Breakaway Fire Hydrant Shutoff Valve With Automatic Flow Isolation

Solution Overview

Problem

Fire hydrants often suffer damage in collisions, leading to uncontrolled water discharge, which poses safety risks and causes significant economic damage due to flooding, and existing shutoff mechanisms are cumbersome and time-consuming to operate, especially when located underground.

Innovation Solution

An automatic shutoff valve system for breakaway wet barrel fire hydrants, featuring a valve assembly that activates when the hydrant breaks away, using a breakaway collar and activation rod to shut off water flow, designed to fit within the existing main water supply riser for easy retrofitting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If an automatic shutoff valve system is implemented, then water discharge is stopped quickly and effectively, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewater flow shutoff reliabilityVSAvoidvalve system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The valve pedal is pre-positioned in a ready state within the valve body, and the lockout tab is预先 configured to engage with the pedal. When the hydrant breaks away, the activation rod automatically pushes the pedal against the lockout tab, shutting off water flow without requiring human intervention. This preliminary configuration enables immediate automatic response to breakage events.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses the kinetic energy from the breaking hydrant itself to trigger the shutoff mechanism. The movement of the breakaway collar and activation rod during breakage automatically actuates the valve pedal, making the system self-activating without external power sources or control systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Device complexity

If existing shutoff mechanisms are used, then device complexity is reduced, but operation time increases and becomes cumbersome

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshutoff mechanism simplicityVSAvoidshutoff operation time

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces traditional manual valve operation mechanisms with an automatic mechanical trigger system. Instead of requiring operators to manually open valves located underground, the system uses a breakaway collar and activation rod that automatically actuate the valve pedal through mechanical motion generated during hydrant breakage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The valve pedal is pre-positioned in a ready state within the valve body, and the lockout tab is预先 configured to engage with the pedal. When the hydrant breaks away, the activation rod automatically pushes the pedal against the lockout tab, shutting off water flow without requiring human intervention. This preliminary configuration enables immediate automatic response to breakage events.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of manufacture

If manual shutoff valves located underground are used, then installation is simplified, but operation becomes time-consuming and difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinstallation simplicityVSAvoidvalve operation ease

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses the kinetic energy from the breaking hydrant itself to trigger the shutoff mechanism. The movement of the breakaway collar and activation rod during breakage automatically actuates the valve pedal, making the system self-activating without external power sources or control systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces traditional manual valve operation mechanisms with an automatic mechanical trigger system. Instead of requiring operators to manually open valves located underground, the system uses a breakaway collar and activation rod that automatically actuate the valve pedal through mechanical motion generated during hydrant breakage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS12188212B2Automatic shutoff valve for breakaway wet barrel fire hydrant

Publication Date: 2025.01.07 CONSERVENTI VALVE LLC

AI summary

An automatic shutoff valve for breakaway wet barrel fire hydrant is disclosed. In general, one aspect disclosed features an apparatus comprising: a valve housing comprising a valve body, a flange, and a valve seat; a valve pedal configured to engage the valve seat and prevent fluid flow through the valve seat in a closed position, and to permit fluid flow through the valve seat in an open position; a lockout tab disposed within the valve body, wherein the lockout tab maintains the valve pedal in the open position; a lockout bar disposed distally from the valve body; and an activation rod mechanically coupled to the lockout bar and configured to keep the valve pedal engaged with the lockout tab.