Valve Assembly With Deformable Core for Tolerance Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing assemblies, such as filter arrangements, face significant assembly and control efforts due to tight micrometer-precise dimensional tolerance limits, requiring further reduction in individual component tolerances to meet assembly tolerances, which increases costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
An assembly comprising a deformable central component and two non-deformable outer components with projections that compensate for dimensional tolerance by deforming to reduce the assembly's length, allowing for tolerance maintenance with less effort and reduced costs, featuring a sandwich-like structure with projections that penetrate the central component to achieve length reduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If dimensional tolerance limits of individual components are reduced to meet assembly tolerance limits, then manufacturing precision of the assembly is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the central component from rigid to deformable, allowing it to undergo elastic or plastic deformation to compensate for dimensional tolerances. This parameter change enables the assembly to achieve micrometer-precise dimensional tolerance limits without requiring extremely tight tolerance control on individual components, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining high assembly precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The central component is designed to be dynamically deformable rather than statically rigid. During assembly, the component can deform under applied forces to accommodate tolerance variations, and may retain the deformed shape or return to its original form. This dynamic behavior allows the assembly to self-adjust and compensate for dimensional deviations, simplifying the overall tolerance control process.
2Manufacturing precision
If dimensional tolerance limits of individual components are reduced to meet assembly tolerance limits, then manufacturing precision of the assembly is improved, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the central component from rigid to deformable, the patent allows for more relaxed component tolerance specifications. This parameter change enables manufacturers to use standard tolerance ranges for individual components while still achieving tight assembly tolerances through the deformation mechanism, significantly reducing manufacturing costs without sacrificing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The deformable central component acts as a tolerance compensation element that can be manufactured with standard tolerances and materials. Rather than requiring expensive precision machining on all components, the design allows the central component to absorb dimensional variations, effectively using a lower-cost element to enable higher overall assembly precision.
3Ease of manufacture
If deformable central component is used for tolerance compensation, then ease of manufacture is improved, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The assembly is segmented into three distinct functional zones: two rigid outer components that provide structural stability and mounting interfaces, and one deformable central component that handles tolerance compensation. This segmentation allows each component to have a specific function, simplifying the overall design while maintaining manufacturability. The clear division of functions reduces assembly complexity despite the introduction of deformable materials.
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than making the entire assembly deformable, the patent applies the deformable property locally to only the central component where tolerance compensation is needed. The outer components remain rigid to provide structural integrity. This localized application of deformability minimizes structural complexity while achieving the desired tolerance compensation effect.
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 simplifies the assembly process and reduces costs by enabling tolerance compensation through local deformation of the central component, maintaining assembly dimensions within tolerance limits while reducing assembly effort and material stress, allowing for the use of harder materials and flexible geometry.
Implementation Method 1
The central component can be elastically and/or plastically deformable
Implementation Method 2
The central component can be elastically and/or plastically deformable
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2a~2b
AI summary
A proposed assembly comprises a first outer component (53), a second outer component (57), and a central component (56a, 56b, 56c) arranged between the two outer components (53, 57) with respect to a stacking direction (51), wherein the first outer component (53) has at least one first projection (55) extending from an outer surface (54) of the first outer component (53) facing the central component (56a, 56b, 56c) in the stacking direction (51) to the central component (56a, 56b, 56c), and the central component (56a, 56b, 56c) is designed to be deformable and is deformed as a result of a force acting on the at least one first projection (55).