Adjustable Water Metering Rail with Movable Arms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional fixing rails for water metering assemblies are rigid, expensive, and often specific to a particular type of assembly, leading to high stock requirements and structural issues like misalignment and deformation due to hyperstatic positioning during installation.
Innovation Solution
A modular rail system with a movable lateral arm and indexing means allows for adjustable spacing and secure fixing to non-flat supports, made from moldable thermoplastic material with internal ribbing and optional reinforcing fibers, ensuring stability and adaptability to various assembly configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional rigid metal rails are used, then structural strength is improved, but manufacturing cost and stock requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from metal to thermoplastic plastic, fundamentally altering the material properties. This substitution maintains structural strength while dramatically reducing manufacturing costs and eliminating the need for expensive cutting and stamping operations, directly resolving the contradiction between strength and manufacturing cost
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material construction by embedding reinforcing fibers (such as glass or carbon fibers) within the thermoplastic matrix. This composite approach enhances the mechanical strength of the plastic rail to meet structural requirements while retaining the cost advantages of plastic manufacturing, effectively balancing strength and manufacturing cost
2Strength
If traditional rigid metal rails are used, then structural strength is improved, but adaptability to various assembly types decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a movable lateral arm that can be adjusted along the plate and locked at different positions using indexing means. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the rail to adapt to various assembly spacings and configurations while maintaining structural integrity, resolving the contradiction between strength and adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs a universal rail system where a single plate with adjustable lateral arms can accommodate multiple types of water metering assemblies. The indexing mechanism with multiple positions and the modular arm design enable one rail to perform the function of multiple fixed rails, achieving versatility without sacrificing structural strength
3Ease of manufacture
If flat support face is used, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but positioning stability on non-flat supports deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the flat support face with a curved or contoured surface that can conform to non-flat supports. This curvature allows the rail to adapt to irregular support surfaces, ensuring stable positioning and proper alignment while maintaining relatively simple manufacturing processes for the molded plastic component
4Adaptability or versatility
If movable lateral arm with indexing means is added, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the lateral arm into movable and fixed portions, with the movable part able to slide along the plate and lock at discrete positions. This segmentation allows independent adjustment of the arm position while keeping the overall structure simple and manageable, reducing the complexity burden of additivity
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2A~2D
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
The rail has two lateral arms (11) for fixing water metering assembly upstream and downstream respectively, where the two arms are movable with each other. One of the arms is moved in translation along a plate (1) so as to adjust spacing between the two arms. An angle bracket piece (10) has the movable arms in which two supports are longitudinally moved along the plate when the angle bracket piece is placed to take one support on a metering surface and another support on a support surface of the plate.