Connecting Rod Check Valve Captive Element Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Internal combustion engines with fixed compression ratios face inefficiencies during part-load operations due to the inability to adjust compression ratios without causing engine knocking, limiting the potential for improved efficiency in the partial load range.
Innovation Solution
A connecting rod with a check valve featuring a pin-shaped captive element that secures the valve closing body within the valve housing, allowing for cost-effective design and reduced flow resistance, enabling adjustable compression ratios without hydraulic fluid backflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional check valve with sealing cover is used to secure the valve closing body, then the valve closing body is reliably secured, but the flow resistance increases and manufacturing costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the sealing cover component from the conventional check valve design. Instead of using a separate sealing cover to secure the valve closing body, the valve housing itself is designed with an integrated retaining structure that directly holds the valve closing body, eliminating the need for the additional sealing cover component and reducing assembly complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the functions of the valve housing and the securing mechanism into a single integrated structure. The valve housing incorporates retaining elements (such as retaining ribs or integrated retention features) that directly secure the valve closing body, combining what were previously separate components (valve housing + sealing cover) into one unified structure, thereby reducing part count and manufacturing cost
2Reliability
If a sealing cover is used to secure the valve closing body, then the valve is reliably assembled, but the flow resistance increases when the valve is open
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing cover is extracted and removed from the design. The valve closing body is secured directly within the valve housing using integrated retaining features, eliminating the physical barrier that the sealing cover would create to hydraulic fluid flow, thereby reducing flow resistance while maintaining securing reliability
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a separate cover element to secure the valve closing body from the outside, the invention inverts the approach by having the valve housing itself provide internal retaining structures (such as retaining ribs or integrated features) that secure the valve closing body from within, allowing unobstructed fluid flow paths
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 solution enables a cost-effective and efficient adjustment of compression ratios, reducing production costs and assembly effort while maintaining hydraulic fluid flow, thus enhancing engine efficiency across various load ranges.
Implementation Method 1
the check valve comprises a valve housing and a valve closing body that can be displaced axially in the valve housing along a longitudinal valve axis
Implementation Method 2
the captive element securing the valve closing body in the valve housing and limiting a stroke of the valve closing body
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a connecting rod (1) for a variable-compression internal combustion engine with at least one hydraulic chamber (4, 5) which can be connected to a supply port, a bearing shell, or a tank of the connecting rod (1) by means of a check valve (9, 10), wherein the check valve (9, 10) comprises a valve housing (21) and a valve closing element (22) which is axially displaceable in the valve housing along a longitudinal axis (L) of the valve and which can be positioned against a valve seat (23) and is arranged in the valve housing in a captive manner. According to the invention, a pin-shaped anti-capture element (24) is provided which secures the valve closing element (22) in the valve housing (21) and limits a stroke (33) of the valve closing element (22).