Two-Piece Expandable Sealing Plug for Temporary Hole Closure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sealing plugs either lack ease of use and cost-effectiveness or are not easily removable, failing to provide a practical solution for temporarily sealing holes or openings in bodies.
Innovation Solution
A two-piece expandable sealing plug comprising a cup-shaped member and a head with frangible webs, where the head is harder than the cup-shaped member, allowing for easy insertion and removal by rotating the rim portion to tighten or loosen the plug's engagement with the body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a permanent sealing plug is used (U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,294), then the seal is permanent and reliable, but the plug cannot be removed and is not cost-effective for temporary sealing needs
Solution Approach 1:
The plug transitions from a static permanent seal to a dynamic removable seal through the expansion mechanism. The plug can be inserted easily, expanded radially to create a permanent-like seal, and then removed by collapsing the expansion elements. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between permanence and removability.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug is divided into a body and separate expansion elements (such as radially expandable components). This segmentation allows the plug to be inserted as a compact unit and then expanded to engage the hole walls, providing both ease of insertion and reliable sealing. The segmented structure enables the plug to transition between compact and expanded states for removal.
2Ease of operation
If a removable sealing plug is used (U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,557), then the plug can be removed, but it lacks ease of use and cost-effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The plug design incorporates simple, inexpensive materials and construction methods that make it cost-effective. The expansion mechanism uses basic radial expansion elements rather than complex mechanical components, reducing manufacturing costs. The plug is designed for single or limited use cycles, aligning with disposable or temporary sealing applications.
3Reliability
If existing sealing plugs are used, then sealing function is provided, but they require significant radial expansion for installation which complicates the process
Solution Approach 1:
The expansion elements are pre-configured in a compact state within the plug body, ready for deployment. The radial expansion mechanism is designed to activate automatically or with minimal action during insertion, eliminating the need for separate expansion steps. This preliminary preparation simplifies the installation process while ensuring reliable sealing.
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 plug provides a low-cost, easy-to-use solution for sealing and unsealing holes or openings, ensuring a secure fit without requiring significant radial expansion, facilitating easy installation and removal.
Implementation Method 1
the inner surface (38) that diverges radially outwardly in an axial direction toward the member upper end
Implementation Method 2
cause the member outer surface to move radially outwardly into tighter engagement with the walls of the body about the opening
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5~8
Figure 9~13
AI summary
An elongated two-piece expandable sealing plug (20) that is adapted to sealingly close a marginal end portion of a hole or opening (22) provided in a body (21) broadly comprises: a cup-shaped member (23) having an annular open upper end, having an outer surface that is adapted to face toward a wall on the body surrounding the opening, and having an inner surface (38) that diverges radially outwardly in a direction toward the member upper end; and a head having an outer rim portion (25) mounted on the upper end marginal end portion of the member for rotation therewith, and having a central portion (26) arranged within, and secured to, the rim portion; wherein the member is adapted to be inserted (i.e., slidably and/or rotatively) into a marginal end portion of the body opening (Fig. 2); and wherein the central portion is adapted to be forcibly pushed toward the bottom of the cup-shaped member to (a) cause the central portion to physically separate from the rim portion, and (b) cause such separated central portion to movably engage the inner surface of the member to urge the member outer surface to move radially outwardly into engagement with the walls of the body about the opening (Fig. 4).