Pipe Connection System With Swellable Sealing Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connection systems for pipes, particularly at the transition between a main pipe and a connected pipe, face challenges in maintaining tightness, especially in rehabilitated pipes with inliners, where leaks can occur due to gaps between the inliner and the main pipe's inner and outer surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A connection system featuring an elastically deformable inner pipe with bent tabs, a retaining ring, and a sealing element that presses against the main pipe's reveal and inner surfaces, utilizing a screw element to secure the retaining ring against the main pipe's outer surface, and incorporating a swellable material in the sealing element to enhance fluid-tightness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional connection system is used to connect a pipe to a main pipe, then the installation process is simple, but the tightness of the connection is insufficient, especially at the transition between the main pipe and the connected pipe
Solution Approach 1:
The inner pipe is inserted into the branch opening of the main pipe, creating a nested configuration where the connection system components are housed within the main pipe structure. This nesting approach maintains compactness while achieving improved sealing through the inner pipe's interaction with the main pipe's inner surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing element is made of elastomeric material that can deform elastically to conform to the inner surface of the main pipe. This flexible sealing element creates a tight seal between the inner pipe and main pipe, preventing leaks while accommodating surface irregularities.
2Reliability
If an inliner is introduced into the lumen of the main pipe for rehabilitation, then the main pipe is restored, but gaps between the inliner and the main pipe's inner and outer surfaces can cause leaks
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing element is positioned specifically at the critical location where the inner pipe meets the main pipe's inner surface. This localized sealing approach addresses the specific problem of moisture penetration at the connection point without requiring modification of the entire inliner system.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection system utilizes composite construction with an inner pipe, elastomeric sealing element, and retaining structure. This composite approach combines different materials and functions to achieve both structural support and fluid-tight sealing, preventing moisture from reaching the inliner interface.
3Reliability
If the sealing element presses against the main pipe's inner surface to create tightness, then fluid-tightness is improved, but the installation and alignment become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomeric sealing element automatically conforms to the inner surface of the main pipe through elastic deformation when the inner pipe is inserted. This self-adjusting mechanism eliminates the need for precise alignment during installation, as the sealing element adapts to surface variations automatically.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing element's elastomeric properties allow it to change its physical state from a relaxed configuration during insertion to a compressed sealing configuration once installed. This parameter change enables easy installation followed by effective sealing without requiring complex alignment procedures.
4Reliability
If a large contact surface is created for sealing, then long-term tightness is ensured, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is extracted as a separate elastomeric element distinct from the inner pipe structure. This allows the sealing element to be optimized for creating a large contact surface with the main pipe's inner surface, while the inner pipe maintains its structural simplicity. The retaining ring and screw element provide minimal additional complexity to hold this extracted sealing component in place.
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 system ensures long-term tightness by creating a large contact surface for sealing, preventing leaks and moisture penetration, even in rehabilitated pipes, through the combination of the elastically deformable inner pipe, retaining ring, screw element, and swellable material, facilitating easy installation and alignment.
Implementation Method 1
incorporating a swellable material in the sealing element to enhance fluid-tightness
Implementation Method 2
an elastically deformable inner pipe is provided, the inner pipe having an end section with at least one bent tab. By compressing the elastically deformable inner tube with the tab first, the inner tube can be pushed partially into the main tube
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a connection system (10) for connecting a pipe to a main pipe (12), wherein the connection system (10) is connectable to the main pipe (12) for this purpose, comprising an elastically deformable inner pipe (16), wherein the inner pipe (16) has an end section with at least one bent tab (18) and can be partially inserted into the main pipe (12) by pressing it forward with the tab (18) through a branch opening (14) of the main pipe, a retaining ring (24) and a sealing element (26), wherein the retaining ring (24) and the sealing element (26) are pushed onto the inner pipe (16) in the connected state, and wherein the sealing element (26) in the connected state has an adjacent contact surface at least partially against a main pipe bearing surface (22) that delimits and surrounds the branch opening (14) and against an inner surface (34) of the main pipe that delimits the branch opening (14). presses, a screw element (32),wherein the screw element (32) is screwed onto the inner tube (16) in the connected state and presses the retaining ring (24) against a main tube outer surface (30).