Hollow Spool Assembly with Insert Divider for Hydraulic Valves
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional spools in hydraulic valves are massive and require significant energy to move, leading to slow movements and reduced responsiveness in hydraulic systems, which can necessitate additional components to offset these issues.
Innovation Solution
A spool assembly with a hollow cylindrical body and an insert that axially divides the space, featuring radially oriented orifices and lands to facilitate fluid communication between passages with minimal energy displacement, allowing for improved responsiveness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a conventional spool is used in a hydraulic valve, then the valve structure is simple and robust, but the spool mass is large requiring significant energy to move and resulting in slow response
Solution Approach 1:
The spool assembly is divided into separate components: a spool body and an insert that can be independently positioned. The insert is held stationary by detents engaged with detent recesses, while only the spool body moves during valve operation. This segmentation reduces the moving mass significantly while maintaining the structural integrity and flow control functions of the complete spool assembly.
2Speed
If a conventional spool is used in a hydraulic valve, then the valve structure is simple and robust, but the spool movements are slow reducing hydraulic system responsiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The spool assembly is divided into separate components: a spool body and an insert that can be independently positioned. The insert is held stationary by detents engaged with detent recesses, while only the spool body moves during valve operation. This segmentation reduces the moving mass significantly, enabling faster spool body movement and improved hydraulic system responsiveness.
3Use of energy by moving object
If a hollow spool with internal block is used, then the spool mass is reduced improving responsiveness, but the block displaces oil during movement requiring significant energy
Solution Approach 1:
The spool assembly is segmented into a hollow spool body and a separate insert. The insert contains internal flow passages and is held stationary by detents, while the hollow spool body moves freely. This configuration reduces moving mass and eliminates fluid displacement during movement, as the hollow interior allows fluid to pass through without being displaced by the moving walls.
Solution Approach 2:
The spool body is designed with a hollow interior that allows hydraulic fluid to pass through during movement. This porous-like structure enables fluid flow through the moving component rather than displacing it, significantly reducing the energy required to move the spool and eliminating energy losses associated with fluid displacement.
Data Source
AI summary
A spool assembly is disclosed for use in a valve. The spool assembly may have a cylindrical body that is hollow and has a least one radially oriented orifice that passes through a wall of the cylindrical body. The spool assembly may also have an insert slidably disposed inside the cylindrical body. The insert may have a land that axially divides a space inside the cylindrical body.