Ventilation Duct Tube Coupling for Diameter-Change Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air ventilation ducts made of compressible synthetic materials face issues with durable sealing and easy coupling due to diameter changes caused by temperature fluctuations, leading to pressure loss, energy loss, and dirt accumulation.
Innovation Solution
A tube coupling system with a shape-retaining insertion member and a monoblock design, featuring a tapered insertion member and a tightening web with adaptive closing means, allows for easy handling and secure engagement of tube parts, maintaining a durable seal despite diameter changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If coupling sleeves clampingly engage onto the outer wall of the tube parts, then the tube parts can be coupled together, but the coupling becomes locally detached from the outer wall due to diameter reduction, resulting in pressure loss, energy loss, and dirt accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary component (coupling device with tightening element) between the tube parts to maintain reliable coupling. The tightening element can be adjusted to compensate for diameter changes in the flexible tube parts, ensuring continuous contact and sealing without the harmful effects of detachment
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling device incorporates an adjustable tightening element that can change its clamping parameter to adapt to diameter variations in the tube parts. This allows the coupling to maintain reliable sealing despite the flexible nature of the tube parts and their diameter fluctuations
2Use of energy by stationary object
If the tube parts are made of compressible synthetic material for thermal insulation, then good heat insulating properties are achieved, but diameter changes occur due to material relaxation, leading to coupling detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling device is designed with dynamic adjustment capability through its tightening element, allowing it to adapt to the changing diameter of the flexible tube parts. This dynamic adjustment compensates for the material relaxation of the compressible synthetic material while maintaining stable coupling
Solution Approach 2:
The tightening element can change its clamping parameter to match the diameter variations caused by the compressible material's relaxation, thereby maintaining both the thermal insulation properties and the stable coupling connection
3Reliability
If a tube coupling system is designed to accommodate diameter changes, then durable sealing is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling device is segmented into distinct functional components: a coupling body and an adjustable tightening element. This segmentation allows the tightening element to independently handle diameter variations while the coupling body provides the basic connection structure, achieving durable sealing without excessive overall complexity
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 ensures a durable, leak-proof connection that maintains thermal insulation and prevents dirt accumulation, allowing for easy installation and adjustment without tools, even when tube parts shrink or expand.
Implementation Method 1
The shape-retaining insertion member can counteract diameter differences, particularly diameter reduction of the tube end near the tightening web
Implementation Method 2
Biasing can take place evenly over the insertion when the insertion member at the outside tapers in insertion direction
Implementation Method 3
The tube coupling is easy to handle and place as the insertion member, the tightening web and the bridge are formed as a monoblock
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C~1D
Figure 2A~2B
AI summary
Air ventilation duct (70) comprising at least two consecutive tube parts (71) made of compressible synthetic material, and a tube coupling (1) for mutual coupling of the meeting ends of the tube parts, wherein the tube coupling comprises a shape-retaining insertion member (10), having an insertion direction, to be placed against the inside of a tube part, a tightening web (20) connected to the insertion member to be placed against the outside of the tube part, and closing means (40,140) for forming a tightened closure for the tightening web around the tube part.