Pilot Cap With Integrated Proportional Valve for Easy Hydraulic Retrofit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing control valves require significant modifications and replacement of valve housings to switch from non-electromagnetic proportional valve control to electromagnetic proportional valve control, making specification changes cumbersome and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A cap with an integrated electromagnetic proportional valve that includes a pilot cap with a spool, a supply port, a discharge port, a primary pressure passage, a secondary pressure passage, and a drain passage, allowing for direct connection of hydraulic pump and tank lines, enabling easy specification changes by replacing the existing cap within the control valve.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the electromagnetic proportional valve is provided separately from the control valve and connected by pipeline, then the valve housing can be replaced to change specification, but the device complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The electromagnetic proportional valve is integrated into the pilot cap, which is mounted on the valve housing. The valve body of the electromagnetic proportional valve forms part of the pilot cap structure, merging two previously separate components into one unified assembly. This integration eliminates the need for separate pipeline connections while maintaining the capability to change specifications by replacing the entire pilot cap assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The pilot cap is designed to accommodate different types of electromagnetic proportional valves through a standardized mounting interface. The oil passages in the pilot cap can be configured to work with various valve types, allowing the same pilot cap structure to serve multiple functions and adapt to different specification requirements without redesigning the entire system.
2Ease of manufacture
If the oil passages are provided in the valve housing in advance, then the electromagnetic proportional valve can be integrated, but the valve housing cannot be easily replaced when specification changes are needed
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into modular components: the valve housing containing the spool and main oil passages, and the separate pilot cap containing the electromagnetic proportional valve and pilot oil passages. This segmentation allows the pilot cap to be replaced independently to change specifications, while the valve housing remains unchanged. The segmentation enables easy adaptation without requiring replacement of the entire valve housing.
Solution Approach 2:
The pilot cap serves as an intermediary component that connects the valve housing to the electromagnetic proportional valve. It contains the pilot oil passages that interface with both the valve housing oil passages and the electromagnetic proportional valve ports. This intermediary structure facilitates easy specification changes by allowing the pilot cap to be swapped while maintaining compatibility with the existing valve housing.
3Ease of operation
If the electromagnetic proportional valve is integrated into the pilot cap, then the pipeline connections are eliminated, but the pilot cap structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The electromagnetic proportional valve is merged with the pilot cap structure, where the valve body of the electromagnetic proportional valve becomes an integral part of the pilot cap. This merging eliminates the need for separate pipeline connections between the pilot cap and the electromagnetic proportional valve, simplifying installation while the internal complexity is managed through careful structural integration.
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
Enables seamless transition from non-electromagnetic to electromagnetic proportional valve control by allowing the cap to be swapped, reducing the need for extensive modifications and facilitating direct pipeline connections, thus simplifying specification changes and enhancing operational flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
an electromagnetic proportional valve mounted on the pilot cap and adapted to control a pressure of a working fluid supplied to the pilot chamber
Implementation Method 2
a primary pressure passage which leads the working fluid at a primary pressure to the electromagnetic proportional valve from the supply port; a secondary pressure passage which leads the working fluid whose pressure is reduced to a secondary pressure by the electromagnetic proportional valve to the pilot chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A cap with electromagnetic proportional valve, includes a pilot cap mounted on a valve housing and defining a pilot chamber, and an electromagnetic proportional valve mounted on the pilot cap and adapted to control a pressure of a working fluid supplied to the pilot chamber. The pilot cap includes a supply port into which a working fluid of a fluid pressure supply source is supplied, a discharge port from which the working fluid is discharged to the tank, a primary pressure passage which leads the working fluid at a primary pressure to the electromagnetic proportional valve from the supply port, a secondary pressure passage which leads the working fluid whose pressure is reduced to a secondary pressure by the electromagnetic proportional valve to the pilot chamber, and a drain passage which leads the working fluid discharged from the electromagnetic proportional valve to the discharge port.