Hose Coupling With Movable Holding Elements for Confined Space Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hose couplings for sanitary fittings, particularly those with pull-out sprays, are cumbersome and costly to assemble and disassemble, often leaky, and difficult to manage in confined spaces, especially for untrained users, due to their rigid materials and complex connection mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A hose coupling with a sleeve-shaped housing and movable holding elements that allow for easy assembly and disassembly, featuring coupling openings on the housing ends, a resilient web for effortless operation, and a design that prevents incorrect insertion, ensuring secure and leak-proof connections without tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional pipe connections with metallic materials or rigid plastic are used, then connection strength is improved, but assembly time and cost increase due to soldering or complex mounting steps
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is divided into separate modular components: a coupling body with coupling openings, and separate coupling mating pieces that can be independently manufactured and assembled. This segmentation allows for simplified assembly without requiring complex joining processes like soldering, while maintaining connection strength through the specialized coupling interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling mating pieces incorporate movable holding elements that can transition between locked and unlocked states, enabling dynamic assembly and disassembly. This dynamic mechanism allows users to quickly connect and disconnect hose lines without time-consuming assembly processes, while the locked state ensures strong connection during use.
2Productivity
If crimped connections or crimped screw unions are used, then assembly speed is improved, but leak-tightness deteriorates and serious damage can occur
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling body acts as an intermediary component between hose lines and fixed installations, providing a controlled interface that ensures proper sealing. The coupling openings and coupling mating pieces work together to create reliable leak-tight connections, eliminating the sealing problems associated with crimped connections while maintaining fast assembly through the modular design.
3Strength
If high torques are applied in crimped screw unions to ensure connection, then connection strength is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty of application in confined spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling system incorporates self-aligning and self-securing features that eliminate the need for users to apply high torques manually. The movable holding elements automatically engage and lock the coupling mating pieces in place, providing strong connections without requiring difficult torque application in confined spaces. The design allows assembly without tools and with minimal effort.
4Reliability
If complex routing of pull-out spray hoses through fittings is required, then connection reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to considerable effort needed
Solution Approach 1:
The routing path is segmented into simple, discrete steps through the coupling body's structure. The coupling openings and coupling mating pieces create clearly defined connection points that guide the hose routing process, transforming a complex routing task into simple insertion and locking actions. This maintains connection reliability through proper sealing interfaces while dramatically simplifying the routing operation for users.
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
Facilitates quick and secure connection of flexible hoses in confined spaces by untrained users, reducing assembly and disassembly efforts, ensuring leak-tightness, and simplifying compliance with country-specific regulations through a compact and user-friendly design.
Implementation Method 1
at least one resilient web is integrally formed on the holding slide which serves to provide the restoring force and which, when pressure is applied to the holding slide, bears with its free web end against the housing and is pretensioned via elastic deformation
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a hose coupling (5) for connecting a flexible hose line (3) to an adjacent line section (6). The hose coupling (5) according to the invention has a coupling housing (7), which coupling housing (7) has at least two coupling openings (8, 9), into each of which a respective coupling mating piece (10, 11) can be inserted and releasably fixed, which coupling mating pieces (10, 11) are designed as line ends of a line section, and of which at least one coupling mating piece is provided as the line end of a flexible hose line (3), wherein the coupling openings (8, 9) in the coupling housing (7) are connected to each other.