Angle Stop Valve Barbed Shanks for PEX Friction Fit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional stop valves with copper piping are expensive, prone to corrosion, and require adhesive for installation, while existing PEX tubing solutions lack optimized angle-stop valves with efficient crimping mechanisms for quick and cost-effective installation.
Innovation Solution
An angle stop valve design featuring a hexagonal valve body with barbed cylindrical shanks for a friction fit with PEX piping, allowing for crimping without adhesives, and a handle protuberance that accommodates crimping tools for efficient installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional copper piping and fittings are used, then the system has high strength and reliability, but the cost is high, installation requires adhesive, and copper corrodes with acidic water
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from copper to PEX (cross-linked polyethylene) tubing, which provides corrosion resistance while enabling a different connection mechanism. The shank design incorporates barbs that engage with the PEX tubing through friction fit, eliminating the need for adhesive and simplifying installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical bonding method (adhesive) with a mechanical connection system. The barbed shanks create a friction fit with the PEX tubing, providing a secure mechanical connection that is both reliable and easy to install without requiring adhesives.
2Ease of manufacture
If PEX tubing is used instead of copper, then installation cost and complexity are reduced, but existing angle stop valves lack optimized crimping mechanisms for efficient installation
Solution Approach 1:
The angle stop valve is segmented into distinct components: a valve body, a stem, and barbed shanks. This segmentation allows the shanks to be specifically designed for PEX tubing engagement while keeping the valve body separate, enabling optimized installation mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The barbed shanks act as an intermediary between the valve body and the PEX tubing. They provide the friction fit connection that enables both cost-effective and efficient installation, bridging the gap between the valve mechanism and the flexible PEX tubing.
3Ease of operation
If the handle extends far from the valve body, then ease of operation is improved, but spacing requirements for installation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The handle is positioned to extend in a direction that optimizes both accessibility and space efficiency. By carefully considering the spatial arrangement, the handle provides adequate leverage for operation while minimizing the overall footprint of the valve assembly, allowing installation in tighter spaces.
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 a cost-effective and efficient installation method for angle stop valves with PEX tubing, reducing installation time and eliminating the need for adhesives, while ensuring a secure friction fit with PEX piping.
Implementation Method 1
a shank having a plurality of circumscribing flanges adapted to act as barbs for forming a friction fit with enveloping PEX piping
Data Source
AI summary
A stop valve having uniquely dimensioned valve inlet shanks and valve outlet shanks, each shank circumscribed by a plurality of concentric flanges adapted to act as barbs for engaging PEX piping.