Flexible Flange with Membrane for Misaligned Drainpipes
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional water closet flanges are rigid and inflexible, making them inadequate for connecting to deformed or misaligned waste drainpipes, leading to issues with sealing and leakage, especially in jurisdictions with varying pipe dimensions and construction methods, where the use of wax seals is often unreliable and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A flexible flange apparatus with a flexible sleeve and integral membrane element that can deflect to accommodate various pipe configurations, providing a tight seal without the need for additional sealing elements and allowing for easy installation and removal during leak tests.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If rigid water closet flanges are used, then structural strength and stability are improved, but adaptability to deformed or misaligned pipes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The flange apparatus transitions from a rigid structure to a flexible, dynamic structure that can adapt its shape. The conduit portion is made of flexible material that can deflect and deform to match misaligned or oval-shaped pipes, while the sealing element provides rigid sealing when engaged. This dynamic adaptability resolves the contradiction between structural strength and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The flange apparatus uses a flexible conduit portion made of thin-walled flexible material that can deform to accommodate deformed pipes. This flexible shell structure allows the flange to adapt to various pipe configurations while maintaining structural integrity through the sealing element, directly addressing the contradiction between rigidity and adaptability.
2Reliability
If rigid sealing elements are used, then sealing reliability is improved, but ease of removal for leak tests deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing element is made of flexible material that can be easily removed, stretched, or deformed for leak testing while still providing reliable sealing when engaged. The flexibility allows it to be manipulated easily during installation and testing, resolving the contradiction between sealing reliability and ease of removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing element's physical state can be changed - when engaged it provides rigid sealing, but when removed it can be stretched or deformed into various shapes for easy handling and installation. This parameter change between engaged and removed states resolves the contradiction between sealing reliability and ease of operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If flexible materials are used for the conduit portion, then adaptability to misaligned pipes is improved, but structural strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The flange apparatus is segmented into two functional parts: a flexible conduit portion for adaptability and a sealing element for structural strength. This segmentation allows each part to optimize its properties - the conduit provides flexibility for misaligned pipes while the sealing element provides the necessary structural strength for reliable sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The flange apparatus combines flexible material for the conduit portion with sealing material for the sealing element, creating a composite structure that exhibits both flexibility and strength. This composite approach resolves the contradiction by integrating materials with complementary properties in a unified apparatus.
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 flexible flange apparatus ensures a reliable and leak-proof connection to misaligned or deformed pipes, reducing installation delays and costs by accommodating different pipe sizes and shapes, and allowing for efficient leak testing without breaking or leaving debris in the drainpipe.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible flange apparatus includes a flexible conduit portion (i.e. sleeve) and a flexible membrane element sealing an opening in an upper portion of the flexible sleeve
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure generally relates to improved water closet flanges and methods for installing such water closet flanges. In one exemplary embodiment, an improved water closet flange apparatus includes a flexible conduit portion (i.e. sleeve) and an integral membrane element sealing the top opening of the flexible sleeve. The membrane element is made of flexible materials such that the membrane element may be removed without breaking into pieces. In one embodiment, the integral membrane element includes indented portions to facilitate its removal. In another embodiment, the flange apparatus includes an outer flange connected to the flexible sleeve. Related methods for installing the disclosed flange apparatus between plumbing fixture discharges and waste drainpipes are also described.