Fluid Connector With Integral Locking Tangs for Secure Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connectors for fluid systems require separate locking rings or tangs, which are costly and prone to misassembly, and lack a reliable mechanism for easy disengagement under pressure, especially in injection-molded plastic designs.
Innovation Solution
The connector features integral, obliquely directed locking tangs within the female part that engage with the male part and include recesses or projections for tool-assisted disengagement, eliminating the need for separate locking elements and allowing for secure sealing and disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate locking rings are used, then the connection can be secured, but the device complexity and material costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The locking tangs are integrated directly into the female part of the connector, eliminating the need for separate locking rings. The tangs are formed as integral elements of the female connector body, reducing the total number of components while maintaining the locking function.
Solution Approach 2:
The female part serves multiple functions: it provides the connector body, contains the sealing element, and incorporates the locking tangs as integral features. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components.
2Reliability
If separate locking rings are used, then the connection can be secured, but material costs and assembly errors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The locking tangs are formed as integral elements of the female connector body through injection molding, eliminating the need for separate manufacturing and assembly of locking rings. This reduces both material costs and assembly complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking tangs are automatically positioned and formed during the injection molding process of the female part, requiring no separate assembly operations. The design self-ensures proper positioning without additional assembly steps.
3Ease of manufacture
If the connector is made of injection-molded plastic, then material costs are reduced, but the locking mechanism reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking tangs are designed with optimized dimensions and geometries to ensure sufficient strength and reliability while being manufactured from injection-molded plastic. The tangs have adequate thickness and positioning features to prevent deformation under operating loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector uses plastic material with appropriate mechanical properties for injection molding, combining cost-effectiveness with sufficient structural integrity for the locking mechanism.
4Reliability
If the locking tangs are fixed, then the connection is secure, but disengagement becomes difficult under pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The locking tangs are designed as resilient elements that can flex outward under toolapplied force for disengagement, then return to their locked position during normal operation. This dynamic behavior enables easy disengagement while maintaining secure connection during use.
Solution Approach 2:
An external tool acts as an intermediary to apply force to the tangs for disengagement, allowing the operator to overcome the locking force without directly manipulating the tangs themselves.
5Ease of operation
If the locking tangs point in the direction of insertion, then assembly is simplified, but disengagement requires additional mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient nature of the tangs provides the disengagement mechanism, eliminating the need for additional mechanical components. The tangs flex outward when force is applied and return to their locked position during insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The tangs themselves provide the disengagement function through their elastic properties, without requiring separate disengagement mechanisms or components.
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 solution enables cost-effective, reliable, and easily disengageable connections in fluid systems, reducing material costs and assembly errors while ensuring secure sealing under pressure.
Implementation Method 1
the locking tangs are bent resiliently outwards when the male part is inserted
Data Source
AI summary
A connector for use in a system for flowing fluid, having at least one cup-shaped female part, in which an adapted male part on another connector is intended to be sealingly and securely mounted, wherein the female part has integral longitudinal locking tangs which have their free ends pointing in the direction of insertion of a male part into the female part, the free ends of the locking tangs projecting into the space in the female part for engaging with a male part, and wherein the locking tangs have at least one recess which can be used by a tool to urge the locking tangs apart so that the male part and the female part can be disengaged from one another.