Corrugated Thermoplastic Pipe Polygonal Reliefs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Corrugated thermoplastic pipes used in motor vehicle cooling circuits face issues with flattening and elongation due to high operating temperatures and pressures, as their rounded geometries compromise flexibility and resistance.
Innovation Solution
A fluid transfer pipe with monolayer or multilayer corrugated portions made of thermoplastic materials, featuring radial reliefs with polygonal contours and convex bulbs, which are designed to minimize axial elongation and facilitate demolding, using extrusion-blow molding for production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If rounded geometries are used for the contours of annular reliefs in corrugated thermoplastic pipes, then flexibility of the pipe is improved, but axial elongation of the reliefs occurs due to high operating temperatures and pressures
Solution Approach 1:
The relief contours transition from rounded (axisymmetric) geometries to asymmetric polygonal geometries with straight sections and rounded corners. This asymmetry allows the reliefs to maintain flexibility through the rounded corners while the straight sections prevent axial elongation under thermal and pressure loads, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and dimensional stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the relief contours by introducing straight sections with specific lengths and rounded corners with specific radii. By optimizing these parameters, the pipe achieves both flexibility (through adequate corner rounding) and resistance to axial elongation (through sufficient straight section length), directly addressing the technical contradiction.
2Stability of the object's composition
If polygonal contours with straight sections are used for the reliefs, then resistance to axial elongation is improved, but flexibility may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The polygonal contour design with straight sections and rounded corners creates an asymmetric geometry that optimizes both flexibility and elongation resistance. The rounded corners provide the necessary flexibility for pipe deflection, while the straight sections between corners prevent axial elongation, resolving the contradiction between these two properties.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the relief contour are given different geometric qualities: rounded corners for flexibility and straight sections for elongation resistance. This local differentiation of geometric properties allows the single contour design to simultaneously achieve both flexibility and resistance to axial elongation.
3Reliability
If complex relief geometries are used to achieve both flexibility and elongation resistance, then performance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The relief contour is segmented into distinct straight sections and rounded corner sections, each serving a specific function. This segmentation allows for optimized performance while maintaining manufacturability, as each segment can be independently designed and controlled during the molding process.
Solution Approach 2:
By defining specific geometric parameters (straight section length, corner radius, polygon side count), the invention transforms a complex performance requirement into controllable manufacturing parameters. This enables the complex geometry to be manufactured using standard extrusion-blow molding processes with precise parameter control.
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
The pipe achieves a balance between flexibility and resistance to elongation, ensuring dimensional stability and improved resistance to fluid pressure, as demonstrated by tests under simulated conditions.
Implementation Method 1
using extrusion-blow molding for production
Data Source
Figure 1~9
Figure 10~11
Figure 12~13
AI summary
The present invention relates to a fluid transfer pipe, particularly for the pressurization of a cooling circuit in a motor vehicle, and its manufacturing process. This pipe comprises at least one corrugated, bendable portion (10) made of at least one thermoplastic material and comprising a succession of axially spaced radial reliefs forming hollows between them, each relief having two frontal zones joined together by an intermediate zone, the frontal zones of each relief each having the same overall polygonal contour (15) defining at least three straight sections forming flats (20) for this relief and connected to each other by rounded sections forming bulbs (19) for this relief, and the contours of the successive reliefs being adapted to allow the demolding of the corrugated portion from two semi-cylindrical shells of a mold along a single axial demolding plane.According to the invention, at the rounded sections of each relief, the two frontal zones meet in the intermediate zone, forming for each relief n (n ≥ 3) discontinuous convex bulbs in the circumferential and axial directions.