Modular Overflow Valve for High-Pressure Pump
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In fuel injection systems with controlled electric fuel pumps, the need for an overflow valve is eliminated, but existing high-pressure pumps lack a modular and cost-effective solution for attaching or removing an overflow valve without structural changes, limiting their versatility and production simplicity.
Innovation Solution
A modular overflow valve design featuring a valve piston in a central bore of a valve housing with radial bores for inlet and return connections, allowing the overflow valve to be easily attached to high-pressure pumps without structural changes, using a connecting body with rotatable connecting pieces and a press-fit seal, and an external thread for screwing into the pump body, enabling flexible installation and reduced production costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an overflow valve is integrated into the high-pressure pump housing, then the filling pressure can be controlled, but the pump structure becomes more complex and requires structural changes to the pump
Solution Approach 1:
The overflow valve is separated from the high-pressure pump into an independent modular unit that can be optionally attached. This segmentation allows the pump to maintain its simple original structure while enabling pressure control functionality when needed, resolving the contradiction between reliability improvement and structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The overflow valve unit serves multiple functions: it controls filling pressure when attached to the pump, and can be removed when not needed. The standardized interface allows the same pump design to work with or without the overflow valve, providing universal applicability across different fuel injection system configurations
2Ease of manufacture
If the overflow valve is made as a separate modular unit, then production costs decrease and versatility increases, but the attachment to the pump may require additional connection components
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting body integrates multiple functions into a single component: it provides the connection interface to the pump, houses the valve spring, and forms part of the fluid passage structure. This merging reduces the total number of separate parts needed while maintaining modular benefits, lowering production costs without excessive connection complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The standardized connecting body acts as an intermediary element between the overflow valve unit and the pump. It provides a universal interface that simplifies attachment while allowing the pump design to remain unchanged, balancing modular flexibility with connection simplicity
3Device complexity
If the overflow valve uses radial bores for inlet and return connections, then the central bore can serve as the inlet connection, but the angular alignment of connecting pieces becomes critical
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting body is designed to be rotatable relative to the valve housing, allowing dynamic adjustment of the angular position of the connecting pieces. This rotational freedom enables proper alignment during installation while maintaining the simplified radial bore configuration, resolving the contradiction between connection simplicity and alignment requirements
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 design allows for the overflow valve to be easily integrated or removed from high-pressure pumps, reducing pressure losses and damping pressure pulsations, while maintaining compatibility with standard interfaces and simplifying production, thus enhancing the pump's versatility and cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
a valve piston (3) which, for connecting an inlet (4) to a return (5), is accommodated in a central bore (7) of a valve housing (8) so that it can be displaced axially against the spring force of a valve spring (6)
Implementation Method 2
The connection body (11) is surrounded by a sleeve-shaped section (11c) of the connecting body, to which the connection pieces (12, 13) are attached radially
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a bypass valve (1) for a high-pressure pump (2), in particular a plug-in pump, in a fuel injection system of an internal combustion engine, comprising a valve piston (3) which is axially displaceable in a central bore (7) of a valve housing (8) for connecting an inlet (4) with a return (5) against the spring force of a valve spring (6). According to the invention, the valve housing (8) comprises at least two radial bores (9, 10) which are arranged at an axial distance from each other and open into the bore (7), wherein the first radial bore (9) is part of the inlet (4) and the second radial bore (10) is part of the return (5). The invention further relates to a high-pressure pump (2), in particular a plug-in pump, with such a bypass valve (1).