Quick Coupling Pressure Compensation System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Quick couplings used in agricultural industries face issues with oil expansion due to temperature changes, leading to potential breakdowns and malfunctions when pressurized fluid is trapped in the system.
Innovation Solution
A quick coupling with a pressure compensation system that includes a decompression chamber and a micro-valve, where a compensator and a spacer or membrane allow for the expansion of oil, preventing increased pressure and ensuring the system remains sealed and functional.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the female coupling has an internal hydraulic system that traps oil to prevent backward movement of the main female valve, then the valve remains locked in position, but temperature changes cause increased pressure within the closed chamber leading to breakdown or malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic system is divided into two separate chambers: a first chamber that remains sealed to maintain valve locking pressure, and a second chamber that is thermally connected to the exterior environment to accommodate thermal expansion. This segmentation allows the system to maintain reliable valve locking while preventing dangerous pressure buildup from temperature changes.
Solution Approach 2:
A thermal connection pathway acts as an intermediary between the sealed first chamber and the external environment. This pathway allows heat to transfer to the oil in the second chamber, enabling the oil to expand into the second chamber rather than increasing pressure in the first chamber, thus protecting the valve locking mechanism from thermal stress.
2Productivity
If the quick coupling system is sealed to maintain hydraulic pressure, then hydraulic efficiency is improved, but thermal expansion of oil has nowhere to go causing system malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic system is segmented into a first chamber for maintaining hydraulic pressure and a second chamber for accommodating thermal expansion. The first chamber remains sealed to preserve hydraulic efficiency, while the second chamber provides a buffer volume that expands with temperature, preventing system malfunction.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static sealed chamber to a dynamic two-chamber system where the second chamber can expand and contract with temperature changes. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to maintain both hydraulic efficiency and reliability under varying thermal conditions.
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 pressure compensation system effectively manages oil expansion due to temperature changes, reducing the risk of component damage and ensuring continuous operation by maintaining a stable pressure within the quick coupling.
Implementation Method 1
The temperature changes of the oil generate increased pressure within the closed chamber having a female coupling known to the prior art
Implementation Method 2
a micro-valve automatically blocks the passage of oil within a specific chamber within the female coupling. The oil trapped in the female coupling prevents the main female valve from moving backwards.
Data Source
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AI summary
This invention relates to a quick coupling comprising a male fitting (100) and a female coupling (200), for the hydraulic connection of a pressurised fluid line. The quick coupling according to this invention comprises a decompression chamber that is suitable for being filled with pressurised fluid, which acts as a hydraulic lock that keeps the main valves of said male and female couplings in an open position and is characterised in that it comprises a compensation system for the changes in pressure of the residual fluid that remains within said decompression chamber when said fitting no longer contains pressurised fluid.