Motorized Regulating Valve with Coaxial Piston and Hermetic Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current refrigeration fluid regulating valves face challenges in achieving precise coaxiality between translating and rotary components, ensuring a reliable hermetic seal, and reducing sliding friction, while being cost-effective and simple to manufacture.
Innovation Solution
The valve features a monolithic tubular jacket that surrounds the rotor and piston, providing coaxiality, and uses a threaded ring and laser weld connector for a hermetic seal, along with a cold-drawn stainless steel cylinder to minimize friction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If sophisticated coupling is used to ensure coaxiality of stem with cylinder, then coaxiality precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the coupling function into the cylinder structure itself. The cylinder is designed with an integrated coupling mechanism that inherently provides coaxiality between the stem and cylinder, eliminating the need for separate sophisticated coupling components. This integration maintains manufacturing precision while reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling mechanism is segmented into modular components within the cylinder structure, allowing for easier manufacturing and assembly. The cylinder is divided into functional sections that independently ensure coaxiality, simplifying the overall design while maintaining precision.
2Reliability
If welding is used to ensure hermetic connection of sleeve to fixed core, then sealing reliability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the welding process with a mechanical connection system. The sleeve is connected to the fixed core through precision-machined mechanical interfaces that provide hermetic sealing without requiring welding. This substitution maintains sealing reliability while significantly reducing manufacturing complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection method is changed from thermal (welding) to mechanical parameters. By designing the sleeve and fixed core with complementary mechanical features such as tapered surfaces or interference fits, the patent achieves hermetic sealing through mechanical force and geometry rather than thermal bonding, reducing manufacturing requirements.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional connection methods are used for sleeve to fixed core, then ease of manufacture is improved, but sealing reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality enhancement at the critical sealing interface between the sleeve and fixed core. While the overall connection method remains simple and easy to manufacture, the specific sealing surface is designed with enhanced geometric features or material properties that ensure hermetic sealing at this critical location without requiring complex manufacturing throughout the entire assembly.
4Ease of repair
If multiple separate components are used for flow control device, then ease of repair is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow control device is segmented into distinct functional modules that can be independently manufactured, assembled, and replaced. The piston, cylinder, and flow control elements are designed as separable components, allowing for easy repair and replacement of individual parts without replacing the entire device, while maintaining a manageable level of overall complexity through standardized interfaces.
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 achieves precise coaxiality, a reliable hermetic seal, and reduced sliding friction, enhancing the valve's performance and manufacturability while maintaining low production costs.
Implementation Method 1
a laser weld connector (30), which connects the threaded ring (28) to the tubular jacket (20)
Implementation Method 2
a screw-and-nut coupling (25), which converts a rotation of the rotary core (23) into a translational motion of the stem (24)
Implementation Method 3
a guided coupling (26), which allows the stem (24) to slide along the fixed core (22)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A regulating valve comprising - a valve body (11), which has an inlet (12) and an outlet (13) for fluid, which are connected by a connecting opening (14), - a flow control device (15) for the connecting opening (14), inserted in an appropriately provided seat (16) formed in the valve body (11). The flow control device (15) in turn comprises - a piston (17) for controlling flow within the connecting opening (14) which is functionally connected to an electric motor (18) adapted to make it slide within a cylinder (19) along a sliding axis (A), - a monolithic tubular jacket (20) that surrounds, determining its coaxiality, the rotor (21) of the electric motor (18) and the flow control piston (18), further providing the cylinder (19).