Hose Fitting Clamping Element for Hygienic Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hose fittings are inadequate for hygienic use on moving assemblies in industries like food and pharmaceuticals, leading to contamination risks due to friction and material damage, as they are designed for stationary systems and fail to provide consistent sealing and pressure.
Innovation Solution
A hose fitting design featuring a rotationally symmetrical clamping element and sealing element with an internal thread union nut, a sleeve-shaped compensating element, and a flexure joint to ensure secure, fluid-tight sealing and adaptability to different hose materials and diameters, along with a design that keeps the hose away from the clamping point during movement, allowing for reproducible clamping and reduced contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional hose fittings are used on moving assemblies, then connection is achieved, but hygiene is compromised due to friction and material damage
Solution Approach 1:
The hose fitting is divided into separate functional components: a clamping element with teeth for mechanical attachment, a sealing element for fluid tightness, and a compensating element for hygiene protection. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its specific function while working together to solve the hygiene problem on moving assemblies.
Solution Approach 2:
The compensating element acts as an intermediary between the clamping element and the hose. It absorbs friction and material damage, preventing direct contact between the clamping mechanism and the hose surface that would otherwise create contamination risks in hygienic areas.
2Reliability
If clamping force is increased to ensure sealing, then tightness is improved, but material damage increases leading to leaks
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping element features adjustable tooth engagement that can be tuned to apply optimal clamping force for different hose types and pressures. The teeth engage the hose at specific intervals, distributing the clamping force to achieve sealing without excessive localized pressure that would damage the hose material.
Solution Approach 2:
The hose fitting assembly combines different materials with complementary properties: the clamping element uses hard, toothed material for secure attachment; the sealing element uses soft, elastomeric material for conforming sealing; and the compensating element uses friction-reducing material to protect the hose. This composite approach allows each material to perform its optimal function.
3Ease of operation
If hose is allowed to move freely, then flexibility is maintained, but friction in clamping point causes contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The compensating element serves as a mediator between the moving hose and the stationary clamping mechanism. It absorbs the friction and material damage from movement, preventing direct contact between the clamping teeth and hose that would create contamination particles in hygienic areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping element is designed with specific tooth geometry and engagement parameters that allow controlled movement while maintaining secure attachment. The teeth engage at optimized intervals and depths, permitting hose flexibility and movement without creating excessive friction or material damage at the clamping point.
4Ease of manufacture
If clamping distance is fixed, then manufacturing is simplified, but adaptability to different hose hardness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The hose fitting is designed as a universal assembly that can accommodate different hose types, hardness levels, and diameters through standardized components with adjustable parameters. The clamping element's tooth engagement and the compensating element's dimensions can be tuned within a range to suit various applications while maintaining the same basic structure and manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
While maintaining a fixed clamping distance for manufacturing simplicity, the design allows parameter adjustments in other dimensions: the tooth depth and spacing of the clamping element, the dimensions of the compensating element, and the selection of sealing element material hardness. These parameter variations enable adaptation to different hose materials without changing the fundamental clamping structure.
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 ensures secure, hermetic sealing and reduced contamination risks on moving systems, accommodating hoses of varying hardness and diameters, while maintaining hygiene and safety standards, and allows for easy cleaning and maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
the sealing element (4) is subjected to a compressive force by means of the clamping element (3) against the front-side, conical inner wall of the union nut (5), on which the bore is formed, which leads to a deformation of the sealing element, so that the gap between the hose (1) and the bore of the union nut (5) is sealed
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a hose fitting in which a hose (1) can be fitted onto an internally hollow connecting piece (2) up to a first stop formed on a base element (2.1) of the connecting piece (2). A rotationally symmetrical, sleeve-shaped clamping element (3) can be fitted around the outside of the hose (1) up to the first stop or a further stop formed on the base element (2.1), and a rotationally symmetrical, sleeve-shaped sealing element (4) made of an elastically deformable material can be fitted onto the side of the clamping element (3) facing away from the base element (2.1). A union nut (5) with a bore through which the hose (1) and part of the connecting piece pass is provided has an internal thread (5.1) that can be connected to an external thread formed on the clamping element (3) or the base element (2.1).In the screwed-on state, the sealing element (4) is subjected to a pressure force by means of the clamping element (3) against the conically shaped inner wall of the union nut (5), in which the bore is formed, causing a deformation of the sealing element (4) so that the gap between the hose (1) and the bore of the union nut (5) is sealed. A portion of the connecting piece (2), onto which the hose (1) is fitted, protrudes from the union nut (5) by a length that corresponds to at least one-third of the total length of the connecting piece (2) or at least half of the inner diameter of the hose (1).