Pressure Relief Valve Spring Retention via Segmented Legs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pressure sensitive relief valve assemblies in fluid filters face challenges in design and performance, particularly in retaining the spring effectively, leading to inefficiencies in fluid flow management and potential leakage.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a valve plug with spaced retention legs featuring seating, tapered transition, and clearance regions, along with spring engaging hooks that securely compress the pressure relief spring, ensuring proper alignment and sealing to maintain the valve in a closed state until pressure thresholds are exceeded.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional spring retention methods are used in relief valves, then the structure is simple, but the spring retention reliability is poor and leakage may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The valve plug is segmented into multiple functional regions: clearance region, tapered transition region, and seating region with spring engaging hooks. This segmentation allows each region to perform its specific function optimally while collectively providing reliable spring retention without excessive overall complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the retention legs are given different geometric properties: the clearance region provides radial clearance for spring movement, the tapered transition region guides the spring, and the seating region with hooks provides secure retention. This local differentiation of properties ensures reliable spring retention while maintaining manufacturing feasibility
2Reliability
If the relief valve is designed with basic sealing, then the manufacturing is simple, but sealing effectiveness is insufficient under high viscosity or clogged filter conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The tapered transition regions and curved seating surfaces provide optimal contact geometry for sealing. The curved surfaces conform better under pressure and viscosity variations, ensuring reliable sealing effectiveness while maintaining manufacturability through standard forming processes
3Speed
If the spring is compressed with minimal clearance, then the valve responds faster, but the spring may bind or fail to compress properly
Solution Approach 1:
The clearance region provides dynamic radial clearance that allows the spring to compress and expand freely without binding. The tapered transition region dynamically guides the spring during motion. This dynamic design ensures both fast response and reliable spring compression under varying operating conditions
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
This configuration enhances the retention and sealing capabilities of the relief valve, ensuring reliable fluid flow management and preventing leakage, even when the filter media is clogged or under high viscosity conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The pressure relief spring is compressed between the orifice surround and the spring engaging hooks to bias the pressure sensitive valve assembly towards a closed state
Implementation Method 2
The tapered transition regions of the first and second retention legs extend outwardly from the clearance regions to the seating regions of the first and second retention legs such that the first and second retention legs collectively define a seating region diameter that is greater than a clearance region diameter of the valve plug
Implementation Method 3
The inner guiding face and the outer containing face of each spring engaging hook are oriented substantially parallel to a direction of compression of the pressure relief spring and are spaced apart from one another by a hook width that is at least as large as a radial thickness dimension of the seating portion of the pressure relief spring
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid filter having a filter canister, a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, filter media, and a pressure sensitive valve assembly is described. The pressure sensitive valve assembly comprises an orifice surround, a pressure relief spring, and a valve plug comprising a valve head and first and second retention legs. The first and second retention legs of the valve plug are spaced apart from one another, extend from a leg base positioned at the sealing side of the valve head to a distal end of the retention leg, and comprise respective seating regions, tapered transition regions, and clearance regions. Each of the respective seating regions comprises a spring engaging hook structurally configured to receive a seating portion of the pressure relief spring. The pressure relief spring is compressed between the orifice surround and the spring engaging hooks to bias the pressure sensitive valve assembly towards the closed state.