Funnel Valve With Pivotable Flapper Lever
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing funnels with shut-off elements are complex and expensive to manufacture due to the need for substantial weight or spring pressure to ensure a liquid-tight seal, and they often allow spillage as the outlet drains even when the valve is closed.
Innovation Solution
A funnel design featuring a slideable trigger with a pivotable flapper lever and a spring mechanism that provides a simple and cost-effective way to control liquid flow, using a line to pull the flapper up or down against an annular sealing surface, allowing manual control of the flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a valve or occluding element with substantial weight or spring pressure is used to ensure a liquid-tight seal, then the sealing reliability is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible flapper valve made of thin material that can conform to the tapered funnel walls. The flapper is held against the funnel wall by spring pressure, creating a liquid-tight seal without requiring complex rigid valve structures. The flexible nature of the flapper allows it to match the funnel's tapered geometry naturally, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining sealing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a spring mechanism to apply pressure to the flapper valve, counteracting the force of liquid pressure and gravity. This spring pressure ensures the flapper remains sealed against the funnel wall during operation, providing reliable sealing without requiring the flapper to have substantial weight or complex mechanical structures.
2Reliability
If the occluding valve is mounted in the reservoir portion with sloping sidewalls matching the funnel's tapered walls, then the liquid-tight seal is improved, but the manufacturing expense increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible flapper valve can naturally conform to the tapered geometry of the funnel's reservoir portion without requiring precise matching of sloping sidewalls. This flexibility eliminates the need for complex custom-shaped valves, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining the liquid-tight seal against the annular sealing surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the sealing interface by using an annular sealing surface on the funnel wall that the flapper can seal against. This approach simplifies the valve design compared to requiring the entire valve body to match the complex tapered geometry, reducing manufacturing expense while maintaining sealing effectiveness.
3Device complexity
If the outlet spout is allowed to drain after valve closure, then the simple valve structure is maintained, but fluid spillage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the outlet structure into two functional parts: the valve closure mechanism and the outlet spout. The flapper valve seals against an annular sealing surface located above the outlet spout, creating a separate sealing zone. This segmentation allows the valve to close the flow path while the outlet spout remains structurally simple and can be positioned to prevent spillage.
Solution Approach 2:
The annular sealing surface acts as an intermediary element between the flapper valve and the outlet spout. By positioning the sealing surface above the spout opening, the system creates a controlled closure point that prevents fluid from reaching the spout when the valve is closed, eliminating spillage without complicating the overall valve structure.
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
Enables easy and inexpensive manufacturing with fewer moving parts, allowing users to manually stop and start liquid flow without spillage, and includes a flexible hose accessory for directing fluid.
Implementation Method 1
a spring attached to the interior surface of the funnel wall and the pivotable flapper lever, and configured to apply a force that tends to keep the flapper sealed against the annular sealing surface
Implementation Method 2
a line with a first end and a second end, the first end attached to the trigger, the second end attached to a line attachment point, and the line entering the reservoir from the trigger via the passageway
Data Source
AI summary
A funnel device comprising: a funnel wall, with an interior surface and an exterior surface, the funnel wall generally tapering from an inlet to an outlet; a spout located at the outlet; a reservoir defined generally by the interior surface of the funnel wall; a handle fixedly attached to the funnel wall, the handle located outside of the reservoir; a slideable trigger located on the handle, the trigger slideable with respect to the handle; an annular sealing surface located near the outlet on the interior surface of the funnel wall; a pivotable flapper lever, with a pivot point located generally at a first end of the pivotable flapper lever, rotatably attached to the interior surface of the funnel wall at the pivot point, the pivotable flapper lever having a flapper located generally at a second end of the pivotable flapper lever, and a line attachment point located between the flapper and the pivot point; a passageway in the funnel wall located generally proximal to the trigger; a line with a first end and a second end, the first end attached to the trigger, the second end attached to a line attachment point, and the line entering the reservoir from the trigger via the passageway; a spring attached to the interior surface of the funnel wall and the pivotable flapper lever, and configured to apply a force that tends to keep the flapper sealed against the annular sealing surface.