Clip-Locked Pipe Coupling for Lightweight Aircraft Fluid Circuits
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing connecting collars used in fluid circuits for aircraft are heavy, costly, and time-consuming to install due to their metallic construction and complex assembly, which increases the cost of setting up fluid circuits.
Innovation Solution
A new connecting connector system featuring a one-piece outer sleeve that slides along the axis and clips into place, eliminating the need for mechanical articulation and allowing for quick and practical axial blocking, which can be made of plastic material to reduce mass and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a metallic connecting collar with clasp is used to connect two pipes, then a secure and reliable connection is achieved, but the mass and cost of the connection fitting increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the expensive, heavy metallic connecting collar with a disposable plastic connecting piece that is inserted into the pipe and secured with a simple clip. This single-use plastic component achieves the same connection function at much lower mass and cost, eliminating the need for complex metallic assemblies while maintaining connection reliability through the clip-secured design
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the complex mechanical system of a metallic collar with clasp and multiple fastening elements with a simpler plastic insertion system secured by a single clip. The plastic material and clip mechanism replace the heavy metallic construction, achieving connection security through a different mechanical approach that reduces mass significantly
2Reliability
If a metallic connecting collar with clasp is used to connect two pipes, then a secure connection is achieved, but the installation time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The disposable plastic connecting piece is designed for single-use installation where the connector is inserted and permanently secured with a clip. This eliminates the need for complex assembly and disassembly operations required by metallic collars with clasps, making installation simpler and faster while maintaining connection security through the permanent clip-secured design
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential function of connection security from the complex metallic collar system and implements it through a simplified plastic connector with clip. By removing the unnecessary clasp mechanism and multiple fastening elements, the design achieves connection security with a single clip, greatly simplifying the installation operation
3Weight of moving object
If a plastic connecting collar is used to eliminate mass, then the mass is reduced, but the structural robustness and connection security are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The plastic connecting piece is designed as a disposable component where structural robustness is achieved through optimized plastic geometry and the securing clip mechanism. The plastic material, while lighter than metal, provides sufficient strength for the connection application through its design as a single-use component that is inserted and permanently secured, eliminating the need for heavy metallic construction
Data Source
Figure 1~2A
Figure 2B~2C
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A fluid circuit, in particular for an aircraft, comprising at least a first pipe (1), a second pipe (2) and a coupling (3) configured to mechanically connect two connecting ends (11, 21) of the pipes (1, 2), the coupling (3) comprising an outer sleeve (4) having a peripheral shell (40) that extends along the axis X and is configured to connect the two connecting ends (11, 21), the outer sleeve (4) having at least one first closing element (43) and a closing member (5) having a second closing element (53) configured to cooperate with the first closing element (43) by clip-fastening, the closing member (5) having at least one immobilizing finger (52) configured to be introduced into the opening (42) in order to axially immobilize the outer sleeve (4) with respect to at least one connecting end (11, 21).