Combination Valve Spring Cap Segmentation for Pressure Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Prior art combination valves for hydraulic circuits face challenges in achieving precise pressure setting due to lack of positive engagement between the spring cap and valve stem, leading to difficulties in fine adjustments and resulting in unnecessary waste and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
The combination valve incorporates a spring cap with four successively adjoining axial portions of differing outer diameters, including a tubular protrusion to center the relief valve spring, a reduced radial wall thickness for easy crimping, and a coaxial recess to retain the check valve spring, along with a valve seat featuring axial cross-port orifice holes and radial semi-circular holes, facilitating precise pressure setting and assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If crimping is used to lock the spring cap to the valve stem without a positive engagement mechanism, then the assembly process is simplified, but the spring cap can axially move making fine adjustment of pressure setting difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The spring cap is divided into four successively adjoining axial portions with different functions: a first portion for positive engagement with the valve stem, a second portion for fine adjustment, a third portion for crimping, and a fourth portion for spring retention. This segmentation allows each portion to perform its specific function optimally without interfering with others.
Solution Approach 2:
The positive engagement mechanism (first portion with external threads or knurling) is provided in advance on the spring cap, enabling the cap to be securely attached to the valve stem before the crimping process. This preliminary action prevents axial movement during pressure setting adjustment.
2Productivity
If the spring cap is locked onto the valve stem before testing, then the assembly is complete, but if the valve does not meet pressure settings it must be discarded resulting in waste
Solution Approach 1:
The positive engagement mechanism is built into the spring cap design in advance, allowing the cap to be securely attached to the valve stem before testing and pressure setting adjustment. This enables rework if pressure settings are incorrect, preventing waste of the entire valve assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring cap is designed to be dynamically adjustable on the valve stem through the positive engagement mechanism, allowing for pressure setting adjustments and rework before final crimping locks the assembly. This dynamic capability reduces waste by enabling correction of pressure setting issues.
3Ease of manufacture
If a simple spring cap design is used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but it cannot provide positive engagement, fine adjustment, and spring retention functions simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The spring cap is segmented into four axial portions, each with a specific function: positive engagement, fine adjustment, crimping, and spring retention. This segmentation allows a single cap component to provide multiple functions that would otherwise require separate parts, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while increasing functional capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring cap is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides positive engagement with the valve stem, fine adjustment capability, crimping surface, and spring retention. This universality reduces the number of separate components needed while maintaining all required functions.
Data Source
AI summary
Improvement in a combination valve including check valve and pressure relief valve portions for regulating fluid flow pressure and direction in a hydraulic circuit, wherein a valve seat includes, in addition to a central aperture, a plurality of peripherally-spaced axial cross-port orifice holes, of same or differing diameter and a plurality of intersecting, circumferentially-spaced, radial, semicircular holes; a spring cap including four adjoining axial portions of differing outer diameters, with a first portion being a protrusion that locates an end of a relief valve compression spring, a second portion having flat outer tool locating surfaces used for rotating the spring cap for axial adjustment relative to a valve stem, a third portion having a reduced radial wall thickness for easy crimping thereof relative to a valve stem, and a fourth portion having a coaxial recess for centering and physically retaining one end portion of a check valve compression spring.