Pressure-Retained Slide Valve for Ventilation Air Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ventilation systems face challenges in controlling air flow efficiently and minimizing leakage and noise due to the need for complex and unreliable slide valve designs that fail to close tightly, leading to energy waste and unwanted noise.
Innovation Solution
A slide valve device with a flexible and lightweight plate that utilizes pressure differences to ensure tight closure without additional fixing mechanisms, featuring a design with a thickness of less than 0.35 mm and made from materials like polyester film, allowing for easy adjustment between closed and open positions using a drawing arm mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional slide valve design is used to control air flow, then the valve can be adjusted between open and closed positions, but the valve fails to close tightly causing leakage and energy waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the pressure difference between the high-pressure side (supply side) and low-pressure side (exhaust side) as a counterbalancing force to hold the slide valve plate against the vent surface. This pressure differential creates a suction force that acts as a natural retaining mechanism, eliminating the need for additional mechanical retention devices while ensuring tight closure and preventing air leakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The slide valve plate is designed to be retained by the pressure difference itself, making the system self-regulating. The valve automatically maintains its closed position through the pressure differential without requiring external retaining mechanisms, simplifying the overall device structure while ensuring reliable tight closure.
2Reliability
If additional fixing mechanisms are added to ensure tight closure, then the valve closes more reliably, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for additional fixing mechanisms by utilizing the naturally occurring pressure difference between supply and exhaust sides. The slide valve plate is retained solely by this pressure differential, removing complex retention structures and simplifying the overall valve design while maintaining reliable tight closure.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure difference within the ventilation system itself serves as the retaining force, making the system self-sufficient. The slide valve plate automatically maintains its closed position through the pressure differential without requiring external retaining mechanisms, simplifying the overall device structure while ensuring reliable tight closure.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a thick and rigid slide valve plate is used, then the valve maintains structural stability, but the weight increases and friction during movement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a thin and flexible slide valve plate that relies on the pressure difference to maintain its closed position against the vent surface. The plate's flexibility allows it to conform to the vent surface for a tight seal, while its thin construction minimizes weight and friction during movement. The pressure differential provides the necessary structural support during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure difference between supply and exhaust sides creates a suction force that counteracts the weight of the thin slide valve plate, holding it firmly against the vent surface. This counterbalancing force allows the use of lightweight materials and thin construction without compromising the valve's ability to maintain tight closure.
4Reliability
If additional retention devices are added to hold the slide valve in place, then the valve remains securely positioned, but the mechanism for switching positions becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the need for additional retention devices by utilizing the pressure difference between supply and exhaust sides as the retaining force. The slide valve plate is held in place solely by this pressure differential, eliminating complex retention structures and simplifying the switching mechanism while maintaining reliable position retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure difference within the ventilation system automatically retains the slide valve plate in its closed position, making the system self-regulating. This eliminates the need for external retention mechanisms and simplifies the overall switching mechanism while ensuring the valve remains securely positioned during operation.
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
The solution effectively reduces energy waste and noise by ensuring a tight seal with minimal weight and friction, allowing for efficient control of air flow without the need for extra retention devices, and simplifies the mechanism for switching between open and closed positions.
Implementation Method 1
The slide valve is thus positioned on that side of the vent surface that normally has a higher pressure, the high pressure side, than the other side, the low pressure side, such that the pressure difference between the two sides of the slide valve ensures that the slide valve is tight along the vent surface
Implementation Method 2
The force from a pressure difference between the high pressure side and the low pressure side is enough to keep the slide valve plate in its position when it is located on the high pressure side of the vent
Data Source
Figure 1~4
AI summary
The present invention relates to a valve device (1) for a ventilation installation. The valve device (1) comprises a vent surface (4) that is equipped with a plurality of vent apertures (5) and a slide valve (6) comprising a slide valve plate (7) equipped with a plurality of slide valve apertures (8). The valve plate formed such that it can be varied between taking a first position (I) at which the vent apertures (5) are covered by the slide valve plate (7), and taking a second position (II) at which at least some vent apertures (5) have surfaces that overlap with some slide valve apertures (8) such that an air flow is permitted through the valve device (1). The valve device (1) is designed such that when the slide valve plate (7) is positioned on that side of the vent surface (4) that normally has a relatively higher pressure, the high pressure side (9), than the other side, the low pressure side (10). The slide valve plate (7) is formed such that the force from the pressure difference between the high pressure side (9) and the low pressure side (10) is sufficient to retain the slide valve plate in its place at the vent surface (4) when it is in the first, closed position (I).