Bent Metal Pipe Inner Surface Structure for Wrinkle-Free Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Metal pipes with curved portions often develop wrinkles on the inside surface during bending, leading to fluid stagnation and increased resistance, which can cause corrosion and an adverse appearance.
Innovation Solution
A metal pipe design featuring non-bending surfaces and bent portions on the inside curvature center side, where the bent portions absorb wrinkles and form regular polygon patterns to reduce fluid resistance and maintain a good appearance, without the need for a wiper, using a die with circular arc-shaped apices for bending processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a wiper is interposed between the die and the pipe to smooth wrinkles, then the appearance is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases and the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the wiper from the bending system, replacing it with a die structure that directly forms the curved portion without requiring additional smoothing components. The die's circular arc-shaped apices directly shape the pipe while preventing wrinkle formation through controlled bending geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The die structure performs dual functions: it both bends the pipe and simultaneously prevents wrinkle formation through its specific geometry. The circular arc-shaped apices self-adjust to distribute stress evenly, eliminating the need for separate wrinkle-smoothing operations or components.
2Shape
If a wiper is used to smooth wrinkles, then the appearance is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases due to consumable items
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the disposable wiper with a durable, reusable die structure. The die can be manufactured from hard materials and used repeatedly without degradation, eliminating the ongoing cost of replacing consumable wipers while maintaining consistent bending quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental parameter of wrinkle prevention from post-bending smoothing (using wiper) to controlled bending geometry (using die apices). This parameter change transforms the process from one requiring consumables to one using fixed, reusable tooling.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the pipe is bent with a small radius of curvature, then the design flexibility is improved, but wrinkle formation increases on the inside surface
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies spheroidality by using circular arc-shaped apices on the die that match the desired curvature of the bent pipe. This curved geometry distributes the bending stress evenly along the pipe's inside surface, preventing wrinkle formation even when achieving small radius of curvature bends.
Solution Approach 2:
The die apices are specifically designed with circular arc shapes that concentrate bending action at precise locations while maintaining smooth contact with the pipe's inside surface. This local quality control ensures that high curvature bends are achieved without creating stress concentrations that would cause wrinkles.
4Shape
If regular undulations are formed to give a good appearance, then the wiper can be taken out of use, but fluid stagnation and resistance increase on the inner surface
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of forming undulations to mask wrinkles (as in prior art), the invention inverts the approach by preventing wrinkle formation in the first place through controlled bending. The result is a smooth inside surface that is optimal for fluid flow, rather than a deliberately patterned surface that compromises flow characteristics.
Data Source
AI summary
A metal pipe including a curved portion produced by bending in which a plurality of non-bending surfaces and a plurality of bent portions at which the non-bending surfaces are connected in a bending manner are provided on a circumferential surface on an inside of a center of a curvature side of the curved portion is provided.