One-Piece Internal Valve Components for Vibration-Resistant Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flow control valves, such as check and relief valves, require separate manufacturing and assembly of distinct components like a machined poppet, coiled compression spring, and retainer, leading to inefficiencies in processing time, labor, inventory management, and potential vibration and thermal stress issues.
Innovation Solution
Integration of the poppet, spring, and retainer into a single, one-piece internal valve component through machining or 3D printing, providing a unified structure with improved harmonic oscillation control, thermal expansion compensation, and fluid dynamics optimization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If three distinct components (poppet, spring, retainer) are used in conventional valves, then ease of manufacture is improved, but device complexity and assembly time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the poppet, spring, and retainer into a single monolithic component manufactured via additive manufacturing. This integration eliminates the need for separate manufacturing and assembly processes for three distinct parts, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining ease of manufacture through a single printing operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The single monolithic component performs multiple functions simultaneously: the poppet portion controls flow, the spring portion provides biasing force, and the retainer portion secures the assembly. This multi-functionality within one component resolves the contradiction by eliminating the need for multiple specialized parts while maintaining all necessary valve functions.
2Ease of manufacture
If three distinct components are assembled together, then ease of manufacture is improved, but productivity decreases due to assembly time
Solution Approach 1:
By combining three separate components into one monolithic structure, the patent eliminates the assembly step entirely. The single additive manufacturing process produces the complete internal valve component ready for installation, directly improving productivity by removing time-consuming assembly operations while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The additive manufacturing process preliminarily creates the complete assembled structure in a single operation. The spring, retainer, and poppet are formed in their final positions and configurations during the printing process itself, eliminating the need for subsequent assembly operations and thereby increasing productivity.
3Ease of manufacture
If separate components are used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but reliability decreases due to vibration and thermal stress issues
Solution Approach 1:
The monolithic structure eliminates interfaces between separate components, removing potential sources of vibration and thermal stress concentration. The continuous material structure provides superior structural integrity and reliability while maintaining ease of manufacture through additive printing, directly resolving this contradiction.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional three-component design is used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but loss of time increases due to assembly requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges three components into one, eliminating the assembly time required for conventional designs. The single additive manufacturing process produces the complete component in one operation, directly reducing time loss while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The additive manufacturing process skips the entire assembly sequence by directly printing the final monolithic component. This rushing through of the manufacturing process to the final state eliminates intermediate assembly steps and associated time losses.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are one-piece internal valve components that integrally include a combination of conventionally separate components (e.g., poppet (broadly, valve closure member), coil spring (broadly, biasing member), and retainer, etc.). The one-piece internal valve component has a unitary, monolithic, and/or single-piece construction. The one-piece internal valve components may be used in various valves, such as two-piece valves, check valves, relief valves, flow control valves for aircraft hydraulic systems, other flow control valves, etc. Also disclosed herein are exemplary methods of making one-piece valve components, e.g., via machining, additive manufacturing (e.g., 3D printing, etc.), other suitable methods for integrally combining conventionally separate internal valve components (e.g., poppet, spring, and retainer, etc.) into a one-piece internal valve component having a unitary, monolithic, and/or single-piece construction, etc.