Snap Fitting With Pipe Inset for No-Cut Plumbing Repair
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In plumbing, cutting pipes for repairs or installing fittings like wyes or T connections often requires extensive access areas, disrupts pipe alignment due to ground settlement, and can lead to flow disruptions and debris buildup, making repairs time-consuming and complicated.
Innovation Solution
A snap fitting made of plastic that partially encases a cylindrical pipe, allowing for repairs and fittings without cutting, by snapping over a drilled hole with an inset to maintain smooth interior surfaces and facilitate quick, stress-free connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a pipe is cut for repair or fitting installation, then the repair or fitting can be performed, but the access area must be enlarged requiring cutting of drywall, flooring, or ground covering
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the pipe into segments by drilling a hole through the pipe wall at the repair location. The snap fitting is then inserted through this hole and secured within the pipe, allowing the repair to be performed on a segmented portion rather than requiring access to the entire pipe length. This segmentation principle enables localized repair without extensive access area.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the repair operation from the context of extensive pipe cutting and drywall/flooring removal. By drilling a small access hole and inserting a snap fitting, the repair process is extracted to a minimal access point, eliminating the need for large access areas while maintaining repair effectiveness.
2Reliability
If a pipe is cut and replaced, then the leaking portion can be removed, but aligning the ends of the pipe with the replacement portion becomes difficult due to ground settlement
Solution Approach 1:
The snap fitting is pre-formed with connection features that align with the pipe ends. The fitting is inserted through a drilled hole and then secured to the pipe interior, creating a predetermined alignment interface. This preliminary preparation of the fitting eliminates the need for field alignment adjustments that are problematic when ground settlement occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The snap fitting acts as an intermediary component between the pipe sections. Instead of directly joining pipe ends that may be misaligned due to ground settlement, the snap fitting provides a mediating connection point that accommodates alignment variations while maintaining a secure, leak-free joint.
3Reliability
If traditional pipe repair methods are used, then repairs can be made, but the process takes significant amounts of time
Solution Approach 1:
The snap fitting employs a dynamic insertion process where the fitting is pushed through a drilled hole and then snaps into its final secured position. This dynamic, single-action installation replaces multi-step traditional repair methods involving cutting, threading, or welding, significantly reducing repair time while maintaining repair effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention skips the time-consuming steps of traditional pipe repair such as cutting pipe sections, threading connections, or applying adhesives. By drilling a hole and inserting a pre-formed snap fitting, the repair process rushes through to completion in a single operational step, eliminating unnecessary intermediate steps.
Data Source
AI summary
A snap fitting for use in plumbing is provided. The snap fitting includes a main body formed of plastic and shaped to extend partially around a cylindrical pipe to snap over the pipe and an inset for extending from an interior side of the main body into a hole in the cylindrical pipe.