Inflatable Pipe Plug Winding Method Reduces Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing inflatable closing plugs for pipes are time-consuming and costly, requiring numerous windings of reinforcing lines, limited to single types of materials, and using excessive adhesive, which leads to thick, inflexible, and unevenly shaped plugs with insertion difficulties.
Innovation Solution
A method involving winding low extensibility lines in a meridian fashion around a preform, with the windings spread to form bands rather than individual overlapping lines, allowing for simultaneous use of multiple lines and reduced matrix material, improving flexibility and ease of insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If numerous windings of reinforcing lines are applied to the balloon surface, then the strength and pressure resistance of the plug is improved, but the thickness and weight of the plug increase, making insertion difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The balloon surface is divided into different zones (polar regions vs. equatorial regions) with different winding densities. The windings are concentrated at the poles where structural support is most needed, while the equatorial regions have fewer windings, reducing overall weight and thickness while maintaining pressure resistance where critical.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the balloon have different reinforcement characteristics. The polar regions receive dense winding coverage for maximum strength, while intermediate and equatorial regions have progressively fewer windings. This local differentiation optimizes the strength-to-weight ratio by providing reinforcement only where structurally necessary.
2Strength
If numerous windings of reinforcing lines are applied to the balloon surface, then the strength and pressure resistance of the plug is improved, but the production time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The winding process is segmented into different zones with different winding counts. Instead of uniformly applying hundreds of thousands of windings across the entire balloon surface, the system applies concentrated windings only to polar regions and fewer windings to equatorial regions, dramatically reducing total winding time while maintaining structural integrity.
3Reliability
If excessive adhesive material is used to secure the windings, then the windings are firmly attached to the balloon surface, but the plug becomes thick and inflexible
Solution Approach 1:
Adhesive is applied locally at critical points where windings are secured to the balloon surface, rather than as a continuous thick layer across the entire surface. This localized adhesive application provides sufficient attachment reliability while minimizing added thickness and maintaining plug flexibility for easy insertion.
4Ease of manufacture
If a single type of reinforcing line is used, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but the adaptability to different pressure and size requirements is limited
Solution Approach 1:
Different types of reinforcing lines with different material properties are used in different zones of the balloon. For example, higher strength materials may be used at the poles to withstand maximum stress concentrations, while lighter materials are used in equatorial regions. This zoned material selection provides adaptability to different pressure and size requirements while maintaining manufacturing feasibility.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for forming an inflatable closing plug has a winding head rotatable around a path defining a winding plane. The winding head is arranged to dispense one or more continuous lines from a supply of line via a guide arrangement. A preform is rotationally supported on an axis at a shallow angle with respect to the winding plane such than the winding plane intersects the preform. By providing a spreading arrangement to locate the windings on the preform over a band having a width perpendicular to the winding plane, a smoother distribution of windings can be achieved.