Non-Enclosing Brace Bar for Vibrating Flowmeter Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing brace bars for vibrating flowmeters can damage flow tubes during assembly, require excessive material, and result in a bulky meter case due to their design, which includes apertures that need to be threaded over the tubes and enclose them, leading to stress and potential weld bead penetration issues.
Innovation Solution
A novel brace bar design that does not enclose the flow tubes, featuring contoured coupling surfaces and a minimal, planar shape positioned entirely within the volume between the tubes, allowing for secure coupling without threading and reducing material usage, and enabling a more compact meter case.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the brace bar encloses the flow tubes with apertures for threading, then the coupling strength between brace bar and flow tubes is improved, but the risk of tube damage during assembly increases and manufacturing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the enclosing aperture structure from the brace bar design. Instead of threading the brace bar through apertures that surround the flow tubes, the brace bar is positioned between the tubes without enclosures, eliminating the damage risk while maintaining coupling through alternative means
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of the brace bar enclosing the tubes (traditional approach), the design inverts the relationship by having the tubes positioned within the brace bar structure without enclosures, reversing the spatial arrangement to eliminate harmful threading operations
2Manufacturing precision
If the brace bar encloses the flow tubes, then the alignment and positioning precision is improved, but the material usage increases and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the enclosing aperture structure from the brace bar, removing unnecessary material while maintaining alignment precision through the contoured coupling surfaces that directly contact the tubes without requiring full enclosure
Solution Approach 2:
The brace bar features contoured coupling surfaces with specific local geometry designed for precise contact with the flow tubes, providing necessary alignment and positioning only at the coupling interfaces rather than through overall enclosure, thus reducing material usage
3Stability of the object's composition
If the brace bar encloses the flow tubes, then the structural stability is improved, but the meter case volume increases and weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the enclosing aperture structure, the brace bar occupies less space, allowing the flow tubes to be positioned closer together, which reduces the overall meter case volume while maintaining structural stability through the contoured coupling surfaces
4Ease of operation
If the brace bar is designed with apertures for threading, then the ease of assembly is improved, but the device complexity increases and manufacturing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the threading aperture feature, simplifying the brace bar design and reducing assembly complexity by eliminating the threading operation, while the contoured coupling surfaces provide sufficient alignment guidance for straightforward installation
Data Source
AI summary
A flow conduit assembly (300), a method for making the same, a brace bar (304), and a vibrating flowmeter including the flow conduit assembly are provided. The flow conduit assembly includes a first flow tube (302), a second flow tube (303), and a first brace bar (304) coupled to the first flow tube, wherein the first brace bar does not enclose the first flow tube and the second flow tube.