Moulded Plastic Throttle Valve with Metal Insert
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current throttle valves for single-cylinder internal combustion engines in motorcycles are costly and complex to manufacture, with high production costs and material expenses due to their metal components, and they often suffer from wear and limited adaptability for different engine sizes.
Innovation Solution
A throttle valve design featuring a valve body made of moulded plastic with a tubular metal insert, where the shutter slides within the metal insert, reducing wear and allowing for easy adaptation to different engine sizes, combined with an anti-rotation device and a contactless magnetic stroke sensor for precise position detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If metal components are used in the throttle valve, then durability and wear resistance are improved, but production costs and material expenses increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using a metal insert only in the specific area where wear resistance is critical (the operating duct where the shutter slides), while the rest of the valve body remains made of inexpensive molded plastic. This localized application of metal material provides wear resistance exactly where needed without incurring the cost of manufacturing an entirely metal throttle valve.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining molded plastic for the valve body with a metal insert for the operating duct. This composite construction allows the throttle valve to benefit from both the cost-effectiveness and ease of manufacture of plastic and the durability and wear resistance of metal, resolving the contradiction between production cost and reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a cylindrical shutter sliding inside an operating duct is used, then the throttle valve can be adapted to different engine sizes, but manufacturing complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality through the cylindrical shutter design that slides within the operating duct. This standardized cylindrical component can be used across different engine sizes and throttle valve models, allowing a single design to serve multiple applications. The metal insert also serves as both a wear-resistant surface and a structural component, combining multiple functions in one element.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes by varying the dimensions of the cylindrical shutter and operating duct to adapt to different engine sizes while maintaining the same basic design principles. The metal insert can be manufactured in different sizes and configurations to match various engine requirements, allowing the same design approach to be scaled across product families without increasing manufacturing complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the shutter moves between open and closed positions controlled by a Bowden cable, then the throttle control function is achieved, but the components are subject to wear and mechanical failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies mechanics substitution by replacing the traditional mechanical cable-driven shutter control with an electronic actuator system. The electronic actuator directly moves the shutter based on control signals, eliminating the Bowden cable and its associated wear and mechanical failure points. This substitution maintains the throttle control function while significantly improving mechanical durability.
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 significantly reduces production costs, minimizes wear, and allows for a family of throttle valves suitable for various engine sizes, while maintaining high assembly precision and stability.
Implementation Method 1
a contactless magnetic stroke sensor for precise position detection
Data Source
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AI summary
A throttle valve (3) for an internal combustion engine (2) and having: a valve body (4) made of a moulded plastic material; a feeding duct (5) obtained in the valve body (4); an operating duct (7), which is obtained in the valve body (4), is arranged perpendicular to the feeding duct (5), and intersects the feeding duct (5); a shutter (6), which has a cylindrical shape, is designed to be mechanically connected to an accelerator control, engages the feeding duct (5), and moves, translating linearly, on the inside of the operating duct (7); a closing spring (8), which presses against a base of the shutter (6), so as to push the shutter (6) towards the closed position of the feeding duct (5); and a tubular insert (10), which is made of a metal material, is arranged on the inside of the valve body (4) in the area of the operating duct (7), and covers the operating duct (7).