Pipe Repair Stent Spring for In-Pipe Leak Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Piping systems often develop breaks in pipe walls, leading to leaks and requiring inconvenient and costly repairs that involve shutting down services and extensive construction.
Innovation Solution
A stent spring with a tubular mesh structure and a seal, configurable between expanded and compressed configurations, is used to create a watertight seal within a pipe, allowing for easy installation and repair without disrupting service.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional pipe repair methods are used, then leaks can be fixed, but the piping system must be shut off and extensive construction is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible stent spring with a seal that can be inserted through the pipe wall and expanded to create a watertight seal. The flexible nature of the stent spring allows it to conform to the pipe interior and seal leaks without requiring the pipe to be shut down or extensively excavated, thus maintaining service while fixing the leak.
Solution Approach 2:
The stent spring is designed to be nested within itself when compressed, allowing it to be inserted through a small opening in the pipe wall. Once inside, it expands to its full diameter to seal the leak. This nesting principle enables minimally invasive installation while achieving effective leak sealing.
2Reliability
If traditional pipe repair methods are used, then leaks can be fixed, but grandiose construction including digging up streets is required
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible stent spring with integrated seal allows the repair to be performed through a small access point in the pipe wall. The flexibility of the stent spring enables it to navigate and expand within the pipe without requiring large excavation areas or complex construction equipment, thus simplifying the construction process while effectively sealing leaks.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the sealing function from the traditional pipe repair process. Instead of requiring the pipe to be removed or extensively opened, the seal is extracted as a separate component that can be inserted and deployed through a minimal opening, eliminating the need for grandiose construction.
3Reliability
If the stent spring is in expanded configuration, then it can seal leaks effectively, but it cannot be easily inserted into the pipe
Solution Approach 1:
The stent spring is designed with a nested configuration that allows it to compress into a compact form for easy insertion through the pipe wall. Once positioned at the leak site, the stent spring expands to its full diameter to create an effective seal. This nested-to-expanded transformation enables both easy insertion and effective sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The stent spring transitions dynamically from a compressed insertion state to an expanded sealing state. This dynamic transformation allows the device to be easily inserted in a compact form and then expand to achieve the desired sealing effect, combining ease of operation with seal effectiveness.
4Strength
If the stent spring is made rigid for structural support, then it can maintain shape, but it loses flexibility for navigation and sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The stent spring is constructed with a flexible yet structurally supportive design that allows it to navigate the pipe interior while maintaining its shape when expanded. The flexibility enables it to conform to the pipe wall for effective sealing, while the structural integrity ensures it can support the seal and maintain its configuration under pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The stent spring's physical parameters change based on its state: when compressed for insertion, it is flexible and adaptable; when expanded for sealing, it gains structural rigidity to maintain shape and support the seal. This parameter change allows the same structure to provide both flexibility during insertion and strength during operation.
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 stent spring effectively seals pipe damage, minimizing service disruption and reducing repair costs by enabling in-pipe deployment and expansion to form a watertight seal.
Implementation Method 1
the stent spring biases the stent to the expanded configuration
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2~3
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
Example aspects of a stent spring for repairing a pipe and a method for retaining a stent in a compressed configuration is disclosed. The stent spring for repairing a pipe can comprise a substantially tubular mesh structure defining a void, the void defining a central axis, the mesh structure comprising one or more strands, the one or more strands defining a plurality of openings, wherein the stent spring is configurable in an expanded stent spring configuration and a compressed stent spring configuration; and a tab extending radially inward from the mesh structure into the void, the tab defining a tab opening.