Frangible Valve Assembly for Orientation-Independent Slide Inflation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional valve assemblies for inflatable emergency slides are complex, bulky, heavy, and costly due to multiple mechanical moving parts, making them prone to failure and difficult to manufacture, while requiring reliable operation across various orientations without electrical systems.
Innovation Solution
A simplified valve assembly with a frangible member, rupture means, biasing means, and a lightweight basket mechanism that uses ball bearings and a spring to ensure reliable fluid flow control, allowing the valve to be triggered from any angle using the weight of the falling slide.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional valve assemblies with multiple mechanical moving parts are used, then the valve can be triggered reliably from any orientation, but the assembly becomes complex, bulky, heavy, and costly to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of triggering the valve from complex mechanical linkages and reduces it to a simple frangible member that breaks under gravitational force. The ball bearing and spring mechanism retains only the critical elements needed for reliable operation while eliminating unnecessary mechanical parts, achieving both simplicity and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical triggering systems with a gravity-based frangible member breakage mechanism. Instead of using complex mechanical linkages, cams, or levers to trigger the valve, the system uses the simple principle of gravitational force causing a frangible member to break, which then allows the spring to drive the valve open. This substitution dramatically reduces mechanical complexity while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If conventional valve assemblies with multiple mechanical moving parts are used, then the valve can be triggered reliably from any orientation, but the assembly becomes bulky and heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates unnecessary mechanical components from conventional valve assemblies, retaining only the essential elements (frangible member, ball bearing, spring, valve) needed for reliable gravity-based triggering. This extraction dramatically reduces the overall weight of the assembly while preserving the critical function of reliable operation from any orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes heavy mechanical linkages, cams, and levers with a lightweight gravity-based frangible member breakage mechanism. The simple spring-driven valve opening mechanism replaces complex mechanical systems, achieving significant weight reduction while maintaining the reliability required for emergency evacuation applications.
3Reliability
If conventional valve assemblies with multiple mechanical moving parts are used, then the valve can be triggered reliably from any orientation, but the assembly is expensive to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates costly mechanical components such as precision linkages, cams, and multiple moving parts from conventional valve assemblies. The simplified design using a frangible member, single ball bearing, and spring mechanism dramatically reduces manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining the reliability needed for safety-critical applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive mechanical triggering systems with a simple gravity-based frangible member breakage mechanism. This substitution eliminates the need for precision-machined mechanical linkages and complex assemblies, replacing them with inexpensive components that are easier and more cost-effective to manufacture while ensuring reliable operation.
4Device complexity
If a simplified valve mechanism is used, then the assembly becomes lightweight and cost-effective, but the reliability and ability to trigger from any orientation may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the principle of equipotentiality by using gravity as the triggering force, which acts equally regardless of the assembly's orientation. The frangible member is positioned and dimensioned so that gravitational force will reliably cause it to break from any orientation, ensuring that the simplified mechanism maintains full reliability across all possible installation angles and emergency scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical triggering systems with a gravity-based frangible member breakage mechanism that is inherently orientation-independent. The simple spring-driven valve opening mechanism ensures reliable operation without requiring complex mechanical linkages, achieving both simplicity and robust reliability for emergency evacuation applications.
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 provides a lightweight, reliable, and cost-effective valve assembly that can be triggered from any orientation, reducing the risk of failure and manufacturing complexity, while ensuring efficient inflation of emergency slides.
Implementation Method 1
the ball bearings extending into the housing to retain the biasing means in a non-biased state
Implementation Method 2
a bearing extending to engage the biasing means and hold it in a compressed state, against its bias
Implementation Method 3
biasing means for biasing the means for rupturing into contact with the frangible member to cause rupture thereof
Implementation Method 4
The valve should not, for example, be triggered by the pressure vessel being knocked or falling or some other impact on the vessel or some other, less than full deployment, movement of the slide
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A
Figure 2B~2C
AI summary
A valve assembly comprising: a valve housing (100) defining therein a fluid flow channel (200) between a first end (200A) arranged to be connected to a source of pressurised fluid, and an outlet (300), a frangible member (400) disposed within and across the fluid flow channel so as to block flow from the first end to the outlet, rupture means (500) for rupturing the frangible member to allow flow from the first end to the outlet; biasing means (700) for biasing the means for rupturing into contact with the frangible member to cause rupture thereof; retaining means for retaining the rupture means out of contact with the frangible member to prevent rupture thereof; release means configured to release the retaining means to allow the biasing means to bias the rupture means into contact with the frangible member; wherein the retaining means a bearing (800) extending to engage the biasing means and hold it in a compressed state, against its bias; and securing means (900) for securing the bearing in the engaged state, wherein the release means comprises a trigger (1000) attached to the securing means which, when actuated, moves the securing means to release the bearing away from engagement with the biasing means whereby the biasing means expands to bias the rupture means into contact with the frangible member to cause rupture thereof.