Fluid Line Fitting Installation Tool for One-Step Piercing and Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional methods for installing fittings onto fluid lines are time-consuming and difficult due to the two-step process of forming a hole and inserting the fitting by hand.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus comprising a main body with a groove and a fitting installation member, which integrates a handle, shaft, and tip portion, allowing for a single-step installation by piercing and securing the fitting into the fluid line.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a two-step process is used to form a hole and insert the fitting by hand, then the installation can be completed, but the process is time-consuming and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the hole-forming tool and fitting installation member into a single integrated apparatus. The fitting installation member includes an elongate shaft with a tip portion that pierces the fluid line to form a hole, while the fitting is attached to the shaft, allowing simultaneous hole formation and fitting insertion in one operation, thereby eliminating the need for separate tools and steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The fitting is pre-attached to the tip portion of the fitting installation member before the installation process begins. This preliminary attachment allows the fitting to be positioned and inserted into the fluid line automatically as the tip portion pierces and forms the hole, eliminating the need for manual fitting insertion after hole formation.
2Reliability
If the tip portion is smaller than the shaft, then the fitting can be securely attached to the fluid line, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The fitting installation member features an asymmetric structure where the tip portion has a smaller diameter than the main shaft. This asymmetric design allows the tip portion to effectively pierce the fluid line and form a hole, while the larger shaft provides structural support and serves as the attachment point for the fitting, ensuring secure installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The tip portion of the fitting installation member is specifically designed with a smaller diameter compared to the shaft, creating a localized functional difference. This local quality change enables the tip to effectively penetrate and form a hole in the fluid line, while the larger shaft maintains structural integrity and provides a secure attachment point for the fitting.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and methods for installing a fitting onto a fluid line, the apparatus comprising a main body and a fitting installation member. The main body comprises a base and a guide member, wherein the base comprises a groove extending in a first direction configured to receive at least a portion of the fluid line, wherein the guide member is connected to and spaced apart from the groove of the base, and wherein the guide member comprises a hole extending through the guide member in a second direction. The fitting installation member comprises an elongate shaft and a tip portion, wherein the elongate shaft extends through the hole of the guide member and into the groove of the base member, and wherein the tip portion is smaller than the shaft in a first dimension.