Isolation valve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional isolation valves for tankless water heaters require large and costly ball valves, which complicate manufacturing and increase the size and cost of the valve due to high material and tolerance requirements.
Innovation Solution
Replacing one of the ball valves with a smaller-sized plug component, featuring a tapered design with a metal-on-metal seal and an O-ring for redundancy, to reduce material usage and simplify manufacturing while maintaining effective sealing and drainage functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a ball valve is used in the bypass port, then reliable sealing and flow control are achieved, but the valve size and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the ball valve from the bypass port and replaces it with a simpler plug closure mechanism. The plug with tapered portion and O-ring provides adequate sealing for the bypass function without the complexity of a ball valve, directly resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug closure is a simpler, more economical component compared to a ball valve. While ball valves provide excellent sealing, the plug with O-ring provides sufficient sealing for the bypass application at lower cost and complexity, embodying the principle of using simpler components where full performance is not required.
2Ease of operation
If ball valves are used in both ports, then flow control capability is maintained, but material usage and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ball valve is extracted from the bypass port where full flow control capability is not necessary. The plug closure adequately handles the bypass function while significantly reducing material usage, directly addressing the contradiction between operational capability and material quantity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different closure mechanisms are applied to different ports based on their specific requirements: the ball valve remains in the main water supply port where flow control is critical, while the bypass port uses a simpler plug closure where basic on/off functionality suffices. This local differentiation optimizes both performance and material efficiency.
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 plug-based design reduces material costs, simplifies manufacturing, and provides a smaller footprint while ensuring reliable sealing and controlled drainage, addressing the challenges of size, cost, and durability in isolation valves.
Implementation Method 1
a tapered design with a metal-on-metal seal
Implementation Method 2
an O-ring for redundancy, to reduce material usage and simplify manufacturing while maintaining effective sealing
Data Source
AI summary
An isolation valve including a main body including a fluid passage, a first port connected to the fluid passage, a second port connected to the fluid passage, a third port including an openable and closable valve, the valve connecting the third port to the fluid passage, and a plug removably coupled to the second port.