Butterfly Valve Shaft Passage Locking for Secure Position Fixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing valves used in systems for food, beverages, medicines, and fine chemical products lack a secure and cost-effective method to fix the closing member in a specific position, risking contamination or product loss during maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A butterfly valve design with a shaft directly or indirectly connected to the closing member, featuring a shaft portion with a passage that aligns with housing-side openings, allowing a securing body to be inserted, thereby securing the shaft against rotational movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a shackle lock is used to secure the valve rod in prior art designs, then the valve can be blocked in an open position, but the secureness against unintentional actuation is insufficient and the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft is divided into a first shaft portion (connected to closing member) and a second shaft portion (with passage), separated by a defined distance. This segmentation allows the securing body to be positioned optimally for blocking while simplifying the overall structure by eliminating the need for complex locking mechanisms on the first shaft portion.
Solution Approach 2:
The second shaft portion acts as an intermediary element that provides the passage for the securing body. This intermediary structure enables the blocking function without requiring direct modification of the closing member or complex locking mechanisms, thus improving secureness while maintaining structural simplicity.
2Reliability
If the shaft is blocked radially offset from the axis of rotation as in prior art, then the valve can be secured, but the risk of incorrect operation or circumvention increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blocking function is moved from a radial offset position (prior art) to a position along the axial dimension of the shaft. The passage in the second shaft portion is positioned at a defined distance from the closing member along the shaft axis, and the securing body blocks rotation in this axial position, preventing circumvention while reducing incorrect operation risk.
3Reliability
If existing valves are used without modification, then the system can operate, but there is no secure method to fix the closing member in a specific position during maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft is segmented into two portions with the second portion containing the passage for the securing body. This segmentation allows the valve to be retrofitted with position fixation capability by adding the securing body through the passage, without requiring complete redesign or replacement of the entire valve, thus improving reliability while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
A valve has a closing member that can be brought from a closed position into an open position by a rotational movement about an axis of rotation transverse to a through-flow direction. A shaft is connected to the closing member and comprises a shaft end. A valve housing has an adjusting device, which has an adjusting device housing and comprises a receptacle in which the shaft end can be received. In order to be able to fix the valve in a switching position, a shaft portion comprises a passage that can be made congruent with two housing-side openings. The passage and the openings can be penetrated by a securing body, and the connection between the shaft and the shaft portion is secured against release when the passage and the openings are congruent.