Compact Flow Valve Locking Mechanism for Tight Installation Spaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flow rate adjusting devices for door driving systems in railroad vehicles protrude excessively, making them difficult to install in limited spaces.
Innovation Solution
A flow rate adjusting device with a valve mechanism featuring a rod and knob design that allows for rotational adjustment without the need for external tools, incorporating a lock mechanism to control rotation and reduce size, enabling precise positioning and reduced protrusion from the flow channel member.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional flow rate adjusting device with a separate body and needle valve is used, then the flow rate can be adjusted, but the device protrudes excessively from the flow channel member
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the body and needle valve into a single integrated flow rate adjusting device. The needle valve is directly formed as part of the flow channel member structure, eliminating the need for a separate body component. This integration reduces the overall protrusion length while maintaining the flow rate adjustment function through the valve mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle valve is nested within the flow channel member structure, with the valve rod extending through the flow channel. The valve mechanism is positioned such that the knob protrudes minimally from the flow channel member, while the functional parts are contained within the existing structure.
2Ease of operation
If the needle valve is made rotatable by a handle with axial movement, then the flow rate can be adjusted, but the structure becomes complex and difficult to install in limited spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the unnecessary complex mechanical switching mechanism between rotatable and non-rotatable states. The needle valve is designed to be directly rotatable through a simple knob mechanism, removing the intermediate handle and axial movement switching system. This simplifies the structure while maintaining ease of operation for flow rate adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The needle valve structure is designed to be self-contained and directly operable. The valve rod and knob form an integrated unit that can be rotated directly without requiring external handles or complex switching mechanisms. The valve automatically maintains its rotational capability through its inherent design, eliminating the need for mechanical state switching.
Data Source
AI summary
A flow rate adjusting device of the present invention includes a flow channel member and a valve mechanism. The valve mechanism includes a rod, a knob and a lock mechanism. The lock mechanism is switched by the knob moving in the traverse direction between a prohibited state in which the engaging portion is engaged with the to-be-engaged portion so that the rotation of the rod relative to the flow channel member is prohibited via the knob and a permitted state in which the engagement between the engaging portion and the to-be-engaged portion is undone so that the rod is permitted to rotate relative to the flow channel member.