Angled Fluid Connector With Variable Wall Thickness for Flow and Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connectors for fluid lines face a trade-off between cost-effectiveness and maintaining equivalent or better flow properties and mechanical stability, particularly when made from plastic, due to differing requirements for mechanical stability and flow characteristics.
Innovation Solution
The connector design features non-circular cross-sections in the fluid channel with varying wall thicknesses, where regions outside a defined plane have increased support wall thickness to withstand mechanical loads and regions within the plane have pressure wall thickness to withstand fluid pressure, optimized for plastic materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If connectors are made from plastic to reduce cost, then manufacturing cost decreases, but mechanical stability and strength deteriorate compared to metal connectors
Solution Approach 1:
The connector employs varying wall thicknesses in different regions: thicker walls in connection areas to withstand mechanical loads and assembly forces, and optimized thickness in fluid channel areas to maintain flow properties. This local differentiation allows plastic material to achieve metal-level mechanical stability where needed while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses glass fiber-reinforced plastic as a composite material, combining plastic with glass fibers to enhance mechanical strength and stiffness. This composite approach allows the connector to achieve metal-like mechanical properties while retaining the cost and manufacturing advantages of plastic materials.
2Strength
If wall thickness is increased to improve mechanical stability, then strength increases, but internal cross-section and flow properties deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The connector features non-uniform wall thickness distribution with thicker walls localized in connection regions subject to mechanical loads and thinner walls in fluid channel regions. This local differentiation ensures mechanical stability where required while maximizing internal cross-section and flow properties in fluid transmission areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dimensional variation in wall thickness across different spatial regions of the connector. By transitioning from uniform to variable thickness in the radial dimension, the design simultaneously satisfies mechanical strength requirements and flow optimization requirements without compromise.
3Device complexity
If connectors are made as one-piece injection-molded parts, then manufacturing complexity decreases, but flow properties and mechanical stability become difficult to optimize simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The one-piece injection-molded connector incorporates locally optimized features including varied wall thicknesses, non-circular cross-sections in fluid channels, and reinforced connection areas. These local variations are integrated into the single molded part to achieve both optimal flow properties and mechanical stability while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter variations in the injection molding process and design, including changing wall thickness parameters, cross-sectional geometry parameters, and material composition parameters (e.g., glass fiber content). These parameter changes enable simultaneous optimization of flow characteristics and mechanical properties within a single-manufactured component.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3c
AI summary
The present invention relates to a connector (1) for fluid lines, comprising at least one first connection region (2), at least one second connection region (3), a transition region (4) and a fluid channel (6), the first connection region (2) and the second connection region (3) being arranged at an angle (α) with respect to each other, the angle (α) being less than 180°. A connector (1) which can be economically and easily produced and the flow properties of which are at least equivalent to or are better than those of known connectors (1) is realized by virtue of the following: the third fluid channel portion (6c) has, at least in a first sub-portion (7), a cross-section deviating from a circular shape, a wall surrounding the third fluid channel portion (6c) at least in the first sub-portion (7) has at least one first peripheral region (8) arranged outside of a plane (E) and having a pressure wall thickness (D), and the wall surrounding the third fluid channel portion (6c) at least in the first sub-portion (6c) has at least one second peripheral region (9) intersecting the plane E and having a support wall thickness (S) that is enlarged in comparison with the pressure wall thickness (D).