Preloaded Elastomeric Check Valve for Pool Line Backflow Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sealing apparatuses for fluid lines in swimming pools and similar systems are ineffective due to weathering of seal materials and require special retrofitting, leading to issues with water backflow and damage during winter months.
Innovation Solution
A sealing apparatus with a housing and an elastomeric plug that uses a pre-loaded tension member to seal the fluid line, featuring a conical shape and a flange with gripping members for easy handling, which can be threadably connected to the fluid line and includes a bulbous tail for secure retention within the housing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a threaded plug is used to close off the fluid line, then the seal effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity and retrofitting requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing apparatus is divided into separate components: a housing that fits over the fluid line opening and a separate elastomeric plug that seals within the housing. This segmentation eliminates the need for threading modifications to the fluid line itself, reducing retrofitting complexity while maintaining reliable sealing through the elastomeric material.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses an elastomeric plug (flexible material) to create the seal instead of rigid threaded connections. The elastomeric material naturally conforms to the seating surface within the housing, providing reliable sealing without requiring precise threading or complex retrofitting of the fluid line opening.
2Reliability
If a threaded plug is used to close off the fluid line, then the seal effectiveness is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to installation difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the sealing function (elastomeric plug) from the mounting function (housing with flange), the apparatus allows for simple snap-fit or friction-fit installation of the housing onto the fluid line opening, followed by easy insertion of the plug. This eliminates difficult threading operations while maintaining effective sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomeric plug provides self-sealing through its flexible nature, automatically conforming to the seating surface when inserted. This flexibility simplifies installation compared to threaded plugs that require precise alignment and threading, while ensuring reliable sealing through the material's ability to deform and seal.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional seal materials are used in the plug, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to weathering
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing apparatus employs an elastomeric material for the plug, which represents a composite or specialized material choice designed to resist weathering, UV exposure, and temperature extremes. This material selection maintains ease of manufacture through molding processes while dramatically improving durability and reliability compared to traditional seal materials that degrade in outdoor pool environments.
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 apparatus effectively prevents water backflow by maintaining a watertight seal, even under pressure changes, and can be easily installed and removed without the need for special retrofitting, ensuring protection from freezing and damage.
Implementation Method 1
a tension member having a first end connected to the body and a second end connected to the housing. The tension member may be pre-loaded in tension to urge the body of the plug against the seat to seal the hollow interior of the housing.
Data Source
AI summary
A sealing assembly for controlling a flow of fluid through a fluid line has a housing having a first end opposite a second end with a hollow interior extending therebetween and an elastically resilient plug disposed within the hollow interior of the housing. The plug has a body engagable with a seat within the housing and a tension member having a first end connected to the body and a second end connected to the housing. The tension member is pre-loaded in tension to urge the body of the plug against the seat to seal the hollow interior of the housing. The body is movable away from the seat when the plug is acted upon by a fluid pressure greater than a pre-load force of the tension member.