Rollover Vent Valve Assembly With Float and Umbrella Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vent valve assemblies for fluid containers lack effective rollover protection, which can lead to fluid leakage during rollovers due to inadequate sealing mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A valve assembly with a body, internal cavity, and vent outlet, featuring a wall dividing the cavity into two chambers, an umbrella valve, and a float. The umbrella valve has a central passage and an umbrella portion that seals the second aperture, while the float engages the umbrella valve to control gas flow based on pressure and orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a simple vent valve assembly is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of rollover protection deteriorates due to inadequate sealing mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The internal cavity is divided into a first chamber and a second chamber by a partition wall, with each chamber having independent venting pathways (first aperture and second aperture). This segmentation allows the valve assembly to provide rollover protection through multiple independent sealing mechanisms (umbrella valve in first chamber, float valve in second chamber), thereby improving reliability without requiring a completely complex new design
Solution Approach 2:
The umbrella valve is positioned within the first chamber and the float valve within the second chamber, with both valves nested within the divided internal cavity structure. This nested arrangement allows multiple sealing mechanisms to be integrated within a compact valve assembly body, improving rollover protection reliability while controlling overall device complexity
2Reliability
If multiple apertures and valves are added to improve sealing, then the reliability of fluid containment is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The partition wall simultaneously creates separate chambers and provides mounting surfaces for both the umbrella valve and float valve. The first and second apertures are both formed in this single partition wall structure, allowing multiple sealing functions to be achieved through one integrated manufacturing step for the wall, thus improving fluid containment reliability while limiting the increase in manufacturing complexity
3Reliability
If a float mechanism is added to control gas flow, then the reliability of pressure control is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The float valve mechanism is combined with the partition wall structure, where the float moves within the second chamber and seals against the second aperture in the partition wall. This merging of the control mechanism with the structural wall reduces the need for separate complex control components, thereby improving pressure control reliability while minimizing the increase in device complexity
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 valve assembly effectively prevents fluid leakage during rollovers by sealing the vent outlet and controlling gas flow based on pressure and orientation, ensuring safe and reliable operation.
Implementation Method 1
a float positioned within the first chamber and having an engagement portion that is insertable into the central passage of the umbrella valve to seal the first aperture
Implementation Method 2
The umbrella portion is configured to deform away from the top side of the wall to vent a gas along a first pathway from the first chamber to the vent outlet via the second aperture in response to pressure within the first chamber exceeding a cracking pressure of the umbrella valve
Data Source
AI summary
A valve assembly includes a body engageable with a container, an internal cavity, and a vent outlet. A wall divides the internal cavity into a first chamber and a second chamber, the first chamber being between the bottom end of the body and the wall, and the second chamber being between the top end of the body and the wall, in communication with the vent outlet. An umbrella valve is coupled to the wall and has a central passage and an umbrella portion. The umbrella portion is positioned within the second chamber and is configured to engage a top side of the wall. The umbrella portion is configured to deform away from the top side of the wall to vent a gas along a first pathway from the first chamber to the vent outlet in response to pressure within the first chamber exceeding a cracking pressure of the umbrella valve.