Control valve
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing vibration-proof springs in expansion valves for refrigeration cycles, used to prevent vibration and noise caused by refrigerant pressure fluctuations, suffer from unstable fixation due to material deformation during manufacturing, affecting the precision of sliding friction.
Innovation Solution
A vibration-proof spring with a cylindrical shape and edge parts protruding radially outward is formed through a press-forming process, providing stable fixation by engaging these edge parts with the mounting hole's inner wall, ensuring precise sliding friction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a general press-forming process is used to manufacture the vibration-proof spring, then manufacturing cost and ease of manufacture are improved, but the fixed state becomes unstable due to material deformation, adversely affecting sliding friction precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies heat treatment parameters to the vibration-proof spring to control material deformation. By adjusting heat treatment temperature and time parameters, the spring achieves stable dimensional characteristics after press-forming, ensuring both ease of manufacture and manufacturing precision. The heat treatment modifies the material's physical state to reduce deformation variability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary heat treatment on the vibration-proof spring before final assembly. This preliminary action stabilizes the spring's dimensions and mechanical properties in advance, preventing subsequent deformation that would affect sliding friction precision. The pre-treatment ensures the spring maintains its intended geometry throughout operation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the vibration-proof spring is designed to apply sliding friction to prevent valve element vibration, then vibration and noise are reduced, but the sliding friction must be precisely controlled which is compromised by manufacturing deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses heat treatment parameters to control the spring's mechanical properties, ensuring consistent sliding friction force. By optimizing temperature and time parameters, the spring achieves stable elastic characteristics that maintain precise sliding friction on the valve element, reducing vibration and noise while compensating for press-forming deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces reliance on purely mechanical precision from press-forming with thermally-controlled material properties. Instead of depending on exact geometric tolerances from forming, the heat treatment creates stable material characteristics that ensure consistent sliding friction behavior, substituting thermal processing control for mechanical precision control.
3Reliability
If the shaft is biased radially inward by the vibration-proof spring to develop sliding friction, then the valve element does not respond sensitively to pressure fluctuation, but unstable fixation of the spring affects the intended sliding friction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies heat treatment parameters to the vibration-proof spring to stabilize its radial biasing force. By controlling heat treatment temperature and duration, the spring achieves consistent elastic properties that ensure reliable radial inward biasing on the shaft. This maintains stable sliding friction for pressure fluctuation resistance while compensating for manufacturing variability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses heat treatment as a beforehand cushioning process to pre-stabilize the spring's mechanical properties before assembly. This preliminary stabilization cushions against subsequent deformation that would affect sliding friction precision, ensuring the spring maintains its intended radial biasing force throughout operation.
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 stabilizes the vibration-proof spring's position, maintaining the intended sliding friction on the shaft, effectively reducing vibration and noise caused by refrigerant pressure fluctuations.
Implementation Method 1
a vibration-proof spring that applies a sliding friction to the shaft by biasing the shaft in a radially inward direction
Implementation Method 2
a spring body, of a cylindrical shape, that is supported by an inner wall of the mounting hole; the spring body being formed as a cylindrical body such that a plate-like body, which is obtained by punching a metallic plate through a press-forming process, is bent along a longitudinal direction
Data Source
AI summary
A vibration-proof spring, which coaxially inserts a shaft, is provided in a body of a control valve. The vibration-proof spring includes a cylindrical spring body, spring parts, which are integrally formed with a side wall of the spring body and are supported by the spring body in a cantilevered manner, and bulging portions, which are formed, on surfaces of the spring parts facing the shaft, in a protruding manner. The spring body is formed as a cylindrical body such that a plate-like body, which is obtained by punching a metallic plate through a press-forming process, is bent along a longitudinal direction of the plate-like body. Also, the spring body is formed in such a manner as to have edge parts that protrude radially outward from at least one of ends of the cylindrical body in the direction of axis line.