Line Valve with Displacement Section for Ice Damage Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing liquid line valves in vehicles, particularly those used for filling aqueous urea solutions, face issues with liquid sloshing back and potential damage from ice floes at low temperatures, leading to valve flap damage and leakage.

Innovation Solution

A line valve design featuring a butterfly valve with a displacement portion that relocates within the liquid chamber, eliminating the need for a valve flap inside the tank, and incorporating an offset section and sealing elements to prevent backflow and ice damage, while ensuring quick filling and rapid closure under varying pressure conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a valve flap is extended into the interior of the liquid tank to prevent backflow, then backflow prevention is improved, but the valve flap becomes vulnerable to damage from ice floes at low temperatures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebackflow preventionVSAvoidice floe damage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the valve flap from the liquid tank interior and relocates it to the liquid line outside the tank. The valve flap is now positioned in the liquid line at a location where it cannot be reached by ice floes that form and move within the tank, thereby eliminating the damage risk while preserving the backflow prevention function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If the valve flap is positioned inside the liquid tank to block flow direction, then backflow is prevented, but the valve structure becomes more complex and vulnerable to frozen additive damage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflow blockingVSAvoidvalve structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The valve flap is extracted from the tank interior and repositioned in the liquid line. This simplifies the overall structure by eliminating the need for complex mounting mechanisms inside the tank and removes the vulnerability to frozen additives that form during tank operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If a valve flap is used to prevent liquid leakage, then sealing is improved, but the valve flap is exposed to moving ice floes that can strike and damage it

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesealingVSAvoidvalve flap durability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The valve flap is taken out from the tank interior environment where it would be struck by moving ice floes and relocated to the liquid line. This maintains the sealing function while dramatically improving durability by removing the valve flap from the hazard zone of ice floe movement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Object-affected harmful factors

If the valve is installed outside the tank in the liquid line, then the valve flap is protected from ice damage, but additional space is required in the liquid line

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveice damage protectionVSAvoidliquid line space
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The valve is designed to be compact and can be integrated into the existing liquid line structure. The valve housing is configured to fit within the available space in the liquid line, minimizing the additional space required while still providing the necessary protection from ice damage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

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 effectively prevents liquid sloshing back and ice damage, ensuring reliable operation and minimizing leakage, even at low temperatures, by positioning the valve outside the tank and utilizing a sealing system that reduces pressure and flow issues.

Implementation Method 1

a valve flap (107) arranged in a liquid chamber (111) formed in the housing (105, 109) for blocking a flow direction

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluid flow blocking:

Implementation Method 2

a displacement section (113) for displacing the valve flap (107) in the flow direction into the interior of the liquid chamber (111)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical displacement:

Implementation Method 3

incorporating an offset section and sealing elements to prevent backflow and ice damage

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSealing:

Data Source

PatentEP2738365B2Line valve for a fluid line
Publication Date: 2019.04.10 VERITAS AG
  • EP2738365B2 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2738365B2 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2738365B2 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a line valve (100) for a liquid line (103) with a housing (105, 109) for forming a liquid chamber (111), which includes a valve flap (107) arranged in the liquid chamber for blocking a flow direction; and a displacement section (113) for displacing the valve flap (107) in the flow direction within the liquid chamber (100) and a liquid tank system.