Valve Insert With Slanted Gasket for Low-Cost Fluid Sealing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing valve arrangements face challenges in achieving a good fluid seal between the inlet and outlet at low costs, often requiring sophisticated machining and significant material usage for the valve housing.

Innovation Solution

The valve arrangement incorporates a circular cylindrical insert with a slanted gasket element and an insert foot for stabilization, allowing for a fluid seal between the valve inlet and outlet while reducing the complexity of the valve housing design and material usage, using a single gasket to prevent leakage and facilitate easy assembly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the valve housing is designed as a massive cast element to prevent leakage, then the fluid seal between inlet and outlet is improved, but the manufacturing cost and material usage increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefluid sealVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The valve housing is divided into a base structure and a separate insert component. The insert contains the sealing functionality and is positioned within the housing, eliminating the need for a massive cast structure while maintaining sealing reliability. This segmentation allows the housing to be simpler and cheaper to manufacture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A gasket element is introduced as an intermediary sealing component between the insert and the valve housing. This gasket provides the fluid seal function that previously required the entire housing to be massively constructed, thereby reducing material usage and manufacturing cost while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the valve housing is designed as a massive cast element to prevent leakage, then the fluid seal between inlet and outlet is improved, but the machining complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefluid sealVSAvoidmachining complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing function is segmented into a separate insert component with a gasket element, allowing the main housing to have simpler geometry and fewer machining requirements. The insert can be manufactured separately with standard precision techniques.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The gasket element serves as a relatively simple, replaceable sealing component that compensates for any minor manufacturing tolerances, reducing the need for high-precision machining of the housing itself.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Reliability

If significant material is used for the valve housing to prevent leakage, then the fluid seal is improved, but the material cost and weight increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefluid sealVSAvoidmaterial usage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing functionality is extracted into a separate insert and gasket element, allowing the valve housing to be constructed with minimal necessary material. This eliminates the need for excessive material that would otherwise be required to provide sealing through the housing structure itself.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The sealing function is extracted from the housing structure and implemented as a separate gasket element and insert assembly. This extraction allows the housing to use only the minimum material necessary for structural support, while the sealing is provided by the extracted components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3193062B1Valve arrangement and insert for a valve arrangement
Publication Date: 2019.01.09 DANFOSS AS
  • EP3193062B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3193062B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b
  • EP3193062B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a valve arrangement (1) comprising a valve housing (2), a valve inlet (3), a valve outlet (4), a main valve element (5) and a main valve seat (6), the main valve seat (6) being arranged in a flow path between the valve inlet (3) and the valve outlet (4) and the main valve element (5) cooperating with the main valve seat (6), the valve housing (2) containing an insert (7), the insert (7) comprising a gasket element (8) so as to provide a fluid seal. According to the invention, the gasket element (8) comprises a gasket section being arranged slanted with respect to a direction of the axial extension of the insert (7). Furthermore, the invention relates to the insert (7) for the valve arrangement (1). The invention allows to provide a valve arrangement (1) at a low cost since machining effort on the valve housing (2) may be reduced.