External Plumbing Valve Access for Selective Water Shut-Off
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Solution Overview
Problem
Residential homeowners face challenges in quickly addressing plumbing emergencies due to workforce shortages and supply chain issues, and often struggle to access plumbing behind permanent fixtures, leading to costly and burdensome remediation processes.
Innovation Solution
An external plumbing valve device that allows homeowners to easily shut off or turn on water flow without removing permanent fixtures, featuring a robust valve mechanism accessible from the exterior, which can be coupled to existing plumbing conduits using sweat or threaded connections, and is designed for minimal effort and long-term reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If plumbing emergency remediation is performed by a plumbing contractor, then the remediation is professionally handled, but the cost is several thousands of dollars and the time is prolonged due to workforce shortages and supply chain issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables homeowners to perform self-remediation of plumbing emergencies through an externally accessible valve device. The device allows homeowners to shut off water flow to specific appliances or fixtures without needing to call a plumber, thereby eliminating waiting time for professional services while maintaining effective emergency response capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the plumbing system by providing individual valve control for different appliances and fixtures. This segmentation allows selective shut-off of water flow to specific problem areas while maintaining supply to other functioning appliances, enabling targeted self-remediation without affecting the entire plumbing system.
2Reliability
If plumbing emergency remediation is performed by a plumbing contractor, then the remediation is professionally handled, but the cost is several thousands of dollars
Solution Approach 1:
The externally accessible valve device empowers homeowners to perform their own plumbing emergency remediation, eliminating the need to pay professional plumber fees. The device is designed to be simple enough for homeowner operation while effective enough to handle genuine plumbing emergencies, thereby reducing remediation costs from thousands of dollars to minimal self-service expenses.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs simple, inexpensive components in the externally accessible valve device, including basic valve mechanisms and external housings that can be manufactured at low cost. This approach makes the device an affordable one-time investment that prevents recurring expensive plumber visits for common plumbing emergencies.
3Ease of operation
If the valve is made accessible from the exterior, then the homeowner can easily operate it without removing permanent fixtures, but the valve mechanism must be designed to extend through the wall structure
Solution Approach 1:
The valve device is segmented into distinct components: an external accessible portion with the handle and housing, a wall penetration section, and an internal plumbing connection portion. This segmentation allows the valve to be operated from the exterior while maintaining proper integration with the internal plumbing system, balancing accessibility with installation feasibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The external housing and wall penetration section serve as intermediaries between the homeowner's operating needs and the internal valve mechanism. This intermediary structure protects the valve mechanism while providing external accessibility, resolving the conflict between ease of operation and structural integration.
Data Source
AI summary
An external plumbing valve device is provided having an exterior structural portion. The exterior structural portion may have an outer body with an elongate shape and a hollow cavity therein. The outer body may have a horizontal portion having a first end terminating at a proximal end of the outer body and a second end terminating at a distal end of the outer body. The second end may terminate into a vertical portion of the outer body. The exterior structural portion may have a stem disposed within the hollow cavity in a manner parallel to the outer body. The exterior structural portion may have a handle disposed at the proximal end of the outer body. The plumbing valve device may have an interior structural portion with a valve disposed at the distal end of the outer body within the vertical portion and a plurality of coupling mechanisms.