Plastic Valve Body Reinforcement for High-Pressure Leak Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Valve bodies made of interconnected plastic housing parts tend to deform under high fluid pressure, leading to leaks at interfaces and requiring complex or costly seals for assembly.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating elongated, rectilinear stiffening elements perpendicular to the valve seat plane within the housing parts to provide additional stiffness and stability, preventing deformation and leaks, and allowing for easy assembly using O-rings for sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If housing parts are interconnected to form a valve body, then assembly is simplified, but deformation occurs under high fluid pressure causing leaks
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body is divided into multiple interconnected plastic housing parts (first housing part, second housing part, and further housing part), each forming specific fluid ducts. This segmentation allows simplified manufacturing and assembly of individual parts while maintaining the functional integrity of the complete valve body.
Solution Approach 2:
Stiffening elements are inserted perpendicular to the plane of the valve seat, extending into multiple housing parts in different spatial directions. These stiffening elements provide reinforcement in the thickness direction of the housing parts, preventing deformation under pressure while maintaining the segmented structure.
2Reliability
If complex seals or screw connections are used to prevent leaks, then sealing integrity is improved, but assembly complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The stiffening elements change the structural parameters of the housing parts by providing additional reinforcement. This structural modification allows the use of simple O-ring seals instead of complex sealing mechanisms, as the stiffening elements prevent the housing parts from deforming under pressure, thereby maintaining sealing integrity with simpler components.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses simple, inexpensive O-ring seals instead of complex, costly sealing mechanisms. The stiffening elements enable these simple seals to maintain their effectiveness by preventing housing deformation, thus replacing expensive sealing solutions with cheaper, simpler components.
3Reliability
If stiffening elements are inserted into housing parts, then deformation is prevented and sealing is improved, but assembly time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stiffening elements are designed to be inserted into recesses in the housing parts before the final assembly step. This preliminary action allows the housing parts to be pre-positioned and stabilized, making the subsequent assembly of the complete valve body faster and more efficient.
Solution Approach 2:
The stiffening elements are nested within recesses in the housing parts, with some stiffening elements extending into multiple housing parts. This nesting arrangement allows the stiffening elements to be integrated into the housing structure without adding significant assembly complexity, as they are incorporated during the assembly process rather than requiring separate installation steps.
4Ease of manufacture
If housing parts are made of plastic, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but stiffness and strength are insufficient under high pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body combines plastic housing parts with metal stiffening elements, creating a composite structure. The plastic parts provide cost-effective manufacturing and corrosion resistance, while the metal stiffening elements provide the necessary structural strength and stiffness to withstand high fluid pressures up to 20 bar.
Solution Approach 2:
The stiffening elements are strategically positioned in specific locations within the housing parts, particularly in areas subject to high stress under pressure. This local reinforcement provides the necessary strength where needed while maintaining the overall lightweight and cost-effective plastic construction of the valve body.
Data Source
AI summary
A valve having a valve body to which an actuator can be fastened is specified, the valve body including at least a first and a second housing part made of plastic, a first fluid duct being formed in the first housing part and a second fluid duct being formed in the second housing part, and at least one of the two fluid ducts opening out at a valve seat, and at least one elongated, rectilinear stiffening element being inserted in sections both into the first housing part and into the second housing part, and the at least one stiffening element being at least approximately perpendicular to a plane in which the at least one valve seat extends.