Blind-Mate Fluid Coupling With Floating Self-Centering Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coupling assemblies for electronics liquid cooling face challenges in aligning male and female coupling members, especially when they are difficult to access, leading to misalignments and increased effort required for connection.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a blind-mate fluid coupling system with male and female valve components that include an alignment compensation arrangement. This arrangement allows the male valve component to move laterally, vertically, and at an angle to correct misalignments, ensuring proper coaxial alignment during mating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If male and female couplings are positioned in a difficult to access location, then the cooling system can be compact and efficient, but misalignments occur and substantial effort and time are required to connect the couplings
Solution Approach 1:
The male coupling incorporates a floating mechanism that allows it to dynamically adjust its position and orientation relative to the female coupling. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the male coupling to compensate for misalignments in lateral, vertical, and angular directions, making the connection process easier while maintaining compact system design
Solution Approach 2:
The floating mechanism changes the positional parameters of the male coupling automatically during the connection process. By allowing the male coupling to float and adjust its coordinates in three-dimensional space, the system compensates for initial misalignments without requiring substantial manual effort or time
2Productivity
If male and female couplings are positioned in a difficult to access location, then the cooling system can be compact, but misalignments between the couplings occur
Solution Approach 1:
The floating mechanism enables the male coupling to self-align with the female coupling automatically. The mechanism provides self-correction capabilities that compensate for misalignments without requiring external intervention or precise pre-positioning, ensuring reliable fluid communication even in compact configurations
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic floating mechanism allows the male coupling to adjust its position and orientation in real-time during the connection process, compensating for manufacturing tolerances and installation variations to achieve precise alignment between the male and female couplings
3Ease of operation
If an alignment compensator is added to allow lateral, vertical, and angular movement, then misalignments are corrected, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment compensation capability is extracted as a separate floating mechanism that can be independently analyzed and optimized. This modular approach allows the complex alignment function to be isolated from the basic coupling function, making the overall system more manageable and maintainable
Solution Approach 2:
The floating mechanism is integrated within the male coupling structure in a nested configuration. The alignment compensator components are housed within or alongside the coupling body, minimizing additional space requirements and reducing the apparent complexity of the overall assembly
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 alignment compensation arrangement effectively reduces the effort required for connecting the coupling members by compensating for misalignments, ensuring reliable fluid communication and preventing leakage, thus enhancing the reliability and efficiency of the cooling system.
Implementation Method 1
The compensation spring can be configured to bias the compensation sleeve and the compensation ring axially apart from one another
Implementation Method 2
A tapered interface can be defined between the valve body and at least one of the compensation sleeve and the compensation ring. The tapered interface automatically positions valve body in a centered position in which the valve body axis and the central mounting housing are co-axially aligned
Implementation Method 3
The alignment compensator allows the male coupling to move in a lateral direction, a vertical direction, and at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis defined by the male coupling in order to correct any misalignment during mating
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates generally to a coupling assembly made up of a male fluid coupler and a female fluid coupler for a fluid line. The male and female fluid couplers are closed to flow in the uncoupled state and are open to flow when coupled. The male fluid coupler can include an alignment compensation arrangement that can adjust for any initial misalignment between the male and female fluid couplers. The alignment compensation arrangement can function as a universal connection joint to allow the male fluid coupler to universally pivot and move radially.