Flexible Hollow Stop Ball for Tube Attachment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stop balls for tubes and hoses are hard, cumbersome to attach, and specific to certain diameters, posing injury and manufacturing inefficiency risks, while lacking ease of use and adaptability.
Innovation Solution
A singular, flexible hollow stop ball with integral openings of varying diameters and a clamping mechanism for radial attachment, allowing for easy installation and adaptability to different tube sizes, using materials like chloroprene for a balance of flexibility and durability, and a method involving inflation and deflation for secure attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a stop ball is made of hard solid material, then it provides strong stopping capability, but it may cause injury to personnel, equipment, or hose reel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state and material properties of the stop ball from hard solid to soft flexible material. The stop ball is made of flexible material that can be inflated to provide stopping force while remaining safe to personnel and equipment, resolving the contradiction between stopping capability and injury risk.
2Strength
If a stop ball consists of two solid halves bolted together, then it provides structural strength, but it becomes cumbersome to attach and requires multiple parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two separate halves into a single flexible hollow body that can be inflated. This single-piece construction eliminates the need for bolts and multiple parts while maintaining structural integrity through the flexible material and inflation pressure, resolving the contradiction between structural strength and device complexity.
3Manufacturing precision
If a stop ball is made for a specific tube diameter, then it provides precise fit, but it lacks adaptability to different tube sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the stop ball dynamic by introducing inflation capability. The flexible hollow body can be inflated to expand and adapt to different tube diameters, providing both precise fit and versatility across multiple tube sizes, resolving the contradiction between fit precision and adaptability.
4Reliability
If a stop ball uses radial clamping mechanism, then it provides secure attachment to tube, but it requires complex attachment process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses pneumatic inflation to attach the stop ball to the tube. By inflating the flexible hollow body, the stop ball expands and creates radial clamping force that secures it to the tube. This pneumatic mechanism provides reliable attachment while simplifying the attachment process to merely inflating the ball, resolving the contradiction between attachment security and ease of operation.
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 provides a safe, easy-to-manufacture, and robust stop ball that fits various tube diameters, preventing injuries and ensuring reliable stopping and dampening without damaging the hose reel, while being inexpensive and simple to attach without bolts.
Implementation Method 1
The hollow body is flexible, allowing a flexibility of over 100 percent
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5
AI summary
A stop ball for a tube for fluid or energy is provided. The stop ball comprises a singular hollow body (100). The hollow body (100) comprises and is integral with a first opening (120) for the tube and an attachment means (140) for attaching the stop ball to the tube, the attachment means (140) comprising a second opening (150) for the tube. A method for attaching a stop ball according to any one of the preceding embodiments to a tube for fluid or energy is provided. The method comprising inserting the tube through all three openings; pulling the attachment means (140) at least partly out of the hollow body; and clamping the attachment means onto the tube.