Valve Disc Assembly Angled Seal Retainer

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing valve disc assemblies for fluid valves with soft seats are costly to manufacture due to material inefficiency, difficult to assemble, and require significant expertise, often leading to improper function and part damage.

Innovation Solution

The proposed valve disc assembly design reduces material usage by optimizing the geometry of the soft seat disc and retainer, incorporating an angled surface to simplify the installation of a seal and reduce torque requirements, allowing for easier manufacturing and assembly, and enabling the use of various sealing materials without silicone lubricants.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional valve disc assemblies are used with soft seats, then sealing function is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases and assembly difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing functionVSAvoidmanufacturing cost and assembly difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The valve disc assembly is divided into separate components: a valve disc with an integrated guide portion that slidably engages the valve body wall, and a separate retainer component. This segmentation allows each part to be manufactured independently with optimized geometries, reducing overall manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining sealing reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The guide portion of the valve disc is designed to slidably engage within a wall cavity of the valve body, creating a nested structure. This nesting eliminates the need for separate guide components, reduces part count, and simplifies assembly while ensuring proper alignment and sealing function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Reliability

If conventional seal installation methods are used, then sealing is achieved, but torque requirements increase and assembly expertise is required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseal engagementVSAvoidassembly process and torque requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The retainer includes an angled surface that provides a tapered guide for seal installation. This curved/angular geometry naturally guides the seal into proper engagement with reduced friction, lowering torque requirements and eliminating the need for specialized assembly expertise or silicone lubricants.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Ease of manufacture

If material usage is optimized, then manufacturing cost decreases, but structural integrity may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvematerial efficiencyVSAvoidstructural integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The valve disc is designed with varying thickness profiles: thinner in non-critical areas to reduce material usage and cost, and thicker in critical areas (such as the stem engagement region and sealing surfaces) to maintain structural integrity and functional performance. This localized optimization balances material efficiency with strength requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS10823293B2Valve disc assemblies for fluid valves having soft seats

Publication Date: 2020.11.03 EMERSON VULCAN HOLDING LLC

AI summary

Valve disc assemblies for fluid valves having soft seats are disclosed herein. An example valve disc assembly for a fluid valve comprises a first portion to slidably engage a wall of the fluid valve to guide movement of the valve disc assembly and a second portion to receive a valve stem to control a position of the valve disc assembly, the second portion including an angled surface to retain a seal between the first and second portions.