Lateral Sewer Pipe Coupling With Deployable Interior Anchors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pipe connection systems face challenges in creating watertight seals and anchors for lateral pipes due to restricted access to the main pipe interior, requiring specialized and costly components and tools, and posing risks of anchor loss and environmental hazards.
Innovation Solution
A coupling system with pivotally connected anchors that deploy and retract to secure the connection from the main pipe exterior, using a rigid insert and seal to create a watertight connection, eliminating the need for specialized tools and reducing inventory costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a resilient deformable anchor is used to pass through the hole and secure the coupler, then the anchor can be installed through restricted access, but the anchor requires specialized configuration and material composition that increases inventory costs and installation complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor is divided into multiple segments or jaws that can independently move relative to each other. During installation, the segments are collapsed to a smaller profile to pass through the access hole. Once positioned, the segments expand or deploy to engage the pipe interior surface, providing secure anchoring without requiring a specialized full-profile anchor for passage.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor transitions from a static, specialized design to a dynamic, adaptable structure. The anchor can change its profile and configuration during installation - compressed for insertion, then expanded for anchoring. This dynamic behavior allows a single generic anchor design to serve multiple functions that previously required specialized components.
2Manufacturing precision
If precision force application is applied to the resilient anchor to secure the connection, then the seal and connection are properly formed, but the skill, training, and focus required increase costs and create failure risk
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor system is designed to self-regulate the application force during installation. As the anchor segments expand or deploy, they naturally engage the pipe interior surface at the optimal force level required for sealing and anchoring. This eliminates the need for installers to precisely control force application, as the system automatically achieves the correct engagement force through its mechanical design.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor system changes its physical parameters (such as segment configuration, engagement angle, or material properties) during installation to automatically achieve proper sealing force. The transition from compressed to expanded state inherently provides the correct force magnitude, converting a skill-dependent process into a self-regulating mechanical action.
3Reliability
If the anchor is held during insertion and securing to prevent loss in the pipe interior, then anchor retention is achieved, but specialized insertion tools or holding mechanisms are required that increase cost and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor segments are nested or collapsed within each other during the insertion phase, creating a compact profile that can be easily held and guided through the access hole. Once the anchor is positioned, the segments deploy or expand outward to engage the pipe interior. This nesting mechanism allows standard holding tools to suffice during insertion, eliminating the need for specialized retention tools.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor is pre-configured in a compressed or nested state before insertion, with the understanding that it will deploy after positioning. This preliminary configuration allows the anchor to be easily handled and inserted using simple tools, while the deployment action that follows provides the anchoring function without requiring specialized holding mechanisms throughout the entire installation process.
4Reliability
If a solid anchor larger than the hole span in one dimension is used to prevent removal, then the anchor secures the coupler, but the anchor cannot be passed through the hole in the first orientation
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor employs dynamic segments that can change their spatial configuration. During insertion, the segments are oriented or collapsed to present a profile smaller than the hole span, allowing passage through the access hole. After positioning, the segments deploy or reorient to create a larger effective profile that engages the pipe interior and prevents removal, achieving both insertion feasibility and anchoring security.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor transitions from a two-dimensional profile constraint to a three-dimensional deployment. The segments are inserted in a compressed configuration that fits through the hole, then deploy in a third dimension (radially outward or along the pipe axis) to create the secure engagement profile. This dimensional transition allows the anchor to pass through the hole while still achieving the required security after insertion.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a coupling for providing a tap off a main pipe and a method for deploying and manufacturing the same. The coupling includes an insert for partial insertion into the main pipe. The insert includes a coupling pipe for providing a flow conduit and an anchor pivotably connected to the coupling pipe at an insertion end. The anchor is configured to retract when inserted through an opening in the main pipe and deploy to a deployed configuration once inserted. In the deployed configuration the anchor extends radially from the coupling pipe for engaging an interior surface of the main pipe and anchoring the coupling to the main pipe when the insert is drawn outward by a securing force. At least one anchor is sufficiently rigid and fixed from pivoting past the deployed configuration to withstand forces for anchoring the coupling to the main pipe.