Metering Valve Elastic Closure Residue-Free Mixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mixing devices with gravity-operated shut-off elements face challenges in achieving residue-free operation when handling reactive components, leading to hydrogel formation and functional limitations, especially in processes like fire protection liquid introduction into glass spaces.
Innovation Solution
A metering valve with an elastic, tubular closure element operating on the 'hose expansion principle, allowing for residue-free and self-closing metering of reactive components, eliminating the need for movable mechanical components and ensuring no dead space or residue accumulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If gravity-operated shut-off elements (balls, cones) are used in mixing devices, then the device structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but residue accumulates in dead spaces leading to hydrogel formation and functional impairment
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the dead space problem by using a shut-off element (hose or tube) that can be completely filled and emptied. The reactive component is metered through the entire volume of the hose/tube, ensuring no residue remains in dead spaces after dosing, thus preventing hydrogel formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies dynamic pressure-driven flow to actively push the reactive component through the shut-off element and out of the outlet. This dynamic metering process ensures complete evacuation of the hose/tube volume, leaving no residue behind, unlike static gravity-operated elements.
2Reliability
If spring-loaded valves with mechanical components are used, then shut-off function is reliable, but hydrogel deposits accumulate and cause process difficulties and detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces traditional mechanical shut-off components (springs, valves, moving parts) with a simple hose or tube that relies on pressure-driven flow and elastic deformation. This substitution eliminates complex mechanical structures where hydrogel deposits could accumulate and detach.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a flexible hose or tube as the shut-off element. This flexible structure can be completely filled and emptied dynamically, ensuring no residue remains. The flexible nature allows complete evacuation of the component volume, preventing hydrogel formation in dead spaces.
3Reliability
If dead-space-free metering is achieved with elastic tubular closure element, then residue-free operation is enabled, but the device complexity increases compared to gravity-operated elements
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a simple elastic tubular closure element (hose or tube) that leverages the elastic properties of the material itself for shut-off functionality. This approach achieves dead-space-free metering without requiring complex mechanical assemblies, maintaining relative simplicity while ensuring reliable residue-free 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 metering valve enables reliable, residue-free operation by expanding under metering pressure to allow fluid flow and automatically closing, preventing hydrogel formation and adhesions, thus maintaining device functionality and product quality.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic, tubular closure element (7) which closes, in a closed state of the metering valve (4), at least one outlet opening (8) of the metering tube (6) against the escape of a liquid flow present in the metering tube (6) and which is reversibly expandable, in a metering operation of the metering valve (4), under a metering pressure of the liquid flow
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
A metering valve (4) is shown and described as a substantially dead-space-free and self-closing shut-off device for preferably at least substantially residue-free metering of a reactive and/or property-modifying component (21) and/or a reactive component mixture in a two- or multi-component mixing process, with a metering tube (6) and with an elastic, tubular closure element (7) applied to the metering tube (6), wherein the closure element (7) in a closed or rest state of the metering valve (4) closes at least one outlet opening (8) of the metering tube (6) against the outlet of a liquid flow present in the metering tube (6) and is reversibly expandable in a metering operation of the metering valve (4) under a metering pressure of the liquid flow in order to allow the outflow of the liquid flow via the outlet opening (8).