Guide-Ball Valve Assembly for Brake Pressure Oscillation Noise
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle braking systems with ABS and ESP functionality face noise issues due to pressure oscillations caused by hydraulic resistances, which are dependent on flow speed and fluid properties, and suffer from reduced performance over the vehicle's service life due to abrasion and geometry changes in resilient friction elements.
Innovation Solution
A valve subassembly with a closure member guided by at least one guiding ball, which adjusts automatically to maintain axial and radial alignment, reducing oscillations and ensuring consistent performance over the vehicle's life, and featuring a pretensioning force that acts at an angle to minimize noise and improve flow stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If hydraulic resistances with significant throttling are used to dampen pressure pulses, then noise is reduced, but the load on the drive increases and conveying capacity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The closure member is configured with a variable flow cross-section that changes dynamically based on flow conditions. During normal operation, the closure member maintains a larger opening to preserve conveying capacity. During pressure pulses, the closure member responds by reducing the flow cross-section to dampen oscillations, thus adapting the throttling effect to operational needs rather than using constant significant throttling.
2Adaptability or versatility
If variable throttles with closure members loaded by spring or magnet are used, then flow cross section can be adjusted, but flow forces cause translational and rotational oscillation leading to noise
Solution Approach 1:
The closure member is configured as a ball (spherical shape) that rotates within the valve body. This spherical geometry eliminates rotational oscillation about the ball's center since it is symmetric in all directions. The ball can only move along its insertion axis, converting potential rotational oscillation into simple translational movement along a single degree of freedom, thereby reducing noise from oscillation.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure member features an asymmetric flow cross-section design where the opening is larger on one side than the other. This asymmetric configuration creates a center of pressure that is offset from the geometric center, generating a moment that counteracts flow-induced oscillations and stabilizes the closure member's position during variable flow conditions.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If resilient friction elements are used to damp oscillations, then oscillation suppression is achieved, but abrasion and geometry changes reduce effectiveness over service life
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the resilient friction element damping mechanism with a ball closure member system. Instead of relying on friction and elasticity that degrade over time, the oscillation suppression is achieved through the inertial properties of the ball and the geometric design of the flow channel. The ball's mass and the channel geometry provide passive oscillation suppression that does not depend on material properties subject to wear or aging.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If closure members with defined axial and radial guiding are used, then oscillations are reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the guiding mechanism from requiring precise axial and radial alignment of the closure member to a system where the ball is guided along its insertion axis by simple stops. The guiding requirement is reduced to a single linear direction rather than multi-axis precision, significantly relaxing manufacturing tolerances while still achieving oscillation suppression through the ball's inertial response to flow changes.
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 solution effectively reduces noise and maintains performance over the vehicle's service life by compensating for dimensional errors and tolerances, reducing production costs, and allowing for adjustable oscillation reduction and flow characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
the closure member is axially and/or radially guided by means of at least one guiding ball, wherein the at least one guiding ball is arranged between the closure member and a lateral delimitation of the fluid channel
Implementation Method 2
the pretensioning force acts at an angle on the closure member via the at least one guiding ball and tensions the at least one guiding ball with the closure member so that a resultant force on the closure member has an axially active closure component and a transverse component which acts perpendicularly to the closure component
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a valve assembly, comprising a valve body, in which a fluid channel is formed that connects a fluid inlet to a fluid outlet, wherein a preload force is applied to a closing body, which is movably mounted in the fluid channel, in the direction of a valve seat formed in the valve body, a fluid force acting on the closing body against the preload force in order to open the valve seat. The closing body is guided axially and/or radially by at least one guide ball, the guide ball being arranged between the closing body and a lateral boundary of the fluid channel.