Fluid Coupler Gasket Assembly for Misalignment Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid couplers in automated or semi-automated systems face challenges with misalignment, leading to leaks and operational interruptions due to misaligned components and tolerance stack-ups, lacking cost-effective solutions to correct for these issues.
Innovation Solution
The development of fluid couplers with resilient gaskets that allow for pivoting or deflection, accommodating misalignment by compressing against support surfaces to maintain a fluid-tight seal while adjusting for initial misalignment between couplers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If rigid couplers are used to ensure precise alignment, then manufacturing precision is improved, but adaptability to misalignment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs resilient gaskets as flexible sealing elements that can deform to accommodate misalignment between couplers. These gaskets are positioned between the coupler bodies and support surfaces, allowing the rigid coupler bodies to maintain alignment precision while the flexible gaskets absorb positioning errors and tolerate misalignment up to certain degrees.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the sealing elements from rigid to resilient/compressible. By using compressible resilient gaskets, the system allows for parameter changes in the sealing interface that enable accommodation of misalignment while maintaining fluid-tight seals, thus resolving the contradiction between precision and adaptability.
2Reliability
If fixed-position couplers are used to maintain stable connection, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to inability to correct misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic adjustment capability through resilient gaskets that allow couplers to pivot and deflect. This enables the system to transition from a completely fixed rigid connection to a dynamically adjustable connection that can self-correct misalignment while maintaining stable fluid-tight sealing, thus improving ease of operation without sacrificing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient gaskets act as intermediary elements between the rigid coupler bodies and support surfaces. These intermediaries provide both sealing function and movement accommodation, allowing the couplers to maintain reliable connections while enabling operational adjustments for misalignment correction.
3Adaptability or versatility
If resilient gaskets are added to allow pivoting movement, then adaptability to misalignment is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the alignment correction function from the main coupler body structure and implements it through separate resilient gasket elements. This separation allows the coupler bodies to remain relatively simple while the gaskets provide the misalignment accommodation capability, thus improving adaptability without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient gaskets serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide fluid sealing, allow pivoting movement for misalignment correction, and maintain connection stability. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby improving adaptability while limiting the increase in device complexity.
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 ensures reliable and efficient connection of couplers by maintaining a fluid-tight seal despite misalignment, reducing leaks and operational disruptions, and enhancing the reliability of fluid coupler systems.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient gasket positioned over the coupler body and adapted for positioning against a first surface of the respective support and a resilient gasket positioned over the coupler body and adapted for positioning against a second opposing surface of the respective support
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid coupling system is provided that includes a first coupler that can be mounted to a first support, and a second coupler that can be mounted to second support. Each of the first and second couplers include a coupler body extending through openings of the respective support walls, and gaskets positioned over the coupler body and on opposing sides of the respective walls of the first and second supports. The gaskets form a fluid tight seal between the first and second coupler bodies and the respective supports, while permitting pivoting of the first and second couplers relative to the respective supports to accommodate for misalignment of the first and second couplers. In some embodiments the first and second supports can be walls of a container or can include framing that supports the containers.