Double-Skin Pipe Separator Locking for Defect-Free Bending
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing of double skin pipes, particularly those with curved shapes, faces challenges such as bending defects, displacement of separating members, and uneven heating, which complicates the assembly and bending process, especially when using plastic materials.
Innovation Solution
A flexible longitudinal separating member with connecting elements is used between the inner and outer tubes, allowing for secure locking without additional tightening elements, ensuring homogenous heating and thermal conduction, and facilitating precise positioning and bending without defects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a separating member with a longitudinal slot is used to facilitate mounting, then the mounting process is simplified, but the separating member may displace during manipulation and bending, leading to bending defects
Solution Approach 1:
The separating member is segmented into modular components that can be easily assembled and disassembled. The longitudinal slot is divided into multiple segments that can be independently positioned and locked, allowing for simplified mounting while maintaining stability through precise segmentation and interlocking mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
Positioning features and locking mechanisms are pre-configured on the separating member before mounting. The longitudinal slot includes pre-formed positioning ribs and locking elements that automatically engage with corresponding features on the inner and outer tubes, ensuring correct positioning is established before the bending operation begins.
2Reliability
If additional tightening elements are added to maintain separating member position, then positioning stability is improved, but the assembly complexity and manufacturing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning and locking functions are merged into the separating member itself. The longitudinal slot incorporates integrated positioning ribs and locking elements that are formed as part of the separating member's structure, eliminating the need for separate tightening elements and reducing overall assembly complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The separating member is designed to be self-positioning and self-locking. The longitudinal slot includes self-aligning features and automatic locking mechanisms that engage without requiring additional tightening elements or complex assembly procedures, allowing the component to maintain its own position stability.
3Ease of manufacture
If the separating member has a longitudinal slot, then mounting is facilitated, but heating uniformity is disrupted and thermal conduction is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The separating member features localized thermal conduction enhancements at critical areas. The longitudinal slot is positioned and dimensioned to minimize thermal disruption, while thermal conductive elements are strategically placed in areas requiring optimal heat transfer, creating local quality variations that balance mounting accessibility with heating uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The dimensions and positioning of the longitudinal slot are optimized to balance mounting accessibility with thermal performance. The slot width, length, and position are carefully controlled to minimize disruption to heat flow while still allowing for easy mounting, representing a parameter optimization that reconciles conflicting requirements.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the separating member is made flexible to accommodate bending, then bending adaptability is improved, but positioning precision during bending may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The separating member incorporates dynamic positioning features that adapt during bending. The longitudinal slot includes flexible yet precisely positioned elements that maintain their relative positions and locking engagement throughout the bending process, allowing the structure to dynamically adjust while preserving positioning precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The separating member is constructed from composite materials or multi-layer structures that combine flexibility with dimensional stability. The longitudinal slot is formed in materials or structures that allow overall flexibility for bending adaptation while maintaining precise local geometry and positioning features throughout the bending operation.
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 solution enables practical and defect-free bending of double skin pipes by maintaining the separating member's position and ensuring homogenous heating, reducing the risk of bending defects and improving thermal conduction, thus optimizing the bending process.
Implementation Method 1
the separating member being configured to transmit bending forces between said outer tube and said inner tube when said outer tube is bent
Implementation Method 2
the first edge and the second edge respectively comprise at least one first connecting element and at least one second connecting element configured to cooperate mechanically together at the outer periphery of the inner tube
Implementation Method 3
ensuring homogenous heating and thermal conduction
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a long tubular pipe comprising an outer tube, an inner fluid-transporting tube mounted in the outer tube, and a separating member designed to transmit bending efforts between said outer tube and said inner tube when said outer tube is bent, the separating member comprising means for the longitudinal passage of fluid between the inner tube and the outer tube, the separating member comprising a first edge and a second edge together defining an assembly slot, the first edge and the second edge respectively comprising a first connecting element and a second connecting element designed to cooperate mechanically on the outer periphery of the inner tube.