Water Valve Housing Engagement Structure for Secure Cover Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional water control valves experience easy removal of the cover from the holder during shipping, leading to potential damage and instability of the valve assembly.
Innovation Solution
An internal engagement structure is introduced, where the cover's retainers are inserted into receiving grooves of the holder, with hooks engaging locking recesses to securely fix the valve assembly, holder, and cover, preventing accidental removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the cover is covered on the holder with simple retainers, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of fixation deteriorates causing easy removal during shipping
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer is divided into distinct functional segments: an insertion portion for entering the receiving groove, and a hook portion for engaging the locking recess. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function optimally while maintaining overall structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The hook portion is nested within the retainer structure, forming an integrated component that engages with the locking recess inside the receiving groove. This nested configuration provides secure fixation without adding external complexity to the overall assembly.
2Ease of operation
If the retainers are designed to easily remove from locking ribs, then the ease of operation is improved for assembly, but the stability of the object's composition deteriorates causing damage during shipping
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer design provides dynamic behavior: during assembly, the insertion portion easily enters the receiving groove; during shipping, the hook portion securely engages the locking recess; and during disassembly, the retainer can be removed by applying force to the protruding hook. This dynamic response to different operational phases resolves the contradiction between ease of assembly and shipping stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The hook portion is pre-formed on the retainer to automatically engage with the locking recess when the retainer is inserted into the receiving groove. This preliminary engagement action occurs automatically during assembly, ensuring stability is established before shipping without requiring additional assembly steps.
3Manufacturing precision
If the retainers engage with locking ribs conventionally, then the manufacturing precision requirements are reduced, but the strength of fixation deteriorates allowing accidental removal
Solution Approach 1:
The engagement mechanism transitions from a single-plane rib-retainer contact to a multi-dimensional configuration where the hook portion engages the locking recess at different depths and angles within the receiving groove. This dimensional change provides mechanical interlocking that resists removal forces while maintaining reasonable manufacturing tolerances.
Data Source
AI summary
An internal engagement structure of a housing for a water control valve, the water control valve including the housing and a valve assembly, and the housing contains: a holder and a cover. The holder is configured to accommodate the valve assembly, and the cover is covered on the holder. The holder includes two opposite receiving grooves, two locking recesses formed on two lower ends of the two opposite receiving grooves respectively and communicating with the holder, and two tilted guide faces arranged on two upper ends of the two opposite receiving grooves respectively. The cover includes two opposite retainers extending downward from a bottom thereof and corresponding to the two opposite receiving grooves respectively, two hooks formed on two lower ends of the two opposite retainers respectively, and two cutouts defined above the two hooks respectively and configured to accommodate the two tilted guide faces respectively.