Rotatable Urostomy Valve With Sealing Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current urostomy appliances lack an effective and user-friendly mechanism for selectively controlling the flow of waste liquids, as existing valves often fail to prevent leakage when closed and may not facilitate easy drainage when open, leading to inconvenience and potential hygiene issues.
Innovation Solution
A rotatable valve system with a housing and body that aligns or blocks the flow path, utilizing a sealing device and engagement mechanism to ensure liquid containment when closed and allow drainage when open, preventing ingress and ensuring secure attachment to the urostomy appliance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a valve mechanism is added to control liquid flow in a urostomy appliance, then the ability to selectively drain the collecting chamber is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body is designed to rotate between open and closed positions, dynamically changing the flow path configuration. This rotational movement allows the valve to transition between blocking and permitting liquid flow, providing selective drainage control through a simple mechanical motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve is divided into distinct functional components: a housing with inlet and outlet, a rotatable body with a body passage, and a sealing device. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while maintaining overall system simplicity.
2Reliability
If a sealing device is added to prevent liquid leakage when the valve is closed, then the reliability of liquid containment is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A sealing device is introduced as an intermediary element between the valve body and the housing passage. This sealing device prevents liquid leakage by creating a barrier that contacts both surfaces, ensuring reliable containment when the valve is in the closed position without requiring complex sealing mechanisms.
3Ease of operation
If the valve body is made rotatable to control flow, then the ease of operation is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The valve outlet is designed to align with the housing outlet only in the open position, while the closed position allows the valve body to block the flow path. This local quality variation at different rotational positions enables flow control while maintaining manufacturability through clear positional definitions.
Data Source
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AI summary
A valve for a urostomy appliance including: a housing for connection to the urostomy appliance, the housing having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the housing includes a housing passage extending between the inlet and outlet, and a body which is received in the housing passage and which is rotatable about an axis between an open position, in which liquid is permitted to flow to the outlet, and a closed position, in which liquid is substantially prevented from flowing to the outlet, wherein the body is received in the opening in the housing and has a body passage extending from a body inlet to a body outlet, wherein when the body is in its open position the body outlet at least partially aligns with the housing outlet and permits liquid to pass through the body passage and flow through the housing outlet, and wherein the valve includes a sealing device which extends around a periphery of the body between the body and the housing passage and which extends around the body outlet, such that the sealing device prevents ingress of liquid between the body and the housing passage when the body is in its closed position.