Urethane Check Valve Disc With Rigid Sealing Portion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Check valves in fluid piping systems often experience flow reversal issues due to delayed closure, leading to noise, vibration, and potential damage from 'valve slam, as the disc does not close quickly enough to prevent reverse fluid flow.
Innovation Solution
A check valve disc with a urethane disc flapper, featuring a flexing portion and a rigid portion with a sealing surface, is designed to address the issue by incorporating a bending insert that adjusts the closing speed and provides additional support, reducing the likelihood of flow reversal and associated problems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the disc is made rigid to ensure quick closure and prevent flow reversal, then the valve closes faster and prevents reverse flow, but the disc creates noise and vibration when slamming against the valve seat
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from rigid to flexible (urethane), which fundamentally alters the closure dynamics. The flexible material allows the disc to decelerate gradually upon contact with the valve seat, reducing impact velocity and thereby minimizing noise and vibration while still achieving effective flow reversal prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs urethane, a polymeric material with inherent damping properties, as the disc material. This composite approach combines the benefits of flexibility and energy absorption, allowing the disc to both close quickly and dissipate impact energy through material deformation, thus reducing harmful noise and vibration.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the disc is made flexible to reduce noise and vibration, then the valve operates quieter, but the disc may not close quickly enough to prevent flow reversal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent selects urethane with specific elastomeric properties that provide an optimal balance between flexibility and responsiveness. The material's elastic modulus and damping characteristics are chosen to enable quick closure while maintaining flexibility, thus preventing flow reversal without generating excessive noise or vibration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a dynamic element by making the disc flexible rather than rigid. This allows the disc to adapt its stiffness characteristics during operation - remaining flexible during normal operation to reduce noise, but capable of rapid response when flow reversal occurs, achieving both quiet operation and effective flow control.
3Speed
If a bending insert is added to adjust closing speed, then the valve closure can be optimized, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the disc into distinct functional zones: a rigid portion for structural support and sealing, and a flexible urethane portion for noise reduction and controlled closure. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function optimally while maintaining overall simplicity of the device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different material properties to different parts of the disc - the rigid portion provides structural integrity and quick response, while the flexible urethane portion provides noise reduction and controlled deceleration. This local differentiation of material quality allows optimization of both closure speed and noise reduction without adding complex mechanisms.
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 solution effectively minimizes noise and vibration, extends the lifespan of the check valve by ensuring quicker and more reliable closure, and allows for customizable operation through adjustable bending inserts, enhancing the overall performance and durability of the check valve.
Implementation Method 1
a flexing portion formed by the disc flapper
Implementation Method 2
a rigid portion including a sealing surface
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a check valve disc including a disc flapper, the disc flapper formed with urethane, a flexing portion formed by the disc flapper, and a rigid portion including a sealing surface. Also disclosed is a check valve including a valve body, the valve body having an inlet end, an outlet end, and an inner surface defining an inlet cavity proximate the inlet end and an outlet cavity proximate the outlet end, and a check valve disc, the check valve disc including a disc flapper, the disc flapper formed with urethane.