Pipe Hanger Lock Tab Washer for Anti-Rotation Fastening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pipe hangers with nuts and bolts often loosen due to vibrations, posing a risk of pipe detachment, especially in seismic or high-traffic environments, and are difficult to maintain due to their elevated location.
Innovation Solution
A pipe hanger system incorporating a lock tab washer with bent tabs that prevent rotation between the washer, nut, and suspension member, ensuring secure attachment and vibration resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional nuts and bolts are used to secure pipe hangers, then the structure is simple and easy to install, but the connection loosens under vibration and seismic events
Solution Approach 1:
The lock tab washer is divided into multiple functional tabs: a first tab that engages with the suspension member to prevent washer rotation, and a second tab that engages with the nut to prevent nut rotation. This segmentation allows each tab to perform a specific anti-loosening function, resolving the contradiction between connection stability and device complexity by breaking down the complex anti-loosening requirement into simple, modular tab elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The lock tab washer acts as an intermediary component between the suspension member and the nut. It transfers and distributes the anti-loosening constraints from both the suspension member (via the first tab) and the nut (via the second tab), creating a stable connection without requiring direct complex interaction between the suspension member and nut. This intermediary approach maintains simplicity while achieving reliable vibration resistance.
2Reliability
If lock tab washer with multiple tabs is used to prevent rotation, then vibration resistance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lock tab washer is manufactured as a flat blank with specific tab geometries and bend lines defined by parameters such as tab length, width, and bend angles. During assembly, these tabs are bent to predetermined angles (e.g., 90 degrees) to create the three-dimensional locking configuration. This parameter-based approach allows standard manufacturing processes to produce the complex-shaped washer, resolving the contradiction between vibration resistance and manufacturing ease.
3Reliability
If pipe hangers are installed at elevated locations, then pipe support function is achieved, but maintenance and inspection become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The lock tab washer incorporates visual indicators through color coding or distinctive coloring of the tabs and their bent positions. Maintenance personnel can visually inspect the color and orientation of the tabs from ground level to determine whether the washer is properly installed and whether the tabs are engaged with the suspension member and nut. This visual indication system resolves the contradiction by enabling easy inspection of securely suspended pipes at elevated locations without requiring close proximity or complex access.
Data Source
AI summary
A lock tab washer, a pipe hanger, and a method of assembling a pipe hanger are disclosed. The lock tab washer can comprise a washer body, the washer body defining a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the washer body defining a hole therethrough; an edge tab extending from the first side of the washer body, the edge tab define a first section and a second section, the second section bent relative to the first section; a nut tab extending from the second side of the washer body, the nut tab bent relative to the washer body; and a wing extending from the nut tab, the wing bent relative to the nut tab.