Valve Hand Lever Mounting With Oval-Round Locking Geometry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hand levers for valves, such as butterfly and ball valves, pose a risk of injury due to protruding screws and sharp edges, and are often complex to mount securely.
Innovation Solution
A hand lever design featuring an oval receiving opening and a fastening element with a round cross-sectional area, incorporating cams and stops to ensure secure mounting without protrusions, using plastics material for the lever and locking plate, and a resilient element to maintain engagement of the toothing, allowing for adjustable operation without latching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional hand levers use protruding screws and sharp edges for secure mounting, then mounting reliability is improved, but the risk of injury increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional protruding screws and sharp edges with a smooth, rounded fastening element that has a cylindrical or rounded geometry. The receiving opening in the locking plate is shaped to accommodate this rounded fastening element, eliminating sharp protrusions while maintaining secure mounting through the interlocking geometry of the rounded fastener and its receiving opening.
2Ease of manufacture
If multiple individual parts are used for hand lever mounting, then ease of manufacture is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple mounting components into an integrated assembly where the fastening element and receiving opening work together as a unified mounting system. The locking plate with its integrated receiving opening and the fastening element form a cohesive mounting mechanism that reduces the number of separate parts while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
3Reliability
If traditional mounting methods are used, then secure connection is achieved, but mounting time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening element is designed with pre-formed geometric features including the rounded or cylindrical shape and the receiving opening's complementary geometry. This preliminary design of the fastening geometry allows for quick alignment and insertion without requiring complex assembly steps, reducing mounting time while maintaining secure connection through the interlocking shapes.
Data Source
AI summary
Hand lever, preferably produced from plastics material, for operating a valve, preferably a butterfly valve or a ball valve, including a lever and a locking plate, wherein the lever comprises a locking element and a lever upper part, wherein a fastening element for fastening on a valve and for connection to the locking plate is arranged on the lever upper part and the locking plate comprises a receiving opening for receiving the fastening element, characterized in that the receiving opening is realized in an oval manner and the fastening element comprises a round cross-sectional area or the fastening element comprises an oval cross-sectional area and the receiving opening is realized in a round manner, wherein the oval and round contour of the receiving opening preferably comprises at least one recess or slot.