Check Cover Shroud for Protected Backflow Test Cock Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Backflow prevention assemblies require time-consuming and complex testing processes for maintenance, which can lead to contamination risks and inefficiencies in repairing or replacing test cocks and check valves, necessitating a solution for quicker and safer access and support during pressure testing.
Innovation Solution
A check cover assembly with an upstanding shroud provides support and protection for test cocks, allowing easy installation, removal, and pressure testing, featuring a retention fork for secure positioning without rotation and integrated ball-and-socket joints for efficient pressure zone access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If test cocks are extended upward for easy access, then ease of operation is improved, but protection and support for the test cock is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The test cock is nested within the shroud structure, which provides protective enclosure while maintaining access. The shroud forms an inner area that receives and protects the test cock, integrating protection and access functions in a nested configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The shroud acts as a protective shell structure that encloses the test cock. The shell provides physical protection while incorporating openings and gaps that allow access and operation of the test cock without compromising the protective function.
2Ease of repair
If test cocks are made easily removable for quick repair, then ease of repair is improved, but structural integration and support are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The check cover assembly is segmented into separable components: the base with shroud structure and the test cock itself. This segmentation allows the test cock to be independently removed and replaced while the shroud remains as a supporting structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The shroud is pre-configured with retention features (retention fork, slit, groove) that prepare the structure for easy test cock installation and removal. The retention fork can be removed from the slit to allow test cock insertion, and banking surfaces are pre-positioned to guide proper alignment.
3Reliability
If annual testing is performed to ensure water safety, then reliability of water supply is improved, but time consumption and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The check cover assembly with integrated shroud and test cock configuration enables self-service testing capabilities. The structure allows straightforward access to pressure zones through the test cock without requiring complex disassembly or specialized procedures, reducing testing time and complexity.
4Reliability
If shutoff valves are closed during maintenance to prevent contamination, then water supply protection is improved, but operational efficiency and testing speed are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The test cock is extracted as a separate, accessible component within the shroud structure. This allows testing operations to be performed on the test cock itself without requiring closure of the main shutoff valves, as the test cock provides a dedicated access point to pressure zones that can be isolated for testing purposes.
Data Source
AI summary
A check cover assembly for a backflow prevention (BFP) assembly including a dome-shaped base with an upstanding shroud, wherein the shroud forms an inner area configured to receive a test cock to support and protect the test cock. The shroud forms a gap for accessing the test cock to selectively open and close the test cock while installed in the inner area. The base forms a passageway from the inner area into the BFP assembly configured so that when the test cock is open, a pressure reading of a pressure zone in the BFP assembly can be taken via the test cock. A retention fork is in a slit formed in the shroud so that the test cock is captured in the inner area but the test cock can be removed from and inserted into the inner area without rotation when the retention fork is removed from the slit.