Integrated Shower Valve Damper for Compact Pressure Surge Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for reducing water hammer noise and pressure changes in plumbing systems, such as water hammer arrestors, are too large and over-engineered for low flow rate systems like residential shower systems, and often require limited installation locations, making them impractical for compact and accessible designs.
Innovation Solution
An integral valve damper assembly is integrated into the valve body of a fluid control valve, featuring a piston that compresses a compressible gas to absorb pressure changes, allowing for compact design and easy maintenance, with an adjustable vent to tailor the assembly to specific pressure conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If add-on water hammer arrestors are used to reduce pressure changes and noise, then noise reduction is improved, but device size becomes too large and installation becomes limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the water hammer arrestor functionality directly into the shower valve body by integrating a piston and compressible gas chamber within the existing valve structure. This merging eliminates the need for separate add-on arrestors, reducing overall device size while maintaining noise reduction functionality through the compressed gas cushion that absorbs pressure changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The water hammer arrestor mechanism is nested within the existing valve body structure. The piston and compressible gas chamber are housed inside the valve assembly, utilizing the existing spatial envelope. This nesting approach allows the noise reduction functionality to be incorporated without increasing the overall installation footprint or requiring additional space.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If add-on water hammer arrestors are used to reduce pressure changes, then pressure change absorption is improved, but ease of maintenance deteriorates due to limited access locations
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the water hammer arrestor functionality into the valve body itself, the patent ensures that maintenance of the pressure absorption mechanism can be performed during routine valve servicing. The integrated design allows technicians to access and maintain the piston and gas chamber through the same access points already required for valve operation, eliminating the need for separate access panels or locations.
3Volume of stationary object
If a compressible gas chamber is integrated into the valve body to absorb pressure changes, then device size is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements multi-functionality by having the piston serve dual purposes: controlling water flow through the valve and simultaneously acting as a damper to absorb pressure changes. The compressible gas chamber serves multiple functions including noise reduction, pressure surge absorption, and providing a cushion during valve operation. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby reducing overall device size without proportionally increasing 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 damper assembly effectively reduces noise and vibrations caused by pressure changes in low flow rate systems, providing a compact and accessible solution that is tailored to the specific needs of residential shower systems.
Implementation Method 1
The chamber includes a compressible gas. The piston is configured to slidably translate within the valve body to compress the compressible gas in response to a water pressure change in the shower waterway.
Implementation Method 2
The valve damper assembly is configured such that when the valve is opened/closed and a pressure change is generated, at least a portion of the water flow may be diverted into the reservoir, causing the damper to effectively absorb the pressure change caused by the valve actuation.
Data Source
AI summary
A shower system includes a shower waterway and a fluid control valve. The shower waterway is configured to be coupled to a shower device. The fluid control valve is coupled to the shower waterway and comprises a valve body and a piston. The valve body includes a chamber and a reservoir. The piston is slidably coupled to the valve body and fluidly separates the chamber from the reservoir. The chamber includes a compressible gas. The piston is configured to slidably translate within the valve body to compress the compressible gas in response to a water pressure change in the shower waterway.