Multi-Valve Rotary Structure for Versatile Thermal Flow Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
As the number of components requiring thermal regulation inside a vehicle increases, existing regulating valves face challenges in providing sufficient fluid passages to form diverse thermal control paths efficiently, leading to complexity and inefficiency in temperature management.
Innovation Solution
The adjustable valve design incorporates multiple valve bodies and an actuating shaft with specific engaging and disengaging structures, allowing for the rotation of multiple valve bodies at different angles to connect and disconnect various fluid passages, enabling flexible and efficient thermal control by forming different flow paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the number of flow ports on the housing is increased to provide more fluid passages, then the versatility of thermal control passages is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body is divided into multiple independent rotatable valve cores (first valve core, second valve core, third valve core, fourth valve core), each capable of independent rotation to control different flow passages. This segmentation allows each valve core to manage specific thermal control paths independently, providing versatility without requiring a single complex multi-port housing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces rotational movement as an additional degree of freedom for controlling fluid flow. Instead of using multiple fixed ports in different spatial arrangements, the valve cores rotate about their respective axes to dynamically open/close passages. This dimensional approach (rotation) replaces the need for increased port count, reducing housing complexity while maintaining thermal control versatility
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple valve bodies are added to create diverse flow paths, then the adaptability of thermal control is improved, but the actuation power required increases due to increased friction
Solution Approach 1:
The actuating shaft is segmented with multiple independent actuating structures (first, second, third, fourth actuating structures) that can selectively engage with corresponding valve cores. Each actuating structure can independently drive its associated valve core without requiring simultaneous movement of all valve cores, thereby reducing the total frictional resistance and required actuation power while maintaining the ability to create diverse flow paths
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic engagement and disengagement of actuating structures with valve cores. The actuating structures can selectively connect to drive only the necessary valve cores for the current thermal control requirement, rather than continuously driving all valve cores. This dynamic operation minimizes frictional losses and reduces the power needed for actuation while preserving adaptability
Data Source
AI summary
A regulating valve has a housing, a first valve body, a second valve body, a third valve body, a fourth valve body, and an actuating shaft. The housing has a first cavity and a second cavity. The first valve body is disposed in the first cavity. The second valve body is disposed in the first cavity, and the first valve body and the second valve body can rotate about a first axis X. The third valve body is disposed in the second cavity. The fourth valve body is disposed in the first cavity, and the third valve body and the fourth valve body can rotate about a second axis Y. The actuating shaft is rotatably disposed in the first cavity, and the actuating shaft can selectively drive one or more of the first valve body, the second valve body, the third valve body, and the fourth valve body to rotate.