Pressure Relief Valve Assembly to Prevent Accidental Food Dispenser Venting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing pressurized food dispensing systems face issues with pressure venting mechanisms that can be accidentally activated during food dispensing, leading to undesired pressure release and food discharge, and suffer from reduced sealing effectiveness due to flat sealing surfaces and wear, limiting the assembly's operational life.

Innovation Solution

A pressure relief valve assembly featuring a plug with stepped bores, a pin with conical and outwardly extending sections, O-rings, and a spring mechanism that ensures precise sealing and self-alignment, minimizing accidental manual activation and enhancing durability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If an extending ring is provided on the relief valve assembly to facilitate manual pressure venting, then ease of operation is improved, but the risk of accidental activation increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanual pressure ventingVSAvoidaccidental activation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The relief valve assembly employs asymmetric design where the extending ring is positioned on the rear surface of the faceplate rather than the front, making it inaccessible to users during normal dispensing operations. This asymmetric placement allows authorized manual venting while preventing accidental activation by unsuspecting users who would only access the front surface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

The extending ring serves as an intermediary element that requires intentional access from the rear of the faceplate to activate pressure relief. This intermediary positioning creates a physical barrier and procedural step that prevents accidental activation while maintaining the ability for authorized manual venting when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of manufacture

If flat sealing surfaces are used in the relief valve assembly, then ease of manufacture is improved, but sealing effectiveness deteriorates due to wear

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing surface fabricationVSAvoidsealing effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The relief valve assembly replaces flat sealing surfaces with conically-shaped sealing surfaces. The conical geometry provides self-aligning and self-centering characteristics that maintain sealing effectiveness over time, compensating for wear and manufacturing variations while ensuring consistent sealing performance throughout the assembly's operational life.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Device complexity

If the relief valve assembly lacks self-centering features, then device complexity is reduced, but sealing precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvealignment mechanismVSAvoidsealing alignment

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The conically-shaped sealing surfaces inherently provide self-centering functionality as the pin moves between closed and open positions. The converging geometry of the cones automatically aligns the sealing surfaces, eliminating the need for complex external alignment mechanisms while maintaining high sealing precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The relief valve assembly employs self-centering conical sealing surfaces that automatically align themselves during operation. The conical geometry causes the pin to naturally center itself as it moves, providing self-alignment and self-centering without requiring additional complexity in the overall device design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

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 provides precise control over pressure release, prevents accidental venting during food dispensing, maintains effective sealing despite wear, and extends the assembly's operational life by ensuring consistent sealing and self-centering.

Implementation Method 1

a spring positioned about the pin element between the plug and the conical section of the pin element

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSpring: Spring

Implementation Method 2

the spring defines an interior diameter, wherein the interior diameter of the spring is greater than first diameter of the first outwardly extending section of the pin

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 3

a first O-ring positioned within the pin recess; a second O-ring positioned about the pin and within the recess defined by the pin

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS12575587B2Secure, easily manipulated, manually operatable pressure relief valve for use with a pressurized food dispensing system

Publication Date: 2026.03.17 FBD PARTNERSHIP LP

AI summary

A pressurized food dispensing system including a temperature-controlled barrel, a faceplate coupled to one end of the barrel, a touch-screen activated dispense valve, and a relief valve assembly coupled to the face plate where the relief valve assembly includes: a plug coupled to the face plate, an outer knob, releasably coupled to the plug, and a pin defining a generally conical end about which an O-ring is positioned wherein a spring biases the relief valve assembly towards a closed orientation in which the generally conical element extends into the relief passageway defined by the faceplate and the O-ring is compressed against the faceplate to form a seal.