Cleanroom Utility Panel With Angled Hubs for Pharma Pipe Drainage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pharmaceutical transport systems require complex and costly installation, often damaging pipes during setup due to inaccurate angle adjustments and require significant labor, with prior methods being inefficient and prone to pipe damage from bending and welding.
Innovation Solution
A self-supporting utility panel for easy installation within a clean room ceiling, using hubs and bends to maintain precise 2° angles of declination or inclination for pipes, reducing the need for external infrastructure support and minimizing pipe damage during installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual deflection and clamping of pipes is used to achieve 2° angles, then installation flexibility is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to inaccurate angle adjustment and pipe damage
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe support devices are pre-configured with the exact 2° angle of declination required for proper drainage. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for manual angle adjustment during installation, ensuring both precision and ease of installation. The devices are manufactured ready-to-use with built-in angle features rather than requiring field adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The pipe support devices act as intermediaries between the pipe and the mounting structure. These devices incorporate the required 2° angle geometry and provide a standardized interface that simplifies installation while ensuring accurate angle maintenance. The intermediary device protects the pipe from direct handling damage while achieving the precise orientation needed.
2Ease of operation
If pipes are manually deflected and clamped to achieve required angles, then installation simplicity is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to pipe damage from flexing and bending
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe support devices serve as protective intermediaries that interface with the pipe without requiring direct manual manipulation of the pipe itself. The devices are designed to receive and secure the pipe in the correct orientation, eliminating the need for workers to bend or flex the pipe during installation. This intermediary approach maintains pipe integrity while simplifying the installation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The support devices are pre-configured with the exact 2° angle of declination required for proper drainage. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for manual angle adjustment during installation, ensuring both precision and ease of installation. The devices are manufactured ready-to-use with built-in angle features rather than requiring field adjustment.
3Strength
If welding is used to attach pipes to clamps, then structural strength is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to damage to the interior polished finish
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the welding process with a mechanical attachment system using pipe support devices that secure pipes through clamping and geometric constraint. This mechanical substitution eliminates exposure to welding temperatures that would damage the interior polished finish of stainless steel pipes, while still providing sufficient attachment strength through properly designed mechanical fastening mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The pipe support devices act as intermediaries that provide the attachment function without requiring direct welding to the pipe. These devices are designed to be mounted to the building infrastructure and to receive/secure the pipes mechanically, thereby protecting the pipe's interior surface from welding damage while maintaining structural integrity.
4Stability of the object's composition
If large utility panels with multiple attachment points are used, then structural stability is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to complex installation requiring four-person crew and full day
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the utility panel into modular components, allowing for easier handling and installation. Rather than installing one large, heavy panel requiring four people and a full day, the segmented design enables quicker assembly with fewer workers. The modular approach maintains structural stability while dramatically improving installation productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the essential function of angle maintenance from the large utility panel structure itself, incorporating it into separate, easily installed pipe support devices. This extraction allows the panel to be simpler and faster to install while the specialized angle-maintaining devices are added as separate, quick-install components, thereby improving overall productivity without sacrificing stability.
Data Source
AI summary
A pharmaceutical transport system and associated piping and utility panel are presented. The utility panel is received within an opening within a ceiling of a clean room and supported by the ceiling about a perimeter thereof by means of an attached angle member or an integral flange. The use of the angle member or flange accommodates ease of installation. Included as part of the system of the invention are hubs having a bore therethrough that is offset from the axis of the hub itself by an amount ensuring desired angling of the associated transport pipes to accommodate drainage or plumb risers. Also included are bends providing transitions between vertical and sloped horizontal pipes.