Orthogonal Cooling Valve for Compact Engine Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to effectively place a valve device in a small space around an engine, where conventional arrangements are hindered by the limited space due to the orthogonal arrangement of engine components, such as the driving shaft and auxiliary equipment.
Innovation Solution
A valve device with a housing and a valve body that rotates orthogonally to the engine's driving shaft, featuring multiple openings at different axial positions to control the flow of a cooling medium, allowing for efficient communication between ports and enabling placement in confined engine rooms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the valve device is arranged parallel to the engine's driving shaft, then the valve body can be simply connected to the driving shaft, but the device occupies excessive space in the engine room
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the arrangement dimension of the valve body from parallel to the driving shaft to orthogonal (perpendicular) to the driving shaft. This dimensional change allows the valve device to occupy less space in the engine room by utilizing the orthogonal direction, while the connection structure is simplified through direct coupling between the valve body and driving shaft in this new orientation
2Volume of moving object
If the valve body is arranged orthogonal to the driving shaft, then the space occupancy is reduced, but the connection structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the valve body directly with the driving shaft through a coupled connection structure. This integration eliminates the need for separate connection components and complex assembly mechanisms, thereby simplifying the overall connection structure while maintaining the orthogonal arrangement that reduces space occupancy
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling water control valve controls a flow amount of a cooling medium of an engine, and includes a housing and a valve body. The housing includes output ports. The valve body is enabled to rotate about a central axis in the housing and includes openings. The openings are located at different positions in an axial direction and configured to communicate to the output ports, respectively. The valve body changes a communication degree between the opening and the output port according to a rotational position. The cooling water control valve is placed such that an axial direction of the valve body is substantially orthogonal to an axial direction of a crankshaft of the engine.