Viscous Clutch Valve Assembly With Segmented Pivot Reed Valve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing viscous clutch valves face issues with tolerances for flatness, leading to poor sealing and require large, heavy, and power-intensive electromagnetic coils for actuation.
Innovation Solution
A valve assembly with an orifice plate, reed valve, armature, anchor spring, and stiffening plate, featuring spaced pivot locations and a modular design to control spring rate, allowing for efficient fluid control with a smaller electromagnetic coil.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single-pivot valve lever is used, then the valve assembly structure is simple, but the flatness tolerance is insufficient leading to poor sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The valve lever is divided into two separate pivot locations instead of using a single pivot point. This segmentation allows independent control and adjustment of each pivot location, enabling better maintenance of flatness tolerance and sealing performance while keeping the overall structure relatively simple.
2Reliability
If a large magnetic field is used for actuation, then the valve can be reliably actuated against spring biasing force, but the electromagnetic coil becomes large, heavy, and power-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the spring rate parameter by using a progressive rate spring instead of a linear spring. This allows optimization of the force characteristics throughout the valve travel, enabling reliable actuation with a smaller electromagnetic coil that consumes less power and weighs less.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a progressive rate spring that provides dynamically changing spring force based on compression distance. This dynamic spring characteristic allows the system to achieve reliable valve actuation while using a smaller electromagnetic coil, as the spring force increases progressively rather than remaining constant at a high level.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a progressive rate spring is used, then control over spring rate is improved and electromagnetic coil size is reduced, but the valve assembly design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The valve assembly is segmented into distinct components including the progressive rate spring, two-pivot valve lever, and orifice plate. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for its specific function while maintaining overall system integration, achieving good spring rate control without excessive complexity.
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 provides improved sealing and reduced power consumption by enabling a smaller electromagnetic coil, enhancing control over flatness tolerances and preventing damage from high electromagnetic forces.
Implementation Method 1
The armature is configured to selectively apply a force to the reed valve to pivot at least a portion of the tongue about the first pivot location
Implementation Method 2
an anchor spring secured to the armature
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
A valve assembly for a viscous clutch includes an orifice plate defining a bore to allow the passage of a fluid through the orifice plate, a reed valve secured relative to the orifice plate, an armature comprising a magnetic flux-conducting material, an anchor spring secured to the armature, and a stiffening plate. The reed valve includes a tongue configured to selectively cover the bore of the orifice plate, and a first pivot location along the tongue. A second pivot location is defined along the anchor spring at an edge of the stiffening plate. The first and second pivot locations are spaced from each other. The armature is configured to selectively apply a force to the reed valve to pivot at least a portion of the tongue about the first pivot location.