Latching Valve Shuttle Mechanism for High Air Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solenoid valves face restrictions in air flow due to smaller port diameters, making it impractical to choose valves with larger diameters due to size and cost constraints in air-operated devices.
Innovation Solution
A latching valve system with a housing containing supply, delivery, exhaust, apply, and release ports, and a shuttle mechanism that moves between apply and release positions based on pilot pressures, allowing fluid communication between these ports to manage air flow without the need for springs, using the supply pressure to latch the shuttle in position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If solenoid valves use smaller port diameters to control air flow, then the valve size and cost are reduced, but the air flow capacity is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The valve is divided into multiple functional ports including supply port, delivery port, exhaust port, apply port, and release port. The segmentation of air flow paths allows the valve to achieve high air flow capacity through the supply and delivery ports while maintaining a compact overall valve size through the use of smaller control ports for pilot pressure regulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces apply port and release port as intermediary control ports that receive pilot pressures to control the main air flow. These intermediary ports enable indirect control of the high-capacity supply and delivery ports, allowing the main ports to be optimized for air flow while the control ports remain small for compact valve design.
2Quantity of substance
If solenoid valves use smaller port diameters, then the valve size and cost are reduced, but the air flow through the valve is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single integrated valve body housing that contains supply port, delivery port, exhaust port, apply port, and release port. This merging of functions into one compact structure achieves high air flow capacity without proportionally increasing device complexity or requiring multiple separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve housing serves multiple functions simultaneously: it contains the main air flow paths (supply to delivery), exhaust paths, and pilot pressure control paths (apply and release ports). This multi-functionality allows the valve to achieve high air flow capacity while maintaining a compact, cost-effective single-piece structure.
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 system effectively manages air flow by switching the shuttle between positions, maintaining the latch without springs, and optimizing air flow through the valve system, addressing the limitations of smaller port diameters in existing solenoid valves.
Implementation Method 1
An apply valve supplies an apply pilot pressure to the apply port as a function of a state of the apply valve
Implementation Method 2
A release valve supplies a release pilot pressure to the release port as a function of a state of the release valve
Implementation Method 3
A shuttle, sealingly and movably secured in the bore, is set to one of an apply position and a release position as a function of the respective apply and release pilot pressures at the apply and release ports
Data Source
AI summary
A latching valve system includes a housing, a supply port defined in the housing, a delivery port defined in the housing, an exhaust port defined in the housing, an apply port defined in the housing, and a release port defined in the housing. The apply port is sealingly fluidly isolated from the supply port, the delivery port, and the exhaust port. The release port is sealingly fluidly isolated from the supply port, the delivery port, and the exhaust port. An apply valve supplies an apply pilot pressure to the apply port as a function of a state of the apply valve. A release valve supplies a release pilot pressure to the release port as a function of a state of the release valve. A bore, defined in the housing, fluidly communicates with the supply port, the delivery port, the exhaust port, the apply port, and the release port. A shuttle, sealingly and movably secured in the bore, is set to one of an apply position and a release position as a function of the respective apply and release pilot pressures at the apply and release ports. The delivery port fluidly communicates with the supply port while the shuttle is in the apply position. The delivery port fluidly communicates with the exhaust port while the shuttle is in the release position.