Additive Hydraulic Control Assembly With Integrated Orifice and Check Ball
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional transmission hydraulic control units face issues with leakage at interfaces due to casting processes, leading to larger hydraulic passages and unnecessary mass, and require improvements in efficiency and material usage.
Innovation Solution
The use of additive manufacturing (AM) to integrate hydraulic control orifices, check balls, and passages directly into a single component, reducing material usage and minimizing leakage by forming passages directly from valve to case or pump, and optimizing geometry for balanced flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional casting processes are used to manufacture hydraulic control units with multiple layers of cast bodies divided by separator plates, then the structural integrity and assembly flexibility are improved, but leakage at interfaces increases and system mass increases due to larger hydraulic passages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple cast bodies and separator plates into a single monolithic hydraulic control unit manufactured via additive manufacturing. This integration eliminates the interfaces between components where leakage occurs, while also allowing optimization of hydraulic passage dimensions to reduce unnecessary mass.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the manufacturing method from conventional casting to additive manufacturing, enabling precise control of hydraulic passage dimensions. This allows passages to be sized exactly to requirements rather than being oversized due to casting process constraints, thereby reducing system mass.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional casting processes are used with separator plates and multiple fasteners, then assembly flexibility is improved, but leakage at interfaces between valve body and separator plates increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the valve body and separator plates into a single integrated component manufactured through additive manufacturing. This eliminates the interfaces between these components entirely, removing the source of leakage while maintaining manufacturing capability through digital design and fabrication.
3Ease of manufacture
If hydraulic passages are made larger than minimum required size due to casting process constraints, then manufacturing ease is improved, but unnecessary mass is added to the system
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the manufacturing process from conventional casting to additive manufacturing, which enables precise dimensional control of hydraulic passages. This allows passages to be fabricated at the minimum required size rather than being oversized due to casting process limitations, thereby reducing passage mass while maintaining manufacturability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies additive manufacturing to create hydraulic passages with locally optimized dimensions throughout the component. Each passage can be sized precisely to its specific flow requirements rather than using uniform oversized dimensions throughout, optimizing the balance between manufacturability and mass reduction.
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
This approach reduces system mass, minimizes pressure drop, and enhances performance by eliminating joints and optimizing flow characteristics, while maintaining structural integrity and reducing unbalanced load on valves.
Implementation Method 1
a hydraulic control orifice formed in the AM wall and configured to regulate fluid flow and pressure between the first and second fluid passages
Implementation Method 2
a ball seat is formed in the AM wall and a check ball is disposed in one of the first and second fluid passages and configured to selectively seal against the ball seat to facilitate preventing fluid flow therethrough
Data Source
AI summary
An additive manufactured (AM) hydraulic control assembly includes a first AM hydraulic passage having a first tubular wall defining a first fluid passage, a second AM hydraulic passage integrally formed with the first AM hydraulic passage and having a second tubular wall defining a second fluid passage, and an AM wall integrally formed with the first and second AM hydraulic passages and fluidly separating the first and second fluid passages. At least one of (i) a hydraulic control orifice is formed in the AM wall and configured to regulate fluid flow and pressure between the first and second fluid passages, and (ii) a ball seat is formed in the AM wall and a check ball is disposed in one of the first and second fluid passages and configured to selectively seal against the ball seat to facilitate preventing fluid flow therethrough.