Pipe Offset Sealing Sleeve With Expandable Steel Overlap Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for renovating pipe offsets are inadequate due to issues such as slow curing times, material incompatibility, and structural weaknesses, leading to incomplete sealing and potential re-leakage in sewage pipelines.
Innovation Solution
A sealing inner sleeve composed of two frustoconically or cylindrically bent steel sheets with an overlapping design and a deformable jacket tube, featuring a toothed rack and locking mechanism for secure positioning, which expands to form a streamlined shape that adapts to the pipe offset, ensuring a tight seal and resistance to external pressures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If resin-impregnated glass fiber mat is used to seal pipe offsets, then the pipe offset can be sealed, but the curing process takes several hours causing long waiting periods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the chemical curing process with a mechanical expansion system. An inflatable packer is used to mechanically expand the stainless steel sleeve against the pipe wall, achieving immediate sealing without requiring chemical curing time. The mechanical force directly creates the seal through physical contact and deformation of the sealing elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pneumatic pressure through an inflatable packer to achieve the sealing function. The packer is inflated with air or fluid to generate the necessary expansion force that presses the stainless steel sleeve and sealing elements against the pipe wall, eliminating the need for slow chemical curing processes.
2Reliability
If stainless steel sleeve with holes is used to cover pipe offset, then the sleeve can be expanded to seal the offset, but thin ridges between holes form a flow barrier that may get caught with solid matter
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a stainless steel sleeve that is flexible enough to deform and conform to the pipe offset geometry. The sleeve is expanded using pneumatic pressure to create a tight seal against the pipe wall, forming a smooth streamlined surface without rigid ridges or holes that would create flow barriers or trap solid matter.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and geometry of the stainless steel sleeve by expanding it from a collapsed transport state to an inflated operational state. This parameter change transforms the sleeve into a smooth, continuous sealing surface that eliminates flow barriers while maintaining sealing effectiveness under various pressure conditions.
3Reliability
If sealing element is pressed against pipe wall through holes in stainless steel sleeve, then sealing can be achieved, but under external pressure the sealing element may be pressed into the pipe interior
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a continuous stainless steel sleeve without holes to provide structural support and contain the sealing element. The sleeve acts as a pressure-containing shell that prevents the sealing element from being pressed into the pipe interior under external pressure, while still allowing the sealing element to conform to the pipe wall for effective sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite sealing structure combining the stainless steel sleeve with an elastomeric sealing element. The rigid steel sleeve provides structural strength and pressure containment, while the flexible sealing element provides the conforming sealing surface, creating a synergistic system that maintains sealing effectiveness under varying pressure conditions.
4Reliability
If glass fiber mat is used for sealing, then the mat can be bonded to pipe wall with resin, but various pipe materials cannot be renovated since their material does not bond with synthetic resin
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a universal sealing mechanism based on mechanical expansion and friction that is independent of pipe material composition. The inflatable packer and stainless steel sleeve system can seal against any pipe material (cast iron, concrete, plastic, etc.) through physical contact and pressure, eliminating the need for material-specific bonding chemicals and enabling broad versatility across different pipe types.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical bonding mechanism with a mechanical sealing system. Instead of relying on resin adhesion to bond the sealing material to the pipe wall, the system uses mechanical expansion force from the inflatable packer to press the stainless steel sleeve and sealing element directly against the pipe wall, creating a seal that works regardless of pipe material compatibility with synthetic resins.
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
The solution provides a rapid, effective, and durable sealing of pipe offsets without material incompatibility issues, maintaining pipe diameter and preventing re-leakage, even under external pressure, while being adaptable to various pipe materials and easy to install and maintain.
Implementation Method 1
They are expanded by means of a pneumatically or hydraulically inflatable cushion or packer
Implementation Method 2
two frustoconical or substantially cylindrically bent sleeves consisting of steel sheets
Data Source
AI summary
A sealing inner sleeve for inserting into pipes, includes two frustoconical or substantially cylindrically bent-round sleeves formed of steel sheets, wherein the free ends of the steel sheets of the sleeves overlap in their circumferential directions and an arresting device is arranged in each of these overlapping regions and wherein the two sleeves are arranged at a distance from one another in a deformable jacket tube.