Guided Spring Valve Assembly for Leak-Tight Beverage Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spring devices for valve units in containers suffer from imperfect linear motion, leading to unwanted leakage and poor sealing, especially after repeated use, due to inclination and deformation of the elastic elements, which affect the closure of the beverage passage.
Innovation Solution
A spring device with a guide mechanism, such as a tubular element, ensures linear motion of the elastic element, maintaining precise alignment and closure, using guide devices like tubular elements inside or outside the elastic element to stabilize the terminal parts, ensuring correct positioning and sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional spring device with independent elastic elements is used, then the device structure is simple, but the elastic element assumes an inclined position during compression and release, causing imperfect sealing and beverage leakage
Solution Approach 1:
A guide device is introduced as an intermediary component between the elastic element and the valve body. This guide device constrains the elastic element to move only in the axial direction, preventing inclination during compression and release. The guide device acts as a mediator that translates the elastic element's potentially irregular motion into precise linear motion, ensuring the mobile sealing unit maintains proper alignment with the beverage passage aperture for effective sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the motion parameter of the elastic element from inclined/irregular movement to strictly axial linear movement. By introducing the guide device, the elastic element's degrees of freedom are reduced, constraining it to one-dimensional axial motion. This parameter change ensures that the mobile sealing unit moves precisely along the beverage passage axis, maintaining optimal sealing contact throughout the compression and release cycle.
2Speed
If the delivery device is removed before the container is empty, then maintenance or replacement operations can be performed, but the spring device must quickly return to its original position to close the beverage passage, which conventional spring devices fail to do effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The guide device serves as a mediator that ensures the elastic element's energy is efficiently transmitted in a straight line during release. By preventing lateral movement and inclination, the guide device ensures that the full elastic force is directed axially toward the mobile sealing unit, enabling rapid and forceful closure of the beverage passage when the delivery device is removed.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring device is segmented into distinct functional components: the elastic element for energy storage and release, and the guide device for motion control. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally - the elastic element provides the necessary force while the guide device ensures precise directional control, resulting in fast and reliable closure action.
3Force
If elastic elements with elongated shape or independent structures are used, then the spring device can provide necessary elastic force, but small structural differences cause imperfect axiality, leading to deformation and failure to maintain parallel position during ascent
Solution Approach 1:
The guide device acts as a mediator that decouples the force generation function from the motion control function. The elastic element can maintain its elongated shape and independent structure to provide necessary elastic thrust force, while the guide device mediates its motion to ensure perfect axial alignment. The guide device compensates for any structural imperfections in the elastic element by constraining its movement path.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide device creates an equipotential path for the elastic element's motion by providing a constrained axial channel. This ensures that regardless of minor variations in elastic element structure or positioning, the element always moves along the same axial path, maintaining equipotential alignment with the beverage passage and preventing deformation during compression and release cycles.
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 precise and effective sealing, preventing leakage and maintaining high elastic thrust force over multiple uses, ensuring the container remains sealed throughout its life cycle.
Implementation Method 1
a spring device (10a, 10b) for a valve unit (11) for a container (1) comprising at least one elastic element (12) provided with a first terminal part (17) associable with, or defining during use, a mobile head (13) of the valve unit (11), in order to open and close a passage therein, and with a second terminal part (18) associable during use with a support element (14) provided in the valve unit (11)
Data Source
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AI summary
Spring device for a valve unit (11) for a beverage container, comprising at least one elastic element (12) provided with a first terminal part (17) associable with, or defining during use, a mobile head (13) of the valve unit (11), and with a second terminal part (18) associable during use with a support element (14) provided in said valve unit (11); said elastic element (12) is provided with at least one guide device (15, 16) directed in a direction ( A) of compression and release of said elastic element (12).