Compressed Pipe Coupling for Sealed Disposable Fluid Valves
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Solution Overview
Problem
The transition from machines with permanent valves to those with disposable valves in pharmaceutical development is costly and inefficient due to differences in valve types, volumes, and connections, leading to challenges in maintaining impermeability and parallelism between valve stems, especially with small spacing requirements.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a pipe with smooth ends inserted into fluid valves, compressed by a compression means with a hollow profile, allowing precise center-to-center distance adjustment and ensuring parallelism and impermeability without the need for threaded connections or additional sealing means.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If threaded connections are used to connect valves with small spacing, then connection strength is improved, but valve stem parallelism deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A compression means acts as an intermediary device between threaded connections and valve stems. It compresses the pipe assembly to ensure impermeability while maintaining valve stem parallelism, decoupling the connection strength function from the parallelism control function.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection system is segmented into distinct functional components: threaded connections for strength, compression means for sealing and alignment, and separate valve stem positioning. This allows each component to optimize its specific function without compromising others.
2Reliability
If compression force is applied to ensure impermeability, then sealing quality is improved, but valve stem orientation control deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates sealing function (compression means) from orientation control function (valve positioning). The compression means applies force perpendicular to valve stems to ensure sealing, while valve stem orientation is controlled by the rigid pipe structure and valve mounting configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The compression means serves as an intermediary that applies sealing force without directly affecting valve stem orientation. It compresses the pipe assembly uniformly, ensuring impermeability while the rigid pipe structure maintains stem parallelism.
3Reliability
If deformable pipe ends are used to ensure good seal, then sealing quality is improved, but dead volumes are created
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe material parameters are selected to provide sufficient rigidity, preventing deformation that would create dead volumes. The rigidity parameter is optimized to maintain a straight pipe configuration while still allowing compression for sealing.
4Strength
If threaded pipe ends are used for connection, then connection strength is improved, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is segmented into threaded connections (for strength) and compression means (for sealing and alignment). This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while keeping the overall assembly process systematic and manageable.
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
This method enables easy, sealed connections between fluid valves with precise spacing, facilitating the adaptation of permanent systems to disposable kits, reducing costs and assembly time while maintaining impermeability and parallelism of valve stems.
Implementation Method 1
applying a compression force, in parallel to said first direction X, onto said fluid assembly via said first compression means in order to compress said first pipe between said first and second fluid valve
Data Source
AI summary
Method for connecting, in a fluid manner, a system (100) for fluid communication comprising a first (10) and a second (20) fluid valve and comprising the following steps:—providing a first (10) and a second (20) fluid valve, —providing a first pipe (60), —inserting each of the ends (61, 62) of the first pipe (60) into each of the fluid valves (10, 20) in order to form a fluid assembly (100), —providing a compression means (1) comprising two ends (2, 3), —positioning said two ends (2, 3) of said compression means (1) on either side of said fluid assembly (100), —applying a compression force onto said fluid assembly (100) via the compression means (1).