Dynamic Seal with Guide Section for High-Pressure Valve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air suspension valve systems face challenges with high system pressures and pressure differences, requiring strong springs and high magnetic forces to maintain valve closure, which can be inefficient and prone to leakage.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic seal with an elastomeric sealing body and a harder support body, featuring axially spaced radially outer and inner sealing lips, provides axial guidance and radial sealing, balancing pressure and preventing leakage through a pressure compensation bore, allowing the valve to operate reliably at high pressures with reduced spring and magnetic force requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a strong spring is used to maintain valve closure at high pressure differences, then the valve remains reliably closed, but the magnetic force required to open the valve increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is segmented into multiple sealing lips (first and second sealing lips) arranged at different axial positions, allowing pressure to be balanced at multiple points simultaneously. This segmentation distributes the sealing load and enables pressure compensation without requiring a single strong spring
Solution Approach 2:
A guide section with a guide surface is introduced as an intermediary element between the sealing lips and the moving component. This guide section provides a guided surface that reduces friction during valve operation, lowering the magnetic force needed to overcome frictional resistance while maintaining reliable sealing
2Strength
If the valve is designed for large nominal widths and high pressure differences, then the valve can handle higher loads, but the spring must be designed very strong which limits the valve's performance
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing lips are positioned to create equipotential sealing surfaces where pressure is balanced across multiple axial positions. The guide section provides a guided surface that ensures uniform pressure distribution and reduces stress concentrations, allowing the valve to handle high pressures reliably without requiring excessively strong springs
Solution Approach 2:
The seal combines an elastomeric sealing body with a support body made of harder material. This composite structure provides both flexibility for sealing conformability and structural strength for high pressure applications, enabling the valve to maintain reliability under high load conditions
3Force
If a pressure compensation hole is provided through the axially displaceable component, then the spring force requirement is reduced, but the axially displaceable component must be guided in a sealing manner to prevent leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The guide section is merged with the support body of the seal, integrating the guidance function directly into the sealing structure. The guide surface on the guide section works in conjunction with the sealing lips to provide both sealing and guidance functions in a single integrated component, reducing overall device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The seal structure is designed to perform multiple functions: the sealing lips provide radial sealing, the guide section provides axial guidance, and together they enable pressure compensation. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate guidance mechanisms, simplifying the overall valve structure while maintaining low spring force requirements
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 seal effectively balances pressure and reduces the need for strong springs and high magnetic forces, ensuring reliable operation at high pressures and large nominal diameters, while maintaining efficient sealing and guidance functions.
Implementation Method 1
a sealing body (11) made of elastomeric material with two axially spaced, radially outer sealing lips (14a, 14b) and two axially spaced, radially inner sealing lips (15a, 15b)
Implementation Method 2
a support body (12) that carries the sealing body (11). This support body consists of a harder material than the sealing body and has a radially exposed section (17) that extends in the axial direction between two sealing lips and serves as a guide section with an axial guide function
Implementation Method 3
the valve has a pressure compensation bore in the axial direction through the axially movable control piston, so that the valve works reliably even at high system pressures
Data Source
AI summary
A dynamic seal (10) for radial sealing between two components (1, 2) which can be displaced axially relative to one another comprises a sealing body (11) made from elastomeric material with two sealing lips (14a, 14b) which are spaced apart axially and lie radially on the outside and two sealing lips (15a, 15b) which are spaced apart axially and lie radially on the inside, and a supporting body (12) which carries the sealing body (11) and is composed of a harder material than the sealing body (11), in particular of a plastic. The supporting body (12) has a radially exposed guide section (17) which extends in the axial direction between two sealing lips (15a, 15b) for the axial guidance of the movable component (2), and an anchoring section (16) which lies opposite the guide section (17) and is intended for anchoring the seal (10) in the other component (1).