Pipe Fitting Torque-Assist Structure for Compact Tight Spaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a contradiction between securely fastening a male threaded fitting with minimal force and connecting a pipe to a small space in existing fluid connection systems, as the knurled portion required for easy turning increases the diameter, making it difficult to achieve both secure fastening and compact connection.
Innovation Solution
A fitting with a screw portion, an operating portion, and a rotation auxiliary member that includes a slot and projection, allowing for increased engaging force through width change when a force is applied, enabling secure connection with reduced size by transmitting torque effectively and allowing easy detachment without increasing the connecting structure's size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a knurled portion is added to the actuator nut to enable easy turning with fingers, then the ease of operation is improved, but the diameter of the fitting increases, making it difficult to connect in small spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator nut is segmented into two functional parts: a threaded portion for connection and a separate rotation auxiliary member with knurled surface for operation. This segmentation allows the operational features to be concentrated in a small rotating component rather than increasing the overall nut diameter.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotation auxiliary member is designed to be inserted into and nested within the actuator nut. The auxiliary member fits inside the nut's internal space, allowing the knurled portion to be contained within the overall diameter of the fitting rather than adding to it externally.
2Ease of operation
If a large diameter knurled portion is used to enable secure fastening with small force, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The rotation auxiliary member incorporates a slot that changes width dynamically during rotation. When the user applies torque to the knurled portion, the slot's width variation creates an engaging force that increases friction between the auxiliary member and actuator nut, providing secure fastening through a dynamic mechanical interaction rather than static size increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The slot in the rotation auxiliary member is designed with varying width that changes as the auxiliary member rotates. This parameter change in the slot geometry creates a corresponding change in engaging force, allowing secure fastening with minimal input force while maintaining a compact overall structure.
3Volume of moving object
If the outer diameter of the fitting is reduced to enable connection in small spaces, then the volume is reduced, but the ability to apply sufficient torque for secure fastening is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The rotation auxiliary member acts as an intermediary between the user's fingers and the threaded connection. By providing a knurled surface on this intermediate component, the user can apply torque effectively to the small-diameter fitting without requiring a large external diameter, as the torque is transmitted through the nested auxiliary member to the connection point.
Data Source
AI summary
A fitting includes a screw portion that is rotatable around an axis extending in one direction, an operating portion that applies a torque around the axis to the screw portion, and a rotation auxiliary member that is configured to be engageable with the operating portion. A slot extending from a first end to a second end is provided in the rotation auxiliary member, and also a first projection that protrudes outward is provided on the rotation auxiliary member. A positional relationship of the first projection is set such that an engaging force between the rotation auxiliary member and the operating portion is increased due to a change in width of the slot in a case where a force is applied to the first projection in the first rotation direction with the rotation auxiliary member engaging with the operating portion.