Dissolved Gas Monitor Clamp With Flexible Sealing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for securing airtightness in dissolved-gas monitor devices installed on existing pipes are costly due to high machining accuracy requirements, making it challenging to maintain airtightness with a simple configuration.

Innovation Solution

A clamp with a pair of pipe pressing portions that sandwich the pipe, featuring a gas storage portion and an exhaust port, where the re-permeable membrane covers the opening to ensure airtightness and prevent foreign substances, and support portions to maintain the pipe's shape, allowing for secure gas concentration measurement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If components are used to sandwich the pipe from the outside to form a sealed space, then the device can be installed on existing pipes, but high machining accuracy is required to secure airtightness, increasing manufacturing cost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation on existing pipesVSAvoidmachining accuracy of bonded surface
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs flexible sealing members (gaskets or O-rings) made of elastomeric materials that conform to the pipe surface irregularities. These flexible sealing elements are positioned between the clamp components and the pipe, allowing the rigid clamp structure to maintain its simple geometry while the flexible seal adapts to surface variations, eliminating the need for high machining accuracy on the clamp's bonded surfaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Reliability

If high machining accuracy is applied to secure airtightness, then the sealed space maintains reliability, but the manufacturing cost of components increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveairtightness of sealed spaceVSAvoidmanufacturing cost of components
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The flexible sealing members compensate for minor dimensional variations and surface irregularities, maintaining reliable airtightness without requiring expensive high-precision machining of the clamp components. This approach significantly reduces manufacturing costs while preserving the integrity of the sealed space.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The flexible sealing member acts as an intermediary element between the rigid clamp components and the pipe surface. It mediates the interface where sealing is required, absorbing dimensional tolerances and surface irregularities, thereby allowing the clamp components to be manufactured with standard tolerances rather than high precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Device complexity

If the gas storage portion is opened to the side of the pipe for simple configuration, then the structure is simplified, but airtightness must be maintained at the opening

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconfiguration of gas storage portionVSAvoidairtightness at opening
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The opening of the gas storage portion is sealed with a flexible membrane or diaphragm that allows for gas permeation while maintaining airtightness. This flexible sealing approach simplifies the overall configuration by eliminating complex mechanical sealing mechanisms, while still ensuring reliable containment of the stored gas through the adaptive sealing properties of the flexible material.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

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 clamp effectively secures airtightness with a simple configuration, prevents foreign substance contamination, and maintains accurate gas concentration measurement by ensuring the gas permeates only through the designated path, reducing leakage and maintaining a constant measurement environment.

Implementation Method 1

measures the concentration of gas dissolved in an aqueous solution of the gas circulating through the inside of a pipe which allows the permeation of a specific gas

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPermeation: Permeation

Implementation Method 2

the re-permeable membrane covers the opening to ensure airtightness and prevent foreign substances, and support portions to maintain the pipe's shape

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPermeation: Permeation

Data Source

PatentEP3822610B1Clamp for dissolved-gas monitor
Publication Date: 2024.12.04 PURERON JAPAN
  • EP3822610B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3822610B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3822610B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Provided is a clamp for dissolved-gas monitor capable of securing the airtightness of a sealed space for storing gas permeating through a pipe with a simple configuration. A clamp for dissolved-gas monitor according to this invention includes a pair of pipe pressing portions which sandwiches a pipe and a fixing portion which detachably fixes the pair of pipe pressing portions such that the pair of pipe pressing portions sandwiches the pipe. One of the pair of pipe pressing portions has a gas storage portion which is a space which is opened to the side of the pipe and stores the gas permeating through the pipe and an exhaust port which exhausts the gas stored in the gas storage portion.