Frost-Resistant Hose Fitting With Pressure-Relief Expansion Disc
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hose fittings rupture due to pressure increases from freezing water expansion, causing damage and water leakage.
Innovation Solution
A hose fitting with a deformably resilient expansion disc that expands and contracts with pressure changes, accommodating freezing water expansion and contraction without damaging the fitting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If water remains in the hose assembly during freezing temperatures, then the water cycles between liquid and frozen states causing expansion and pressure increase, but the rigid hose fitting ruptures due to the increased pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a movable plunger that can shift position within the fitting body in response to pressure changes. When water freezes and expands, the plunger moves to accommodate the increased volume, preventing rupture. This dynamic adjustment allows the fitting to adapt to varying pressure conditions rather than maintaining a fixed rigid structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the fitting's internal volume by introducing a movable boundary (the plunger). This allows the internal volume to change in response to pressure variations caused by freezing water, transforming the fitting from a constant-volume rigid structure to a variable-volume adaptive structure that can withstand pressure fluctuations.
2Strength
If the hose fitting is made rigid to maintain structural strength, then the fitting can withstand normal operating pressures, but the fitting cannot accommodate the expansion of freezing water
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the fitting into distinct functional zones: a rigid outer fitting body that maintains structural integrity and sealing, and a movable plunger that provides adaptive volume adjustment. This segmentation allows different parts of the fitting to serve different functions - the rigid body provides strength while the movable plunger provides adaptability to pressure changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The plunger acts as an intermediary element between the rigid fitting body and the water. It absorbs the stress of water expansion by moving within the fitting, preventing direct transmission of expansion forces to the rigid fitting walls, thereby protecting the fitting from rupture while maintaining overall structural integrity.
3Reliability
If the hose fitting rupture is prevented by design modifications, then damage and water leakage are reduced, but the device complexity increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the volume-adjustment function from the rigid fitting body and implements it through a separate movable plunger component. This separation allows the fitting body to remain simple and structurally focused, while the plunger handles the adaptive function, thereby minimizing the increase in overall device complexity while achieving damage prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The plunger is designed to automatically respond to pressure changes without external control or intervention. When water expands during freezing, the pressure increase automatically pushes the plunger to accommodate the volume change. This self-actuating mechanism prevents damage without requiring complex control systems or additional actuation mechanisms.
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
Prevents hose fitting rupture by allowing expansion and contraction, reducing damage and water leakage during freezing temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
An expansion disc is operatively coupled with the expansion opening. The expansion disc is formed from a deformably resilient material that, as a pressure within the fluid pathway increases from a base pressure, a portion of the expansion disc expands outwardly from the fitting body, increasing a volume of the fluid pathway from a base volume.
Implementation Method 2
The expansion disc contracts, as the pressure within the fluid pathway reduces toward the base pressure, reducing the volume of the fluid pathway toward the base volume.
Implementation Method 3
Where water remains in the hose assembly, and attached hose fitting, the water will cycle between liquid and frozen states. As the water begins to freeze, it expands.
Data Source
AI summary
A hose fitting includes a fitting body, having an inlet opening, an expansion opening, and an outlet opening. An expansion disc is coupled with the expansion opening and is formed from a deformably resilient material. A portion of the expansion disc expands outwardly from the fitting body, when pressure within the fitting body increases, increasing a volume of the fitting body. The expansion disc contracts, as the pressure within the fitting body reduces. The expansion disc may be removably coupled with the expansion opening using an expansion nut, having an open center portion.