Modular Fluid Valve Housing for Custom Low-Wiring Configurations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing valve systems for seating applications face challenges with customer-specific adaptability, leading to excessive component costs and form factor due to integrated or compound solutions that require separate connections and multiple valves, resulting in complex wiring and higher manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A modular fluid valve system comprising a housing with valve members and actuators, allowing for customizable configurations through interconnectable modules with shared components, reducing the need for individual valves and simplifying production and logistics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If integrated valve solutions are used to provide customer-specific functions, then the system can be customized for specific customer requirements, but the component costs and form factor become excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The valve system is divided into modular valve modules, each containing a housing with fluid feed partition, valve body partitions, and valve members. These modules can be selectively combined to create customized valve systems for different customer requirements, avoiding the need for excessive components while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The standardized housing design with common fluid feed partition and valve body partitions can serve multiple functions across different applications. The modular architecture allows the same basic module to be used in various configurations, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining customer-specific adaptability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If compound solutions with several separate valves are used, then customer-specific functions can be provided, but the component costs, form factor, and manufacturing costs increase due to excessive cables, electrical plugs and pneumatic tubes
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple valve functions are merged into a single integrated housing structure with shared fluid feed partition and common valve body partitions. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate cables, electrical plugs, and pneumatic tubes that would be required for multiple standalone valves, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and wiring complexity while maintaining the ability to provide customer-specific functions.
3Volume of moving object
If smaller valves of compound solutions are used, then the valve size is reduced, but the component costs and form factor increase along with manufacturing costs
Solution Approach 1:
The valve system uses compact modular units with integrated housing and valve members, allowing small valve sizes while avoiding the need for multiple separate components. The standardized design enables cost-effective manufacturing even at small scales.
Solution Approach 2:
The standardized small valve modules can be used across multiple applications and configurations, enabling economies of scale in manufacturing. The same basic module design can serve different customer-specific functions, reducing per-unit costs despite the small size.
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid valve module (10), a fluid valve system (20) and methods (30A, 30B) of producing the same are provided. The fluid valve module (10) comprises a housing and a plurality of valve members (103). The housing comprises a housing body (101) and a housing cover (108). The housing body (101) comprises a fluid feed partition (104), a plurality of valve body partitions (105), and a plurality of valve ports (106). The housing body (101) further comprises wall openings (107) between an interior of the fluid feed partition (104) and an exterior of the housing body (101). The valve body partitions (105) are each shaped for mating with the housing cover (108) in a fluid-tight manner, and are each in fluid communication with the fluid feed partition (104) and at least one of the valve ports (106). The valve members (103) are each arranged in a respective valve body partition (105) for controlling a passage of a fluid from the fluid feed partition (104) via the respective valve body partition (105) to the at least one of the valve ports (106).