Fire Protection Pipe Connection With Exposed Intumescent Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fire protection tube connections often fail to activate intumescent materials in time to close the connection, allowing hot gases to pass through.
Innovation Solution
A fire protection tube connection design where the connecting channel is formed by the direct exposed surface of the intumescent material, eliminating the need for additional elements and allowing hot gases to immediately activate the material, which is integrated into the connection housing and can be fixed using various configurations to ensure quick reaction and sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the connecting channel is formed by an additional element between it and the intumescent material, then the structural integrity and sealing are improved, but the activation time of the intumescent material is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the additional element (such as a sealing ring or gasket) that was previously placed between the connecting channel and the intumescent material. By extracting this intermediate component, hot gases can directly contact the intumescent material, enabling immediate activation and swelling to seal the connection, thus resolving the contradiction between structural integrity and activation speed.
2Strength
If the intumescent material is placed deep within the connection housing, then it is protected from damage, but it cannot be activated quickly by hot gases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the intumescent material such that its exposed surface is located at the boundary of the connecting channel, creating a direct interface with the flow path of hot gases. This dimensional repositioning allows the material to be both protected within the housing structure and immediately accessible to thermal activation, resolving the contradiction between protection and reaction speed.
3Reliability
If the connection housing is made completely gas-tight, then fire protection is improved, but the installation flexibility and integration into building elements is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs the dynamic property of the intumescent material that transitions from a compact state during installation to an expanded state during fire events. This allows the connection housing to remain open and flexible during installation (adaptable to various building elements) while achieving complete gas-tight sealing when the material swells in response to heat, thus resolving the contradiction between installation flexibility and fire protection effectiveness.
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 design ensures rapid activation of the intumescent material upon heat exposure, providing effective sealing and maintaining fire protection without impairing the connection's integration into building elements, even if not fully gas-tight.
Implementation Method 1
an intumescent material arranged in the connection housing... Intumescent material within the meaning of the present invention is understood to be a material that expands when exposed to heat and undergoes such an increase in volume that it seals off an interior space of the fire protection pipe connection
Implementation Method 2
the medium in the connecting channel is in direct contact with the intumescent material through the exposed surface immediately adjacent to it... the intumescent material is directly exposed to the hot gases flowing through the fire protection pipe connection
Data Source
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AI summary
Fire protection pipe connection (10), comprising a connection housing (12) made of cast iron, which in particular has at least one plug-in sleeve (14, 16) having an insertion channel (24, 26) for inserting a spigot end (34, 36) of a pipe (44, 46), in particular a pipe made of cast iron, and an intumescent material (60) arranged in the connection housing (12), wherein a connecting channel (54) is formed in the connection housing (12) following the at least one plug-in channel (24, 26), and the connecting channel (54) is delimited by an exposed surface (56) of the intumescent material (60) immediately adjacent thereto.