Gas Shutoff Inertia Guide Structure for Reliable Flow Interruption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas-conducting devices with safety devices that utilize inertia bodies to interrupt gas flow in exceptional situations, such as earthquakes or accidents, do not optimize the movement of the inertia body after sharp acceleration, potentially leading to inefficient or unreliable shutdown of the gas flow.
Innovation Solution
The gas-conducting device incorporates a housing bottom with guiding structures that guide the inertia body to a deflection point after sharp acceleration, with the guiding structures designed in the shape of a section of a cylinder jacket, and the longitudinal axis of the cylinder offset relative to the vertical axis, ensuring efficient movement and shutdown of the gas flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the inertia body is allowed to move freely after sharp acceleration, then the response time to interrupt gas flow is reduced, but the movement path and reliability become unpredictable
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding structure acts as an intermediary element between the inertia body and the closure unit. It channels the inertia body's movement along a predetermined path, ensuring reliable shutdown while maintaining simple device architecture. The guiding structure translates the inertial force into a controlled motion that reliably activates the closure mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The guiding structure is pre-configured with the optimal path from the resting place to the deflection point before the accident occurs. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when sharp acceleration happens, the inertia body automatically follows the predetermined trajectory to interrupt gas flow, eliminating the need for complex real-time control systems.
2Ease of manufacture
If the guiding structure uses a simple geometric shape, then manufacturing is easier, but the inertia body movement optimization is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding structure employs a cylindrical surface with a specific radius of curvature that optimizes the inertia body's movement path. This curved geometry naturally guides the inertia body along the desired trajectory using centrifugal and gravitational forces, achieving reliable shutdown without complex manufacturing processes. The cylindrical shape is simple to manufacture while providing optimal movement characteristics.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the longitudinal axis of the cylinder is offset from the vertical axis, then the inertia body movement is optimized for various force directions, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding structure deliberately uses an asymmetric configuration where the longitudinal axis of the cylinder is offset from the vertical axis passing through the resting place. This asymmetry enables the structure to effectively respond to acceleration forces from multiple directions, including lateral impacts. The offset distance is carefully calculated to provide optimal response characteristics while remaining manufacturable with standard tolerances.
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
This configuration optimizes the movement of the inertia body after sharp acceleration, ensuring reliable and efficient interruption of the gas flow, even under varying force directions, and allows for a simple reset mechanism due to gravitational pull.
Implementation Method 1
an inertia body (3), an acceleration sensor with a rolling body (3) located in a receiving element (51)
Implementation Method 2
allows for a simple reset mechanism due to gravitational pull
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a gas-conducting device having a safety device for interrupting a gas flow in the device. In a resting state, an inertia body is located on a resting place of a housing bottom so that a plunger rests on it. In an activation state, the inertia body moves out of the resting place, the plunger moves toward the housing bottom, and the safety device interrupts the gas flow. The present disclosure provides in that the housing bottom includes at least one guiding structure and that in the activation state the guiding structure guides the inertia body to a deflection point, in that the guiding structure is designed essentially in the shape of a section of a jacket of a cylinder, and in that a longitudinal axis of the cylinder is offset in relation to a vertical axis which is perpendicular to a center point and/or a lowest point of the resting place.