Pipe Connector Groove Design for Robust Welding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pipe connectors in piping systems often act as bottlenecks and are not robust enough, leading to potential leakage and reduced capacity, especially when made of plastic materials.
Innovation Solution
A pipe connector design featuring a tubular part with a larger outer diameter at the groove, ensuring robustness and ease of assembly, where the metal external surface allows for welding and the plastic surface facilitates connection with plastic pipes, maintaining the system's integrity and capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a groove is provided in the pipe connector to facilitate assembly, then ease of operation is improved, but the structural strength deteriorates due to potential weakening at the groove location
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe connector is divided into two distinct portions: a first portion with a groove for assembly facilitation and a second portion without a groove for enhanced structural strength. This segmentation allows each portion to fulfill its specific function optimally without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the pipe connector are designed with different structural characteristics. The first portion has a groove for ease of assembly, while the second portion maintains full thickness for strength. This local differentiation ensures that strength is not compromised at critical locations while maintaining ease of assembly where needed.
2Weight of moving object
If the pipe connector is designed with a smaller outer diameter to reduce material usage, then weight is reduced, but the system capacity deteriorates due to bottleneck effects
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe connector features varying outer diameters at different portions. The second portion has a larger outer diameter than the first portion to maintain system capacity and prevent bottlenecks, while the first portion can be optimized for weight reduction. This local differentiation allows weight optimization without compromising overall system capacity.
3Ease of operation
If a groove is provided in the tubular part to enable assembly, then ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to potential leakage paths
Solution Approach 1:
The tubular part is segmented into a first portion with a groove for assembly and a second portion without a groove for reliability. By locating the groove only in the first portion and ensuring the second portion maintains full integrity, the design enables assembly facilitation while preventing leakage paths in critical areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove is localized to the first portion of the tubular part, while the second portion maintains full thickness and integrity. This local differentiation ensures that assembly is facilitated where needed while reliability is maintained in areas where leakage resistance is critical.
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 design provides a robust, leakage-safe connection that does not weaken the piping system, allowing for easy assembly and disassembly, and maintains the system's capacity by ensuring the groove does not diminish the pipe thickness, thus preventing the connector from becoming the weakest link.
Implementation Method 1
the pipe connector may be welded to a pipe via a welding socket
Data Source
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AI summary
It is presented a pipe connector (1) comprising a tubular part (2) having a first portion (2-1) with a first outer diameter and second portion (2-2) with a second outer diameter which is larger than the first outer diameter, which second portion has a circumferential groove (11), a removable stop ring (5), which, when arranged in the groove (11), protrudes radially from the tubular part (2), and a flange part (7) having a central through opening for receiving the tubular part (2), wherein the flange part (7) has a shoulder (13) for abutting against the stop ring (5) when the flange part (7) is arranged around the stop ring (5), wherein the first portion (2-1) has a plastic external peripheral surface, and the second portion (2-2) of the tubular part (2) has a metal external peripheral surface.