Replaceable Valve Seat for Fire Hydrant Repair

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fire hydrant main valves require extensive and costly excavation and dismantling for repairs due to damage to the main valve seat or body, leading to poor sealing issues.

Innovation Solution

A hydrant main valve design featuring a replaceable changeover valve seat that can be inserted or removed without excavation, allowing for easy replacement under operating pressure, with various sealing surfaces and a securing element to maintain position, enabling repair without dismantling the hydrant components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of repair

If the main valve seat is made replaceable and removable without excavation, then the ease of repair is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional locking and sealing mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of repairVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of repairVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The valve seat is segmented from the main valve body, allowing it to be removed and replaced independently. The valve seat is designed as a separate component that can be extracted through the valve body without removing the entire hydrant assembly, enabling localized repair operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The valve seat is nested within the valve body structure, with the valve seat positioned inside the valve body cavity. The locking mechanism is nested within the valve seat structure itself, allowing compact integration while maintaining replaceability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Reliability

If the valve seat is secured with a locking mechanism, then the reliability of sealing is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to additional steps for insertion and removal

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovereliabilityVSAvoidease of operation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The locking mechanism is designed to be actuated by the valve seat itself during installation. The valve seat includes integrated locking elements that automatically engage with corresponding features in the valve body when the valve seat is properly positioned, eliminating the need for separate locking operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple sealing surfaces are provided on the valve seat, then the adaptability is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveadaptabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The valve seat is designed with multiple sealing surfaces that can accommodate different valve body configurations and sealing requirements. The same valve seat component can provide flat sealing, conical sealing, or other sealing types depending on the specific application, making it a universal component for various hydrant designs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2781663B1Main hydrant valve with replaceable valve seat

Publication Date: 2019.06.05 VONROLL INFRATEC INVESTMENTAG

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AI summary

The valve (51) has an alternating valve seat (53) inserted along axial direction to move freely in a hydrant (56) where two concentric annular seals (70) abut sealingly in a final position of the valve seat on an inner surface (73) of a component (56') of the hydrant. A securing element (58) and the valve seat are formed and used from the hydrant in which components on a hydrant inlet (57) are mounted. The valve seat and the inner surface of the component have a cylindrical shape or different shape of a cylinder.