Pipe Connector Retainer Design for Fluid Pressure Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pipe connectors have separate components for regulating the position of the sealing O-ring and retaining the pipe, leading to increased complexity and potential movement of the position regulating member due to fluid pressure.
Innovation Solution
A pipe connector design where the retainer, integrated with a resin material, regulates the O-ring position and prevents pipe removal by attaching to the housing from an intersecting direction, reducing the number of parts and enhancing stability against fluid pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the top hat and retainer are separate components, then each component can be optimized for its specific function, but the number of parts increases and assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the top hat and retainer into a single integrated retainer component. The regulation segment (formerly top hat) and prevention segment (formerly retainer) are merged into one piece that is attached to the housing, eliminating the need for separate components while maintaining both functions of O-ring position regulation and pipe retention
2Ease of operation
If the position regulating member is attached from the insertion direction, then assembly is simplified, but the member may move due to fluid pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the attachment direction from the insertion direction (axial dimension) to an intersecting direction (radial dimension). The retainer is attached to the housing from the side, perpendicular to the pipe insertion direction, which prevents fluid pressure from displacing the retainer while maintaining reliable positioning
3Reliability
If the O-ring is placed in the center of the insertion hole, then sealing is effective, but workability of placing the O-ring is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by placing the O-ring at the end portion of the insertion hole rather than in the center. This reversal of position makes the O-ring easier to install while still achieving effective sealing through the regulation surface that controls O-ring movement in the insertion direction
Data Source
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AI summary
To obtain a pipe connector with which the number of parts can be reduced and which can prevent a position regulating member (a regulation and prevention member) that regulates the position of an O-ring from being moved by the pressure of fluid flowing inside the pipe connector. A retainer (14) is equipped with a regulation segment (50), which regulates the position of an O-ring placed in an insertion hole (20), and a prevention segment (52), which engages with a spool (200A) of a pipe (200) and prevents the pipe (200) from being removed from the insertion hole (20). Moreover, by moving the retainer (14) toward the minus side in the Y direction and attaching it to an attachment segment (24), the retainer (14) becomes sandwiched between an opposing wall portion (32) and a tube segment (22) in the X direction. Because of this, the number of parts can be reduced and the retainer (14) that regulates the position of the O-ring (28) can be prevented from being moved in the X direction by the pressure of fluid flowing inside the pipe connector (10) in the X direction.