Self-Adjusting Pipe Spray Tool for Coating 90° Internal Bends
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tools for internal pipe coating struggle with manual height adjustments for varying diameters, difficulty in navigating angular parts, and inability to withstand high pressure operations, especially in pipes with diameters less than 10 inches.
Innovation Solution
A tool with retracting arms that automatically adjust to different pipe diameters and can maneuver up to 90-degree angles, featuring a central hub with rollers and springs that allow for pivotal movement, enabling secure coating of internal surfaces under high pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual height adjustment mechanisms are used for varying pipe diameters, then the tool can adapt to different pipe sizes, but the operation becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The tool employs dynamic retracting arms that can automatically extend and retract to adapt to different pipe diameters. The arms are equipped with rollers that contact the pipe inner surface, allowing the tool to dynamically adjust its configuration based on the pipe size without manual intervention, thereby resolving the contradiction between adaptability and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The retracting arms are designed with self-adjusting mechanisms including springs and rollers that enable the tool to automatically adapt to different pipe diameters. The arms self-regulate their position based on the pipe inner surface contact, eliminating the need for manual height adjustments and making the tool self-sufficient in adapting to varying pipe sizes.
2Strength
If the tool structure is made rigid to withstand high pressure, then pressure resistance improves, but the tool cannot maneuver around angular parts and curves
Solution Approach 1:
The tool is divided into a rigid central hub and flexible retracting arms. The central hub maintains structural integrity for pressure resistance, while the retracting arms with rollers provide flexibility to navigate angular parts and curves. This segmentation allows different parts of the tool to fulfill different functional requirements simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The retracting arms act as flexible elements that can bend and conform to angular parts and curves within the pipe. These arms maintain contact with the pipe inner surface through rollers while accommodating geometric variations, enabling the tool to maneuver through complex pipe configurations without compromising the rigid central hub's pressure withstanding capability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the tool is designed for small diameter pipes, then it can coat pipes with diameters less than 10 inches, but it becomes bulky and difficult to maneuver
Solution Approach 1:
The retracting arms are designed to be collapsible and retractable, allowing the tool to minimize its overall size when not in use and to navigate through small diameter pipes efficiently. The dynamic configuration enables the tool to adapt its footprint to the pipe diameter, reducing bulkiness while maintaining compatibility with small pipes.
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 tool efficiently coats internal surfaces of pipes with diameters between 2 and 10 inches, including curves and angles, providing a uniform and flawless coating without manual intervention and withstanding high pressure operations.
Implementation Method 1
first and second springs that connect second ends of the first and second retracting arms to the first and second fixed pins, respectively. The retraction mechanisms facilitate a pivotal movement of the first and second retracting arms
Implementation Method 2
Each retracting arm includes a roller attached a first end thereof
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a tool for holding a spray painting instrument, such as a painting gun for painting an internal surface of a pipe. In particular, the inventive tool is ideal for painting the interior of curves and angles in a pipe and is capable of moving through and uniformly painting up to 90 degree angles of pipes or hollow tubes. The tool has a hollow central tube for carrying a spray-painting gun and at least two projections extending outwardly from an outer surface of the hollow tube. A retracting arm assembly is provided on each projection. Each retracting arm assembly includes first and second retracting arms and a corresponding force exertion mechanism. In operation, when the tool is inserted inside the pipe, each retracting arm touches the internal surface of the pipe due to an outward force exerted thereon. The tool is movable inside the pipe and adjusts automatically to different pipe diameters. The tool can be used manually or in an automated fashion to push and pull the paint gun and paint the interior of a pipe.