Composite Valve Seal Assembly for Temperature-Stable Tightness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seals for fluid control valves, particularly in cooling water systems of vehicles, face challenges in maintaining long-term tightness under temperature fluctuations and are costly to produce, while also requiring optimal interaction with valve bodies and housings.
Innovation Solution
A seal assembly comprising a first elastically deformable plastic part and a second hard plastic part, with a thin-walled structure and complementary bead design, where the hard seal element is vulcanized onto the deformable part, incorporating a metal or plastic support and elastically deformable portions to enhance sealing and reduce material usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hard seal material is used to maintain tightness under temperature fluctuations, then sealing reliability is improved, but the seal loses elastic deformation capability needed to accommodate valve body movements
Solution Approach 1:
The seal combines a hard plastic part (PTFE or similar) and an elastomer part (EPDM or similar) into a composite structure. The hard plastic part provides sealing tightness and resistance to temperature fluctuations, while the elastomer part provides elastic deformation capability to accommodate valve body movements and maintain contact pressure.
2Reliability
If a thick-walled seal structure is used to ensure durability and sealing, then reliability is improved, but production costs and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The seal uses a thin-walled elastomer structure that provides sufficient durability and sealing through its elastic properties rather than thickness. The elastomer's ability to deform and recover allows a thinner wall design that reduces material usage and production costs while maintaining reliability.
3Ease of manufacture
If a single-material seal is used to simplify manufacturing, then ease of manufacture is improved, but the ability to optimally interact with both valve body and housing is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The seal has different material properties in different regions: the hard plastic part interacts with the valve body providing low friction and wear resistance, while the elastomer part interacts with the valve housing providing elastic compliance and sealing. This local differentiation of material properties optimizes interaction with each component.
4Ease of manufacture
If the bead structure is made from the same material as the main seal body, then manufacturing is simplified, but sealing effectiveness against the valve body is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The bead structure is formed from the hard plastic material rather than the elastomer, creating a composite structure where the hard bead provides low-friction sealing against the valve body while the elastomer body provides structural support and elastic deformation capability.
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 proposed seal assembly provides effective long-term tightness under temperature fluctuations, reduces production costs, and optimizes interaction with valve bodies and housings through a combination of elastic deformation and hardness, while maintaining stability and sealing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a first, elastically deformable plastic part
Implementation Method 2
a second plastic part configured as a hard seal element... in the interaction with the valve body in which the valve body impinges the seal with pressure and thereby stresses the latter
Implementation Method 3
the second plastic part is configured as a hard seal element and which is connected to the first plastic part
Data Source
AI summary
A seal for use in a fluid control valve includes: a first, elastically deformable, plastic part; and a second plastic part configured as a hard seal element and connected to the first plastic part. The first and the second plastic parts form a seal assembly having a first frontal end configured to bear in a sealing manner on an actuatable valve body of the fluid control valve, and a second frontal end configured to bear in a sealing manner on a valve housing of the fluid control valve, wherein at least the first frontal end has a first end side having an encircling projecting bead configured to seal against the actuatable valve body.