Flexible Curb Stop Alignment for Settling-Resistant Valve Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Curb stop boxes often become misaligned with underground water supply lines and shut-off valves due to ground settling or debris, making it difficult to access and control the water supply without digging.
Innovation Solution
A curb stop device with flexible tabs and slots that engage with the valve body to maintain alignment and facilitate access, featuring an inner aperture for receiving the valve and resilient engagement to accommodate various valve sizes and resist misalignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid curb stop box is used to access the valve, then structural strength is improved, but misalignment with the valve occurs due to ground settling
Solution Approach 1:
The curb stop box is divided into a rigid outer box structure and a separate resilient alignment component with flexible tabs. The rigid box provides structural strength while the segmented alignment component accommodates ground settling and maintains valve alignment independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment component uses material with different mechanical properties (resilient/flexible) compared to the rigid box. The flexible tabs can deflect and adapt to changes in relative position between the box and valve caused by ground settling, maintaining alignment through elastic deformation.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the curb stop box is made rigid to maintain shape, then shape stability is improved, but adaptability to different valve sizes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The device separates the rigid box structure from the adaptive alignment component. The box maintains fixed shape for stability while the segmented flexible tabs with slots provide adaptability to different valve sizes and positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment component transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic flexible structure. The tabs can deflect and the slots can slide to adapt to different valve diameters and positions, allowing the same box to accommodate various valve sizes while maintaining overall shape stability.
3Ease of operation
If ground settling occurs, then the curb stop box shifts position, but this causes misalignment with the valve
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible tabs and slots are designed beforehand to accommodate and cushion against misalignment caused by ground settling. The resilient material and slot geometry provide built-in compensation that absorbs positional shifts between the box and valve.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment component automatically adjusts to maintain alignment between the box and valve after ground settling occurs. The flexible tabs deflect and the slots slide to self-correct misalignment without requiring external intervention or digging.
4Ease of operation
If debris enters the valve area, then contamination occurs, but digging to access the valve increases debris ingress risk
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible tabs and slots create an intermediary sealed interface between the box interior and the valve area. This intermediary structure allows alignment adjustment while maintaining a barrier that prevents debris from the surrounding environment from entering the valve chamber.
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 curb stop device ensures proper alignment of the curb stop box with the valve, preventing misalignment and debris ingress, allowing easy access for valve operation without digging, and accommodating different valve sizes through flexible tab design.
Implementation Method 1
A plurality of flexible tabs are arranged around the inner aperture, each of the flexible tabs extending from a base coupled to the bottom wall radially inwardly toward a tip proximate the inner aperture. The tabs are configured to flex axially upwardly and downwardly to accommodate the valve and to engage the valve to maintain the valve in alignment with the curb stop box.
Data Source
AI summary
A curb stop device for aligning a curb stop box and a valve is disclosed herein. The curb stop device may include a side wall and a bottom wall, with the bottom wall including one or more flexible tabs and an inner aperture. The inner aperture may be configured to receive the valve, such as a water shut-off valve.