Cooling Water Valve Seat Alignment Under Contaminant Intrusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cooling water control valve devices face challenges in maintaining high positioning accuracy of the valve seat surface and preventing leakage during the fully-closed condition due to variations in component tolerance and potential extraneous material entry into clearance spaces.
Innovation Solution
The cooling water control valve device incorporates grooves in the cylindrical passage member and valve seat unit to manage extraneous material and maintain alignment, ensuring the valve seat surface is accurately positioned and sealed, even when extraneous materials like casting sand enter the clearance spaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a predetermined clearance is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve and the inner peripheral surface of the pipe portion to absorb variation of component tolerance, then the alignment accuracy of the valve seat surface to the valve main body is maintained, but the aligning condition becomes unstable when extraneous material enters the clearance
Solution Approach 1:
A resin layer is introduced as an intermediary substance between the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve and the inner peripheral surface of the pipe portion. This resin layer fills the clearance space and provides a stable bonding interface that maintains alignment accuracy while preventing extraneous material from disrupting the aligning condition. The resin acts as a mediator that accommodates tolerance variations without compromising reliability.
2Manufacturing precision
If the clearance is set at a minimum value to suppress variation of valve opening position, then manufacturing precision is improved, but the aligning condition becomes unstable when extraneous material enters the clearance
Solution Approach 1:
The resin layer serves as a protective intermediary that fills the minimal clearance between the sleeve and pipe portion. This prevents extraneous material from directly contacting and disrupting the alignment interface, thereby maintaining both minimal clearance for precision and resistance to harmful factors from extraneous material.
Solution Approach 2:
The resin layer transforms the potential harm of extraneous material entry into a benefit by creating a sealed environment. The resin not only prevents extraneous material from causing misalignment but also utilizes the clearance space that would otherwise be vulnerable to contamination, converting a weakness into a protective feature.
3Ease of manufacture
If a larger clearance is provided to accommodate component tolerance variation, then ease of assembly is improved, but positioning accuracy of the valve seat surface decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The resin layer acts as a compensating intermediary that allows larger clearance for ease of assembly while maintaining positioning accuracy. The resin fills the larger gap and provides a precise bonding interface, enabling both easy assembly with generous tolerances and high positioning accuracy through the resin's flow and curing characteristics.
Data Source
AI summary
A housing unit includes a cylindrical passage member, through which cooling water flows. A valve unit includes a valve main body rotatable around its axis and a valve opened portion formed in an outer peripheral surface of the valve main body, through which the cooling water can pass. A valve seat unit includes a positioned member and a valve seat surface. An outer peripheral surface of the positioned member is positioned in a radial direction by an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical passage member and the positioned member is movable in an axial direction in a reciprocal manner. The valve seat surface holds a fluid tight condition between the valve seat surface and the valve main body when it is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the valve main body. A biasing member biases the valve seat unit in such a way that the valve seat surface is pushed to the outer peripheral surface of the valve main body. The cylindrical passage member includes a groove formed in an inner peripheral surface thereof at least in a part of an overlapping area, at which the cylindrical passage member and the positioned member overlap each other in the axial direction. The groove is recessed in a radial-outward direction from the inner peripheral surface.