Valve Handle and Stem Guideway for Pressure-Resistant Water Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing water meter valves face challenges with resistance to high pressure, mechanical overloads, disinfectants, and corrosion, while also being costly and prone to damage due to material limitations, particularly with brass and polypropylene materials.
Innovation Solution
A valve apparatus with a body and stem designed for robustness, featuring a handle with a second circular rib that forms a linear guideway for the stem, allowing for better load distribution and resistance to pressure and mechanical overloads, made from polypropylene with reinforcing materials like glass fibers, and a polymer neck for secure connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If brass is used for valve material, then mechanical strength and pressure resistance are improved, but chemical resistance to disinfectants deteriorates and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite structure combining a polypropylene valve body with an embedded stainless steel reinforcement cage. The polypropylene provides chemical resistance to disinfectants and corrosion, while the stainless steel cage supplies the necessary mechanical strength and pressure resistance. This composite approach resolves the contradiction by combining materials with complementary properties rather than relying on a single material to satisfy all requirements.
2Reliability
If polypropylene is used for valve material, then chemical resistance to disinfectants is improved, but mechanical strength and overload resistance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite structure combining a polypropylene valve body with an embedded stainless steel reinforcement cage. The polypropylene provides chemical resistance to disinfectants and corrosion, while the stainless steel cage supplies the necessary mechanical strength and pressure resistance. This composite approach resolves the contradiction by combining materials with complementary properties rather than relying on a single material to satisfy all requirements.
3Strength
If metallic reinforcement is added to plastic valve, then mechanical strength is improved, but chemical resistance to disinfectants deteriorates due to metal exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested structure where the stainless steel reinforcement cage is embedded within the polypropylene valve body. The plastic material completely surrounds and encapsulates the metal reinforcement, creating a protective barrier that prevents direct contact between disinfectants and the metallic components. This nesting arrangement allows the valve to achieve both mechanical strength from the metal and chemical resistance from the plastic, resolving the contradiction by spatial separation of functional requirements.
4Device complexity
If handle contact surface with stem is minimized, then device complexity is reduced, but stress concentration and damage risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a point or line contact between the handle and stem to a distributed surface contact area. The handle's inner surface engages with the stem over an extended area, transforming the contact geometry from zero-dimensional (point) or one-dimensional (line) to two-dimensional (surface). This dimensional change distributes the applied torque and operational loads across a larger area, reducing stress concentration while maintaining structural simplicity, thus resolving the contradiction between simplicity and strength.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention concerns a valve apparatus (20) intended to regulate a fluid flow from a fluid network comprising: a. a body (11) through which the fluid is intended to flow, configured to connect the valve apparatus (20) to the fluid network; b. a gate (13) positioned inside the body (11) and configured to move between an open position in which the fluid is intended to flow through the body (11) and a closed position in which the fluid is not intended to flow through the body (11); c. a stem (14) extending along a first axis Z comprising an upper part (16) and a lower part (17), the lower part (17) being connected to the gate (13); d. a handle (18) configured to engage with the upper part (16) of the stem (14); characterized in that the body (11) comprises a first abutment (21) for the handle (18) in translation according to the first axis Z, the first abutment (21) being configured so as to form a gap (22) between the handle (18) and the 20 upper part (16) of the stem (14), the first abutment (21) being further configured to form at least one contact surface (32, 72) with the handle (18), and a second abutment (23) for the handle (18) in rotation according to the first axis Z, and in that the handle (18) comprises an inner surface (24) configured to 25 form a linear guideway of the upper part (16) of the stem (14) according to the first axis Z, so that a rotation of the handle (18) around the first axis Z rotably moves the stem (14) around the first axis Z relative to the body (11) so as to move the gate (13) between the open position and the closed position.