Hydrant Gear Nut and Helical Track Actuation for Lower Torque
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydrant designs require significant torque to displace blocking discs due to complex and voluminous mechanisms, making them inefficient and costly for actuation.
Innovation Solution
A hydrant design featuring a gear nut that engages both sleeve and housing helical tracks, allowing for compact and efficient actuation of the blocking disc through a stem, with the gear nut and sleeve helical tracks working in tandem to distribute load and reduce mechanical stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a direct connection between the stem and blocking disc is used, then the actuation mechanism is simple, but massive torque is required to displace the disc
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gear train mechanism as an intermediary between the stem and blocking disc. The stem rotates a pinion gear that engages with a rack gear attached to the blocking disc, converting rotational motion into linear motion while providing mechanical advantage to reduce the torque required for actuation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the direct mechanical connection with a gear-based mechanical system. By using the gear train, the system achieves both motion conversion and torque reduction, solving the contradiction between simplicity and force requirements.
2Force
If a complex gearing mechanism is used to reduce torque, then the force required is reduced, but the device becomes voluminous and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The gearing mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: a pinion gear on the stem and a rack gear on the blocking disc. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall simplicity and reducing the volumetric footprint.
3Volume of moving object
If a compact gearing mechanism is used, then the hydrant size is reduced, but the load distribution may become uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The gear teeth are designed with specific local qualities including appropriate tooth profile, width, and spacing to ensure even load distribution. The rack gear teeth are configured to engage smoothly with the pinion, distributing the mechanical load uniformly across multiple teeth during operation.
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 design achieves efficient and cost-effective actuation of the hydrant by distributing load evenly and reducing mechanical stress, resulting in a durable, simple, and compact mechanism for blocking and unblocking fluid flow.
Implementation Method 1
the gear nut is arranged to engage both the sleeve helical track and the housing helical track
Implementation Method 2
the rotation of the gear sleeve - connected to and driving the blocking disc - is then geared by both helical tracks
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Disclosed is a hydrant (1) comprising a riser pipe (2) through which a fluid flow may be guided and a blocking disc (3) arranged to be displaced in and out of the fluid flow to block the fluid flow through the riser pipe (2). The hydrant (1) also comprises a stem (4) arranged to actuate the blocking disc (3) through a gearing (5), wherein the gearing (5) of the hydrant (1) comprises a gear nut (6) arranged to engage the stem (4) so that when the stem (4) and the nut (6) are mutually rotated, the nut (6) is displaced along the longitudinal direction of the stem (4). The gearing (5) of the hydrant (1) further comprises a gear sleeve (7) including a sleeve helical track (8), wherein the gear sleeve (7) is connected to the blocking disc (3), and a gear housing (9) comprising a housing helical track (10), wherein the position of the gear housing (9) is fixed in relation to the riser pipe (2), and wherein the gear nut (6) is arranged to engage both the sleeve helical track (8) and the housing helical track (10). Use of a hydrant (1) is also disclosed.