Compressed Pipe Coupling for Disposable Fluid Valve Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The transition from machines with permanent valves to those with disposable valves in pharmaceutical research is costly and challenging due to differences in valve types, volumes, and connections, with existing solutions failing to ensure proper impermeability and parallelism of valve stems while maintaining a small center-to-center distance between valves.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a pipe with smooth ends and a compression system using a hollow profile to maintain fluid valves and pipes under compression, allowing for adjustable center-to-center distance and parallelism without the need for threading or additional machining, enabling easy assembly and disassembly for cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If threaded connections are used to connect valves and pipes, then fluid connection is achieved, but the center-to-center distance between valves cannot be precisely controlled and valve stem parallelism is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is segmented into separate functional components: a compression means (independent clamping mechanism), a pipe (fluid conduit), and valve bodies. This segmentation allows the pipe to be compressed perpendicular to the valve stems without interfering with stem alignment, enabling precise center-to-center distance control while maintaining reliable fluid connection through the compression interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The pipe acts as an intermediary element between the compression means and the valve bodies. The compression means applies force to the pipe, which then transmits the compressive force to the valve ports to create the seal. This intermediary role allows the compression direction to be perpendicular to the valve stems, decoupling the sealing function from the alignment function and enabling precise positioning.
2Loss of substance
If small spacing between valves is implemented to reduce dead volumes, then useful pipe volume is reduced, but maintaining impermeability and stem parallelism becomes difficult with conventional threaded connections
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system employs dynamic compression through the compression means, allowing the pipe to be elastically deformed perpendicular to the valve stems to create a seal. This dynamic compression approach enables short pipe lengths (reducing dead volume) while still achieving reliable impermeability, as the compression force can be applied independently of the stem alignment requirements.
3Reliability
If deformable pipe ends are used to guarantee good seal and parallel stems, then sealing is improved, but dead volumes are created in the deformable portions and the solution is not reliable over time
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of deforming the pipe ends to create seals (which creates dead volumes), the invention inverts the approach by compressing the pipe perpendicular to the stems. The compression means applies force in a direction orthogonal to the stem axis, creating the seal at the valve ports without deforming the pipe ends in a way that would trap fluid. This inverted compression direction eliminates dead volumes while maintaining seal quality.
4Reliability
If two pipe portions are screwed into valve ports and clamped with a linking element, then leakage at valve-pipe connections is reduced, but new leakage risks appear at the linking element connection
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the sealing function from the threaded connection interface and relocates it to a dedicated compression interface. The compression means is designed specifically to create the seal between the pipe and valve ports, separating this sealing function from the mechanical connection function. This extraction eliminates the need for multiple connection points (such as linking elements between pipe portions) and reduces the number of potential leakage sites.
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 allows for a sealed, modular, and cost-effective connection of fluid valves with precise center-to-center distance control, ensuring impermeability and parallelism, facilitating the transition from permanent to disposable valve systems while reducing material and time costs.
Implementation Method 1
compressing, by means of a compression means, the at least one pipe together with the fluid valves
Implementation Method 2
a hollow profile suitable for receiving the fluid valves and the pipe; compressing, by means of a compression means, the at least one pipe together with the fluid valves housed in the hollow profile
Data Source
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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).