Valve Stopper Recess Design for Battery Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing valve stoppers for storage batteries, particularly lead-acid batteries, do not reliably respond to defined pressure and can stick to the container opening, leading to inefficiencies in gas escape and sealing.
Innovation Solution
A valve stopper design featuring a rigid plastics valve body with a resilient plastics valve element, where the sealing surface projects over the connecting member, which has a recess for increased flexibility and a circumferential bead for reduced sticking, ensuring a defined response to pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the sealing surface portion is made rigid to ensure stable sealing, then sealing stability is improved, but the valve cannot respond flexibly to pressure changes
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting member is designed with a recess that creates a localized flexible region. The sealing surface portion has a first region (with the recess) that is more flexible for pressure response, and a second region (without the recess) that provides stable sealing support. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between rigidity and flexibility.
2Strength
If the sealing surface portion is made thicker to increase structural strength, then strength is improved, but the valve response to pressure becomes slower
Solution Approach 1:
The recess in the connecting member creates a localized thin-walled flexible region that responds quickly to pressure changes, while the overall sealing surface portion maintains sufficient thickness for structural strength. This local thinning resolves the contradiction between strength and response speed.
3Area of stationary object
If the sealing surface portion is made larger to improve sealing coverage, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but the risk of sticking to the container opening increases
Solution Approach 1:
The recess creates a localized gap between the sealing surface portion and the container opening edge, preventing adhesion in the critical area where sticking occurs, while the overall sealing surface area remains large for effective sealing. This local gap creation resolves the contradiction between sealing coverage and sticking risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The recess acts as an intermediary space that prevents direct contact and adhesion between the sealing surface portion and the container opening, allowing the sealing surface to remain large without increasing sticking risk.
4Stability of the object's composition
If the connecting member is made more rigid to ensure stable positioning, then positioning stability is improved, but the valve opening response becomes less defined
Solution Approach 1:
The recess creates a localized flexible region in the connecting member that allows defined valve opening response to pressure, while the overall connecting member structure maintains sufficient rigidity for stable positioning. This local flexibility differentiation resolves the contradiction between positioning stability and valve opening reliability.
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 design provides a reliable and flexible sealing mechanism that effectively responds to pressure changes, preventing sticking and ensuring efficient gas escape while being cost-effective for mass production.
Implementation Method 1
a valve element connected integrally with the valve body and made from a second, resilient plastics material
Implementation Method 2
a sealing surface portion which may be placed on a contact edge defining the container opening
Data Source
AI summary
A valve stopper for sealing a vessel opening with a valve body which may be applied to the vessel opening made from a first rigid plastic material and a valve element integrally connected to the valve body made from a second elastic plastic material is disclosed. The valve element has a sealing surface section which may be brought into contact with a support edge and a connector piece, running from the sealing surface section which may be brought into contact with a support edge and a connector piece, running from the sealing surface section to support surface of the valve body facing the vessel opening and at a distance from the interposed valve element. The sealing surface section extends over the connector piece over the whole circumference thereof, the connector piece having at least one defining recess in a given valve opening region of the sealing surface section, such that in the region of the recess the radial separation of the connector piece to the adjacent outer edge of the sealing surface section is greater than in the remaining region and the connector piece does not from a contact surface for the sealing surface section in the region of the recess and the sealing surface section has a circumferential bead on the surface thereof provided for contact with the contact edge.