Ball Valve Gear Drive With Position Feedback for Low-Force Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing safety valves require excessive force for operation, leading to potential damage and difficulty in checking the open/closed state, especially when misaligned components are used in vertical arrangements.
Innovation Solution
A safety opening/closing valve design featuring a ball valve with a rotating shaft, a housing part with gear teeth, satellite gear parts, and a display mechanism that allows for easy rotation and precise control using a small force, along with a removable driving part for maintenance, enabling efficient operation and damage prevention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a lever is manipulated through a rotating means located far away from the valve, then the valve can be operated remotely, but excessive force is required and the valve or lever may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
A drive shaft is introduced as an intermediary component to transmit rotational force from the rotating means to the lever. The drive shaft acts as a mechanical mediator that efficiently transfers torque over the distance between the rotating means and the valve lever, reducing force loss and preventing damage to the lever or valve during remote operation.
2Ease of operation
If the lever and drive shaft are arranged in misalignment in vertical direction, then the rotating means can be positioned away from the valve, but the opening and closing of the valve is not efficient and the drive shaft may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a universal joint mechanism that adds rotational freedom in multiple dimensions between the drive shaft and the lever. This allows the drive shaft to accommodate misalignment in the vertical direction while maintaining efficient torque transmission, preventing damage to the drive shaft and ensuring reliable valve operation even when the rotating means is positioned away from the valve.
3Productivity
If continuous rotational force is applied to the valve in maximum opening/closing limit area, then the valve can be fully opened or closed, but the valve may be damaged and the open/closed state cannot be checked
Solution Approach 1:
A display mechanism is incorporated that provides visual feedback about the valve's opening/closing state. This feedback system allows the operator to monitor the valve position in real-time and stop applying rotational force when the valve reaches its fully open or closed position, preventing over-rotation and damage to the valve while ensuring complete opening/closing is achieved.
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 design allows for efficient opening and closing of the valve with minimal force, precise control of the open/closed state, and easy maintenance by facilitating the replacement of damaged parts, thereby preventing damage from excessive force and enhancing operational safety.
Implementation Method 1
at least three satellite gear parts fitted over the protrusions, respectively, each of the three satellite gear parts having gear teeth engaging with the gear teeth formed at the inner circumference of the housing part and the gear teeth of the sun gear part
Implementation Method 2
the satellite gear parts rotate along the inner circumference of the housing part, with the gear teeth of the satellite gear parts engaging with the plurality of gear teeth formed at the inner circumference of the housing part, and transmit the rotational force to the protrusions so as to rotate the rotating part
Data Source
AI summary
A safety opening/closing valve for easy checking of an opened/closed state thereof includes: a ball valve part having a rotating shaft part configured to open and close a flow path of the ball valve part by rotating; a housing part having an upper surface and having a plurality of gear teeth vertically formed along the inner circumference of an inner space of the housing part; a rotating part arranged in the housing part such that the rotating part rotates relative to the central axis of the housing part; at least three satellite gear parts mounted rotatably to the upper portion of the rotating part while being in engagement with gear teeth formed at the inner circumference of the housing part; a driving part including a sun gear part provided as a bar shape and inserted through an open central area of a top surface of the housing part.