Pipe Connector Release Sleeve With Audible Leak Indication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pipeline connection devices fail to ensure correct insertion, leading to potential leaks and system failures, as incorrect insertion cannot be easily detected without external force measurement.
Innovation Solution
The connection device incorporates a sleeve-shaped release element with a peripheral seal that deforms under internal pressure to create a leakage gap, producing a hissing noise when the pipeline is not fully inserted, allowing for quick identification of misalignment during commissioning, and features a cohesive two-component design with elastic peripheral seals for enhanced assembly and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the pipeline is inserted directly into the connection device without additional indicators, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of correct insertion cannot be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a color-changing indicator element that changes color when the pipeline is correctly inserted, providing visual feedback to ensure reliable insertion without adding complex mechanical indicators or sensors
Solution Approach 2:
The connection device itself provides the insertion indication through the color-changing indicator that is integrated into the pipeline or connection device, eliminating the need for external measurement devices or complex verification systems
2Measurement precision
If a leakage gap is formed by deforming the outer peripheral seal under internal pressure, then the measurement precision of insertion correctness is improved, but the loss of substance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of pressure medium leakage into a beneficial acoustic signal. The hissing noise produced by the leakage gap serves as an audible indicator that the pipeline is not fully inserted, allowing operators to detect insertion errors without significant substance loss
Solution Approach 2:
The leakage gap provides immediate acoustic feedback through hissing noise when insertion is incorrect, allowing operators to correct the insertion before significant pressure medium loss occurs. The feedback mechanism uses the leakage itself as the detection signal
3Ease of operation
If the peripheral seal is made of elastic material for easier assembly, then the ease of operation is improved, but the manufacturing precision required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the peripheral seal to elastic material, which allows the seal to deform and accommodate minor positioning variations during assembly, reducing the stringency of manufacturing precision requirements while maintaining sealing effectiveness
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 ensures correct pipeline alignment during commissioning, reduces incorrect assembly risks, and maintains sealing integrity by audibly indicating incomplete insertion and preventing contamination through the use of elastic seals and strategically designed sealing lips.
Implementation Method 1
by an internal pressure of the pressure medium flowing in the pipeline that is present inside the connection device
Implementation Method 2
the outer peripheral seal can be deformed from its sealing position in the inner peripheral area of the ring part of the release element
Implementation Method 3
the peripheral seals being made of a more elastic material than the ring part
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
The present invention relates to a connection device (1) for pipes (2), having a connection body (106) with a receiving opening for a pipe (2) that is to be plugged in with a pipe end (2a) in a plug-in direction (Y), and a retaining element (5) mounted inside the receiving opening and serving to fix the plugged-in pipe end (2a) against withdrawal. A sleeve-shaped release element is mounted in an axially movable manner inside the connection body (106), in such a way that the fixing of the plugged-in pipe (2) is overridden by action on the retaining element (5). The release element is composed of a circumferentially closed ring part (171), on which latching arms (176) separated from each other by longitudinal slits are formed. At its outer circumference, the ring part (171) is sealable, by means of a circumferential seal (182), against an inner circumferential wall (171a) of the connection body (106) and, at its inner circumference in the region of its annular opening, it is sealable, by means of a circumferential seal (184), against the plugged-in pipe (2). In the fitted state of the connection device (1), in the inner circumferential region of the ring part (171) of the release element, the outer circumferential seal (182) is deformable from its sealing position in such a way that, between the outer circumferential seal (182) and the opposing inner circumferential wall (171a) of the connection body (106), at least one leakage gap is formed by an internal pressure, of the pressure medium flowing in the pipe (2), prevailing in the interior of the connection device (1). The release element is an integrally bonded two-component part consisting of the ring part (171) and the circumferential seals (182, 184), wherein the circumferential seals (182, 184) are made of a more elastic material than the ring part (171).