Composite Gasket for Solvent-Free Pipe Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for joining low pressure pipes, such as DWV and sewer pipes, often require the use of chemical solvents or adhesives, which can be hazardous and complicated, and necessitate the storage of multiple types of fittings, making installation challenging, especially for inexperienced installers.
Innovation Solution
A sealed joint system using a composite gasket with a hard plastic portion bonded to a thermoplastic elastomer material, which forms a secure seal between pipe sections without the need for solvents or adhesives, featuring a spigot and socket design with a circumferential raceway and adjustable lip regions for optimal sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If solvent welding fittings are used, then the joint reliability and leak resistance are improved, but the installation complexity and safety risks increase due to chemical solvent requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the chemical bonding mechanism (solvent welding) with a mechanical sealing mechanism using a gasket system. The gasket with lip regions provides a physical barrier that seals the joint through compression and deformation, eliminating the need for chemical solvents while maintaining joint reliability and reducing installation complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The gasket acts as an intermediary element between the spigot and socket, providing the sealing function that previously required direct chemical bonding. This intermediary component simplifies the installation process by allowing mechanical assembly while achieving the same leak-resistant result as solvent welding.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple types of fittings are stocked for different joining methods, then the adaptability to various installation conditions is improved, but the inventory complexity and storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gasket system is designed to be universally applicable across different pipe sizes and configurations. By using a single gasket-based joining method that can accommodate various pipe dimensions through the raceway and lip design, the system eliminates the need to stock multiple specialized fittings for different joining methods, thereby reducing inventory complexity while maintaining adaptability.
3Reliability
If chemical solvents are used for joining, then the sealing effectiveness is improved, but the safety risks and harmful factors increase due to toxicity and flammability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the chemical sealing mechanism with a mechanical sealing system using the gasket. The lip regions of the gasket deform under compression to create a seal, achieving the same sealing effectiveness as chemical solvents without introducing toxic or flammable substances, thereby eliminating chemical safety risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of chemical solvents into benefit by using the deformation characteristics of the thermoplastic elastomer material. The material's ability to deform and recover provides the sealing action that previously required harmful chemicals, turning a material property into a beneficial sealing mechanism.
4Ease of manufacture
If a single gasket design is used for all pipe sizes, then the manufacturing simplicity is improved, but the sealing precision for different pipe configurations decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The gasket design incorporates dynamic elements that allow it to adapt to different pipe sizes and configurations. The lip regions are designed to deform under compression, enabling a single gasket design to achieve precise sealing fit across various pipe dimensions. This dynamic adaptation maintains sealing precision without requiring multiple specialized gasket designs.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides a reliable, solvent-free sealing solution for low pressure pipes, reducing installation complexity and safety risks, while allowing for easy adjustment to different pipe sizes and configurations, and can be manufactured using injection molding processes without the need for primers or adhesives.
Implementation Method 1
A method is shown for forming a sealing gasket of the invention. The hard plastic part of the gasket is first injection molded in a first mold. This part is then taken out of the first mold and placed into a second mold where the softer rubber-like material is injected.
Implementation Method 2
The sealing gasket which is used to seal the joint is a composite gasket formed with a relatively hard plastic portion of the gasket bonded to an engineered plastic portion of the gasket, referred to herein as a 'thermoplastic elastomer material' or TPE for short.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and sealing gasket are shown for providing a sealing joint between a spigot section and a socket section of low pressure plastic pipe, such as drain waste vent pipe that require a minimum of tools and operational steps to complete. The sealing gasket is installed in one of the sections to be joined and the spigot section is inserted within a mouth opening of the socket section with the sections being pressed together in a single operation, thereby forming both the joint and the seal. The sealing gasket is a composite gasket made with one section of a hard plastic material and one section of a thermoplastic elastomer material. No glue or adhesive is required.