Butterfly Valve Housing With Threaded Inserts for Bidirectional Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plastic butterfly valve housings are limited to end installations due to blind threaded holes, restricting their use in intermediate installations where pipeline continuation is necessary.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates receiving openings in the plastic butterfly valve housing between flange connection discs and a reinforcement structure, allowing metallic inserts with continuous internal threads to be inserted form-fittingly, enabling screw-fastening from both sides and facilitating both end and intermediate installations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If blind threaded holes are used in plastic butterfly valve housing, then the housing can be manufactured as a single piece, but the valve can only be used as end installation and not as intermediate installation
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into functional zones: the plastic housing body for single-piece manufacturing, and removable metallic inserts for threaded connections. This segmentation allows the plastic housing to maintain manufacturing simplicity while the metallic inserts provide the versatility for both end and intermediate installations.
Solution Approach 2:
The metallic inserts serve multiple functions: they provide threaded holes for pipe flange connection, enable both end and intermediate installation types, and can be removed or repositioned as needed. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by adding installation flexibility without complicating the plastic housing manufacturing.
2Ease of manufacture
If threaded holes are formed as blind holes on one side, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the butterfly valve cannot be mounted on both sides
Solution Approach 1:
Metallic inserts act as intermediaries between the plastic housing and the pipe flanges. These inserts are inserted into recesses in the plastic housing and provide threaded holes that can be accessed from both sides of the valve, enabling bidirectional mounting while keeping the plastic housing manufacturing simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution transitions from a two-dimensional blind hole (accessible from one side only) to a three-dimensional structure where metallic inserts protrude from both sides of the housing, creating threaded access points in multiple directions and enabling bidirectional mounting.
3Loss of substance
If the housing is made thin-walled and lightweight, then material usage is reduced, but structural strength and stability are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The housing combines plastic material for the thin-walled body (reducing material consumption) with metallic inserts for strength-critical connection points. This composite structure allows the housing to be lightweight and material-efficient while maintaining structural strength through the reinforcement provided by the metallic inserts.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure has non-uniform quality distribution: thin-walled plastic construction in non-critical areas for material efficiency, and thickened regions with metallic inserts in critical connection zones for structural strength. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by optimizing material usage where it matters least while reinforcing where it matters most.
Data Source
AI summary
Butterfly valve housing for a butterfly valve having a closing element mounted rotatably in the housing, wherein receiving openings are arranged in the housing between the two flange connection discs and between the reinforcement structure, wherein the receiving openings are directed from the outer circumference in the direction of the vertical centre axis, into which the inserts can be inserted into the housing, wherein the inserts are arranged form-fittingly in the receiving openings.