Sprayer Valve Sealing Ring Compression Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sprayer valves suffer from complex and deforming seals that lead to wear and leakage issues, making them difficult to manufacture and maintain.
Innovation Solution
A valve design featuring a cylindrical seat with varying diameters and annular seals with an overhang and sealing ring, where the sealing ring is compressed differently based on the seat's conformation, ensuring reliable closure and minimal contact during rotation, preventing water leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complex contoured shutters with multiple seals are used to ensure tight closure, then sealing reliability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is segmented between the shutter body and a separate sealing ring. The shutter has a simple cylindrical body that rotates, while the sealing ring is a distinct component that provides all sealing contacts. This segmentation simplifies the shutter structure while maintaining reliable sealing through the dedicated sealing ring.
Solution Approach 2:
A sealing ring is introduced as an intermediary element between the shutter and the seat/outlet conduit. This sealing ring acts as a mediator that provides the actual sealing contact surfaces, allowing the shutter to have a simple rotating structure while still achieving tight closure through the sealing ring's interaction with the seat and outlet conduit.
2Reliability
If seals slide against shutter walls and outlet conduit surfaces, then tight closure is achieved, but seal deformation and wear occur
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing ring is designed with different local qualities: a first sealing surface that contacts the seat and a second sealing surface that contacts the outlet conduit. Each surface is optimized for its specific function, and the sealing ring material properties are tailored to reduce wear while maintaining sealing effectiveness at each contact point.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing ring parameters (material composition, surface hardness, friction coefficients) are optimized to reduce wear and deformation. The design changes the physical parameters of the sealing interface to minimize harmful sliding effects while maintaining adequate sealing pressure for tight closure.
3Reliability
If annular seals are provided at shutter ends to prevent axial leakage, then water tightness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The axial sealing function and the outlet closure sealing function are merged into a single sealing ring component. This sealing ring simultaneously provides the annular seal at the shutter ends to prevent axial leakage and the sealing contact at the outlet conduit mouth, eliminating the need for separate seal components and simplifying the overall seal architecture.
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 design enhances manufacturing simplicity, reduces seal deformation and wear, and ensures effective opening and closing operations with improved reliability and reduced leakage.
Implementation Method 1
the sealing ring is compressed differently based on the seat's conformation, ensuring reliable closure and minimal contact during rotation, preventing water leakage
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention concerns a valve (1) to be applied to a sprayer (2) intended for watering purposes. The valve comprises a cylindrical hollow seat (11) into which a water feeding mouth (12) and an outlet mouth (13) are flowing with the latter bringing the water to the outlet nozzles (21) of the sprayer (2), and a shutter (14) that is disposed within the cylindrical seat (11) and which can be rotated on command from an open position to a closed position and vice versa; the shutter (14) comprises a central body (14a) with diameter less than the internal diameter of the cylindrical seat (11), wherefrom an overhang (16) is protruding, which overhang (16) is provided with a sealing ring (18) that, in the closed position of the valve, sealingly closes the outlet mouth (13); an enlargement (17) is provided which is formed at least in part on the inner surface of the cylindrical seat (11) and is conformed and arranged so that, when the valve (1) rotates from the closed position to the open position thereof, the overhang (16) and the sealing ring (18) fit into the enlargement (17) without their outer surface interfering with the enlargement of the inner surface (17).