Compressed Gas Lever Valve Hook Lock for Secure Folded Position
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lever valves for compressed gas cylinders face issues with securing mechanisms that are not easily operable, lack sufficient security, and are costly to manufacture, with prior solutions being prone to damage and ergonomic limitations.
Innovation Solution
A valve design featuring a pivotally mounted lever with a hook engaging a counter-shape on the body's cylindrical wall, utilizing a guiding element with an inner thread for secure positioning and a resilient member to ensure automatic engagement, allowing for easy operation and cost-effective manufacturing without additional components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protruding rod-shaped element is used as the counter-shape on the valve body, then the lever can be secured in a folded position, but additional components need to be fastened to the body increasing device complexity and manufacturing cost
Solution Approach 1:
The hook is integrated directly into the lever body as a unified component, eliminating the need for separate securing elements. The lever and hook form a single piece that is pivotally mounted on the valve body, reducing the total number of components while maintaining the securing function.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever serves multiple functions: it acts as both the actuating mechanism for the shut-off device and the securing element for the folded position through its integrated hook. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate securing components.
2Device complexity
If the hook is positioned close to the horizontal portion of the lever, then the securing mechanism is compact, but the grip area for the user is short and ergonomics are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The hook is positioned vertically above the pivot point rather than horizontally along the lever, utilizing the vertical dimension to provide both compactness and adequate user grip area. The user can comfortably grasp the horizontal portion of the lever while the hook engages with the counter-shape on the valve body.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a leaf spring with protruding portions is used to provide resting positions for the lever, then two positions are achieved, but the leaf spring is subject to damages and dirt accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The vulnerable leaf spring component is completely removed from the design. Instead, the lever is held in resting positions by the engagement between the hook and the counter-shape on the valve body, eliminating the problematic spring mechanism while maintaining the two-position functionality.
4Reliability
If additional securing components are added to the valve body, then the lever can be secured more reliably, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The securing function is merged into the basic lever structure itself through the integrated hook, which is formed as part of the lever during manufacturing. This eliminates the need for additional securing components and reduces manufacturing complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever's own hook structure provides the securing function without requiring external components. The system is self-sufficient, using the lever's inherent geometry to achieve reliable securing in the folded position.
Data Source
AI summary
A valve for compressed gas, comprising a body extending longitudinally, with a gas inlet at a lower end of the body, a gas outlet and a gas passage fluidly interconnecting the gas inlet and the gas outlet; a shut-off device housed in the body and configured for selectively shutting-off and opening the gas passage; a lever pivotally mounted on the body, at an upper end of the body, and configured for actuating the shut-off device; a hook pivotally mounted on the lever for engaging with a counter-shape on the body and thereby holding the lever in a folded position along the body; wherein the upper end of the body comprises a cylindrical wall delimiting an upper bore, the counter-shape being an upper edge of the cylindrical wall.