Pipe Joint Clamp Collar With Inner Thickening for Root Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hose clamps fail to effectively prevent the penetration of roots or spores between the clamp and plain ends in buried assemblies, such as Canadian wells, while maintaining a secure and easy-to-implement junction.
Innovation Solution
A clamping collar comprising a first and second half-collar made of metal, each with a sealing sleeve of elastomeric material and a fixing system, which moves between a rest and clamped configuration to form a band around the plain ends, compressing the sealing sleeve radially to prevent root or spore penetration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional hose clamp is used to join two plain ends, then the junction is secure and easy to implement, but roots or spores can penetrate between the clamp and plain ends
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp combines a metal half-collar structure with an elastomeric sealing sleeve to create a composite sealing system. The metal provides structural strength and clamping force, while the elastomeric material provides the sealing function that prevents root and spore penetration, thus resolving the contradiction between secure joining and sealing effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The radially inner surface of the half-collar features a thickened portion at specific locations where sealing is most critical. This localized thickening creates enhanced sealing contact points that specifically address the penetration issue without requiring a complete redesign of the entire clamp structure, maintaining ease of implementation while improving reliability.
2Ease of manufacture
If the clamp structure is simplified for ease of implementation, then manufacturing is more affordable, but the ability to prevent root or spore penetration is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp is divided into two functional segments: a metal half-collar that provides the clamping structure and an elastomeric sealing sleeve that provides the sealing function. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured using simple, cost-effective processes while the combination achieves reliable sealing performance that prevents root and spore penetration.
3Reliability
If the clamping force is increased to improve sealing, then root or spore penetration is prevented, but the uniformity of clamping force is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The thickened portion on the radially inner surface is strategically positioned to provide localized sealing enhancement where it is most needed. This local quality approach allows the clamp to achieve effective sealing and prevent penetration while maintaining relatively uniform clamping force distribution across the entire junction, avoiding the compromise between sealing effectiveness and force uniformity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively seals the junction between plain ends, preventing root or spore intrusion while maintaining a secure and uniform clamping force, making it easy to implement and cost-effective.
Implementation Method 1
a sealing sleeve made of elastomeric material, and a first fixing system, and a second fixing system diametrically opposite the first fixing system along a first radial direction perpendicular to the central axis
Data Source
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AI summary
Clamping collar for joining two plain ends extending along a central axis, comprising: - a first half-collar (16A) and a second half-collar forming a strapping, - a sealing sleeve made of elastomeric material intended to surround the two plain ends and to be compressed radially between the two plain ends and the strapping, - systems for fixing the half-collars to each other. The collar is movable between a rest configuration and a clamped configuration. Each of the first half-collar and the second half-collar defines a radially outer surface (30) and a radially inner surface (32). In the rest configuration, the radially outer surface extends along a first arc of a circle (C1) having a first center (Ω1), and points (M) of the radially inner surface are located at a variable distance (D) from the first center due to at least one excess thickness (42).