Clip-Coupled Water Flow Valve for Linear Control and Easy Service
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water flow control valves in water-heating devices face challenges in assembly and disassembly due to space constraints and interference with other components, and require complex control logic for nonlinear flow rate changes, making them difficult to manage and maintain.
Innovation Solution
A valve design featuring an actuation assembly with a drive device, needle shaft, needle nut, and valve disc that allows for linear motion and easy assembly/disassembly using a clip to fix the body and actuation assembly together, enabling linear flow rate control without the need for multiple fasteners and complex coupling processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the valve is firmly coupled with multiple fasteners to maintain water tightness, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of assembly and disassembly deteriorates due to space constraints and interference with other components
Solution Approach 1:
The valve is divided into a body and an actuation assembly that can be easily separated. The actuation assembly includes the drive device, needle shaft, needle nut, and valve disc, while the body contains the valve opening and flow passage. This segmentation allows the actuation assembly to be detached from the body for easy maintenance and inspection without compromising water tightness when assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuation assembly is designed to be extractable from the body through a simple coupling mechanism. The coupling member engages with the body to secure the actuation assembly, but can be easily removed to take out the entire actuation assembly for maintenance, inspection, or replacement without disassembling multiple fasteners.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the valve uses a complex coupling structure with multiple fasteners to ensure stability, then the stability of composition is improved, but the device complexity increases making it difficult to manage and maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling member integrates multiple functions into a single component: it secures the actuation assembly to the body, maintains water tightness through its engagement structure, and provides a simple detachment mechanism. This merging reduces the number of separate fasteners and coupling elements needed, simplifying the overall structure while maintaining stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling member serves multiple purposes: mechanical connection between body and actuation assembly, sealing to maintain water tightness, and enabling easy assembly/disassembly through its design. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components, thereby reducing device complexity.
3Volume of moving object
If the valve disc is fully contained within the body for compact design, then the volume is reduced, but the ease of repair and inspection deteriorates as the valve disc cannot be easily accessed
Solution Approach 1:
The valve is segmented into a body and an actuation assembly that can be easily separated. The valve disc, being part of the actuation assembly, becomes accessible by simply detaching the actuation assembly from the body. This segmentation allows compact design when assembled while enabling easy access to the valve disc for repair and inspection.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuation assembly containing the valve disc can be extracted from the body through the simple coupling mechanism. This extraction allows direct access to the valve disc and other internal components for maintenance and inspection without disassembling the entire valve or removing multiple fasteners.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the valve uses a nonlinear flow rate control mechanism, then the adaptability to different conditions is improved, but the control logic complexity increases requiring measurement and reflection of various conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The valve disc has a specific shape that changes the flow passage area in a predictable manner as it moves linearly. By designing the valve disc geometry to create a linear relationship between displacement and flow area, the flow rate changes linearly with valve disc position, simplifying control logic while maintaining adaptability through the drive device's ability to control position.
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 design facilitates easy management and linear control of water flow rates, reducing the complexity of assembly and disassembly while maintaining water tightness, and simplifying the control logic required for predictable flow rate adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
a needle nut that is coupled to the drive device and that has an empty space through which the needle shaft passes, so as to guide the linear motion of the needle shaft
Implementation Method 2
a valve disc coupled to an opposite end of the needle shaft, a body that is coupled with the actuation assembly and that has a valve opening inside, the valve opening being selectively opened or closed as the valve disc, which is inserted into the body in which water flows, performs linear motion
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A valve (1) includes an actuation assembly (10) including a drive device (11) that generates a driving force, a needle shaft (12) connected, at one end thereof, to the drive device to receive the driving force from the drive device and perform linear motion, a needle nut (13) that is coupled to the drive device and that has an empty space (131) through which the needle shaft passes, so as to guide the linear motion of the needle shaft, and a valve disc (14) coupled to an opposite end of the needle shaft, a body (20) that is coupled with the actuation assembly and that has a valve opening (211) inside, the valve opening being selectively opened or closed as the valve disc, which is inserted into the body in which water flows, performs linear motion, and a clip (30) that fixes the body and the actuation assembly such that the body and the actuation assembly are not separated from each other.