Fluid Coupling Locking Element for Secure Valve Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid couplings are complex and costly due to numerous individual parts for separate security mechanisms, making them challenging to produce and assemble while maintaining security criteria.
Innovation Solution
A simplified fluid coupling design featuring a locking element arranged parallel to the flow direction, allowing for a more straightforward connection and operation of the coupling halves, which includes a spherical valve element and a rotary lever.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate safety mechanisms are used to ensure secure connection and prevent fluid leakage, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases and manufacturing cost rises
Solution Approach 1:
The locking element integrates multiple safety functions into a single component: it mechanically locks the coupling halves together, prevents accidental separation, and controls the rotary lever to ensure the valve element remains closed during connection. This merging of functions reduces the number of individual parts while maintaining all necessary safety criteria.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking element serves multiple purposes simultaneously: it acts as a mechanical connector, a safety latch, and a valve control mechanism. By designing this single element to perform multiple functions, the patent eliminates the need for separate safety mechanisms, thereby reducing device complexity while preserving reliability.
2Reliability
If multiple individual parts are used for safety mechanisms, then reliability is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates due to increased assembly time and cost
Solution Approach 1:
By combining multiple safety functions into the single locking element, the patent reduces the total number of parts that need to be manufactured and assembled. This integration simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces assembly time while maintaining all required safety functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking element is designed as a multi-functional component that performs locking, safety prevention, and valve control functions. This universality means that instead of manufacturing and assembling multiple separate parts, only one component needs to be produced and installed, significantly improving ease of manufacture.
3Ease of manufacture
If a simple connection design is used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to insufficient safety mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The locking element integrates multiple safety functions into a single component, maintaining simplicity in design and manufacturing while ensuring all necessary safety criteria are met through the combined functions of locking, prevention of accidental separation, and valve control.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking element serves multiple safety functions simultaneously, allowing the design to remain simple and easy to manufacture while achieving high reliability through the multi-functional nature of the single component.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~4a
AI summary
Fluid coupling comprising two coupling halves (2) that can be coupled to one another via connecting elements, wherein each coupling half comprises a housing (3) having an end face, the end face having at least one connecting element (5) for mutually connecting the coupling halves, the housing having an end-face connecting surface, wherein the connecting surfaces of the two coupling halves contact each other in the coupled state, wherein each coupling half (2) comprises a spherical valve element (8), a rotary lever (9) for actuating the valve element (8) and a locking element (10) that can be actuated mutually via the connecting elements (5) and releases the rotary lever, wherein the locking element (10) is arranged in the housing (3) to be displaceable parallel to the flow direction or to the longitudinal axis, wherein the mutual, relative to the flow direction orThe coupling halves (2) are engaged vertically to the longitudinal axis, the locking element (10) is moved parallel to the flow direction or to the longitudinal axis and the rotary lever (9) is released.