Tiltable Valve Guide Element for Low-Wear Magnetic Actuation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing valve devices with magnetic drives face issues of increased wear, noise emissions, and higher power consumption due to large radial gaps and tolerance-related coaxiality, which are not adequately addressed by prior art solutions.

Innovation Solution

A valve device with a guide unit featuring a guide element and a counter-guide element that allows for tilting and a magnetic drive unit, minimizing gaps and compensating for tolerances through a tilting mechanism, including a conical support surface and a rolling section, to improve guidance and reduce wear and noise.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a large radial gap is used in the valve needle guide to compensate for tolerance-related coaxiality, then the valve body can be properly guided, but the magnetic drive requires larger solenoid coils and higher power consumption

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoaxiality compensationVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a tilting mechanism that adds a rotational degree of freedom to the guide element, allowing it to compensate for coaxiality errors through tilting rather than requiring a large radial gap. This dimensional change enables precision compensation without increasing the radial clearance, thereby maintaining efficient magnetic drive operation with lower power consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The guide element's orientation parameter is made variable through the tilting mechanism, allowing dynamic adjustment of the guide element's angle relative to the movement axis. This parameter change enables compensation for manufacturing tolerances in coaxiality without requiring a fixed large radial gap, thus reducing the power consumption requirements for the magnetic drive.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Manufacturing precision

If a large radial gap is used in the valve needle guide, then tolerance-related coaxiality is compensated, but wear and noise emissions increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoaxiality compensationVSAvoidwear and noise
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

By introducing tilting capability as an additional degree of freedom, the system compensates for coaxiality errors through angular adjustment rather than radial clearance. This eliminates the need for large radial gaps, thereby reducing mechanical wear and noise emissions while maintaining proper guidance of the valve body.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The guide element transitions from a static positioning component to a dynamic one with tilting capability. This dynamic adjustment allows real-time compensation for coaxiality variations during operation, maintaining optimal guidance conditions without the persistent radial play that causes wear and noise in static designs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Object-generated harmful factors

If the guide element is made tiltable to improve guidance, then wear and noise are reduced, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewear and noise reductionVSAvoidguide unit structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The tilting mechanism is integrated into the guide element itself, merging the guidance function with the tilting compensation function in a single component. This integration avoids the need for separate complex mechanisms and reduces overall device complexity while achieving wear and noise reduction through improved guidance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The guide element acts as an intermediary between the magnetic drive and the valve body, absorbing the complexity of tolerance compensation through its tilting capability. This intermediary role protects the magnetic drive from direct impact of tolerance variations while providing smooth guidance, reducing wear and noise without requiring complex modifications to the drive system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 enhances the guidance of the valve body, reduces wear and noise emissions, and minimizes power consumption by optimizing the drive requirements, ensuring reliable operation even in the event of drive failures.

Implementation Method 1

The guide unit has a tilting means by which the guide element can be tilted, i.e. preferably aligned obliquely, to the movement axis for contacting, in particular in the closed state, between the valve seat and the valve body.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTilting mechanism:

Implementation Method 2

a magnetic drive, however, a large radial gap places greater demands on the drive, such as a larger solenoid coil and/or higher power consumption

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMagnetic force: Magnetic Field

Implementation Method 3

A valve device with a guide unit featuring a guide element and a counter-guide element that allows for tilting and a magnetic drive unit, minimizing gaps and compensating for tolerances through a tilting mechanism, including a conical support surface and a rolling section

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRolling contact: Roller

Data Source

PatentEP4483087B1Valve device with tiltable guide element, and fluid system
Publication Date: 2025.10.01 ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
  • EP4483087B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4483087B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4483087B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to a valve device (10) for a fluid system (1), having a valve unit (20) with a valve seat (21) and a valve body (22), which contacts the valve seat (21) in a closed state (II) of the valve unit (20) in order to close the valve opening (23) and in an open state (I) is remote from the valve seat (21) in order to clear the valve opening (23) for a fluid flow (200) in the fluid system (1), a guide unit (30) having a guide element (31), which is connected to the valve body (22) and can be moved along a movement axis (30.1) in order to transfer the valve unit (20) from the closed state (II) into the open state (I), and having a counter-guide element (32) for guiding the guide element (31) along the movement axis (30.1). The invention also relates to a fluid system (1).