Undulating Spring Pot for Valve Shaft Sealing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing valve devices for exhaust-gas flaps in motor vehicles face challenges in securely and reliably mounting the shaft with minimal components while ensuring reliable operation and effective sealing to prevent gas leakage.
Innovation Solution
A floating bearing surrounded by a radially undulating metal spring pot that provides both sealing and preload to the shaft, eliminating axial play and requiring no additional components, with the spring pot flange welded or screwed to the housing for a sealed connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate sealing components and preload components are used for the floating bearing, then reliable sealing and mounting are achieved, but the number of components increases and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the sealing function and preload function into a single spring pot component. The spring pot simultaneously seals the floating bearing from exhaust gas and generates the necessary preload force, eliminating the need for separate sealing elements and preload springs, thus reducing component count while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The spring pot is designed as a multi-functional component that performs multiple tasks: it acts as a seal for the floating bearing, generates preload force to eliminate axial play, and provides structural support. This universal component approach resolves the contradiction by making one component serve multiple critical functions
2Temperature
If a metal spring pot is used, then good cooling and spring characteristics are achieved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the thermal conductivity parameter of metal materials to achieve effective cooling of the floating bearing. By selecting metal with appropriate thermal properties, the design achieves superior heat dissipation compared to non-metallic alternatives, while the net shape forming process keeps manufacturing complexity manageable
3Device complexity
If the spring pot is surrounded by the housing without additional sealing, then device complexity is reduced, but sealing reliability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The spring pot integrates the sealing function directly into its structure, forming a seal against the housing bore without requiring additional sealing rings or gaskets. This merging of sealing functionality into the primary component achieves reliable sealing while minimizing the total number of components
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 enables secure and reliable shaft mounting with reduced components, ensuring reliable operation and effective sealing to prevent gas leakage, while maintaining good cooling and spring characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
the spring pot serves to generate the preload of the floating bearing
Implementation Method 2
Good cooling of the spring pot, with simultaneously good spring characteristics, are achieved if the spring pot is composed of metal
Implementation Method 3
the flange is welded or screwed to the housing
Implementation Method 4
the flange is welded or screwed to the housing
Data Source
AI summary
A valve device has a housing, and a flow channel running in the housing, in which a valve flap is fastened on a shaft arranged perpendicularly to the flow direction. The shaft is rotatably mounted in housing. The bearing formed as a loose bearing is surrounded by a spring retainer, the base of which lies on a bearing bush of the loose bearing and has a jacket surface with a radial wavy shape.