Explosion Vent Spring Sealing Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing explosion venting solutions, such as weakened covers and bursting disks, are prone to damage from external forces and require high forces for controlled rupture, posing challenges in designing cast structures and ensuring water tightness, while rubber plugs need additional protection against water jets to meet IP69K standards.
Innovation Solution
A pressure vent system with a cover and sealing element that uses a spring element with a leaf spring design, allowing for controlled pressure relief without affecting the wall structure's strength, and providing IP69K protection through a simple, easy-to-manufacture and install design with adjustable opening force and a labyrinth seal for water protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If weakened covers or bursting disks are used for explosion venting, then controlled pressure relief is achieved, but they are prone to damage from external forces and require high forces for controlled rupture
Solution Approach 1:
The explosion vent is segmented into separate functional components: a sealing element (O-ring) for creating the pressure seal, a cover for protecting the sealing element from external forces, and a spring element for providing controlled opening force. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the cover can be strengthened against external forces while the sealing element maintains reliable sealing, and the spring provides controlled rupture at lower forces than required for bursting disks.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite construction combining different materials with complementary properties: the sealing element uses elastomeric material (O-ring) for flexibility and sealing, the cover uses rigid material for strength against external forces, and the spring element uses elastic material for controlled force application. This composite approach resolves the contradiction by combining materials that individually address different requirements - strength, sealing, and controlled opening.
2Reliability
If weakened covers are used for pressure relief, then controlled rupture is achieved, but challenges arise in designing cast structures and ensuring water tightness
Solution Approach 1:
The venting function is separated from the cast structure itself. Instead of incorporating weakened areas directly into the cast chassis, the invention uses a separate cover assembly with a sealing element that interfaces with the cast structure. This allows the cast structure to maintain its full strength and simple manufacturing design, while the separate cover assembly provides the controlled pressure relief function.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing element (O-ring) acts as an intermediary between the cast structure and the cover. It provides the fluid-tight seal without requiring complex integrated design in the cast structure. The spring element serves as another intermediary, mediating the force required to overcome the seal and open the vent, thereby decoupling the pressure relief mechanism from the cast structure design.
3Reliability
If rubber plugs are used to close openings, then tight sealing is achieved, but additional protection against water jets is needed to meet IP69K standards
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges multiple functions into a single integrated cover assembly: the cover itself provides the protective barrier against water jets (meeting IP69K requirements), while the sealing element (O-ring) provides the tight seal, and the spring element provides the controlled opening mechanism. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate protective structures around rubber plugs, as the cover assembly inherently provides both sealing and water protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing element uses a flexible O-ring that can deform to maintain tight sealing against the opening. The cover provides a rigid protective shell that shields the flexible sealing element from external water jets and physical damage. This combination of flexible sealing and rigid protection achieves both tight sealing and IP69K water resistance without additional complex structures.
4Strength
If non-weakened covers are used, then structural strength is maintained, but much higher force is required for rupture leading to damages from overpressure
Solution Approach 1:
The spring element acts as a force-mediating component between the internal pressure and the cover. Instead of requiring the cover to rupture at high forces, the spring provides a controlled, lower opening force that is applied gradually as pressure builds. This intermediary spring mechanism allows the cover to maintain full structural strength while still enabling controlled pressure relief at lower, safer force levels.
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 solution enables controlled pressure relief with adjustable force requirements, enhanced durability against external forces, and meets high IP protection standards, ensuring safe and reliable venting without compromising the structural integrity or appearance of the wall.
Implementation Method 1
a spring element for holding the cover in the opening
Implementation Method 2
at least one leaf spring extending over the perimeter of the cover
Implementation Method 3
an O-ring mounted on a groove in the sealing surface, the O-ring being compressed between the sealing surface and the complementary surface forming a tight seal
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
An explosion vent mounted to seal an opening (3) formed on a wall (2) of a closed space comprises a cover (4) being dimensioned to fit on said opening and having a perimeter with an edge adapted to seal the cover against the opening with a sealing element (7). A spring element (10) is arranged to hold the cover (4) in the opening (3) and the spring element has a direction of spring action. The cover is held by opposite retaining surfaces (5, 9) in the opening and the cover and he retaining surfaces are acting against the spring action of element (10). The sealing element (7) is positioned against the opening (3) so that the sealing force is directed at least partially crosswise to the direction of the spring action of the spring element (10).