Flexible Joint Sealing via Thermal Contraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sprinkler flexible tubes made of stainless steel suffer from corrosion and water leakage issues due to thin thickness and welding limitations, leading to durability and leakage problems in fire pipes, causing economic damage and resident discomfort.
Innovation Solution
A flexible joint design integrating CPVC pipes and sprinkler flexible tubes, featuring a socket with O-ring grooves and a nut with stepwise threaded portions, where the metal sprinkler flexible tube is inserted between the CPVC socket and nut, allowing for heat-shrinkage to enhance sealing without additional welding, thus preventing water leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional welding process is used to maintain sealing effect, then water leakage prevention is improved, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The design allows the stainless steel flexible tube to self-seal against the CPVC socket and nut through its own flexibility and the natural fit of its enlarged portion. The tube's material properties and geometric design enable it to maintain sealing without requiring additional welding processes, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the sealing function into the basic insertion connection between the flexible tube and CPVC components. The enlarged portion of the tube and the corresponding grooves in the socket and nut create an integrated sealing system that eliminates the need for separate welding operations.
2Ease of manufacture
If CPVC pipe and sprinkler flexible tube are integrally formed, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but assembly complexity may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the connection system into distinct functional components: the CPVC socket with integrated O-ring groove, the stainless steel flexible tube with enlarged portion, and the CPVC nut with female threaded portion. Each component is independently manufactured with specific functions, then assembled together. This segmentation allows for cost-effective production of each part while maintaining a relatively simple overall assembly process.
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 design significantly reduces manufacturing costs and prevents water leakage by integrating CPVC and metal components, ensuring a reliable sealing effect even in varying temperatures, enhancing worker convenience and reducing seasonal influences on the piping system.
Implementation Method 1
the sprinkler flexible tube heat-shrinks, whereby the enlarged portion presses the O-ring to further come into close contact with each other
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible joint including: a socket including a front end portion provided with O-ring grooves, and a male threaded portion extending outward radially, circumferentially, and stepwisely from the front end portion with male threads formed thereon; a nut including an engaging portion engaged with an outer circumferential surface of the front end portion, and a female threaded portion extending stepwisely from the engaging portion and engaged with the male threaded portion; a sprinkler flexible tube communicating with an inner circumference of the socket, and having an enlarged portion inserted between the front end portion of the socket and the engaging portion of the nut, and a leak-proof portion or a double bent portion bent outward from an end of the enlarged portion; and O-rings fitted over the O-ring grooves, whereby the enlarged portion presses the O-rings to come into close contact with each other, thereby preventing leakage.