Elastic Pipe Cleaning Blades That Avoid Sticking in Damaged Pipes

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for cleaning the inner surfaces of sewage pipes, such as chains with hard metal blades, often get stuck at damaged points, are laborious to manufacture, and inefficiently remove rust and debris, especially in severely damaged pipes.

Innovation Solution

A rotatable spindle equipped with a plurality of elastic blades that are shaped to avoid getting stuck in pipe irregularities, allowing for efficient cleaning even in badly damaged pipe systems.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If chains with hard metal blades are used to clean pipe inner surfaces, then cleaning capability is improved, but the device gets stuck at damaged points and reliability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning capabilityVSAvoidoperational reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The blades are made elastic instead of rigid, allowing them to flex and adapt to pipe irregularities. This dynamic property enables the blades to maintain contact with the pipe surface for effective cleaning while accommodating damaged areas without getting stuck, thus resolving the contradiction between cleaning capability and operational reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The blade material properties are changed from rigid hard metal to elastic material. This parameter change allows the blades to deform elastically when encountering pipe damages, preventing the device from getting stuck while maintaining sufficient cleaning effectiveness through the elastic contact pressure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If chains with hard metal blades are used, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but manufacturing complexity and labor intensity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning effectivenessVSAvoidmanufacturing ease

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The cleaning device is segmented into multiple independent elastic blades attached to the chain. Each blade can be manufactured separately and attached independently, simplifying the overall manufacturing process compared to creating monolithic hard metal blade chains, while maintaining effective cleaning through the collective action of multiple blades.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of operation

If high-pressure water injection is used for cleaning, then operational simplicity is improved, but cleaning effectiveness deteriorates due to water running out through damaged points

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational simplicityVSAvoidcleaning effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The cleaning mechanism is substituted from hydraulic (high-pressure water injection) to mechanical (elastic blade scraping). The mechanical blades physically scrape and remove deposits from the pipe inner surface, providing effective cleaning even in damaged pipes where water would escape, while maintaining relative operational simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Reliability

If abrasive strips are used instead of blades, then resistance to getting stuck is improved, but the strips get clogged quickly and productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresistance to getting stuckVSAvoidoperational duration

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Elastic blades are used instead of abrasive strips, maintaining the flexibility advantage that prevents getting stuck while avoiding the clogging problem. The blade geometry and material properties allow debris to be scraped off and removed rather than accumulating on the cleaning surface, extending operational duration between maintenance cycles.

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 device achieves efficient cleaning and high reliability in severely damaged pipe systems by preventing blade entrapment and maintaining effective abrasive action, thereby improving cleaning efficiency and reducing operational difficulties.

Implementation Method 1

the blades, when being rotated in the pipe, clean the inner surface of the pipe while scraping it

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Implementation Method 2

the hard metal blades grind the inner surface of the pipe

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAbrasion: Abrasion

Data Source

PatentEP3277442B1Device for cleaning inner surface of pipe

Publication Date: 2025.03.05 PICOTE SOLUTIONS OY LTD

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AI summary

The invention relates to a device for cleaning the inner surface of a pipe. The device comprises a spindle arranged to be rotated and having a front end (20) and a rear end (21) between which a plurality of elastic metal blades (10) are attached both in the rotation direction of the spindle and in the direction perpendicular to the rotation direction to clean the inner surface of the pipe, the blades (10) having a shape that is curved at least two points such that they curve at least once towards the circumferential direction of the spindle and at least once outwards from the circumferential direction of the spindle to prevent the device from getting stuck in uneven pipe systems.