Butterfly valve and method of manufacturing the same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional butterfly valves made entirely of steel are prone to corrosion, heavy, and costly, making them difficult to process precisely and limiting mass production due to their high manufacturing costs and weight.
Innovation Solution
A butterfly valve design featuring a metal disk body with two plastic layers, where the first plastic layer is formed through insert molding and has a higher melting point than the second plastic layer, enhancing corrosion resistance and allowing for reduced weight and cost while maintaining strength, enabling precise processing and mass production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a butterfly valve is made entirely of steel, then its strength is high, but it is easy to be corroded, its weight is heavy and its manufacture cost has increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining a metal disk body (steel) with plastic layers (such as PTFE or other corrosion-resistant polymers) to create a butterfly valve that maintains the structural strength of metal while gaining the corrosion resistance of plastic materials. This composite structure directly resolves the contradiction between strength and corrosion resistance.
2Strength
If a butterfly valve is made entirely of steel, then its strength is high, but its weight is heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The composite structure of metal and plastic layers allows the valve to maintain adequate strength from the metal framework while reducing overall weight due to the lighter plastic materials, directly addressing the weight-strength contradiction.
3Strength
If a butterfly valve is made entirely of steel, then its strength is high, but its manufacture cost has increased
Solution Approach 1:
The composite construction allows for more efficient manufacturing processes, particularly through molding techniques for the plastic layers, which can reduce manufacturing costs compared to machining entire steel components while maintaining the required strength characteristics.
4Strength
If a butterfly valve is made entirely of steel, then its strength is high, but it is difficult to process precisely
Solution Approach 1:
The plastic layers can be molded with high precision to achieve accurate dimensional tolerances and surface finishes, complementing the metal framework's strength while improving overall manufacturing precision.
5Strength
If a butterfly valve is made entirely of steel, then its strength is high, but it is impossible to achieve mass production
Solution Approach 1:
The combination of metal and plastic components enables modular manufacturing and assembly processes that are more suitable for mass production, with plastic layers that can be efficiently molded and attached to metal frameworks, increasing overall productivity.
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 valve achieves enhanced corrosion resistance, extended lifespan, reduced manufacturing costs, and lightweight construction, allowing for precise processing and mass production while maintaining strength comparable to steel valves.
Implementation Method 1
a melting point of the first plastic layer is higher than a melting point of the second plastic layer
Data Source
AI summary
The butterfly valve comprises a body in which an inserting space is formed; and a disk inserted into the inserting space of the body, wherein fluid flow is opened or closed in response to rotation of the disk, wherein the disk further includes: a disk body formed of a metal; a first plastic layer formed of a first plastic on the disk body; a second plastic layer formed of a second plastic on the first plastic layer, wherein a melting point of the first plastic layer is different from a melting point of the second plastic layer, and the disk body is formed of a framework structure having an internal space.