Concealed Pipe Connector Sleeve for Prefab Plumbing Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In modern modular construction, prefabricated building components require manual assembly and coupling of plumbing, which is inefficient and results in unsightly cover plates needed for access, detracting from the clean-line appearance of prefabricated components.
Innovation Solution
A first-end pipe connector system comprising a sleeve and axial transition gear with a threaded region, worm-wheel feature, and actuator, allowing for automated and concealed plumbing connections without the need for large cover plates, enabling efficient assembly and maintaining aesthetic integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual assembly and coupling of plumbing connections is used in prefabricated building components, then assembly flexibility is maintained, but assembly efficiency is reduced and large cover plates are required which detract from aesthetic appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The connector system nests multiple components within each other: the coupling engages within the connector body, the sealing element nests within the coupling, and the entire assembly nests within the prefabricated component's wall structure. This nesting eliminates the need for large external cover plates while maintaining all necessary functional elements for efficient plumbing assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector acts as an intermediary device that bridges the plumbing connections between prefabricated building components. It provides a standardized interface that enables efficient coupling while remaining concealed within the component structure, thus improving assembly efficiency without requiring visible cover plates that would compromise aesthetics.
2Ease of operation
If large cover plates are used to access plumbing connections, then plumbing access is enabled, but the clean-line appearance of prefabricated components is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the plumbing access function from the external surface of prefabricated components. By incorporating the connector system within the component structure and providing access through existing wall penetrations or service openings, the solution enables plumbing access without requiring large cover plates that would mar the aesthetic appearance of the building facade.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing element utilizes a flexible membrane or diaphragm that can be accessed through a small opening in the wall. This flexible sealing mechanism provides adequate plumbing access while requiring minimal external coverage, thus preserving the clean-line appearance of the prefabricated component while maintaining ease of operation for plumbing connections.
3Shape
If concealed connector systems are used to maintain aesthetic appearance, then aesthetic integrity is maintained, but connection reliability must be ensured without visual inspection
Solution Approach 1:
The connector system is pre-assembled and pre-sealed during manufacturing of the prefabricated building components. The sealing element is pre-installed within the connector body, and all connection interfaces are prepared in advance. This preliminary action ensures connection reliability is established before the component is installed, allowing the connector to remain concealed while maintaining aesthetic integrity without compromising reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of providing visual inspection capability as the primary means of ensuring reliability, the invention inverts the approach by designing the connector system to be inherently reliable through precision manufacturing and pre-assembly. The reliability is built into the design and manufacturing process rather than relying on post-installation visual verification, allowing the connector to remain concealed while maintaining aesthetic integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
Pipe connector for coupling a first-end pipe and a second-end pipe that includes intermediary attachment connectors for each of the first-end and second-end pipes. The attachment connectors include O-ring slots machined into an external perimeter surface and a movable sleeve that engages with the intermediary attachment connectors to form a seal between the O-ring slots and an internal perimeter surface of the sleeve.