Reversible Spring Retainer Assembly for Faster Valve Repair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Backflow prevention assemblies are difficult to manufacture, assemble, and repair, leading to increased downtime and potential contamination risks due to complex and error-prone processes.
Innovation Solution
A telescoping spring retainer assembly coupled with a reversible valve member, featuring a spring retention assembly with an elongated cylinder and piston portion, and a central disc with symmetrical sealing regions, allowing for reversible mounting and simplified assembly and repair without tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional BFP assembly components are used, then the valve provides reliable backflow prevention, but the assembly and repair processes are complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The spring retention assembly is divided into separable components including a body portion, piston portion, and spring, allowing individual replacement without replacing the entire valve assembly. The piston portion can be independently accessed and replaced through the open threaded end, simplifying repair procedures while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring retention assembly design allows the same component structure to serve multiple functions: it provides spring retention, allows for easy spring replacement, and enables maintenance without contaminating the water supply. The reversible mounting capability further enhances universality by allowing installation in either orientation.
2Reliability
If traditional BFP assembly components are used, then the valve provides reliable backflow prevention, but repair time and downtime are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The spring retention assembly is pre-configured with the spring installed within the sealed body portion before delivery to the field. This preliminary assembly allows for rapid installation and repair since the spring is already in position, eliminating time-consuming field assembly steps while ensuring proper configuration for reliable operation.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the spring retention assembly into separable components with the spring contained within the body portion, the design enables rapid replacement of individual components without disassembling the entire valve, significantly reducing repair time and downtime while maintaining system reliability.
3Reliability
If traditional BFP assembly components are used, then the valve provides reliable backflow prevention, but assembly errors may occur due to complex procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The spring retention assembly allows for reverse assembly and disassembly through the open threaded end, enabling maintenance personnel to work from the outside in rather than requiring disassembly from the inside out. This inverted approach simplifies the assembly procedure and reduces the likelihood of errors by providing clear access to all components.
Solution Approach 2:
The design enables maintenance personnel to service the spring and piston components without requiring specialized tools or complex procedures. The self-contained body portion with accessible threaded end allows for simple, error-proof assembly and disassembly that can be performed by operators with basic training, reducing assembly errors while maintaining reliability.
4Ease of manufacture
If the spring retention assembly uses asymmetrical ends, then assembly orientation is fixed, but manufacturing and assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring retention assembly employs asymmetrical design elements including a closed end and an open threaded end, which provide fixed orientation during assembly. This asymmetry ensures proper installation orientation while simplifying manufacturing by eliminating the need for complex symmetrical features, thereby improving ease of manufacture without sacrificing the necessary mounting orientation control.
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 reduces manufacturing and repair complexity, minimizes assembly errors, and enhances the ease of installation, thereby reducing downtime and ensuring the safety of public water supplies by facilitating efficient and error-proof maintenance of backflow prevention systems.
Implementation Method 1
A helical spring couples to the body portion and the piston portion to provide a force to urge the body portion and the piston away from one another
Implementation Method 2
An elongated piston portion has a free end and a threaded tab end configured to thread through the open threaded end and, thereby, be slideably captured in the cylinder portion
Data Source
AI summary
A valve assembly with a spring retention assembly including an elongated cylinder portion having an open threaded end and a closed end and an elongated piston portion having a free end and a threaded tab end configured to thread through the open threaded end and, thereby, be slideably captured in the cylinder portion. A spring couples to the body portion and the piston portion to provide a force to urge the body portion and the piston away from one another, wherein the closed end and the free end are similarly shaped so that the spring retention assembly can be reversibly mounted to a valve member that can also be reversibly mounted.