Polymer Twin-Jet Piston Cooling Nozzle for Precise Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Piston cooling nozzles in internal combustion engines face challenges with assembly repeatability, weight, and cost due to their complex metal construction, which requires soldering and multiple components, making them difficult to manufacture and assemble uniformly.
Innovation Solution
A fluid nozzle made from a single block of plastic or polymer material with a conduit structure and discharge ports, eliminating the need for soldering and reducing components, allowing for precise dimensioning and positioning, and incorporating a metal insert for improved attachment and positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a metal nozzle with multiple components is used, then strength and durability are improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple metal components (supply body, tube, end cap) into a single integrated plastic nozzle structure. The plastic body incorporates the supply body, conduit, and discharge end as one unified component, eliminating the need for separate parts and their complex assembly relationships.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite construction by integrating a plastic body with a metal insert. The plastic material provides the main structural framework while the metal insert reinforces specific areas requiring higher strength, creating a hybrid structure that balances weight reduction with mechanical performance.
2Reliability
If a metal nozzle with multiple components is used, then durability is improved, but manufacturing cost and assembly complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the supply body, conduit, and discharge end into a single molded plastic component, eliminating multiple welding and assembly operations. This unified structure reduces assembly steps and potential failure points from component joining, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The plastic-metal composite construction allows the use of injection molding for the plastic body (easy to manufacture) combined with a metal insert for strength-critical areas. This hybrid approach enables efficient manufacturing through standard molding processes while ensuring durability in high-stress regions.
3Strength
If a metal nozzle is used, then structural strength is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a plastic body for the main nozzle structure, which is significantly lighter than metal, while incorporating a metal insert only in areas requiring enhanced strength. This selective reinforcement minimizes weight while maintaining structural integrity where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal insert is placed locally in the plastic body only where structural reinforcement is required, rather than using metal throughout the entire nozzle. This localized strengthening approach reduces overall weight while providing strength precisely where the plastic material needs support.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a multi-component metal nozzle is used, then adaptability is improved, but assembly precision and repeatability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the supply body, conduit, and discharge end into a single molded plastic component with precision-formed internal passages and discharge ports. This eliminates assembly operations and ensures consistent positioning of fluid pathways, improving repeatability while maintaining adaptability through design flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle design incorporates pre-formed attachment features and positioning elements during the molding process, ensuring correct orientation and positioning before assembly. The discharge ports and conduit connections are precisely formed in the molding step, eliminating the need for post-assembly alignment and improving manufacturing precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid nozzle element comprising a supply body with an attachment face and a bearing face opposite the attachment face and an axial passageway between the attachment face and the bearing face, the axial passageway communicating with a transverse opening provided in the supply body, further comprising a conduit structure communicating with the transverse opening extending laterally relative to the supply body to which it is connected by a first end, further comprising a free end forming a discharge end comprising a discharge port for discharging a fluid, the supply body and the conduit structure being comprised in a block made of a polymeric material.