Self-Closing Valve Rocker with Pointy Angle Stop for Tar Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Self-closing valves in ash trays face functional impairment due to the buildup of sticky and viscous substances like tar, which can cause the valve to remain in an open state, allowing smoke and gases to escape.
Innovation Solution
A self-closing valve design featuring a rocker with a first and second blade, where the second blade has an angle stop that limits angular movement and minimizes adhesive action, ensuring the rocker returns to a closed state even with tar buildup, and balances the distribution of ash and tar on both blades to maintain balance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the rocker blades are provided with large surface area to ensure proper sealing, then the sealing function is improved, but the adhesive action of tar increases causing the valve to get stuck in open state
Solution Approach 1:
The rocker blade is designed with locally different surface properties: most of the blade has a sealing surface for airtight closure, while the angle stop portion has a minimized surface area (pointy geometry) to reduce adhesive action. This local differentiation allows the blade to perform both sealing and anti-adhesion functions simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The angle stop is designed with a pointy, curved geometry rather than a flat surface. This curved/pointy shape minimizes the contact area with tar deposits, reducing adhesive forces while still providing the necessary mechanical stop function to prevent excessive opening.
2Ease of operation
If the rocker is designed to be easily opened by cigarette butts, then the ease of operation is improved, but the valve may remain stuck in open state due to tar buildup
Solution Approach 1:
The rocker is designed with an asymmetric geometry where the second blade extends further than the first blade, creating a counterbalancing effect. This asymmetric weight distribution provides a restoring moment that automatically returns the rocker to the closed position after being opened by a cigarette butt, counteracting the adhesive forces of tar buildup.
Solution Approach 2:
The angle stop is positioned at a specific location on the second blade to provide mechanical guidance and limiting motion. This localized feature ensures the rocker follows a controlled path that facilitates return to closed state while minimizing tar adhesion at the critical stop point.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the angle stop extends upwards to minimize adhesive action, then the resistance to tar buildup is improved, but the balance of the rocker may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The rocker blade is designed with asymmetric geometry where the second blade extends further than the first blade. This asymmetry creates a counterbalancing moment that compensates for the upward extension of the angle stop, maintaining overall rocker balance while minimizing adhesive action at the angle stop.
Solution Approach 2:
The angle stop extends in the vertical dimension upward from the blade surface, rather than extending horizontally. This vertical extension minimizes horizontal adhesive contact with tar while the asymmetric blade geometry compensates in the rotational dimension to maintain balance.
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 valve effectively prevents smoke and gases from escaping by ensuring the rocker remains balanced and closed, even with tar and ash buildup, maintaining the ash tray's airtightness.
Implementation Method 1
The rocker is balanced such that it, when unloaded, tends towards a position where the first blade 1 seals the opening
Implementation Method 2
the adhesive action becomes advantageously small, such that the rocker easily returns to a closed state
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a self closing valve (1-3, 5-6) for an opening in a container for refuse. The valve comprises a rocker (1-3) with two blades (1-2) that may be pivoted around a rocker carrier (5). The rocker is balanced such that it, when unloaded, tends towards a position where the first blade (1) seals the opening. The rocker is used to seal a ash container and is opened when a cigarette butt is put in the opening of the ash container. The second blade is provided with an angle stop (3) that limits the maximum angular movement of the rocker from its unloaded position, and the angle stop (3) comprises at least one point that stops the angular movement of the rocker at maximum extent. Sticky substances tend to build up on the rocker, which without the pointy angle stop could cause the rocker to get stuck in an open state due to adhesion. With the pointy angles stop (3), the adhesive action becomes small, such that the rocker easily returns to a closed state. In an advantageous embodiment, the angle stop (3) during use extends upwards, and then tends to slow down the motion of built up layers of particles, such that the rocker remains balanced. It then returns to a closed state even after such a build up of particles on the two blades of the rocker.