Tap Valve Protective Cap for Carbonated Fluid Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tap systems for carbonated liquids face issues with seal deterioration due to uneven compression set during storage, leading to leakage and reduced sealing performance, and hygiene concerns arise from premature cap removal.
Innovation Solution
A removable protective cap is designed to prevent valve closure during storage, with a ledge mechanism that interacts with the tap body to disengage the valve, reducing seal load and ensuring proper installation, and through channels in the valve parts minimize turbulence during dispensing. The cap is only removable after the valve is installed and closed, enhancing hygiene.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the valve is left open during storage, then the seal remains uncompressed and maintains its sealing behavior, but the valve cannot prevent fluid leakage during storage
Solution Approach 1:
A removable protective cap is introduced as an intermediary element that blocks the fluid delivery tube opening during storage. This cap prevents fluid leakage while allowing the valve to remain in the open position, thereby maintaining seal integrity without compromising storage safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective cap is pre-installed on the valve before the valve is installed in the tap body. This preliminary action ensures that the fluid delivery tube opening is sealed during storage and transport, preventing leakage while the valve remains in its initial open state.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the protective cap is made removable only after valve installation, then hygiene is improved by preventing premature removal, but the installation process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The protective cap is designed to be automatically disengaged during the valve installation process itself. When the valve is pushed into the tap body, the cap interacts with the tap body structure (e.g., through a ledge mechanism) to trigger its own removal, eliminating the need for separate cap removal steps and reducing installation complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective cap transitions from a static protective element to a dynamic component that automatically disengages during installation. The cap's ledge or protrusion interacts with the tap body to trigger cap removal as the valve is inserted, making the system adaptive to the installation process.
3Volume of moving object
If the through channels in valve parts have smaller cross-sectional area, then the valve structure becomes more compact, but turbulence during dispensing increases and frothing occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The cross-sectional area of the through channels in the valve parts is specifically designed to match or exceed the cross-sectional area of the flexible hose. This parameter optimization ensures smooth fluid flow through the valve, preventing turbulence and frothing during dispensing while maintaining a compact valve structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The through channels are designed with cross-sectional areas that are at least 80-90% of the flexible hose cross-section, which is sufficient to prevent turbulence without requiring excessively large channel dimensions. This partial matching approach achieves the desired flow characteristics while keeping the valve compact.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~6B
Figure 7A~7C
AI summary
The invention relates to a tap (8) for fluids, in particular carbonated liquids, such as beer or soft drink, comprising a tap body (14), a valve (9) removably accommodated in the tap body (14), and a handle (20) for opening and closing the tap (8). The valve (9) comprises a first part (22) coupled or to be coupled to the tap body (14) and a second part (27) connected to the first part (22) and operatively coupled or to be coupled to the handle (20), the first and second parts (22, 27) being rotatable and/or translatable relative to each other between at least an open position and a closed position. A protective cap (34) prevents the valve (9) from being closed. The cap (34) is removable only after installation of the valve (9) in the tap body (14).