Valve Lift Arm Pivot Structure for Lateral Force Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing valve lift arms are susceptible to damage from livestock due to the application of combined vertical and horizontal forces, which can cause bending or breaking of the lift arm and associated float valve.
Innovation Solution
A valve lift arm design featuring a pivot structure with an angled axle, allowing rotational motion with both vertical and horizontal components, which enables the lift arm and connected trigger to move laterally under force, reducing resistance to lateral forces and promoting self-centering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a vertical pivot connection is used to allow the lift arm to move vertically for valve operation, then the valve can be actuated effectively, but the lift arm becomes susceptible to bending or breaking when subjected to lateral forces from livestock
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pivot connection from a fixed vertical axis to a dynamic conical pivot that allows the axis itself to move and orient in different directions. This enables the lift arm to adapt its movement plane according to applied forces, allowing vertical movement for normal operation while accommodating lateral forces from livestock without breaking.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the degrees of freedom of the pivot connection by using a conical surface instead of a cylindrical one. This geometric parameter change allows the pivot axis to tilt and rotate, transforming the constraint from a single-axis vertical movement to a multi-axis conical movement, thereby resolving the contradiction between operational simplicity and structural strength.
2Strength
If the lift arm is designed to resist lateral forces rigidly, then structural strength is improved, but the float valve operation becomes impeded and the system loses its self-centering capability
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than creating a rigid resistance to lateral forces, the conical pivot creates a dynamic response where the axis can tilt and rotate. This dynamic behavior allows the system to accommodate lateral disturbances while automatically returning to its centered position through gravity and buoyancy forces, maintaining both strength and operational ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The conical pivot structure enables self-centering through the natural forces acting on the float and lift arm. When lateral forces push the arm away from center, the conical geometry allows the axis to tilt, and the combined action of gravity on the lift arm and buoyancy on the float creates a restoring moment that returns the system to its centered operational position without external intervention.
3Device complexity
If a conventional vertical pivot connection is used, then the structure is simple, but it cannot accommodate combined vertical and horizontal forces from livestock without bending or breaking
Solution Approach 1:
The conical pivot introduces an additional degree of freedom that allows the structure to dynamically respond to combined vertical and horizontal forces. Instead of requiring a complex multi-component universal joint, the conical geometry provides the necessary flexibility with a relatively simple single-pivot structure, maintaining low complexity while improving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds a rotational dimension to the pivot connection by using a conical surface, which allows the pivot axis to tilt and rotate. This dimensional change enables the structure to accommodate forces from multiple directions without requiring a complex assembly of multiple pivots or universal joints, thus improving reliability while keeping the structure relatively simple.
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect the disclosure provides a valve lift arm which includes a main body defining an arm structure for a valve, and a trigger engagement structure defined at one end of the main body. Also provided is a valve engagement structure defined at the distal end of the main body to the trigger engagement structure, with the valve engagement structure providing a vertical pivot connection to the valve and facilitating operation of the valve through vertical motion of the end of the main body. A pivot structure is provided which divides the main body into a valve part which incorporates the valve engagement structure and a trigger part which incorporates the trigger engagement structure. The pivot structure includes an axle which allows rotational motion of the trigger part relative to the valve part, the allowed rotational motion having a horizontal or lateral component.