Flexible Pipe Cutter Structure for Multi-Diameter Plastic Pipes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cutting tools are expensive, cumbersome, and prone to deformation when cutting plastic pipes of varying diameters, requiring multiple tools for different sizes and lacking flexibility to accommodate a range of pipe sizes effectively.
Innovation Solution
A cutting tool with a body comprising rigid pipe support members and flexible connection members, allowing for torsional strength while conforming to different pipe diameters, featuring an open mouth for pipe insertion and a cutting blade for clean severance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional cutting tools are used to cut plastic pipes, then the cutting function is achieved, but the tool causes deformation of the pipe and is expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting tool employs a flexible body comprising multiple pipe support members connected by flexible connection members, allowing the tool to conform to different pipe diameters without causing deformation. This flexible structure replaces rigid conventional tools, eliminating the harmful deformation effect while maintaining cost-effectiveness through a simpler design
2Adaptability or versatility
If a single cutting tool is designed to cut pipes of specific diameter, then the tool structure is simple, but multiple tools are needed for different pipe sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting tool is designed with a flexible body that can accommodate pipes of varying diameters (15-67mm), making a single tool capable of performing multiple cutting functions across different pipe sizes. The flexible connection members allow the tool to adapt its shape to match different pipe diameters, eliminating the need for multiple specialized tools
Solution Approach 2:
The tool incorporates flexible connection members that allow dynamic adjustment of the body shape during operation. This dynamic flexibility enables the rigid pipe support members to maintain their relative positions while the connection members bend to accommodate different pipe diameters, providing versatility without excessive complexity
3Strength
If rigid pipe support members are used to provide torsional strength, then the tool has structural stability, but the tool cannot conform to different pipe diameters
Solution Approach 1:
The body of the cutting tool is segmented into multiple rigid pipe support members connected by flexible connection members. This segmentation allows each rigid member to provide local structural stability and torsional strength, while the flexible connections between segments enable the overall structure to conform to different pipe diameters
Solution Approach 2:
The tool combines rigid pipe support members with flexible connection members to create a composite structure. The rigid members provide necessary strength and stability, while the flexible members provide adaptability, creating a hybrid system that achieves both torsional strength and diameter versatility simultaneously
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 tool provides a cost-effective, manageable, and versatile solution for cutting a range of pipe diameters with enhanced grip and reduced deformation, enabling efficient cutting of pipes from 15 to 67 mm without the need for multiple tools.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of flexible connection members that connect the pipe support members to one another
Data Source
AI summary
A cutting tool for cutting pipes of varying diameters includes a body having an opening extending along a predetermined axis through the body, and a cutting blade extending into the opening along a plane extending at right angles to the predetermined axis. The body includes a plurality of pipe support members, which are spaced from one another and configured to contact an outer surface of a pipe received by the tool, and a plurality of flexible connection members that connect the pipe support members to one another.