Valve With Movable Support Body For Tolerance Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pressure-compensated valves are sensitive to manufacturing tolerances and require additional sealing elements to achieve good sealing, making them costly and prone to jamming.
Innovation Solution
A valve design where the support body is movable within a guide recess and transversely aligned with a counter-support surface, allowing the valve member to move centrally with minimal friction, and the pressure chamber is connected to both the primary and secondary channels to compensate for pressure differences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a valve member is pressure-compensated with a compensation chamber connected to the primary channel, then the valve can be actuated with low actuating forces, but manufacturing tolerances cause sealing problems requiring additional sealing elements
Solution Approach 1:
A support body is introduced as an intermediary element between the valve member and the housing. This support body includes a support surface that can move in all directions relative to a counter-support surface, allowing it to compensate for manufacturing tolerances and misalignments. The support body with its movable support surface acts as a mediator that absorbs dimensional deviations, enabling reliable sealing without requiring additional sealing elements while maintaining the pressure compensation function.
Solution Approach 2:
The support surface of the support body is designed to be movable in all directions relative to the counter-support surface. This dynamic capability allows the support surface to automatically adjust its position to compensate for manufacturing tolerances and achieve proper alignment during operation. The movable design transforms a static sealing problem into a dynamic self-adjusting system that maintains sealing effectiveness despite variations in manufacturing precision.
2Ease of manufacture
If the valve member is fixed in position, then manufacturing is simpler, but frictional forces increase and jamming occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The support body with its movable support surface introduces controlled dynamics to the system. Instead of fixing the valve member rigidly, the support surface can move in all directions to accommodate misalignments and maintain optimal positioning during operation. This dynamic adjustment prevents jamming and ensures smooth operation while still being relatively simple to manufacture as it only requires the support body to be movable relative to the housing, not complex active control mechanisms.
3Manufacturing precision
If additional sealing elements are added to compensate for manufacturing tolerances, then sealing improves, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than adding multiple separate sealing elements, the invention uses a single support body with a movable support surface as an intermediary that addresses sealing issues at their root cause - misalignment due to manufacturing tolerances. This single intermediary component performs the function that would otherwise require multiple sealing elements, reducing overall device complexity while improving sealing accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The support body with its movable support surface provides self-alignment and self-adjustment capabilities. During operation, the support surface automatically moves to compensate for manufacturing tolerances and achieve proper sealing contact, eliminating the need for additional sealing elements or complex adjustment mechanisms. The system serves itself by using the movable support surface to correct its own alignment issues.
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 design results in a valve that is insensitive to shape tolerances, inexpensive to manufacture, and operates with minimal frictional forces, ensuring reliable sealing and efficient fluid flow.
Implementation Method 1
the valve member can move automatically into a position in which there are minimal frictional forces
Implementation Method 2
the valve member is pressure-compensated and can be actuated with low actuating forces independently of the prevailing pressures
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a valve in which a primary channel and a secondary channel are formed in a valve housing, a valve member being arranged in the valve housing. The valve member is movable between a closed position and an open position in the axial direction of a main axis relative to the a valve seat while executing a working movement. The valve member limits a compensating chamber which is connected to the primary channel and which is also limited by a closing face of a supporting body. The supporting body can axially sealingly enter a guide recess of the valve member and has a supporting surface opposite the closing face, with which the supporting body is supported on a matching supporting surface. The supporting body is movable on all sides relative to the matching supporting surface transversely to the axial direction of the main axis.