Plastic Valve Body Assembly Using Retaining Clips and Encapsulation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional sanitary fittings face challenges in using cost-effective materials like plastic for valve bodies due to space constraints and increased assembly effort, leading to difficult retrofitting and design issues.

Innovation Solution

A method involving connecting functional components with a retaining clip or shell and encapsulating them using thermoplastic foam injection molding to create a one-piece plastic valve body, ensuring stability and minimal assembly effort.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If functional components are connected with retaining clips or shells and encapsulated using thermoplastic foam injection molding, then manufacturing effort is reduced and a one-piece valve body is created, but component separation during encapsulation may occur without proper connecting elements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing effortVSAvoidcomponent separation prevention

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The functional components are pre-connected with retaining clips or retaining shells before the encapsulation process. This preliminary assembly ensures that components are securely held together and positioned correctly before being encased in the valve body, preventing separation during the injection molding process while enabling efficient one-piece manufacturing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The retaining clips and retaining shells act as intermediary elements that connect and secure the functional components to each other and to the valve body. These connecting elements serve as mediators that maintain component integrity during encapsulation while allowing the final one-piece construction to be achieved

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If conventional materials like brass are used for valve bodies, then corrosion resistance and drinking water suitability are ensured, but cost-effectiveness is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecorrosion resistanceVSAvoidcost-effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention replaces expensive traditional materials like brass with cost-effective plastic materials for the valve body. The functional components are also made from plastic, creating an entirely plastic assembly that is both economical and suitable for drinking water applications, eliminating the need for costly metal materials while maintaining functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses plastic as a composite material solution that combines multiple functional components (valve body, fluid guides, mixing elements) into a single material system. This plastic composite construction replaces traditional metal-and-plastic combinations, achieving both cost-effectiveness and the required corrosion resistance for drinking water applications

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Device complexity

If functional components are retrofitted into one-piece valve bodies, then assembly is simplified, but space constraints and design flexibility are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly effortVSAvoiddesign flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The invention segments the valve body construction into functional components that can be independently designed and manufactured, then connected with retaining elements before final encapsulation. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall design flexibility and enabling simplified assembly into a one-piece final product

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The retaining clips and retaining shells provide an additional dimensional aspect to the assembly process, allowing components to be connected and secured in three-dimensional space before encapsulation. This extra dimensional approach enables complex component arrangements to be simplified into a one-piece final structure while preserving design flexibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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

Enables the production of a robust, one-piece plastic valve body with reduced manufacturing effort and enhanced strength, while preventing component separation and damage during the encapsulation process.

Implementation Method 1

The functional components are encased in a fitting body, in particular by means of thermoplastic foam injection molding

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermoplastic foam injection molding:

Data Source

PatentEP4667668A1Method for producing a fitting housing for a sanitary fitting and sanitary fitting with a fitting housing

Publication Date: 2025.12.24 GROHE AG

Figure 1~2

AI summary

A method for manufacturing a valve body (1) for a sanitary fitting (2), comprising at least the following steps: a) providing a plurality of functional components (3.1, ..., 3.4) for the sanitary fitting (2); b) connecting the plurality of functional components (3.1, ..., 3.4) with at least one connecting element (8), wherein the connecting element (8) is a retaining clip or a retaining shell; and c) producing the valve body (1) by at least partially encasing the functional components (3.1, ..., 3.4) and the at least one connecting element (8). Furthermore, a sanitary fitting (2) with a valve body (1) is proposed.