Flow Control Valve Self-Aligning Spherical Armature
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flow control valves face challenges in mass production and operation reliability due to the need for high precision in contact between the valve spool and armature to avoid unsmooth movement and leakage, which increases complexity and costs.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a valve spool with a convex curved surface and a resilient member, along with a solenoid linear actuator having a spherical crown body and surface, allowing for automatic alignment and reduced alignment precision, and a compact structure with different bore diameters to facilitate smooth sliding and fluid flow, thereby reducing production costs and improving reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high precision contact between valve spool and armature is required to avoid unsmooth movement and leakage, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The armature is designed with a spherical head and the valve spool features a corresponding spherical recess. This spherical configuration enables automatic self-alignment during assembly, eliminating the need for high-precision manual alignment between the armature and valve spool. The curved surfaces naturally guide the components into proper contact, resolving the technical contradiction by maintaining reliability through precise contact while reducing manufacturing precision requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The spherical head and recess design allows the valve spool and armature to self-align automatically during assembly without requiring external alignment tools or procedures. The geometry itself provides the alignment function, making the system self-servicing in terms of alignment, thus improving reliability while simplifying manufacturing.
2Reliability
If high precision contact between valve spool and armature is required to avoid unsmooth movement, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical geometry of the armature head and valve spool recess inherently provides the alignment function, eliminating the need for complex alignment mechanisms, adjustment procedures, or specialized tooling. The curved surfaces guide the components into proper contact automatically, reducing device complexity while maintaining reliable operation.
3Reliability
If inner diameters of various portions of valve are precisely configured to avoid leakage, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical contact surfaces between the armature and valve spool provide a larger contact area compared to traditional flat or point contacts. This distributed contact reduces the stress concentration and allows for more tolerant inner diameter configurations in the valve body, achieving reliable sealing while reducing manufacturing precision requirements for the bore dimensions.
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 enhances the reliability and cost-effectiveness of flow control valves by minimizing the need for high precision alignment, reducing unsmooth sliding issues, and enabling more efficient mass production while maintaining smooth fluid flow and lubrication.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient member 40, disposed inside the valve body 10 and in communication with the valve spool 20... Under the action of the linear actuator and the restoring spring, the valve spool is positioned at different locations
Implementation Method 2
a solenoid linear actuator 30... Under the action of the linear actuator and the restoring spring, the valve spool is positioned at different locations to allow different fluid ports to be in communication with the hollow chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A flow control valve includes a valve body having an bore and a plurality of fluid ports in communication with the bore. A valve spool is axially slidably disposed in the valve body, and an end portion of an end of the valve spool has a convex curved surface. A linear actuator is disposed at one end of the valve body and includes an armature slidable along an axial direction of the valve spool. The armature includes a head portion having a convex curved surface configured to abut against the end portion of the valve spool. The engagement structure between the valve spool and the armature of the flow control valve is improved, which enables the valve spool and the armature to be automatically aligned. This reduces the precision requirement of contact between the valve spool and armature, which facilitates mass production and reduces cost of the valves.