Pipe Bell-End Ring Flare Assembly for Uniform Pipe Flaring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pipe bell-end flare devices often result in uneven or incomplete flared ends due to shifting during the molding process, as they lack effective fastening mechanisms to securely attach to mandrels and maintain alignment.
Innovation Solution
A pipe bell-end ring flare device with an upper section featuring equidistantly spaced recessed fastener openings and a mandrel with corresponding threaded openings, allowing for secure attachment and alignment, ensuring consistent flared end formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If existing pipe bell-end flare devices are used without effective fastening mechanisms, then the device structure is simpler, but the device shifts during molding causing uneven or incomplete flared ends
Solution Approach 1:
The flare device is divided into an upper section and a lower section that can be separately attached to the mandrel. Each section has its own fastener openings, allowing independent positioning and securing. This segmentation enables precise alignment of each section with the mandrel features, ensuring consistent flared end formation without excessive overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper and lower sections are pre-configured with specific fastener openings (recessed openings in the upper section, protruding openings in the lower section) that align with corresponding mandrel features before the molding process begins. This preliminary configuration ensures proper positioning is established in advance, preventing shifting during operation and maintaining manufacturing precision.
2Reliability
If recessed fastener openings are formed in the upper section and protruding fastener openings are formed in the lower section, then alignment and attachment to the mandrel is improved, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The mandrel serves as an intermediary component that mediates the connection between the upper and lower sections of the flare device. The recessed openings in the upper section and protruding openings in the lower section both interface with mandrel features, allowing the mandrel to act as a central coordinating element that secures both sections in their proper positions without requiring direct complex interconnection between the sections themselves.
Solution Approach 2:
Different fastening mechanisms are applied to different parts of the device: the upper section uses recessed openings that receive fasteners, while the lower section uses protruding openings that engage with mandrel features. This local differentiation optimizes the attachment mechanism for each specific section's positioning requirements, enhancing overall reliability while keeping each local mechanism relatively simple.
3Manufacturing precision
If the upper and lower sections are securely attached to the mandrel, then shifting is prevented and flared end consistency is improved, but the attachment mechanism requires more components
Solution Approach 1:
The upper section and lower section are merged into a single integrated flare device assembly that attaches to the mandrel as one unit. Both sections share common attachment points and fastening mechanisms through the mandrel interface, consolidating the fastening function rather than requiring separate attachment systems for each section. This merging reduces the total number of fastening components while maintaining secure attachment and consistent flared end formation.
Data Source
AI summary
A pipe bell-end ring flare device for use with a mandrel to form bell ends with a flared outer edge in plastic pipe sections either as part of the pipe manufacturing process or subsequent to the manufacturing process. The flared edge creating a wider bell end opening to make it easier to insert a non-bell end of another pipe into the flared bell end.