Fluid Valve Seal Arrangement for Tolerance Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sealing arrangements in fluid valves, particularly in vehicle cooling systems, face challenges in maintaining a tight seal under large temperature fluctuations and varying length tolerances, leading to potential fluid losses and increased energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A sealing arrangement featuring a first and second separate sealing element, along with an elastically deformable intermediate piece with a concave and convex lateral surface design, which provides a progressive and linear force-displacement characteristic, enhancing the sealing effect and compensating for length tolerances, while minimizing friction and energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional sealing arrangement is used in a fluid valve, then the structure is simple, but the sealing reliability deteriorates under large temperature fluctuations and length tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing arrangement is divided into three separate sealing elements (first sealing element, second sealing element, and intermediate piece) that can independently deform and compensate for tolerances. Each element is separately mounted on the valve body, allowing them to function autonomously while collectively providing reliable sealing under temperature fluctuations and length variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate piece is designed with elastic deformability, allowing its length and shape to change in response to temperature variations and mounting tolerances. This parameter change capability enables the sealing elements to maintain optimal sealing pressure and contact under varying operating conditions, significantly improving sealing reliability.
2Manufacturing precision
If the intermediate piece is made highly elastic to compensate for tolerances, then the tolerance compensation capability improves, but the friction and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate piece features a specifically designed cross-sectional shape with a concave radially outer surface and a convex radially inner surface. This local geometric quality provides elastic deformability for tolerance compensation while controlling the stiffness characteristics to minimize friction during valve body rotation, thereby reducing energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate piece's cross-section incorporates curved surfaces (concave and convex) that allow controlled elastic deformation. These curved geometries enable the intermediate piece to flex and accommodate length tolerances while maintaining smooth contact with the sealing elements, reducing frictional resistance during operation.
3Reliability
If the sealing elements are made rigid to ensure sealing contact, then the sealing effect improves, but the ability to compensate for length tolerances deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing system uses three separate sealing elements instead of a single rigid seal. The first and second sealing elements can be made of rigid or semi-rigid materials to ensure effective sealing contact, while the intermediate piece between them is made elastically deformable to compensate for length tolerances and accommodate thermal expansion.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate piece serves as an intermediary element between the first and second sealing elements. It absorbs length variations and mounting tolerances through elastic deformation, allowing the sealing elements to maintain stable contact and effective sealing without being directly affected by dimensional variations.
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 proposed sealing arrangement achieves a long-term sealing effect with tolerance compensation over a wide range, reducing fluid losses and energy requirements, and is cost-effective with the ability to handle cumulative length tolerances up to 1mm and beyond.
Implementation Method 1
a separate, elastically deformable intermediate piece, which is arranged in an axial direction of the sealing arrangement between a first wall of the first sealing element and a second wall of the second sealing element for elastic spacing of the two sealing elements
Implementation Method 2
The radially outer surface is at least partially concave, and the radially inner surface is at least partially convex. The proposed shape also allows for controlled deformation of the intermediate piece, which, as such, compensates for tolerances over a wide range of length tolerances. This controlled deformation involves not only elastic axial compression of the intermediate piece but also elastic bending of the aforementioned axial section
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a seal arrangement for a fluid valve (FV), comprising: a first, separate seal element (4) for sealing contact against a swivel-adjustable valve body (VK) of the fluid valve (FV), a second, separate seal element (6) for sealing contact against a valve housing (VG) of the fluid valve (FV) and a separate, elastically deformable spacer piece (8), which is arranged in an axial direction (X - X) of the seal arrangement (2) between a first wall (12) of the first seal element (4) and a second wall (14) of the second seal element (6) for elastic spacing of the two seal elements (4, 6), wherein the second wall (14) is opposite the first wall (12), a protrusion arrangement (13) furthermore being formed on the first wall (12), against which protrusion arrangement the spacer piece (8) can be brought into contact under load (F), the protrusion arrangement (13) being arranged interior to the spacer piece (8) in relation to a seal opening (10), such that the spacer piece (8) encloses the protrusion arrangement (13) in a sealing manner, wherein the spacer piece (8) has at least one axial portion, the cross section of which has, in relation to the seal opening (10), a first radial outer shell surface (16) and an opposite second radial inner shell surface (18), the radial outer shell surface (16) being concave at least in portions and the radial inner shell surface (18) being convex at least in portions.