Bracket for positioning and protecting pipes in concrete
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Solution Overview
Problem
Embedded tubes and their contents in concrete floors are often damaged during construction, making it difficult to connect them securely and reliably to other members above the concrete surface, leading to costly and disruptive repairs.
Innovation Solution
A bracket system with curved supports and adjustable housings that securely hold tubes in place, allowing for easy and reliable connection by changing the tube's direction from horizontal to vertical, and adjusting the housing height relative to the concrete surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If tubes are embedded in concrete floors during construction, then they can be used for carrying utilities through the concrete, but they are often damaged during construction activities such as troweling, stepping, rolling, or placing equipment on them
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by providing a protective housing that encloses the tube end before concrete pouring. This housing acts as a pre-installed protective barrier that absorbs and distributes construction loads, preventing direct damage to the tube during troweling, stepping, rolling, or equipment placement activities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an intermediary approach by introducing a protective housing as a mediator between the concrete construction environment and the tube. This housing absorbs the harmful effects of construction activities and transfers only necessary forces to the tube, isolating it from direct damage while maintaining its functional connection to the concrete structure.
2Ease of operation
If the tube end is damaged, then connection to other members above the concrete surface becomes difficult, but removing concrete to access undamaged tube portions increases cost and disruption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-positioning the protective housing with the tube end inside it before concrete pouring. This ensures that the tube end is already protected and accessible through the housing opening, eliminating the need for later concrete removal to access undamaged tube portions for connection purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the tube end from direct exposure to concrete by placing it inside a protective housing. This allows the tube end to be accessed through the housing opening without requiring removal of surrounding concrete, separating the connection access function from the concrete structure itself.
3Strength
If a housing with post connection is used to support the tube, then the tube can be held in position, but the connection strength depends on the post strength and may allow movement during construction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the housing height adjustable relative to the concrete surface. The housing can be positioned at different heights using an adjustable mechanism, allowing optimization of connection strength and position stability based on specific construction conditions and tube requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the support system into separate components: the protective housing, the adjustable positioning mechanism, and the connection elements. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each component's function, enabling strong connections while maintaining position stability through coordinated design of multiple discrete elements.
Data Source
AI summary
A bracket holds a rigid or flexible tube during the pouring of a concrete slab. The bracket has a base and a housing connected to the base. The tube curves around a first tube support on the housing before passing through an opening in the bottom of the housing. The tube and any members inside the tube are cut off so they end inside the housing and are then covered by a housing cap. The base is fastened to a form for the concrete slab. The height of the housing relative to the base is adjusted to place the cap at the planned surface of the concrete slab. After the concrete slab is formed the cap is removed and the cut members inside the housing are connected to other members or devices.