Snap-Function Valve Drive With Locked Bearing Housing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing valve drives with quick-closing functions require complex mechanisms to decouple the spring force from the driving force, leading to reliability issues and high system costs, especially in electromechanical designs where the electric motor must constantly counteract the spring force.
Innovation Solution
A valve drive with a rotary input and threaded spindle, where the bearing housing is locked against displacement by a releasable locking device, allowing the spring force to act on the housing for quick movements without affecting the rotary drive input, simplifying the mechanism and reducing complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a quick-closing spring is used to provide rapid valve closure force, then the quick-closing function is achieved, but the spring force must be constantly overcome during normal valve adjustment operations
Solution Approach 1:
The valve drive system is segmented into two independent functional parts: a normal adjustment mechanism (electric motor with screw drive) and a quick-closing mechanism (spring with latch). The spring force is isolated and only activated when the latch is released, allowing rapid valve closure without requiring the motor to constantly counteract spring force during normal operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The quick-closing spring is pre-tensioned in advance during normal valve adjustment operations, storing elastic potential energy. When a quick-closing event is required, the stored energy is immediately released by releasing the latch, enabling rapid valve closure without requiring additional power input at the moment of actuation.
2Reliability
If hydraulic actuators are used to overcome high closing forces, then the quick-closing function is reliable, but system and maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic actuation system is replaced with a purely mechanical quick-closing mechanism consisting of a spring and latch. This mechanical substitution eliminates the need for hydraulic fluid, pumps, and associated control systems, significantly reducing system complexity and maintenance requirements while maintaining reliable quick-closing functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The quick-closing spring is self-actuating and requires no external power source, control system, or maintenance. The spring automatically provides the necessary closing force when the latch is released, and the system is inherently fail-safe, eliminating the need for complex hydraulic infrastructure.
3Device complexity
If a locking mechanism is used to decouple spring force from the actuator, then the spring force does not act on the actuator during normal operation, but the mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The spring force is extracted and isolated from the normal valve adjustment mechanism by placing it in a separate quick-closing mechanism. The spring acts independently on the valve stem through the latch, rather than being integrated into the motor-driven screw drive system. This extraction allows the two functions (normal adjustment and quick-closing) to operate independently without interfering with each other.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the motor constantly counteract the spring force during normal operations, the design inverts the approach by having the spring act independently only when needed. The latch mechanism allows the spring force to be applied to the valve stem directly, bypassing the motor and screw drive system entirely during quick-closing events.
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 a reliable and compact valve drive with reduced maintenance costs, as the spring force is only utilized during quick operations, and the locking device prevents the spring force from interfering with normal control functions, enhancing the system's efficiency and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
a force storage device, referred to here as a quick-closing spring, which, when the quick-closing mechanism is triggered, provides the necessary actuating force to rapidly move the valve into the closed position
Implementation Method 2
the valve body is adjusted by an electric motor via a suitable screw drive that converts the rotary motion of the electric motor into a linear motion
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a valve drive with snap function, comprising: a rotary drive input (3); a lead screw (5), which is connected to or formed by the rotary drive input (3); and a slide (9), which is in thread engagement with the lead screw (5) to form a screw thread, the slide (9) being mechanically connected or connectable to a valve body (32) and movable in the direction of a longitudinal axis (6). The invention is characterised in that: a bearing housing (11) is provided, in which the lead screw (5) is mounted such that it can rotate about the longitudinal axis (6) and is fixed in the direction of the longitudinal axis (6); and the bearing housing (11) is held against displacement in the direction of the longitudinal axis (6), counter to the preloading force of a snap spring, by means of a releasable locking device (13).