Snorkel Splash Guard Float Valve Sealing Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional splash guards for snorkel tubes often experience inadequate sealing due to strong suction forces and exaggerated snorkeler actions, leading to breathing difficulties.
Innovation Solution
A splash guard design featuring an extension pipe, pivot member, space, float member, and closure member, where the float member selectively abuts a pivoting limit and has a projection that engages with a socket to prevent the closure member from sealing the aperture, ensuring effective sealing against water entry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the closure member is designed to seal the first aperture, then water entry prevention is improved, but breathing obstruction occurs due to inadequate sealing control
Solution Approach 1:
The closure member is designed to dynamically switch between open and sealed states based on water level conditions. When the snorkel tube is above water, the closure member remains open to allow breathing. When submerged, the float member drives the closure member to seal the aperture, preventing water entry while maintaining breathing control.
Solution Approach 2:
The float member provides feedback on the water level condition to control the closure member's state. The float member responds to water submersion and automatically actuates the closure member to seal or open the aperture, creating a feedback mechanism that ensures proper sealing only when necessary for preventing water entry.
2Reliability
If the float member is designed to drive the closure member, then water entry prevention is improved, but the device becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The float member acts as a counterweight that utilizes buoyancy force to automatically drive the closure member into the sealing position when the snorkel tube is submerged. This passive mechanical design eliminates the need for active control systems, sensors, or power sources, thereby improving sealing effectiveness while keeping the mechanism simple and reliable.
3Reliability
If the closure member seals the aperture strongly, then water entry prevention is improved, but suction force causes inadequate sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The closure member's sealing force is dynamically adjusted based on operating conditions. During normal breathing above water, the closure member remains open. When submerged, the float member provides sufficient force to seal the aperture against water pressure, while the mechanical design allows the closure member to maintain appropriate sealing strength without being overly restrictive to suction forces during normal operation.
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 design prevents water from entering the snorkel tube during normal and exaggerated snorkeler actions, maintaining clear airflow and preventing choking, while being lightweight and compact for convenience.
Implementation Method 1
The float member 93 is driven to pivot toward the pivoting limit 9221 of the support portion 922 by buoyant force
Data Source
AI summary
A splash guard for a snorkel tube has an extension pipe, a pivot member pivotally mounted on the extension pipe, a space surrounded by the extension pipe and the pivot member, a float member pivotally mounted on the pivot member and located in the space, a closure member disposed on the pivot member, and a cover disposed on the extension pipe. The extension pipe has a first aperture and a second aperture in opposition. The pivot member has two pivot arms and a support portion. A pivoting limit is formed in a surface of the support portion facing the extension pipe which is selectively abutted by the float member. The closure member selectively seals the first aperture. The cover has a socket selectively engaged by the projection. The present invention can prevent inadequate sealing and has the advantages of light weight and small volume.