Blind Mate Fluid Coupling Carrier for Radial and Angular Misalignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional blind mate fluid couplings have insufficient misalignment tolerance, which limits their application in environments with less stringent enclosure tolerances, such as electronic data centers, where more flexibility in alignment is required to maintain manufacturing efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a sealed carrier within the coupler housing that serves as an alignment mechanism for the valve body, allowing for enhanced misalignment compensation through radial and angular movement, enabling proper connection between coupling members with varying diameters to accommodate greater misalignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional blind mate coupling designs are used with standard self-aligning features, then the coupling structure remains simple and manufacturing is straightforward, but the misalignment tolerance is insufficient (only up to 1 mm radial misalignment and essentially zero angular misalignment)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the valve body movable relative to the housing through a carrier mechanism. The valve body can radially move and angularly align itself within the housing, allowing the coupling to dynamically adapt to misaligned positions during the mating process. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the coupling to accommodate up to 1 mm radial misalignment and 5 degrees angular misalignment while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Reliability
If tighter alignment tolerances are required for conventional blind mate couplings, then connection reliability improves, but manufacturing efficiency decreases due to more stringent enclosure tolerance requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the self-service principle by designing the valve body with self-aligning capabilities through the carrier mechanism. During the mating process, the valve body automatically adjusts its position and orientation to achieve proper alignment with the mating coupling, without requiring external alignment tools or procedures. This self-alignment feature ensures reliable fluid-tight connections while maintaining loose enclosure tolerances, thereby preserving manufacturing efficiency in applications such as electronic data centers.
Data Source
AI summary
A coupling member for a blind mate fluid coupling includes a housing and a fluid connector fixed in position relative to the housing for connecting to a fluid conduit of the system. A valve body movable relative to the housing includes a fluid passage that is fluidly connected to the connector. A carrier is at least partially disposed in the housing and is radially movable relative to the housing. The carrier is configured to cooperate with the valve body to facilitate alignment of the valve body when coupling to another coupling member. The carrier may form a portion of the fluid passage between the connector and valve body, and includes a sealing arrangement that permits radial and/or angular misalignment compensation of the design. Varying diameters of the insertion part or receiving part of the coupling member may be provided for further enhancing misalignment compensation of the design.