Conductive Spiral Spring Earthing for Corrugated Tubes
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Corrugated flexible tubes used in devices like pellet conveyors and dehumidifiers face challenges in effectively dissipating electrostatic charges, especially when only the outer layer is antistatic, requiring a reliable and safe earthing method that can be applied without substantial modifications to the existing setup.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing a conductive spiral spring element made of modified engineering plastic, which can be easily produced by extrusion, is applied to the tube ends and metal parts of machines, ensuring secure earthing by locking into place with metal clips, providing a simple and effective path for electrostatic discharge to ground.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a double-layer tube with only outer layer antistatic is used, then the tube structure is simpler and manufacturing is easier, but electrostatic charges cannot be effectively dissipated from the inner layer contact points
Solution Approach 1:
A conductive spiral spring element is introduced as an intermediary component between the tube and the metal parts. This spring element ensures reliable electrical contact and charge dissipation path without requiring modification to the tube structure itself, resolving the contradiction between simple tube manufacturing and reliable electrostatic discharge.
Solution Approach 2:
The earthing function is segmented from the tube structure and implemented as a separate conductive spiral spring element. This allows the tube to maintain its simple double-layer structure for easy manufacturing, while the separate spring element provides the necessary conductive path for reliable electrostatic discharge.
2Reliability
If complex earthing devices are used to ensure reliable electrostatic discharge, then electrostatic charges are effectively dissipated, but the device complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive spiral spring element is made from a flexible conductive plastic material that can be extruded as a thin-walled tube. This flexible structure can be easily deformed and locked into place between the tube and metal parts, providing reliable earthing without complex rigid structures or specialized installation tools.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductive plastic material undergoes parameter changes through modification with conductive additives, transforming from ordinary plastic to a material with sufficient electrical conductivity for earthing applications. This allows the use of simple extrusion processes to create effective earthing components without complex manufacturing.
3Reliability
If specialized tools and complex procedures are used for earthing, then secure electrical contact is achieved, but installation time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive spiral spring element is designed to be self-installing through a simple deformation and locking mechanism. The element is deformed to fit between the tube and metal parts, then springs back to lock into place, achieving secure electrical contact without requiring specialized tools or complex procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The spiral spring element utilizes dynamic deformation during installation - it is compressed or bent to fit into the installation space, then releases elastic energy to spring back and lock into position. This dynamic installation process achieves secure contact without complex static fastening mechanisms.
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 solution ensures reliable and secure earthing of both double-layer and single-layer corrugated tubes, maintaining electrical continuity and preventing electrostatic charge accumulation, with empirical tests showing comparable or superior performance to existing methods.
Implementation Method 1
a method of earthing corrugated flexible tubes for dissipating electrostatic charges generated on such flexible tubes
Implementation Method 2
electrostatic charges generated and accumulated on the outer surface of the tube
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A method of connecting and earthing for the dissipation of electrostatic charges generated on a corrugated or spiral flexible tube, comprising the steps of applying, between the corrugations or spirals of the first and second ends of the tube and metal parts of machines, first and second conductive spring-like spirals having a smaller diameter than the external diameter of the tube, as well as metal clips to ensure the fastening and secure locking of the first and second spirals in the corrugations or spirals of the tube and on a portion of the metal parts of the machine.