Fluid Valve Seal Assembly for Tolerance-Compensating Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seal arrangements for fluid valves, particularly those that are adjustable or rotatable, face challenges in maintaining effective sealing due to tolerances and movement, leading to compromised sealing performance and assembly issues.
Innovation Solution
A seal arrangement comprising a first and second separately formed sealing element, along with an elastically deformable intermediate piece with a convex and concave radial surface profile, which provides axial compression and bending capabilities, enhancing stiffness and compensating for tolerances while improving sealing action.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a seal arrangement uses separate sealing elements for valve housing and valve body, then sealing action is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional intermediate piece and assembly steps
Solution Approach 1:
The seal arrangement is divided into separate sealing elements (first sealing element for valve housing, second sealing element for valve body) connected by an intermediate piece. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for its sealing function while maintaining overall reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediate piece is introduced as a mediator between the first and second sealing elements. This intermediate piece provides elastic connection and spacing, enabling the separate sealing elements to work together effectively without direct contact, thus improving sealing action while managing assembly complexity.
2Reliability
If an intermediate piece is used to space sealing elements axially, then sealing performance is improved through elastic deformation, but manufacturing precision requirements increase due to tolerance compensation demands
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate piece is designed with specific elastic properties and geometric parameters (convex and concave surfaces) that allow it to deform under axial compression. This parameter optimization enables the intermediate piece to compensate for manufacturing tolerances while maintaining effective sealing performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate piece acts as a cushioning element that anticipates and compensates for tolerance variations before they affect sealing performance. Its elastic deformation capacity provides a buffer against dimensional variations in the sealing elements and housing.
3Strength
If the intermediate piece has convex and concave radial surfaces, then stiffness profile is improved for tolerance compensation, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate piece features convex and concave radial surfaces with specific curvatures. These curved geometries optimize the stiffness profile by distributing stresses appropriately during axial compression, enabling effective tolerance compensation. The curvature design balances mechanical performance with manufacturability.
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 solution effectively enhances the sealing performance and assembly of fluid valves by compensating for tolerances and improving the stiffness profile, resulting in improved sealing and reduced assembly complexity.
Implementation Method 1
a separately formed, elastically deformable intermediate piece which is arranged in an axial direction between a first wall, facing the second sealing element, of the first sealing element and a second wall, facing the first sealing element, of the second sealing element and which elastically spaces apart the two sealing elements
Implementation Method 2
in one embodiment, in addition to elastic axial compression, elastic bending of the intermediate piece, which in one embodiment is crescent-shaped in cross section, is also realized
Data Source
AI summary
A seal arrangement for a fluid valve has: a first sealing element configured to bear sealingly against a valve housing of the fluid valve; a second sealing element configured to bear sealingly against an adjustable, rotatable, valve body of the fluid valve; and an elastically deformable intermediate piece arranged, axially, between a first wall of the first sealing element, which faces the second sealing element, and a second wall of the second sealing element, which faces the first sealing element, so as to elastically space apart the first and second sealing elements. In at least one axial portion of the intermediate piece, an axial cross section of the intermediate piece has a first radial lateral surface and an opposite second radial lateral surface. The first radial lateral surface is convex and the second radial lateral surface is concave, planar or less convex than the first radial lateral surface.