Diaphragm-actuated fluid control valve

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional diaphragm-actuated fluid control valves face challenges in achieving significant lift changes relative to pressure differences, especially in ultralow temperature regions, leading to unstable flow rate control and increased costs due to diaphragm thickness and diameter requirements.

Innovation Solution

The diaphragm-actuated fluid control valve features a diaphragm with a mountainous-wave portion having N+(0.5) elevated portions, allowing for increased lift changes without reducing thickness, thereby enabling stable flow rate control and reducing material costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the thickness of the diaphragm is reduced to increase lift changes, then the lift change relative to pressure difference improves, but the strength and durability of the diaphragm deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelift change relative to pressure differenceVSAvoidstrength and durability of diaphragm

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The diaphragm incorporates a mountainous-wave portion with multiple elevated portions (N≥1) that create curved, wave-like structures. This curvature design increases the lift change relative to pressure difference without requiring reduced thickness, thereby maintaining diaphragm strength while achieving the desired operational characteristic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the structural parameters of the diaphragm by introducing mountainous-wave portions with specific elevated portions. This structural parameter change allows the diaphragm to achieve greater lift change relative to pressure difference while maintaining adequate thickness for strength and durability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Manufacturing precision

If the diameter of the diaphragm is increased to increase lift changes, then the lift change relative to pressure difference improves, but the cost of parts and materials increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelift change relative to pressure differenceVSAvoidcost of parts and materials

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The mountainous-wave portion with elevated portions creates curvature that amplifies lift change. This allows the use of a diaphragm with smaller diameter compared to a conventional flat diaphragm, thereby reducing material quantity and cost while achieving the same or better lift change performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of increasing diameter (two-dimensional expansion), the invention introduces vertical dimensionality through mountainous-wave portions with elevated portions. This three-dimensional structural change achieves lift enhancement without proportionally increasing material usage, thus controlling costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Manufacturing precision

If the diaphragm is made thinner to increase lift changes, then the lift change relative to pressure difference improves, but the stability of flow rate control deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelift change relative to pressure differenceVSAvoidstability of flow rate control

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The mountainous-wave portion with elevated portions provides structural rigidity through curvature while enabling increased lift change. This allows the diaphragm to maintain adequate thickness for stability while achieving the desired sensitivity to pressure differences, thus maintaining flow rate control stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

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

This design significantly enhances lift changes relative to pressure differences, ensuring stable flow rate control even in ultralow temperature regions, while reducing diaphragm diameter and material costs.

Implementation Method 1

the diaphragm (the innermost portion of the diaphragm with respect to the outermost portion thereof) is typically displaced (flexes) in the up or down direction in accordance with the pressure difference between the pressure of the pressure chamber

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS9765904B2Diaphragm-actuated fluid control valve

Publication Date: 2017.09.19 FUJIKOKI CORP

AI summary

Provided is a diaphragm-actuated fluid control valve capable of, even in a region where the pressure difference between the pressures on the upper surface side and the lower surface side of a diaphragm is small, significantly changing the amount of lift of the diaphragm relative to the change in the pressure difference, without reducing the thickness of the diaphragm, and thus is capable of providing a predetermined flow rate and performing stable flow rate control. The control valve has a diaphragm 35 for driving a valve 25. The diaphragm 35 has a mountainous-wave portion 35b formed between an outermost portion 35a and an innermost portion 35c thereof, the mountainous-wave portion having the shape of concentric circles when viewed in a plan view and having N+(0.25 to 0.75) elevated portions that protrude upward or downward when viewed in cross section, where N is a positive integer (1, 2, 3, . . . ).