Glass Ball Safety Valve Structure for Unobstructed Valve Opening
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Solution Overview
Problem
In glass ball safety valves, large fragments from a broken glass ball can hinder the movement of the valve element, preventing quick gas discharge and impairing the safety valve's function.
Innovation Solution
A glass ball safety valve design that includes a housing with a valve element, a biasing spring, and a glass ball with end-side portions held by separate holding members to prevent fragments from interfering with the valve element's movement, ensuring the valve can open quickly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the glass ball breaks at a predetermined temperature to enable valve element movement, then the safety valve function is activated, but large fragments from the broken glass ball can hinder the valve element movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the problematic large fragments from the glass ball by providing separate holding members that retain the first and second longitudinal-direction end-side portions of the glass ball. This allows the intermediate portion to break and activate the valve while preventing the end portions from interfering with valve element movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the glass ball into functional portions: the intermediate portion that breaks at predetermined temperature to activate the safety valve, and the end-side portions that are separately held by holding members to prevent interference. This segmentation resolves the contradiction between activation reliability and operational smoothness.
2Reliability
If the glass ball is designed with a hollow columnar casing that breaks at predetermined temperature, then the safety function is achieved, but the large fragments can be sandwiched between the valve element and housing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces holding members as intermediary components between the glass ball and the valve element/housing. These holding members act as mediators that retain the end-side portions of the glass ball, preventing them from being sandwiched between the valve element and housing while allowing the intermediate portion to break for safety activation.
3Device complexity
If no holding members are provided for the glass ball end portions, then the structure is simpler, but the valve element cannot move to the desired position when the glass ball breaks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs simple holding members (such as rings or clamps) that are relatively simple in structure compared to complex mechanical positioning systems. These holding members effectively retain the glass ball end portions at minimal cost and structural complexity, ensuring reliable valve element positioning without requiring sophisticated 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 the valve element from being hindered by large glass fragments, ensuring rapid gas discharge and maintaining the safety valve's functionality.
Implementation Method 1
The glass ball includes a hollow, long, substantially columnar casing, and a liquid is sealed in the casing. The casing breaks when the liquid expands by temperature increase.
Data Source
AI summary
A glass ball safety valve includes: a housing including a valve passage connecting a first and second port; a valve element provided in the housing so as to close the passage, the element being movable in an open direction so as to open the passage; a biasing spring configured to bias the element in the open direction; a glass ball provided in the housing so as to support the element against biasing force of the biasing spring with a space between the element and the housing in the open direction, the glass ball including a longitudinal-direction intermediate portion that breaks at a predetermined temperature, the glass ball in a broken state allowing a movement of the valve element in the open direction; and a holding body provided in the housing and holding at least one of a first longitudinal-direction end-side portion and second longitudinal-direction end-side portion of the glass ball.