Check Valve Flapper Assembly Accelerated Closure

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Solution Overview

Problem

Check valves in fluid systems often experience reverse fluid flow when a pump shuts down, leading to noise, vibration, and potential damage due to the disc slamming closed, as there is a delay in the check valve fully closing.

Innovation Solution

A check valve design featuring a flapper assembly with a resilient body and a spring assembly that biases the flap portion towards the closed position, including a spring and a backing plate to increase stiffness, ensuring a secure seal and reducing noise and vibration by facilitating a controlled closure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If the check valve uses a simple disc design without additional components, then the device complexity is low, but the closure speed is insufficient causing reverse flow and disc slamming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclosure speedVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The spring assembly is pre-loaded to store elastic potential energy that is automatically released to accelerate disc closure when reverse flow occurs. This preliminary energy storage enables rapid closure without requiring complex active control systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The check valve is divided into functional segments: the resilient body for sealing, the spring assembly for acceleration, and the backing plate for structural support. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the check valve closes quickly to prevent reverse flow, then the reliability improves, but noise and vibration increase due to disc slamming

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovereliabilityVSAvoidnoise and vibration

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The resilient body material is selected to provide inherent cushioning during closure. This viscoelastic material absorbs impact energy and dampens vibrations, allowing rapid closure without disc slamming and associated noise.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The spring assembly modifies the closure dynamics by providing controlled elastic force. This changes the closure parameter from uncontrolled free-fall to accelerated motion with reduced impact, maintaining reliability while reducing harmful vibrations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If the check valve uses a resilient body with spring assembly for controlled closure, then the closure control improves, but the manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclosure controlVSAvoidease of manufacture

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The resilient body is manufactured as a molded elastomeric component that integrates the sealing surface and structural function. This flexible shell approach simplifies manufacturing compared to assembling multiple rigid parts, as the resilient body can be produced in a single molding operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The check valve combines elastomeric material for the resilient body with metallic components for the spring and backing plate. This composite construction leverages the advantages of each material: elasticity and vibration damping from the elastomer, and strength and precision from the metal components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

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 effectively prevents reverse fluid flow, reducing noise and vibration, and minimizing damage to system components by ensuring a controlled and rapid closure of the check valve, thus enhancing the longevity and performance of the fluid system.

Implementation Method 1

a spring assembly that is configured to bias the flap portion of the resilient body towards the closed position

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

resilient body extending from a proximal hinge portion to an intermediate portion and to a distal flap portion

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVibration damping: Damping

Data Source

PatentUS9945487B2Check valve with accelerated closure

Publication Date: 2018.04.17 MUELLER INT LLC

AI summary

A check valve including a valve body and a flapper assembly, the valve body defining an inlet, an outlet, an interior cavity, and a port in the interior cavity; the flapper assembly movable between an open position, providing fluid communication between the inlet and outlet, and a closed position, isolating the inlet from the outlet, the flapper assembly including a resilient body and a spring assembly, the spring assembly configured to bias the flap portion of the resilient body towards the closed position, the spring assembly including a spring and a backing plate mounted on opposite surfaces of the resilient body and configured to increase the stiffness of the intermediate portion of the resilient body.