Pipe Connection Assembly With Radial Locking Against Hose Detachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inflatable products, such as SPA pools, face issues with loose or detached hose connections due to complex and costly rigid rubber-coated joints, which are prone to detachment during use, transportation, and folding.
Innovation Solution
A pipe connection assembly featuring a first pipe with a protrusion and a fixing member with claws or threaded connectors that create a secure, sealed connection by pressing the pipe walls together, preventing detachment and leakage, and optionally includes a protective sleeve to prevent damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid rubber-coated joint and nut are used to clamp the hose, then the connection strength is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible fixing member with elastic properties that can deform and clamp the hose securely. The fixing member is made of a material with a hardness of 50-80 Shore A, allowing it to flex around the hose and maintain a secure connection without requiring complex rigid structures like rubber-coated joints and nuts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential function of securing the hose from the complex rigid joint assembly and implements it through a simplified fixing member. By removing the unnecessary rigid structure and retaining only the clamping function, the design achieves secure connection with reduced complexity and cost.
2Strength
If a rigid rubber-coated joint and nut are used to clamp the hose, then the connection strength is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fixing member is constructed from flexible material that can be easily molded into the required shape, simplifying the manufacturing process. This flexible shell approach eliminates the need for complex assembly of multiple rigid components, reducing both manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining secure connection strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material construction where the fixing member combines materials with specific hardness properties (50-80 Shore A) to achieve both flexibility for easy installation and sufficient strength for secure connection. This optimized material selection reduces manufacturing costs compared to traditional rigid rubber-coated joints.
3Reliability
If the hose is connected to the joint using traditional methods, then the connection is initially secure, but the reliability decreases during long-term use due to loose connection or detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The fixing member is designed with dynamic elastic properties that allow it to adapt to hose movement and deformation during use. The material's elasticity enables the fixing member to maintain constant contact pressure and secure grip on the hose even after prolonged use, preventing loosening and detachment that occur with rigid fixed connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the physical parameter of material hardness (50-80 Shore A) to create a fixing member that balances flexibility and grip strength. This parameter optimization ensures the fixing member can deform slightly to accommodate hose movement while maintaining sufficient friction and normal force to prevent detachment during long-term use.
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 provides a secure, leak-proof connection that is cost-effective and easy to assemble, reducing the risk of hose detachment and damage to inflatable products during use and storage.
Implementation Method 1
the first protrusion presses radially outward on the first pipe thereby creating a second protrusion protruding radially outward from a pipe wall of the first pipe
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of circumferentially-spaced claws, each of the claws protruding from the second end and configured to engage with an outer periphery of the first pipe
Implementation Method 3
the first threaded connector and the second threaded connector may be connected to each other by means the internal thread and the external thread
Implementation Method 4
the pressing end may be pressed against the outer periphery of the first pipe
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A pipe connection assembly is provided including a first pipe having a first end and a second end; a second pipe including an insertion end extending in a lengthwise direction of the second pipe; and a fixing member. The second pipe includes a first protrusion protruding radially outward from the insertion end, and the insertion end is inserted into the second end of the first pipe such that the first protrusion presses radially outward on the first pipe thereby creating a second protrusion protruding radially outward from a pipe wall of the first pipe. The fixing member is sleeved around an outer periphery of the first pipe and is disposed in the lengthwise direction between the second protrusion and the second end of the first pipe.