Adjustable Pressure Limiting Valve With Lockable Spring Setting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing adjustable pressure limiting (APL) valves face challenges in achieving accurate and consistent maximum limit pressure due to variations in spring force and manufacturing tolerances, leading to potential underperformance or overperformance in gas flow regulation.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a first valve cap that adjusts the spring force and a second valve cap that locks in place to prevent further adjustment, allowing for precise setting and adjustment of the maximum pressure during assembly and use, while ensuring the pressure remains within a predetermined range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a slightly stronger spring is used to ensure all valves achieve the target pressure, then the reliability of achieving minimum target pressure is improved, but the maximum limit pressure becomes too high and the valve may not open at all
Solution Approach 1:
The valve cap is made rotatable to allow dynamic adjustment of the spring compression, transforming a static pressure setting into a dynamically adjustable parameter. This enables each valve to be individually tuned to achieve the exact target pressure despite spring force variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustable valve cap allows changing the compression parameter of the spring to optimize the pressure setting. By rotating the cap, the compression distance is modified, which directly changes the spring force and thus the valve opening pressure, enabling precise control over the maximum limit pressure.
2Reliability
If the spring force is increased to compensate for manufacturing tolerances, then the consistency across valves is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates as higher pressure is needed to open the valve
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable valve cap provides a dynamic adjustment mechanism that allows operators to fine-tune the spring compression after assembly. This compensates for manufacturing tolerances in spring force while maintaining ease of operation by allowing post-assembly optimization of the opening pressure.
3Device complexity
If the maximum limit pressure is set during manufacture with a fixed stop, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision requirement increases to achieve reliable threshold across batches
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure setting function is segmented into two independent parts: a fixed stop that defines the maximum rotation limit (simple manufacturing) and an adjustable valve cap that allows precise pressure tuning (operational flexibility). This segmentation reduces manufacturing precision requirements while maintaining device simplicity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the valve cap is made adjustable to allow pressure tuning, then the adaptability is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional adjustment mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The valve cap serves multiple functions: it compresses the spring to set the pressure, it can be rotated to adjust the compression amount, and it prevents over-compression through the fixed stop. This multi-functionality provides adaptability without requiring separate adjustment mechanisms, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
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 solution enables accurate and consistent setting of the maximum pressure threshold, accommodating variations in springs and manufacturing tolerances, ensuring reliable operation across different valves and batches, while allowing for adjustable pressure settings during use.
Implementation Method 1
the biasing force from the biasing element can be increased by rotating a part of the valve top to compress the spring
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
The present invention relates to adjustable flow control valves, for example to an Adjustable Pressure Limiting (APL) valve. The adjustable valve (2) described comprises a valve body (4) comprising a valve seat (6), a valve member (10) movable relative to the valve seat (6), a first valve cap (20), a second valve cap (50) and a biasing element (30) to bias the valve member (10) away from the first valve cap (20). The first valve cap (20) is movable to increase the biasing force applied by the biasing element (30). The second valve cap (50) is engageable with the first valve cap (20) to prevent such movement of the first valve cap (20) beyond a selected position, but to allow movement of the first valve cap (20) in an opposite direction, way from said position.