Pipe Coupler Stop Edge for Thermal Expansion and Leak-Free Joining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pipe connection methods, such as gluing or welding, are time-consuming and prone to leakage due to manual adjustment for thermal elongation, requiring delicate installation processes that can be inefficient and error-prone.
Innovation Solution
A coupler design with a stop edge featuring a rigid portion and a flexible portion, including protrusions or a wavy surface, that allows for thermal expansion without manual expansion gaps, reducing vibrations and noise by providing an effective stop mechanism and sealing system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a manual expansion gap is created by pushing and pulling the spigot, then thermal elongation is accommodated, but installation time increases and leakage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible portion of the stop edge automatically accommodates thermal expansion and provides the expansion gap function without requiring manual intervention. The system serves itself by using the flexible material's inherent properties to create the necessary gap, eliminating the need for workers to push and pull the spigot manually.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible portion acts as an intermediary element between the rigid coupler body and the pipe spigot. It mediates the thermal expansion forces, absorbing the expansion movement while maintaining the connection, thus preventing the need for manual gap creation and reducing installation complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a manual expansion gap is created by pushing and pulling the spigot, then thermal elongation is accommodated, but leakage risk increases due to improper insertion depth
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible stop edge automatically maintains the correct insertion depth by providing tactile and mechanical feedback to the installer. The flexible material compresses and rebounds, naturally indicating when the spigot has reached the proper position, thereby preventing over-insertion or under-insertion that could cause leakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible portion预先 provides a cushioning effect that prevents the spigot from being inserted too far. By designing the stop edge with flexible material that deforms under insertion force, the system preemptively stops excessive insertion before it can occur, protecting against leakage risks.
3Manufacturing precision
If a rigid stop edge is used to stop pipe movement, then insertion depth is controlled, but vibrations and noise increase
Solution Approach 1:
The stop edge is designed with non-uniform properties: the flexible portion provides vibration damping and noise reduction, while still effectively controlling insertion depth. This local quality change allows the same component to fulfill multiple functions - precision stopping and harm reduction - by having different sections with different material properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The material property of the stop edge is changed from purely rigid to flexible. This parameter change in material rigidity allows the stop edge to maintain its depth-control function while simultaneously reducing vibrations and noise through the flexible material's damping characteristics.
4Strength
If conventional gluing or welding is used to connect pipe sections, then tensile strength is achieved, but installation complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical connection system replaces chemical (gluing) or thermal (welding) processes. The coupler uses a purely mechanical insertion and stopping mechanism with the flexible stop edge, eliminating the need for adhesives or welding equipment, thereby significantly improving installation efficiency while maintaining connection strength.
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
Facilitates faster, leak-free connections with reduced noise and vibration, eliminating the need for manual adjustment and ensuring thermal expansion compatibility.
Implementation Method 1
The flexible portion comprises an elastomeric material... provides an artificial decoupling at every socket-spigot (coupler-pipe) connection, thus limiting any vibration expansion to help to reduce vibrations and overall noise in the pipe system
Implementation Method 2
The rigid portion comprises a lip extending radially around the inner circumference... provides a rigid stop element that ensures a pipe in the coupler cannot extend beyond such a point when being inserted into the coupler
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C~1D
Figure 2A~2B
AI summary
A coupler comprises a first end for receiving a pipe section and a second end, and a stop edge extending radially inward from an inner circumference of the coupler. The stop edge comprises a rigid portion and a flexible portion adjacent to the rigid portion, the flexible portion forming a receiving surface for a pipe end.