Float-Mounted Flat Seal for Hydraulic Switch Valves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sealing rings in high-frequency activated hydraulic units experience excessive friction and wear, leading to compromised valve movement and leak tightness.
Innovation Solution
A flat sealing element made of elastic material, such as elastomeric or fluoroplastic, is radially float-mounted on the axial surface of the housing part, with a metallic disc-shaped base body and elastic cladding, supported by a spring to ensure durable sealing without excessive friction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sealing ring is rigidly inserted into the groove, then the sealing action is maintained, but the valve body movement is hindered by excessive friction and wear
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing ring is transformed from a rigid, fixed component to a dynamic, movable component that can shift radially within the groove. This allows the sealing ring to move with the valve body during operation, maintaining continuous sealing contact while reducing friction and wear through adaptive positioning rather than rigid constraint.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing ring's positional parameter is changed from fixed to variable, enabling it to adjust its radial position dynamically. This parameter change allows the sealing ring to optimize its sealing effectiveness while accommodating valve body movement, thereby reducing friction without compromising sealing reliability.
2Ease of operation
If the sealing ring is made movable to reduce friction, then the valve body movement is improved, but the leak tightness is not durably assured
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing ring is designed to self-adjust its radial position automatically during operation based on the valve body's movement and the hydraulic pressures present. This self-service capability ensures that the sealing ring maintains optimal sealing contact without requiring external control mechanisms, thereby assuring durable leak tightness while accommodating smooth valve body movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing ring's position is influenced by feedback from the hydraulic pressure differential and mechanical contact forces during valve operation. This feedback mechanism allows the sealing ring to automatically adjust its position to maintain sealing effectiveness, ensuring that leak tightness is durably assured while the valve body moves smoothly with reduced friction.
3Ease of operation
If a flat sealing element is radially float-mounted, then friction and wear are reduced, but the sealing effectiveness must be maintained through proper material selection
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing ring is constructed as a composite component with a rigid outer structure providing mechanical strength and a softer sealing contact surface providing low-friction sealing. This composite structure combines the advantages of different materials to achieve both reduced friction through the float-mounted design and maintained sealing effectiveness through the appropriate sealing surface material.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the sealing ring have different material properties optimized for their specific functions: the outer structure provides mechanical support and positioning, while the sealing contact surface provides low-friction, high-performance sealing. This local differentiation of material quality allows the sealing ring to simultaneously achieve reduced friction through float-mounting and maintain sealing effectiveness through specialized contact surface materials.
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 provides effective and low-wear sealing, maintaining leak tightness even at high frequencies and accommodating tilting of the valve body, ensuring reliable operation.
Implementation Method 1
The flat sealing element is preferably loaded by a spring that is supported on the seating ring and presses the flat sealing element against the front end surface
Implementation Method 2
the spring being supported on that side of the flat sealing element that is turned away from the cladding comprising the elastic material
Data Source
AI summary
A switch valve for a hydraulic unit, in particular a quick-acting valve for a hydraulic unit of a hydraulically variable valve gear of a reciprocating internal combustion engine, having a valve body, which is guided in an axially movable manner in a housing part and which is sealed with respect to the housing part by a seal, wherein the seal is designed as a flat seal element, which encloses the valve body in a sealing manner and which is operatively connected to an axial surface of the housing part in a sealing manner.