Temperature Regulating Valve Guide Fit for Thermal Actuator Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermostatic valves in vehicles face instability and potential shaking during operation due to fluid impact, which can affect the temperature regulation of gearbox oil, leading to inadequate lubrication and reduced vehicle service life.
Innovation Solution
A thermostatic valve design featuring a valve body with a cavity, end cover assembly, and thermal actuator, incorporating a guide fitting part with protrusions and recesses for sliding fit, and springs for position limitation, ensuring the thermal actuator's stability and reliability by providing guiding structures for movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the thermal actuator is designed without guiding structures, then the device complexity is reduced, but the thermal actuator shakes severely during operation due to fluid impact
Solution Approach 1:
A guide fitting part is introduced as an intermediary component between the thermal actuator and the first cavity. This guide fitting part includes protrusions that fit into recesses on the inner wall of the first cavity, creating a sliding fit structure that guides the thermal actuator's movement and prevents severe shaking during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide fitting part is segmented into multiple protrusions distributed around its circumference, with recesses formed between adjacent protrusions. This segmentation allows the thermal actuator to be guided at multiple points simultaneously, improving stability while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Ease of operation
If the first cavity is designed to be larger than the thermal actuator, then the thermal actuator has sufficient movement space, but the space utilization of the valve body is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The first cavity is designed with non-uniform cross-sectional area along the axial direction. The cross-sectional area is larger in regions where the thermal actuator requires movement space, and smaller in regions where space is not critical. This local variation in cavity size provides sufficient movement space for the thermal actuator while improving overall space utilization of the valve body.
3Reliability
If the guide fitting part is positioned close to the first port, then the guiding effect is enhanced, but the flow path of gearbox oil is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The guide fitting part is designed with protrusions that extend radially from the axial direction, creating guiding surfaces that contact the inner wall of the first cavity. This radial extension provides effective guiding in the radial dimension while maintaining adequate axial clearance for oil flow, thus enhancing the guiding effect without significantly restricting the flow path of gearbox oil.
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 design enhances the stability and reliability of the thermal actuator, preventing severe shaking and ensuring effective temperature regulation of gearbox oil, thereby maintaining optimal lubrication and extending vehicle service life.
Implementation Method 1
The thermostatic valve further includes a first spring. The first spring is partially or completely located in the second cavity... One end of the thermal actuator directly/indirectly abuts against or is supported on one end of the first spring close to the thermal actuator
Implementation Method 2
When the temperature of the gearbox oil line increases, the heat-sensitive material of a thermal actuator expands due to heat, the passage for the gearbox oil to directly flow back to the gearbox is blocked
Implementation Method 3
when the oil temperature is too low, the heat-sensitive material of the thermal actuator begins to solidify and contract, a valve rod is reset and the passage for the gearbox oil to directly flow back to the gearbox is open
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5a~7
AI summary
A temperature regulating valve, comprising a valve body (1) in which a cavity (10) is provided, an end cover assembly, and a thermal actuator (2) and a first spring (31) that are mounted in the cavity (10). The valve body (1) is in communication with the outside by means of at least three ports; the thermal actuator (2) comprises an ejector rod (24) and a main body (22); one end of the thermal actuator (2) abuts against or is supported on the end of the first spring (31) proximate to the thermal actuator (2), and the other end of the thermal actuator (2) is limited to the end cover assembly. Moreover, the cavity (10) of the temperature regulating valve is further provided with a guide fitting part (21b) which comprises at least two protrusions (211), a recess (212) disposed between adjacent protrusions (211), and a ring-shaped part (210) of an approximate ring structure; the guide fitting part (21b) matches an inner wall of the cavity in a sliding manner, and/or the guide fitting part (21b) matches the thermal actuator (2) in a sliding manner. The temperature regulating valve has a simple structure, and the operation of the thermal actuator is more stable and reliable.