Valve override assembly, valve, and method

1. A valve override assembly, comprising:

a housing comprising a first portion including a cavity, and a second portion, the first portion and the second portion arranged along an axial direction;

a core arranged at least partially within the cavity of the first portion of the housing, wherein the core is movable with respect to the housing along the axial direction and comprises a first engagement portion;

an override member arranged at least partially within the second portion of the housing such that the override member is movable with respect to the housing along the axial direction, the override member comprising a second engagement portion for engagement with the first engagement portion;

wherein the first engagement portion of the core is engageable with the second engagement portion of the override member by pushing the core and the override member together along the axial direction, such that when the first engagement portion is engaged with the second engagement portion, the override member restricts a motion of the core away from the second portion of the housing along the axial direction;

one of the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion comprises a female portion and the other of the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion comprises a male portion which is inserted into the female portion; and

an elastic element mounted between the male portion and the female portion, the elastic element deformed between a first state and a second state, the first state of the elastic element sized to fit through the female portion when the male portion is inserted through the female portion in a first direction, and the second state of the elastic element sized to interfere with the female portion and block movement of the male portion in a second direction opposite the first direction.

2. The valve override assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a stop configured to restrict a motion of the core towards the second portion of the housing along the axial direction.

3. The valve override assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the male portion is insertable into the female portion to engage the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion through a form fit between the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion along the axial direction.

4. The valve override assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the first engagement portion of the core comprises the female portion and the second engagement portion of the override member comprises the male portion, and wherein the male portion protrudes into or is configured to protrude into the cavity of the first portion of the housing.

5. The valve override assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the override member and the second portion of the housing comprise mutually engageable threaded portions for securing the override member within the second portion of the housing.

6. The valve override assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the core is magnetic.

7. The valve override assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a biasing member configured to bias the core away from the second portion of the housing or towards the second portion of the housing.

8. A valve comprising:

an actuating element movable between an open position, in which the valve is open, and a closed position, in which the valve is closed; and

the valve override assembly according to claim 1 ,

wherein the core of the valve override assembly is connected to the actuating element such that the override member being engaged with the core restricts a motion of the actuating element towards the open position or towards the closed position.

9. A valve override assembly, comprising:

a housing, comprising:

a first portion and a second portion arranged along an axial direction, the first portion including a cavity;

a core arranged at least partially within the cavity, the core movable with respect to the housing along the axial direction, and the core comprises a first engagement portion;

an override member arranged at least partially within the second portion of the housing such that the override member is movable with respect to the housing along the axial direction, the override member comprising a second engagement portion;

the first engagement portion of the core engageable with the second engagement portion of the override member by pushing the core and the override member together along the axial direction such that when the first engagement portion is engaged with the second engagement portion, the override member restricts a motion of the core away from the second portion of the housing along the axial direction;

one of the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion comprises a female portion and the other of the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion comprises a male portion which is insertable into the female portion to engage the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion through a form fit; and

an elastic element mounted between the male portion and the female portion and deformable in a lateral direction perpendicular to the axial direction between a first state in which the elastic element has a first lateral extension and a second state in which the elastic element has a second lateral extension different from the first lateral extension, the elastic element configured to be in the first state to allow insertion of the male portion into the female portion and to be in the second state when the male portion has been inserted into the female portion a predetermined distance to form the form fit.

10. The valve override assembly according to claim 9 , wherein the elastic element is mounted on the male portion such that movement of the elastic element along the axial direction relative to the male portion is restricted, wherein the first state is a compressed state and the second state is an expanded state such that the second lateral extension of the elastic element in the second state is larger than the first lateral extension of the elastic element in the first state.

11. The valve override assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the female portion comprises a tapered portion configured to force the elastic element toward the first state as the male portion and the elastic element mounted on the male portion are inserted into the tapered portion.

12. The valve override assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the tapered portion transitions into a shoulder portion of the female portion, wherein a lateral cross section of the female portion increases at the shoulder portion, such that the elastic element mounted on the male portion is allowed to expand to the second state to form the form fit when the elastic element is inserted into the female portion past the shoulder portion.

13. The valve override assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the male portion further comprises:

a first circumferential groove, configured to receive the elastic element in the first state; and

a second circumferential groove, configured to receive the elastic element in the second state,

wherein a first diameter of the male portion at the first circumferential groove is smaller than a second diameter of the male portion at the second circumferential groove and a third diameter of the male portion between the first circumferential groove and the second circumferential groove is greater than the first diameter and greater than the second diameter.

14. A method, comprising:

providing a valve override assembly, comprising:

a housing including a cavity,

a core arranged at least partially within the cavity and comprising a first engagement portion, and

an override member arranged at least partially within the housing and the override member comprising a second engagement portion;

inserting the override member into the housing; and

pushing the override member and the core together to engage the first engagement portion with the second engagement portion, engagement of the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion comprises inserting a male portion into a female portion,

deforming an elastic element between a first state and a second state, the elastic element mounted between the male portion and the female portion, the first state of the elastic element shaped to fit through the female portion when the override member and the core are pushed together, and the second state of the elastic element shaped to interfere with the female portion and block movement of the male portion in a direction opposite of the override member and the core being pushed together;

restricting motion of the core via the override member engaged with the core and the elastic element.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the elastic element is mounted on the male portion such that movement of the elastic element along male portion is restricted, wherein the first state is a compressed state and the second state is an expanded state such that the second state is larger than the first state.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the female portion comprises a tapered portion which compresses the elastic element to the first state as the male portion and the elastic element mounted on the male portion are inserted into the tapered portion.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the female portion comprises a tapered portion which compresses the elastic element to the first state as the male portion and the elastic element mounted on the male portion are inserted into the tapered portion, and

the tapered portion transitions into a shoulder portion of the female portion such that the elastic element is allowed to expand to the second state after the elastic element is inserted past the shoulder portion.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the male portion comprises:

a first circumferential groove corresponding to the shape of the elastic element in the first state; and

a second circumferential groove corresponding to the shape of the elastic element in the second state, wherein a second diameter at the second circumferential groove is larger than a first diameter at the first circumferential.