Drain Nipple With Tool-Engaging Profile For Raceway Condensation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current drain fittings for electrical raceway systems are heavy, bulky, expensive, and labor-intensive to install, posing risks of improper installation and compromising the integrity of the raceway due to the need for cutting and threading, which also leads to premature corrosion and increased weight and space requirements.
Innovation Solution
A low point drain fitting with a tubular member and tool engaging member featuring a three-dimensional external profile for easy installation, allowing for gravity-driven condensation drainage without cutting or threading, using a transverse channel and downward passage for efficient condensation removal, optionally with a screen insert for filtration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional drain fittings are used in electrical raceway systems, then condensation drainage function is achieved, but the fittings are heavy, bulky, and require cutting and threading which compromises raceway integrity
Solution Approach 1:
The drain fitting is segmented into a tubular member portion that inserts into the raceway and a separate tool-engaging member portion, allowing the drain function to be added without compromising the raceway structure. The tubular member fits within the existing raceway profile while providing the drainage function, avoiding the need for cutting and threading operations that would compromise raceway integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The tubular member of the drain fitting is designed to nest within the existing raceway profile, with the tool-engaging member extending outward for installation purposes. This nested configuration allows the drain fitting to be installed within the raceway system without increasing overall dimensions significantly and without requiring modifications to the raceway itself.
2Productivity
If traditional drain fittings are used, then drainage function is provided, but installation is labor-intensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The tool-engaging member is pre-formed as an integrated part of the tubular member, eliminating the need for field cutting and threading operations. The drain fitting arrives at the installation site ready-to-install, with all necessary features already prepared, significantly reducing installation time and labor requirements compared to traditional fittings that require on-site modification.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the traditional mechanical installation process involving cutting, threading, and assembly with a simplified insertion process. The tool-engaging member allows for easy mechanical engagement and installation without requiring complex tools or multiple operation steps, substituting a labor-intensive mechanical system with a streamlined installation method.
3Reliability
If traditional drain fittings are used, then condensation removal is achieved, but extra weight is added to offshore structures
Solution Approach 1:
The tubular member is designed with thin-walled construction that maintains structural integrity while minimizing weight. The tool-engaging member provides the necessary mechanical strength for installation without requiring excessive material, achieving a lightweight design that is particularly important for offshore applications where weight adds significant cost and complexity.
4Reliability
If traditional drain fittings are used, then drainage function is provided, but more space is required for installation
Solution Approach 1:
The tubular member nests within the existing raceway profile, and the tool-engaging member is positioned to extend only as far as necessary for tool engagement. This compact nested configuration minimizes the space required for installation and maintains the streamlined profile of the raceway system, avoiding the bulky dimensions of traditional drain fittings.
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 significantly reduces installation time and labor, prevents premature corrosion, and minimizes weight and space requirements, while ensuring safe and efficient condensation drainage, thus enhancing the integrity and reliability of electrical raceway systems.
Implementation Method 1
A transverse channel formed in an interior surface of the tool engaging member extends upwardly in an arc on opposing sides of a lowermost point of the channel when the tubular member is installed horizontally in a raceway system. A downward passage is perpendicularly aligned with the circular bore and extends linearly downward from the lowermost point through a body of the tool engaging member to an aperture to an exterior of the tool engaging member. There is thus a passageway for condensation to drain by gravity from the raceway, into the channel, through the downward passage, and out the aperture from the tool engaging member.
Data Source
AI summary
A low point raceway fitting for draining accumulated condensation from electrical raceway systems installed in industrial, commercial and residential facilities. The drain fitting is a tubular member having a throughbore for pulling wire, connecting ends for installation in a raceway system, and an enlarged section between the ends profiled for engagement by a tool for installation. A drain passage is formed radially through the tool engaging member section and is positioned at the underside of the horizontal fitting for gravity drainage. A screen insert can be placed in the drain passage to keep dirt and insects out.