longer provides a sealing function, and the excess air pressure is discharged from the valve body through the gap on the piston 31. After the residual air is discharged, the piston 31 returns to its original position under the action of the spring force and re-enters the sealing state. Regardless of whether the piston 31 moves downward or upward, the upper sealing lip 322 of the sealing ring 32 remains in contact with the piston wall. This is to prevent the piston 31 from shaking in the suspended state. High-frequency shaking of the piston 31 will generate noise and affect the customer experience.

[0033] Furthermore, in the prior art, the excessive air pressure at the working port 11 can cause excessive impact damage to the airbag. In this application, the air intake channel of the air inlet 12 has been designed and verified by comparison with the actual object, and the optimal size and flow rate have been selected to ensure that the output air pressure at the working port 11 will not be impactful, thus protecting the stability of the airbag.

[0034] It should be noted that in the description of the embodiments of this application, the terms "front," "rear," "left," "right," "up," "down," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. The terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0035] In summary, due to the adoption of the above technical features, the present invention has the following advantages and positive effects compared with the prior art:

[0036] First, the lumbar support control valve in this application does not change the appearance, function, or customer technical requirements, and can better meet and adapt to the seat airbags of all car models on the market.

[0037] Secondly, the structure of this application is simple and compact. The piston structure is designed as an irregular structure with drainage holes and anti-cavitation grooves, which effectively controls the airflow of the piston, ensures the stability of the piston, and does not generate noise.

[0038] Third, the sealing element of this application is designed as an irregular structure with two sealing lips. One sealing lip contacts the outer wall of the piston to prevent the piston from shaking when it is blown open or reset, thus avoiding noise generation.

[0039] Fourth, the air intake channel of this application has been designed and verified by comparison with the actual product, and the optimal size and flow rate have been selected to ensure that the output air pressure will not be impactful, protect the stability of the airbag, and improve the reliability and service life of the product.

[0040] The preferred embodiments of the invention are merely illustrative of the invention. They do not exhaustively describe all details, nor do they limit the invention to the specific implementations described. Clearly, many modifications and variations can be made based on the content of this specification. These embodiments have been selected and specifically described in this specification to better explain the principles and practical applications of the invention, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to make good use of the invention. The invention is limited only by the claims and their full scope and equivalents. The above disclosures are merely preferred embodiments of the invention, but are not intended to limit it. Any equivalent changes and modifications made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and essence of the invention should fall within the protection scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A noise-reducing lumbar support control valve, characterized in that, The lumbar support control valve includes a valve body, a working port, an air inlet, an exhaust port, an exhaust valve rod, and a piston assembly. The working port, air inlet, and exhaust port are disposed on the valve body. The exhaust valve rod and piston assembly are disposed on the valve body. The exhaust valve rod is inserted into and connected to the piston assembly. The piston assembly includes a piston, a sealing ring, and a return spring. The piston is a cylinder, and the middle section of the piston includes a radially protruding support plate. A venting groove is formed at the end of the piston facing the exhaust valve stem. Multiple radial venting holes are formed on the bottom wall of the venting groove. The sealing ring is disposed on the valve body at the position corresponding to the venting holes. The return spring is sleeved and connected to the end of the piston facing the exhaust port. The sealing ring includes a ring body, an upper sealing lip, and a lower sealing lip. The upper sealing lip and the lower sealing lip are respectively disposed at the upper and lower ends of the ring body. The upper sealing lip and the lower sealing lip cover the venting slot to form an air-proof groove. The piston is inwardly concave at the position of the vent slot. The clearance groove is formed by the concave arc, the upper sealing lip, the lower sealing lip, and the end face of the support plate. The upper sealing lip, the lower sealing lip, and the end face of the support plate form an airtight space. The upper sealing lip contacts the outer wall of the piston. The lower sealing lip contacts the end face of the support plate of the piston.

2. The noise-reducing lumbar support control valve as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The radial outer edge of the support plate is arc-shaped.

3. The noise-reducing lumbar support control valve as described in claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes a button cover, which is disposed on the valve body.

4. The noise-reducing lumbar support control valve as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The bottom of the ventilation groove includes a boss, and the radial outer edge of the boss is a slope.

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