Heat Source Unit Shut-Off Valve Orientation for Easy Tool Access
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat source units for refrigeration apparatuses with horizontally oriented shut-off valves make it difficult to insert tools and operate the valves due to their horizontal orientation, leading to cumbersome maintenance and installation processes.
Innovation Solution
The shut-off valves are positioned in a diagonal upward orientation within a dedicated space, allowing tool insertion from above, and the casing is modified with cut-out portions to facilitate easy access and avoid interference with other components, enabling easier operation and installation without the need for additional covers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the shut-off valve is disposed with the valve-operating part oriented horizontally, then the valve can be installed in the conventional heat source unit structure, but it becomes difficult to insert a tool into the valve-operating part and operate the shut-off valve
Solution Approach 1:
The valve-operating part is reoriented from a horizontal orientation to an upward orientation, changing the dimension of access from lateral to vertical. This allows tools to be inserted from above rather than from the side, resolving the contradiction by enabling easy operation while maintaining a compact installation structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the valve-operating part extend horizontally outward from the valve body, the design inverts this arrangement by having the valve-operating part extend upward. This inversion allows tool access from the top direction, making operation easier while keeping the valve body integrated into the heat source unit.
2Ease of operation
If the shut-off valve is positioned with the valve-operating part oriented upward, then tools can be easily inserted and the valve can be operated, but the valve may interfere with the above-shut-off-valve member
Solution Approach 1:
The space above the shut-off valve is specifically designed with a cut-out portion that provides localized clearance for the valve-operating part. This local modification allows the valve-operating part to extend upward for easy tool access without interfering with the above-shut-off-valve member, as the cut-out creates a dedicated clearance zone.
Solution Approach 2:
The casing is segmented by introducing a cut-out portion that separates the space above the shut-off valve from the rest of the casing interior. This segmentation creates a dedicated space for the valve-operating part to move freely upward without colliding with other components, resolving the interference issue.
3Ease of operation
If the casing is modified with cut-out portions to facilitate access to the shut-off valve, then operation and maintenance become easier, but the overall structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The cut-out portions are pre-formed into the casing structure during manufacturing, rather than requiring post-installation modifications. This preliminary action ensures that the casing is ready to accommodate the upward-oriented valve-operating parts from the start, facilitating easy operation and maintenance without adding complex assembly steps.
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 configuration simplifies the operation and maintenance of shut-off valves by allowing easy tool access and reduces the overall size requirements for the heat source unit, enhancing operational efficiency and installation convenience.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between a refrigerant and air
Implementation Method 2
a fan that horizontally blows out air passing through the heat exchanger
Data Source
AI summary
A heat source unit for a refrigeration apparatus. The heat source unit includes: a casing; a heat exchanger disposed in an internal space of the casing, and that performs heat exchange between a refrigerant and air; a fan disposed in the internal space of the casing, and that horizontally blows out the air passing through the heat exchanger; a shut-off valve including a valve main body that forms a flow channel where the refrigerant flows, a valve-operating part with a longitudinal axis, and a valve body that is threaded into the valve-operating part and that is movable with respect to the valve-operating part for opening and closing the flow channel; and an above-shut-off-valve member disposed in the casing and above the shut-off valve in a vertical direction of the heat source unit.