Corrugated Pipe Sealing Ring Wedge Design

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing sealing rings for corrugated pipes are inefficient in terms of material usage and cost-effectiveness, as they require a larger base body volume than the wave trough, leading to free spaces and increased material needs, especially in larger pipes.

Innovation Solution

The sealing ring features a vertically positioned base body with inclined shoulders and lateral support bodies that expand outward when pressed, creating a wedge-shaped seal with the corrugated pipe, allowing for reduced material usage and cost-effective manufacturing by positioning the inclined shoulders in the upper third of the wave trough, enabling a more efficient seal with less material.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If the base body volume is reduced to match the wave trough volume, then material usage and manufacturing cost are reduced, but the sealing effectiveness may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial usageVSAvoidsealing effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing ring is divided into functionally distinct segments: a compact base body for positioning, inclined shoulders for sealing, and lateral support bodies for reinforcement. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently - the base body uses minimal material while the shoulders and support bodies provide the necessary sealing function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The sealing function is transitioned from relying on base body volume to utilizing the lateral extension of support bodies. By adding the dimensional aspect of lateral support bodies that extend into the wave trough, the sealing effectiveness is maintained without increasing the base body volume.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of manufacture

If the base body volume is reduced, then manufacturing cost decreases, but the structural stability during installation may be affected

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidstructural stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The inclined shoulders are pre-positioned on the base body at optimal angles and locations. During installation, as the sealing ring is pressed into the wave trough, these pre-positioned shoulders automatically engage with the support bodies at the correct moment, providing immediate structural stability without requiring a large base body.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of uniformly increasing the entire base body volume for stability, the invention provides localized reinforcement through the inclined shoulders and lateral support bodies only where needed for structural stability during installation and operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Quantity of substance

If inclined shoulders are positioned in the upper third of the wave trough, then material usage is optimized, but the sealing contact area may be reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial usageVSAvoidsealing contact area
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing contact area is made dynamic through the lateral support bodies that can deflect and expand outward when the sealing ring is pressed into the wave trough. This allows the sealing contact area to increase under compression, compensating for the reduced static contact area from positioning inclined shoulders in the upper third.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The sealing mechanism transitions from relying on a large static contact area to utilizing a dynamic contact area that changes under pressure. The lateral support bodies are designed to deflect and expand, changing the contact parameters during installation to maintain adequate sealing contact area despite the compact base body design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 design reduces material requirements, achieves a more effective seal between pipes, and allows for significant savings in material and energy, particularly in larger corrugated pipes, while maintaining sealing integrity through the use of inclined shoulders and support bodies.

Implementation Method 1

a wedge pressing occurs between the base body and the side surfaces of the corrugated valley of the corrugated pipe. The forces emanating from the inserted pipe have a wedge-shaped effect.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectWedge: Wedge

Implementation Method 2

The main seal itself is deflected in its outer area by about 90 °, so that the deflected inner side of the main seal comes to rest on the adjacent support lip of the support body, while the opposite side of the main seal effects the seal against the outer pipe.

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP2792915B1Corrugated pipe connection
Publication Date: 2017.12.06 LWM WERKZEUG UND MASCHENBAU
  • EP2792915B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2792915B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2792915B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In a corrugated pipe connection with at least one corrugated pipe 1 and a sealing ring 11 received in a corrugation 4 of the corrugated pipe 1, and a second pipe 10 which is pushed onto the corrugated pipe 1 and the sealing ring 11, wherein the sealing ring 11 has a base body 15 arranged vertically in the corrugation 4 and a main seal 17 adjoining it, and wherein two lateral support bodies 13, 14 extend from the base body 15, a cost-effective design is to be enabled. For this purpose, the base body 15 has a slanted shoulder 25 in the area where it is in contact with the support bodies 13, 14 in the installed state. The support bodies 13, 14 have surfaces 26 corresponding to the surfaces formed by the slanted shoulders 25 in the areas adjacent to the slanted shoulders 25 in the installed state.