Valve Actuating Mechanism With Selective Coupling for Multi-Port Flow Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
As the number of elements to be regulated inside a vehicle increases, existing regulating valves face challenges in efficiently managing multiple fluid passages due to frictional resistance from sealing elements, which complicates the rotation and alignment of valve bodies, thereby requiring higher driving forces and reducing efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The actuating mechanism incorporates a rotatable actuating shaft with engaging and disengaging structures, including transversal plates and rods, and grooves on valve bodies, allowing the actuating shaft to drive valve bodies to rotate by engaging and disengaging with these structures, thereby reducing frictional resistance and enhancing control over fluid passages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the number of flow ports on the housing is increased to provide more fluid passages, then the versatility of the regulating valve is improved, but the frictional resistance from sealing elements increases, making valve body rotation more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body is segmented into multiple independently rotatable valve bodies, each controlling specific flow ports. This allows selective rotation of individual valve bodies rather than rotating a single large valve body, reducing the frictional resistance that must be overcome during operation while maintaining control over multiple flow passages.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuating shaft is designed with universal engaging structures that can engage with multiple different valve bodies. This allows a single actuating shaft to control multiple valve bodies, enabling one component to perform multiple functions and reducing the overall complexity of the actuation system despite the increased number of flow ports.
2Reliability
If more sealing elements are added to ensure airtight communication between increased flow ports and valve bodies, then the reliability of sealing is improved, but the frictional resistance increases, requiring higher driving forces
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the sealing responsibilities among multiple valve bodies, each with fewer sealing elements, the frictional resistance at each sealing interface is reduced. This segmentation allows reliable sealing to be maintained through multiple simpler sealing interfaces rather than one complex high-friction interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuating shaft serves as an intermediary that distributes the driving force to multiple valve bodies through engaging structures. This intermediary mechanism allows the driving force to be applied more efficiently, reducing the peak force required compared to directly rotating a single large valve body with all sealing elements.
3Device complexity
If a single valve body controls multiple flow ports, then the device complexity is reduced, but the frictional resistance from sealing elements makes rotation more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body is divided into multiple smaller valve bodies, each controlling specific flow ports. This segmentation reduces the frictional resistance during rotation of each individual valve body, making operation easier while the overall system maintains coordinated control through the universal actuating shaft mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuating shaft is designed with universal engaging structures that can engage with multiple different valve bodies, allowing a single actuating component to perform the function of controlling multiple flow ports. This maintains functional integration while reducing operational difficulty through reduced frictional resistance.
Data Source
AI summary
An actuating mechanism includes an actuating shaft, an actuated member, and an engaging and disengaging structure. The actuating shaft is configured to be rotatable. The actuated member can be actuated by the actuating shaft to rotate. The engaging and disengaging structure includes an actuating structure provided on the actuating shaft and an actuated structure provided on the actuated member. When the actuating structure engages with the actuated structure, the actuating structure can drive the actuated structure to rotate, such that the actuating shaft can drive the actuated member to rotate. Further, a set of actuating and actuated structures of the actuating mechanism can rotate and stop according to set angle requirements, such that a valve body can be actuated to connect and disconnect different fluid passages as required.