Releasable Pipe Coupling With Snap-Lock Maintenance Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pipe fitting systems are labor-intensive and wasteful, requiring cutting and rejoining of pipes for maintenance, leading to untidy finishes, high costs, and short working lives due to the use of glue or rubber sleeve couplings that deteriorate quickly under harsh conditions.
Innovation Solution
A pipe fitting system with releasable connectors featuring protrusions and recesses that provide a snap-locking mechanism, allowing for easy connection and disconnection of pipe sections without cutting, using thermoplastic materials like PVC for durability and ease of use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pipe sections are connected using glue or rubber sleeve couplings, then the connection is initially secure, but the working life is short due to deterioration under harsh conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from degradable rubber to non-degradable thermoplastic material, and changes the connection mechanism parameter from chemical bonding (glue) or friction-based (hose clamps) to mechanical interlocking (protrusion-recess snap-locking). This resolves the contradiction by maintaining connection security while dramatically extending working life under harsh environmental conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting piece is made from a composite or multi-material construction combining rigid thermoplastic material for structural integrity with sealing elements (such as gaskets or O-rings) for leak prevention. This composite approach maintains reliability through the rigid structure while the sealing components provide adaptable sealing, together achieving long-term durability without deterioration.
2Ease of operation
If pipe sections are cut out and rejoined for maintenance, then access is provided, but labor intensity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the piping system into separable pipe sections connected by releasable connecting pieces. This segmentation allows individual sections to be removed for maintenance without affecting the entire system, providing access to maintenance areas while minimizing labor and time by avoiding cutting and rejoining operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting piece transitions from a static permanent connection to a dynamic releasable connection. The snap-locking mechanism with protrusions and recesses allows the connection to be quickly released and reattached, enabling maintenance access without the time-consuming processes of cutting, handling separate fittings, and rejoining pipes.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional cutting and gluing methods are used, then pipe sections can be reconnected, but the finish becomes untidy and appearance is deteriorated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the connecting function and the aesthetic finish into a single integrated connecting piece. The thermoplastic connecting piece provides both the mechanical connection function and a clean, uniform visual appearance, eliminating the need for separate glue applications and messy rejoining procedures while maintaining ease of manufacture through modular assembly.
4Ease of operation
If rubber sleeve couplings with hose clamps are used, then connection is achieved, but the components corrode and deteriorate rapidly in harsh environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from corrosion-prone rubber and metal (hose clamps) to corrosion-resistant thermoplastic material. This material substitution maintains ease of operation through the simple snap-locking mechanism while dramatically improving durability and reliability in harsh environmental conditions by eliminating corrosion and degradation.
Data Source
AI summary
A pipe fitting system, including a first pipe section with at least one male end, a second pipe section with at least one female end, and a connecting means for releasably connecting the pipe sections together such that the male end is at least partially received within the female end. The connecting means comprising releasably engageable first and second connectors associated with the first and second pipe sections respectively, wherein the first connector comprises at least one outwardly extending protrusion and wherein the second connector comprises corresponding recesses adapted to releasable receive the or each protrusion of the first connector. The pipe fitting system is suitable for applications such as end of line connections, repair/replacement of fixed existing pipes, and in enabling temporary removal of pipes for maintenance or access purposes.