In-Pipe Filter Insert Structure Without External Pressure Casing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing piping systems require heavy and costly filter casings to withstand high pressures, making them cumbersome and expensive to manufacture and install.
Innovation Solution
In-pipe inserts, such as filter inserts, are designed to be disposed within the pipes, leveraging the existing pipe structure as a housing, eliminating the need for separate casings and allowing for easy installation and removal, and can be configured for various functions like filtering, dehydrating, or debris shielding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If heavy and costly filter casings are used to withstand high pressures in piping systems, then pressure resistance is improved, but manufacturing cost and installation complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the filter element with the pipe itself, eliminating the separate filter casing. The filter element is disposed within the pipe and utilizes the pipe wall as its housing, merging two previously separate components (filter + pipe) into a single integrated structure. This resolves the contradiction by removing the need for heavy, expensive filter casings while maintaining pressure resistance through the pipe's existing structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter element is nested within the pipe, with the filter housing formed by the pipe's internal structure. The filter element occupies the internal volume of the pipe, and the pipe wall serves as the external housing. This nesting arrangement eliminates the need for an external filter casing, reducing manufacturing cost and installation complexity while the pipe's wall thickness and material provide the necessary pressure resistance.
2Reliability
If separate filter casings are used for filtration in piping systems, then filtration function is achieved, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the filtration function directly into the pipe structure by disposing the filter element within the pipe and using the pipe wall as the housing. This integration eliminates the need for separate filter casings, flanges, and complex mounting hardware, thereby reducing device complexity and installation difficulty while maintaining reliable filtration through the filter element's positioning and sealing arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the filter element from its traditional separate casing and places it directly within the pipe. By removing the external casing and utilizing the pipe's internal volume and wall structure, the design simplifies the overall device while preserving the filtration function through the filter element's interaction with the pipe structure.
3Stress or pressure
If traditional filter casings are used in piping systems, then pressure containment is achieved, but weight and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the pressure containment function with the pipe structure itself, eliminating the need for a separate heavy filter casing. The filter element is supported by and contained within the pipe, which provides the pressure containment through its wall thickness and material properties. This integration significantly reduces weight and cost by removing redundant pressure-containing structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter element is nested within the pipe's internal volume, and the pipe wall serves as the pressure-containing housing. This nesting eliminates the need for an external pressure-containing casing, reducing weight and cost while the pipe's structural integrity maintains pressure containment. The filter element's support structure is integrated with the pipe wall, further reducing material requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
In-pipe inserts for piping systems and related methods are described herein. An example filter insert includes an end plate having a set of openings, a set of filter tubes extending from a first side of the end plate, and a set of support rods extending through respective ones of the channels of the filter tubes. The support rods extend through the openings in the end plate. The filter insert also includes a first retainer disposed on a second side of the end plate. The first retainer is coupled to the support rods at or near first ends of the support rods. The filter insert further includes a second retainer coupled to the support rods at or near second ends of the support rods opposite the first ends such that the filter tubes are clamped between the end plate and the second retainer.