Valve Piston Latching Structure for High-Force Hydraulic Holding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing valve devices are not suitable for high fluid forces commonly encountered in hydraulics, as they lack a reliable latching system that can securely hold the valve piston in place without requiring excessive energy or friction-based clamping, leading to potential unintentional switching and increased actuation difficulty.
Innovation Solution
The valve device features a latching system where individual latching parts take spatially different positions in both axial and radial directions, allowing for secure immobilization of the valve piston under high forces without direct friction-based clamping, enabling actuation without simultaneous action on the piston and reducing the required actuation force, thus enhancing operational safety and reducing energy and space requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If friction-based clamping is used to hold the valve piston, then the valve piston can be held in position, but the actuation force increases and unintentional switching is more difficult to prevent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces friction-based mechanical clamping with a positive latching mechanism using latching balls that engage with latching recesses. This substitution eliminates the dependency on friction forces, providing reliable holding through geometric interlocking while reducing actuation force requirements, as the latching balls can be easily disengaged by overcoming a small spring force rather than high friction forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the holding mechanism from continuous friction-based clamping to discrete positional latching. The latching balls engage at specific positions (first and second latching positions) rather than maintaining continuous friction contact, transforming the holding parameter from force-dependent to geometry-dependent, thereby improving reliability while reducing actuation difficulty.
2Reliability
If high clamping force is applied to prevent unintentional switching, then holding reliability improves, but subsequent actuation becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the latching function into separate latching balls that can independently engage with latching recesses at different positions. This segmentation allows the system to provide strong holding force through positive engagement while requiring minimal force for actuation, as each latching ball can be independently disengaged by the actuating device overcoming a small spring force rather than high clamping force.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a dynamic latching system where the latching balls can transition between engaged and disengaged states. The spring-loaded latching balls provide strong holding force when engaged but allow easy release when actuated, creating a dynamic system that adapts between high holding force and low actuation force requirements.
3Reliability
If friction-based holding is used, then the valve piston can be positioned, but the actuation energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces energy-intensive friction-based holding with a mechanical latching system using balls and recesses. The latching mechanism stores potential energy in springs rather than continuously consuming energy to maintain friction contact, significantly reducing actuation energy requirements while maintaining position stability through geometric interlocking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses spring-loaded latching balls that are pre-loaded to automatically engage with latching recesses when the valve piston reaches its travel positions. This preliminary action ensures position stability is achieved automatically without requiring continuous energy input, and the actuating device only needs to overcome the small spring force for release rather than sustained friction forces.
Data Source
AI summary
A valve device has a valve housing (10, 54, 94, 166) and fluid ports in the valve housing (connected to or separated from one another in a fluid-conveying manner by a valve piston (22) displaceable along its longitudinal axis (24) in its various travel positions. A latching device (26, 28) latches the valve piston (22) in at least one of its travel positions. Individual latching parts (30, 38, 170) of the latching device, when it is actuated by an external force, take latching positions spatially different from one another with respect to the longitudinal axis (24) of the valve piston (22). The individual latching parts (30, 38, 170) of the latching device (26, 28) take positions differing from one another both in the axial direction and in the radial direction in the individual latching positions.