Self-Actuating Sliding Valve for Alternating Liquid Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing line systems for alternately opening and closing liquid transport lines, such as those used in shower devices for alternating hot and cold water delivery, require external actuating elements like electromagnets, which can be energy-intensive and complex.
Innovation Solution
The line system utilizes fluid pressure to actuate a sliding valve, where the pressure in the blocked line acts on a control chamber to move the valve, alternately blocking and opening the lines without external actuation, using a control chamber with a spring and a bypass valve for fluid exchange to regulate the switching intervals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If external actuating elements like electromagnets are used to actuate the slide valve, then the valve can be reliably controlled to alternate between blocking and opening lines, but the system becomes energy-intensive and structurally complex
Solution Approach 1:
The slide valve actuates itself using the fluid pressure from the lines it controls. The blocked line's pressure builds up in a control chamber, automatically moving the slide valve when a limit pressure is reached, eliminating the need for external actuators like electromagnets
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses hydraulic pressure from the liquid lines to control the slide valve position. The control chamber receives pressure from the blocked line, and this hydraulic pressure directly actuates the slide valve mechanism, replacing electrical actuators with a purely hydraulic control system
2Reliability
If external actuating elements like electromagnets are used to actuate the slide valve, then the valve can be reliably controlled to alternate between blocking and opening lines, but the system becomes energy-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The slide valve actuates itself using the fluid pressure from the lines it controls. The blocked line's pressure builds up in a control chamber, automatically moving the slide valve when a limit pressure is reached, eliminating the need for external actuators like electromagnets
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses hydraulic pressure from the liquid lines to control the slide valve position. The control chamber receives pressure from the blocked line, and this hydraulic pressure directly actuates the slide valve mechanism, replacing electrical actuators with a purely hydraulic control system
3Device complexity
If the slide valve is actuated by fluid pressure in the blocked line acting on a control chamber, then the system becomes simple and energy-saving, but the switching frequency depends on pressure buildup time which may be slow
Solution Approach 1:
The control chamber is pre-loaded with pressure from the blocked line, so when the slide valve moves to block a line, the pressure is already present and ready to actuate the valve. This eliminates delays associated with pressure buildup and enables rapid switching
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the pressure from the blocked line itself as feedback to control the slide valve. When a line is blocked, its pressure increases and automatically feeds back to the control chamber to actuate the valve, creating a self-regulating feedback loop that enables rapid response
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 solution provides a simple, energy-saving operation for alternately delivering hot and cold water, eliminating the need for external actuation elements and allowing for adjustable switching frequencies based on liquid supply rates, enabling efficient and automatic operation in shower systems.
Implementation Method 1
the fluid pressure in the respectively blocked line acts on a control chamber of the slide, with the slide being moved when a limit pressure is reached
Implementation Method 2
in the other control chamber (second control chamber), a spring is arranged which pushes the slide back in the direction of the first control chamber
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a piping system for transporting liquids, having a first pipe and a second pipe and a valve apparatus which opens and closes each of the pipes alternately. The valve apparatus is designed as a sliding valve with a changeover function, having a slide that can move to and fro between the first pipe and the second pipe. The slide has, on each of its sides, a control area to which the liquid pressure building up in the closed pipe is applied, said liquid pressure moving the slide into the position that closes the other pipe at the end of a certain period of time when a limit pressure is reached. The valve apparatus thus has a simple and energy-saving action.