Split Faucet Water Pipe Fixing Structure Using Elastic Snap-Fit Ferrule
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional faucet body production involves complex and costly lead-free copper casting, and existing split type faucet fixing structures are unstable and prone to loosening, affecting service life and assembly ease.
Innovation Solution
A fixing structure for split type faucet bodies using a metal covered plastic water-passing body with a two-shot plastic injection molded valve seat and a water pipe ferrule with elastic snap-fit points and receiving grooves for stable and easy installation of water pipes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If flange locking method is used to assemble the fixing structure, then assembly is simplified, but the fixing structure becomes less stable and prone to loosening
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic deformation of the metal outer pipe is utilized to create a dynamic locking mechanism. When the metal outer pipe is deformed during assembly, it expands to lock the plastic valve body securely, providing both easy assembly and stable fixation without loosening over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the metal outer pipe from rigid to elastically deformable. By controlling the deformation parameters within elastic limits, the system achieves reversible expansion and contraction that enables simple assembly while maintaining reliable, stable fixation that resists loosening during use.
2Device complexity
If thin sheet-shaped limiting piece is used to fix water inlet pipe feet and outlet pipe feet, then device complexity is reduced, but the fixing structure cannot provide stable support and pipes may escape
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines metal outer pipe with plastic valve body to create a composite fixing structure. The metal component provides elastic deformation capability and structural strength, while the plastic component provides molding flexibility and integration with the valve body, together achieving stable pipe fixation without complex additional structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal outer pipe is designed with curved surfaces that can elastically deform during assembly. This curvature enables the pipe to expand and contract, creating a locking effect that securely holds the water inlet and outlet pipes in place, preventing them from escaping while maintaining structural simplicity.
3Reliability
If lead-free copper casting is used to form faucet valve body, then product quality is improved, but production cycle is longer and raw material cost is higher
Solution Approach 1:
The faucet body is divided into separate components: a metal outer pipe and a plastic valve body. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently using optimized processes, avoiding the time-consuming single-step lead-free copper casting while maintaining product quality through the combined properties of the composite structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive lead-free copper material with a combination of standard metal and plastic materials. This substitution significantly reduces raw material costs while the elastic metal outer pipe provides sufficient durability and performance for the application, achieving cost-effective production without compromising essential product quality.
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 reduces production costs, enhances the stability of water pipe connections, and simplifies assembly and disassembly while ensuring secure fixation of water pipes, improving the overall service life and usability.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of elastic snap-fit points are provided on an outer wall of the water pipe ferrule; when the water pipe ferrule is sleeved over an inner end of the metal covered plastic water-passing body, joints of the first water-passing pipe and joints of the second water-passing pipe are inserted into the first connection passage and the second connection passage respectively to be fixedly installed... the elastic snap-fit points and the limiting holes on the inner wall of the metal covered plastic water-passing body are snap-fitted to ensure that the water pipe ferrule is stably placed inside the metal covered plastic water-passing body
Data Source
AI summary
A fixing structure for a water pipe of a split type faucet body includes: a metal covered plastic water-passing body having a metal outer pipe on the outside, wherein an integrated plastic valve seat is formed in an inner wall of the metal outer pipe, the plastic valve seat is provided with a partition in the middle, and the partition has a first through hole and a second through hole separately, a spool receiving cavity is formed in an inner cavity on one side of the partition, and a first connection passage and a second connection passage are formed in an inner cavity on the other side of the partition; and a water pipe ferrule is provided in its longitudinal direction with two receiving grooves each penetrated up and down, the two receiving grooves are used for placing the first water-passing pipe and the second water-passing pipe respectively.