Water Drain Sealing Insert With Restoring-Force Sealing Lips

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing sealing inserts for water drains lack stability and restoring force, leading to inadequate sealing performance, particularly during installation and maintenance.

Innovation Solution

The design features conical jacket sections that taper towards the collar, with sealing lips that deform during installation and exhibit a high restoring force, ensuring a consistent sealing pressure. The sealing lips are supported by bead-like thickenings to prevent bending and ensure elastic recovery.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the sealing lips are made narrow with the same cross section, then the device complexity is reduced, but the stability and sealing performance deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructure complexityVSAvoidsealing lip stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The side wall is designed with varying thickness along its height, creating local quality variations. The lower section has greater thickness to provide stability and support for the sealing lips, while the upper section can be thinner. This non-uniform thickness distribution optimizes both structural stability and sealing performance without excessive complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The sealing lips are designed with a three-dimensional contour that is not uniform along their length. The cross-sectional shape and dimensions of the sealing lips vary along their height, creating a tapered or contoured profile that enhances stability and sealing effectiveness while maintaining reasonable structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Force

If the sealing lips have high restoring force, then the sealing pressure is improved, but the resistance during insertion increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverestoring forceVSAvoidinsertion ease
Core Design Contradiction:
ForceVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing lips are designed with elastic properties that allow them to dynamically adapt during insertion and operation. During insertion, the lips deform elastically to accommodate the opening, and during operation, they exert restoring force to maintain sealing pressure. The elastic modulus and geometry are optimized to balance insertion ease with sealing effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If the sealing lips are deformed during insertion, then the sealing contact is improved, but the structural integrity may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing contactVSAvoidstructural integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The side wall structure incorporates sufficient thickness and structural support beforehand to cushion and absorb the deformation stresses that occur during insertion. This pre-designed structural capacity prevents permanent damage or loss of integrity while allowing the necessary elastic deformation for proper sealing contact.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

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

This configuration provides increased stability and sealing efficiency, with higher resistance during insertion and lower resistance during removal, enhancing the sealing insert's performance and durability.

Implementation Method 1

the outer, elastomeric wall layer 11 with three sealing lips 3, 3 ', 3" lying one above the other... the sealing lips are deformed in their outer area in the opposite direction to the direction of insertion... the initially deformed, elastic sealing lip can return to its original shape as a result of the restoring force

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3237786B1Sealing insert for a water drain
Publication Date: 2021.05.19 WEDI GMBH
  • EP3237786B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3237786B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5
  • EP3237786B1 patent drawingFigure 6~7

AI summary

The invention relates to a sealing insert (100), comprising: a ring body (1), which has a side wall (9) and a peripheral collar (13), at least one sealing lip (3, 3', 3"), which is arranged on the side wall (9) and points outward, wherein the sealing lip (3, 3', 3") has a conical contour (K) ending in a vertex (8) in a longitudinal-axis section (Q) through the sealing insert (100), which contour transitions into an outer lateral surface (M) of the ring body (1). According to the invention, the outer lateral surface has at least one sealing lip (3, 3', 3") having a cone lateral-surface segment (7, 7') adjoining said sealing lip (3, 3', 3"). The one or more cone lateral-surface segments (7, 7') are tapered in the direction of the peripheral collar (13). At least one peripheral, bead-like bulge (5), which transitions into the sealing lip (3', 3"), can adjoin the cone lateral-surface segment (7, 7').