Hose Connection With Protrusions And Recesses For Secure Liquid Collection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hose connections for collection bags used in patient liquid collection are either too loose and prone to disconnection or too tight and difficult to separate, posing challenges in ease of assembly, separation, and manufacturing cost.
Innovation Solution
A hose connection design featuring tubular members with protrusions and recesses that provide a secure yet easy-to-assemble and separate connection, utilizing soft plastic materials and inclined surfaces for smooth engagement and disengagement, allowing for a disposable and cost-effective solution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hose connection uses a tight friction-based connection with conical protrusions, then the connection provides good tightening and security, but it becomes very difficult to separate without using much energy and without spillage
Solution Approach 1:
The connection interface is segmented into distinct engagement features: protrusions with inclined surfaces on one component and corresponding recesses with ledges on the other. This segmentation allows the connection to engage securely through the inclined surfaces guiding the components together, while separation is facilitated by the ledge-recess interface that provides a defined disengagement point, reducing the energy needed to separate the connection.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a traditional friction-based tight connection that requires excessive force to separate, the invention inverts the approach by using a mechanical interlocking system where the protrusion and recess geometry itself provides both the secure engagement and the separation mechanism. The inclined surface leads into a ledge that sits in a recess, creating a connection that is secure during use but can be separated with minimal energy by reversing the engagement motion.
2Ease of operation
If a hose connection uses a loose connection design, then it is easy to assemble and separate, but it may disconnect during use
Solution Approach 1:
The inclined surface on the protrusion performs a preliminary action by guiding the second tubular member onto the first during assembly. This inclined surface automatically aligns and seats the connection components as they come together, ensuring proper engagement of the ledge with the recess before final contact is made. This preliminary guiding action ensures reliable connection stability while maintaining ease of assembly, as the geometry itself directs the components into the correct position without requiring precise manual alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection design is self-servicing in that the protrusion and recess geometries automatically ensure proper engagement and security without requiring additional fastening elements or complex assembly procedures. The inclined surface and ledge structure create a self-aligning, self-locking connection that secures itself during the natural assembly motion, providing both ease of operation and connection stability simultaneously.
3Reliability
If a hose connection uses hard plastic components with O-ring sealing, then it provides a tight seal, but the construction becomes very complicated and expensive to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses the flexible properties of soft plastic material to create an integral sealing structure within the tubular members themselves. The soft plastic forms a flexible barrier that provides the sealing function, eliminating the need for separate O-rings and hard plastic components. This approach maintains sealing effectiveness through the material's inherent flexibility and compliance while dramatically simplifying the construction to essentially two soft plastic tubular members with molded protrusion and recess features.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the sealing function with the structural connection features by integrating the sealing barrier directly into the tubular members as an integral part of their wall structure. Rather than having separate sealing elements (O-rings) and structural components (hard plastic parts), the soft plastic material combines both functions: it provides the structural integrity for the protrusion and recess features while simultaneously providing the sealing barrier through its flexible, compliant nature. This merging eliminates multiple parts and simplifies manufacturing.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1c
Figure 2a~2c
Figure 3a~3c
AI summary
A hose connection for an arrangement for collection of liquid from a patient is disclosed which connection comprises a first tubular member (1) to be in fluid connection with the patient and having one or more protrusions (3) arranged on an outer surface, and an outlet (2), and further comprises a collection bag (24) having an inlet to be connected to the outlet for collection of liquid coming through the first tubular member. The inlet comprises a second tubular member (5) being connected to the bag and adapted to receive and surround at least a part of said first tubular member. The second tubular member has one or more receiving means (6,11) being engageable with the protrusions for providing a locked, but separable connection between the first and second tubular member.