Flow Control Valve With Conical Sealing And Radial Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flow control valves are complex and expensive to manufacture, often opening and closing slowly, and their sealing members do not provide consistent or reliable fluid flow control, leading to inefficiencies and potential fluid trapping.
Innovation Solution
A flow control valve design featuring a housing with a conical inner wall surface, a protrusion on the exterior, and a sealing member with a gas-filled cavity, allowing for precise control of fluid flow through a recess aligned with the protrusion, enabling rapid movement and cost-effective manufacturing using a molding process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional flow control valves are used, then fluid flow control is provided, but the valves are complex and expensive to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the sealing member, protrusion, and recess into a single integrated housing structure. The sealing member is formed as an integral part of the housing with the protrusion extending from the exterior surface and the recess formed in the interior passage, eliminating the need for separate components and reducing assembly steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is divided into distinct functional zones: the conical inner wall surface for flow control, the protrusion for external engagement or positioning, and the recess for fluid passage. This segmentation allows each feature to be optimized independently while maintaining overall manufacturing simplicity through injection molding.
2Speed
If conventional flow control valves are used, then fluid flow control is provided, but the valves open and close slowly
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member incorporates a conical inner wall surface with a curved geometry that facilitates smooth, rapid movement between open and closed positions. The conical shape provides a tapered sealing surface that guides the sealing member during transition, reducing friction and enabling faster operation while maintaining consistent sealing.
3Reliability
If conventional sealing members are used, then fluid flow restriction is provided, but the sealing members do not provide consistent or reliable sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing member features a localized conical sealing surface with specific geometric properties optimized for reliable sealing. The conical inner wall surface provides a tapered contact area that distributes sealing pressure evenly, while the integrated protrusion and recess maintain precise positioning and alignment, ensuring consistent sealing performance without adding overall structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
In one general aspect, a flow control valve includes: a housing including a tubular wall surrounding an interior passage, and a flow control section in which the tubular wall includes a conical inner wall surface; a protrusion disposed on an exterior surface of the tubular wall at the flow control section; a sealing member disposed in the housing and configured to be selectively moved to a sealing position in which the sealing member engages the conical inner wall surface to restrict flow of a fluid through the interior passage; and a recess disposed the conical inner wall surface and configured to allow the fluid to flow past the sealing member through the recess when the sealing member is in the sealing position, wherein the recess and the protrusion are radially aligned on the tubular wall.