Compression Seal Wedge Clamping Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing compression seals with elastomer bodies and threaded bolts require time-consuming rotary movements for tightening, which can be cumbersome, especially in emergency situations or when access is difficult, and may pose safety risks when handling under pressure.
Innovation Solution
A compression seal with a wedge element that applies clamping force by displacing the wedge element along its inclined surfaces, allowing for quick and easy assembly and disassembly using a striking tool, eliminating the need for a wrench and enabling high clamping forces without the need for a threaded bolt.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a threaded bolt is used for clamping the elastomer body, then the clamping force can be applied, but the assembly time increases due to time-consuming rotary movements for tightening
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a threaded bolt that requires rotary motion for tightening, the invention uses a wedge element that is driven directly in the tightening direction by a striking tool. This inverts the conventional approach by eliminating the need for rotational movement and threading, allowing the clamping element to be moved directly along its inclined surfaces to apply clamping force, thereby significantly reducing assembly time.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the threaded mechanical system with a wedge-based mechanical system. The wedge element with inclined surfaces substitutes the threaded bolt, and the striking tool replaces the wrench. This substitution eliminates the need for rotational mechanics and threading, enabling direct linear motion to apply clamping force, thus reducing assembly time while maintaining effective clamping force.
2Force
If a threaded bolt with wrench is used, then the clamping bolt can be tightened, but the device complexity increases due to the need for a separate wrench tool
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge element is designed to be driven by a common striking tool such as a hammer, which is universally available on construction sites. This eliminates the need for a specialized wrench designed for a specific screw head, as the wedge element can be driven directly in its tightening direction by the striking tool. The solution achieves universality by using a common tool for a specific function, thereby reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the specialized wrench component from the system by replacing it with a wedge element that can be driven by a common striking tool. This removes the need for a separate, specialized tool, simplifying the overall device complexity while maintaining the ability to apply sufficient clamping force.
3Force
If a threaded bolt is used for sealing, then the elastomer body can be deformed, but the ease of operation decreases due to difficulty in handling under pressure and in emergency situations
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the tightening mechanism from a threaded system requiring rotational motion to a wedge system driven by direct linear motion with a striking tool. This allows for quick application and removal of clamping force, greatly improving ease of operation in emergency situations or when handling under pressure, while still achieving sufficient deformation force on the elastomer body for effective sealing.
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
Facilitates rapid and secure sealing and unsealing of openings, particularly advantageous in flood openings and other applications where quick assembly and disassembly are critical, reducing the risk of flooding and structural damage while ensuring safety during handling.
Implementation Method 1
The clamping element according to the invention is a wedge element, and the inclined surfaces are the wedge's outer surfaces. By moving the clamping element, the clamping bolt, which is guided along one of the inclined surfaces, can be displaced a certain distance
Implementation Method 2
By moving the clamping element into the clamped position, it pushes the contact surfaces away from each other (and thus puts the clamping bolt under tension). High clamping forces can be generated, allowing even solid elastomer bodies to be deformed
Implementation Method 3
a compression seal with an elastomer body and clamping bolt for insertion into an opening and sealing the same. The elastomer body can be compressed in one direction, as in a vise, to seal against the perpendicular direction
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The present invention relates to a compression seal (1) for insertion into and sealing an opening (2), comprising an elastomer body (5) and a clamping bolt (7), wherein the elastomer body (5) is deformable by tightening the clamping bolt (7) and can thus be pressed against the opening in a sealing manner in directions perpendicular to a longitudinal axis (14) of the clamping bolt (7), and wherein a clamping element (8) with inclined surfaces (9a,b) angled towards each other is provided for clamping the elastomer body (5), such that it is supported against the clamping bolt (7) and the elastomer body (5) in such a way that it can be brought into a clamping state by being moved in its tapered direction (11) or in a direction opposite thereto, and thus the clamping bolt (7) can be tightened and the elastomer body (5) can be deformed.