External Pressure Regulator Adjustment Without Disassembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pressure regulators, particularly collinear types, require disassembly to adjust output pressure, which is inefficient and inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
An externally adjustable pressure regulator design featuring a body, bonnet, piston, spring, wedging elements, and an adjusting ring that allows for external adjustment of spring compression to regulate output pressure without disassembly, using a threadedly engaged adjusting ring to manipulate the wedging elements and spring force on the piston.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a collinear pressure regulator design is used, then the device structure is simple and compact, but the output pressure cannot be adjusted without disassembling the regulator
Solution Approach 1:
The adjusting ring is nested within the bonnet structure, and the wedging elements are nested within openings in the body. This allows the adjustment mechanism to be integrated into the existing regulator structure without increasing external dimensions or requiring disassembly, enabling external adjustment while maintaining compact design
Solution Approach 2:
Wedging elements serve as intermediaries between the adjusting ring and the spring. When the adjusting ring rotates, it moves the wedging elements which then compress or release the spring, thereby adjusting the output pressure. This intermediary mechanism enables external adjustment without direct contact with internal components, maintaining structural simplicity while improving operability
2Stress or pressure
If the adjusting ring moves wedging elements into the spring to increase compression, then the spring force increases to increase output pressure, but the device requires additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The wedging elements serve multiple functions: they act as levers to amplify the adjustment motion, as seals to prevent leakage around the adjustment mechanism, and as force transmitters to transfer the adjusting ring's motion to the spring. This multi-functionality allows pressure adjustment without requiring additional dedicated components for each function
Solution Approach 2:
The adjusting ring provides dynamic, continuous adjustment capability through rotation, allowing the output pressure to be varied smoothly rather than in discrete steps. The spring compression can be dynamically adjusted to any position within its range, enabling precise pressure control without fixed settings
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 efficient and convenient adjustment of output pressure from an external element, allowing for increased or decreased spring force to control the regulator's operation without disassembling the device, enhancing usability in various applications.
Implementation Method 1
A spring is disposed on the piston. The spring can be, for example, a coil spring.
Implementation Method 2
An adjusting ring engages the wedging elements to move the wedging elements into the spring to increase compression of the spring
Data Source
AI summary
An externally adjustable pressure regulator includes a body having a shoulder, a longitudinal axis and a high pressure inlet. The body has an opening along a side. A bonnet has a regulated pressure outlet and is engaged with the body. A piston is positioned in part in the body and the bonnet. The piston has a shoulder, a longitudinal bore and a transverse bore at about the end thereof in flow communication with the longitudinal bore. A spring is disposed on the piston. A wedging element is positioned in the opening in the body side and is in contact with the spring. An adjusting ring engages the wedging element to move it into the spring to increase compression of the spring and off of the spring to decrease compression. Increasing compression of the spring increases a spring force of the spring on the piston and decreasing compression of the spring decreases the spring force on the piston.