Guide Ring Socket Adapter for Straight Pipe Seal Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sleeve adapters face difficulties in inserting into pipe components with high-seal resistance due to lubricant-induced irregularities and limited space, leading to potential sideways movement instead of straight insertion.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a guide ring made of harder material than the seal, positioned in front of the seal, which maintains dimensional stability and allows the sleeve adapter to penetrate without deformation, while the seal deforms to accommodate the adapter, ensuring alignment and centering through a widening outer diameter and concave/convex curvature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a lubricant is applied to the seal to enable insertion, then the seal becomes easier to penetrate, but the socket adapter may deflect laterally due to irregularities in alignment or force direction
Solution Approach 1:
The guide ring is positioned at the front of the socket adapter to perform preliminary centering and guidance actions before the seal engagement. This preliminary action establishes proper alignment and force direction, preventing lateral deflection during the actual insertion process through the lubricated seal.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide ring acts as an intermediary element between the socket adapter and the seal. It mediates the insertion process by providing a stable, harder surface that maintains dimensional stability and guides the adapter's path, while allowing the softer seal to deform smoothly around it.
2Productivity
If the socket adapter is inserted with high axial force to overcome seal resistance, then insertion is achieved, but the socket adapter may tilt or shift relative to the pipe component
Solution Approach 1:
The guide ring performs preliminary centering and stabilization of the socket adapter before high insertion forces are applied. This preliminary positioning ensures that when high axial forces are applied to overcome seal resistance, the adapter remains properly aligned and does not tilt or shift, maintaining insertion accuracy while achieving high productivity.
3Manufacturing precision
If the guide ring outer diameter widens towards the rear, then centering is achieved gradually, but the axial length required for the guide ring increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide ring features a concave curved outer surface instead of a straight conical shape. This curvature allows the outer diameter to widen more efficiently, providing the necessary centering action over a shorter axial length. The curved profile optimizes the gradual engagement with the seal, achieving accurate centering while minimizing the guide ring's axial dimension.
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
Enables easy insertion into pipe components with high insertion resistance without inclination or evasive movements, allowing high forces to be applied without deforming the sleeve adapter, ensuring secure centering and guidance within the pipe seal.
Implementation Method 1
the guide ring deforms the seal of the pipe component, allowing the socket adapter to continue penetrating the pipe component or its seal while maintaining its orientation
Data Source
AI summary
In a socket adapter (1) comprising a cylindrical pipe section (2), a seal (3) circumferentially surrounding the pipe section (2) made of an elastically deformable material, wherein the seal (3) has a first section (15) with which it connects tightly to the pipe section (2), and a second section (16) which is radially movable outwards relative to the pipe section (2), and with at least one expansion element which is arranged between the pipe section (2) and the second section (16) of the seal (3) and which is radially movable outwards, such that the outer diameter of the seal (3) is variable depending on the respective position of the expansion element, and with an insertion end in the area of the seal (3) which is intended to be inserted into a pipe component, wherein the seal (3) is intended to be tightly fitted to the pipe component, the invention proposesthat a guide ring (10) is arranged at the insertion end, which is made of a material harder than the seal (3), is positioned in front of the seal (3) in the insertion direction, and whose outer diameter widens from its front end in the insertion direction towards the rear.