Sealed Sprinkler Valve Box With Locking Lid and Stable Base
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional in-ground sprinkler valve boxes are unsealed, leading to contamination by debris and wildlife, instability due to lack of a bottom, and difficulty in assembly and maintenance, necessitating a solution that prevents wildlife habitation, sinking, and facilitates easy installation and access.
Innovation Solution
A sealed, corrugated or ribbed housing with a locking lid and pre-configured manifold, optionally including a wireless control unit and extension, to prevent wildlife entry, maintain cleanliness, and ensure stability and ease of assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional unsealed valve boxes are used, then assembly and installation are simple, but wildlife can inhabit the box and contaminate valves and wiring
Solution Approach 1:
The valve box is divided into separate components: a base unit and a removable lid. This segmentation allows the box to remain simple in construction while enabling the lid to be sealed and locked, preventing wildlife entry without complicating the overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
A sealant or gasket is introduced as an intermediary element between the lid and base of the valve box. This intermediary component creates the seal that prevents wildlife habitation and contamination, adding minimal complexity while effectively solving the harmful factor.
2Stability of the object's composition
If traditional open-bottomed valve boxes are used, then manufacturing is simple, but the box becomes unstable and sinks when pressure is applied
Solution Approach 1:
The valve box base is designed with an extended bottom portion that extends below the sidewalls. This extended base acts as a counterweight and anchoring structure, distributing pressure and preventing the box from sinking when weight is applied to the lid, while still using simple construction methods.
3Ease of operation
If traditional unsealed valve boxes are used, then access to valves is easy, but debris covers the box and valves become difficult to find and access
Solution Approach 1:
The removable lid design segments the valve box into an accessible top portion and a protected bottom portion. The lid can be easily removed to access valves, while the sealed box body prevents debris accumulation, maintaining both ease of operation and protection from harmful factors.
4Productivity
If pre-configured manifolds are used, then assembly time is reduced and efficiency increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manifold is pre-configured with valves and connections during manufacturing. This preliminary action allows the manifold to be installed as a complete assembly, reducing on-site assembly time and improving productivity, while the complexity is managed during production rather than installation.
Data Source
AI summary
A sprinkler valve box has a housing, the housing having a base and sidewalls with a sealable lid thereon. The sidewalls may have one or more connecting ports therethrough. The housing has one or more pre-configured valves therein. The valves may be coupled to the one or more connecting ports in the sidewalls. The sidewalls are ideally corrugated for added strength and the lid seats over the sidewalls of the valve box, which may be lockable. The sprinkler valve box may also have a battery and a control unit, wherein the control unit is powered by the battery and controls the valves of the manifold. The control unit may be controlled wirelessly by a user.