Corrugated plastic pipe for air conditioning and/or ventilation technology

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing corrugated pipes face challenges in optimizing conflicting criteria such as maximizing cross-sectional area, flexibility, and resistance to external forces while minimizing flow resistance and installation effort.

Innovation Solution

A non-circular corrugated pipe design with varying wave profile heights and curvatures, featuring strong and weak curvature sections, to enhance cross-sectional area and resistance while maintaining flexibility and reducing flow resistance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the wave profile height is increased to achieve larger cross-sectional area and resistance to external forces, then the pipe becomes less flexible and more difficult to install

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresistance to external forcesVSAvoidflexibility for installation
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The corrugated pipe applies different wave profile heights at different locations around the circumference. Specifically, the pipe has a first region with a first wave profile height and a second region with a second wave profile height that is different from the first. This local variation allows the pipe to have enhanced strength and resistance to external forces in regions where larger wave heights are provided, while maintaining flexibility and ease of installation in regions with smaller wave heights.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Area of stationary object

If the cross-sectional area is maximized to improve flow capacity, then the pipe wall thickness must be reduced which decreases resistance to external forces

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecross-sectional areaVSAvoidresistance to external forces
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The corrugated pipe uses non-uniform wave profile distribution around the circumference to simultaneously achieve large cross-sectional area and adequate wall thickness. By concentrating larger wave profile heights in specific regions (first and second regions) and using smaller wave profile heights in other regions, the pipe maximizes the enclosed cross-sectional area for improved flow capacity while maintaining sufficient material distribution to resist external forces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of manufacture

If the wave profile height is made uniform around the circumference to simplify manufacturing, then the cross-sectional area is reduced and flow resistance increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidcross-sectional area
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The corrugated pipe implements varying wave profile heights around the circumference with at least two different regions (first region with first wave profile height, second region with second wave profile height). This local differentiation increases the overall cross-sectional area and reduces flow resistance compared to uniform profiles, while still maintaining manufacturing feasibility through defined regional patterns that can be produced using standard corrugation equipment with appropriate tooling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4656921A1Corrugated plastic pipe for air conditioning and/or ventilation technology
Publication Date: 2025.12.03 UNICOR
  • EP4656921A1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1d
  • EP4656921A1 patent drawingFigure 1.1x~1.3y
  • EP4656921A1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

Plastic corrugated pipe for air conditioning and/or ventilation technology, designed as a single-layer or double-layer non-circular corrugated pipe 1, 1a, which has a corrugated profile 10 that forms the outside of the corrugated pipe 1, 1a, wherein in at least one of the circumferential sections Ui2 with strong curvature R2 the corrugated profile 10 has a greater wave height H, preferably at least on average a greater wave height H, than in at least one of the circumferential sections I1 with weak curvature R1.