Conduit Coupling Shell Geometry for Variable-Diameter Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pipe coupling systems face challenges in providing a secure and adaptable sealing mechanism for pipes of varying diameters, often resulting in gasket material extrusion and leakage due to limited radial flexibility and compatibility with different pipe sizes.
Innovation Solution
The improved conduit coupling assembly features a unique configuration with arcuate sleeve members and a radial-split gasket, incorporating inwardly-facing arcuate pockets with non-uniform radii and offset central axes, allowing for radial expansion and contraction to accommodate different pipe diameters without gasket extrusion, and includes nested split-ring gaskets for adjustable fit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional pipe coupling systems use standard gasket configurations, then the sealing mechanism is simple, but gasket material extrusion and leakage occur due to limited radial flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The gasket is designed with a non-circular cross-section featuring variable thickness, allowing it to dynamically adjust its radial profile during installation and operation. This dynamic adaptation enables the gasket to accommodate pipes of varying diameters while maintaining reliable sealing, preventing both extrusion and leakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The gasket's cross-sectional parameters are deliberately varied, with thickness changing around its circumference. This parameter variation allows the gasket to compress unevenly against the pipe surface, adapting to different pipe diameters and providing reliable sealing without extrusion across a range of sizes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the coupling system is designed to accommodate different pipe diameters, then adaptability improves, but the risk of gasket extrusion and leakage increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different portions of the gasket are designed with different thicknesses to address local sealing requirements. Thicker sections prevent extrusion at critical areas, while thinner sections allow proper compression for sealing. This local quality variation enables the single gasket to adapt to different pipe diameters without generating harmful extrusion or leakage.
3Device complexity
If a single gasket design is used for all pipe sizes, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different pipe diameters is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The gasket is designed as a universal component with a non-circular cross-section that can accommodate multiple pipe diameters. By incorporating variable thickness within a single gasket design, it performs multiple sealing functions across different pipe sizes without requiring separate gaskets for each diameter, thus maintaining simplicity while achieving versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
A conduit coupling assembly having first and second sleeve members configured to be tightened to a fluid conduit, an arcuate radial split gasket configured to be positioned between the first and second sleeve members and the fluid conduit, the first sleeve member having an inwardly-facing arcuate radial surface with first and second arcuate portions and a third arcuate portion between the first and second arcuate portions that has a radius from the longitudinal axis of the pipe that is less than the radius of the first and second arcuate portions, and the second sleeve member having an inwardly-facing arcuate radial surface with first and second arcuate portions and a third arcuate portion between the first and second arcuate portions that has a radius from the longitudinal axis of the pipe that is less than the radius of the first and second arcuate portions.