Ball Valve Pin-Retained Assembly for Faster Installation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ball valve assemblies are cumbersome and time-consuming to assemble, particularly when integrating a flow-control assembly with a valve body, often requiring multiple components and complex retention mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece, integrally-molded ball assembly and valve body configuration, utilizing a pin to secure the ball assembly within the valve body by engaging a pin hole and slots, allowing for simplified assembly and retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional multi-component ball valve assemblies are used, then the structural integrity and sealing reliability are maintained, but the assembly process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate components (ball, shafts, handles, retention mechanisms) into a single integrally-molded ball assembly. This merging of components directly reduces the number of parts that need to be assembled and eliminates the time required to assemble and secure multiple separate components, thereby resolving the contradiction between assembly speed and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrally-molded ball assembly is designed as a unified component with distinct functional sections (ball portion, shaft portions, handle portions) that are formed as one piece. This segmentation within integration allows the assembly to function as multiple components would while being manufactured and installed as a single unit, improving assembly productivity without sacrificing functional complexity.
2Ease of manufacture
If multiple separate components are used for the ball assembly, then ease of manufacturing individual parts is achieved, but the overall assembly process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the manufacturing process of multiple components into a single integrally-molded production process. While traditional assemblies require separate manufacturing and assembly steps for each component, the integrally-molded approach manufactures the entire ball assembly as one piece, eliminating assembly time and reducing the overall manufacturing cycle.
3Reliability
If a complex retention mechanism is used to secure the ball assembly, then the reliability of retention is improved, but the assembly process becomes more difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The retention mechanism is integrated into the ball assembly itself rather than being a separate component. This merging eliminates the need for separate retention parts while maintaining secure attachment, as the integral design ensures proper positioning and retention through the unified structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrally-molded ball assembly is designed to be self-retaining within the valve body through its own structural features. The assembly's own geometry and formation provide the retention function without requiring external retention mechanisms, making the assembly process simpler while maintaining reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A ball valve assembly is provided. The ball valve assembly includes a valve body and a ball assembly configured to be positioned within the valve body. The ball assembly includes a pin hole positioned between a handle and a partial sphere. The valve body includes a slot extending along an outer surface of a cylindrical wall of the valve body. The slot extends radially around a portion of the cylindrical wall. When the ball assembly is positioned within the valve body, the pin hole is aligned with at least a portion of the slot. The ball valve assembly further includes a pin configured to extend through and simultaneously engage the pin hole and the slot to retain the ball assembly within the valve body.