Hookah Water Tank Closure Radial Clamping Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing water pipe closures fail to provide a stable, easy-to-use, and safe sealing mechanism for water containers with varying manufacturing tolerances, leading to instability and discomfort during use, especially when handling glowing coals.

Innovation Solution

A lower closure part with a clamping device featuring a circumferential clamping element that can change in diameter radially, generating a clamping force to securely attach to the water tank, ensuring airtight sealing and allowing safe lifting of the water pipe.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a traditional non-positive fit soft seal closure is used, then the closure can be easily connected and disconnected, but the connection becomes unstable and may come loose during use

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of connectionVSAvoidconnection stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The closure element incorporates a circumferential clamping element with a curved, radially expandable structure that conforms to the cylindrical inner wall of the water tank. This curved geometry enables the clamping element to generate radial clamping force that securely holds the closure in place, preventing it from coming loose during use while maintaining ease of connection through radial expansion and contraction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The clamping element is designed to be dynamically changeable in its radial dimension, allowing it to expand radially to generate clamping force for secure connection and contract radially for easy disconnection. This dynamic capability resolves the contradiction by enabling the closure to transition between a tightly secured state during use and an easily removable state when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If a form-fitting screw cap with locking base is used, then the connection is stable and secure, but the device complexity increases and proprietary compatibility issues arise

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection stabilityVSAvoidclosure structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The closure element is designed as a universal component that can be used with water tanks of different manufacturers and designs. The simple cylindrical shape with the radially expandable clamping element allows it to fit various tank sizes and shapes without requiring proprietary locking bases or complex attachment mechanisms, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining connection stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts the essential function of secure connection from complex proprietary locking mechanisms and implements it through a simple radially expandable clamping element. This eliminates the need for complex locking bases, threads, or specialized attachment features, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliable connection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If the clamping force is increased to prevent displacement and ensure sealing, then the connection stability improves, but the force required to connect and disconnect increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing reliabilityVSAvoidconnection force
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The clamping element's radial expandability allows it to generate high clamping force for secure sealing when in the expanded state, while enabling easy connection and disconnection when in the contracted state. This dynamic size change resolves the contradiction by decoupling the force required to maintain the seal from the force required to establish or break the connection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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 provides a stable and airtight connection, reducing displacement and allowing safe handling of the water pipe, even when lifting, by adjusting the clamping force to compensate for the weight of the water container.

Implementation Method 1

generating a clamping force for clamping the closure base between opposite walls of the water tank

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Implementation Method 2

generate a radially directed clamping force for clamping the closure base between opposite walls of the water tank

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectNormal force: Force

Data Source

PatentEP4101318B1Closure for a water tank of a water pipe
Publication Date: 2023.08.23 SCHMIDT INNOVATIONS
  • EP4101318B1 patent drawingFigure 8a
  • EP4101318B1 patent drawingFigure 8b
  • EP4101318B1 patent drawingFigure 9

AI summary

A closure lower part for a substantially rotationally symmetrical water reservoir of a hookah is disclosed, comprising a closure element extending in an axial direction with an opening extending through in the axial direction, and characterized in that the closure lower part has a clamping device with a circumferential clamping element that is variable in the radial direction and which is configured, in a state attached to the water reservoir, to generate a radially directed clamping force for clamping the closure lower part between opposing walls of the water reservoir or for clamping the water reservoir between opposing walls of the closure lower part, wherein the clamping force is based on a change in the diameter of the clamping element in the radial direction, further comprising a sliding element that is displaceable in the axial direction with respect to the closure element and which is configured toto change the clamping element in the radial direction as a result of an axial displacement of the sliding element relative to the locking element. A closure for a substantially rotationally symmetrical water reservoir of a hookah and a hookah itself are also disclosed.