Plastic Pipe Sleeve Assembly for Precise Angular Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plastic pipes with internal chambers, or multi-channels, face challenges in ensuring precise angular connections, leading to potential incorrect installations due to inaccurate working methods, which can compromise the functionality of systems like wastewater treatment and cable protection.
Innovation Solution
A plastic pipe design featuring anti-rotation members, such as corrugations or ribs perpendicular to the pipe axis, combined with a corresponding anti-rotation countermember in a plastic sleeve, ensures precise angular alignment and prevents unintentional rotation, utilizing a tongue and groove connection mechanism for a fail-safe assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If apex markings are printed on or incorporated as colored strips during extrusion, then pipes can be arranged at an exact angle one behind the other, but incorrect installation cannot be prevented due to inaccurate working methods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces asymmetric anti-rotation members (protrusions or ribs) on the pipe exterior that are positioned at specific angular locations. These asymmetric features create a mechanical constraint that only allows insertion in the correct rotational orientation, thereby preventing incorrect installation. The asymmetric geometry ensures that the pipe can only be inserted when the anti-rotation members align with corresponding features in the connection piece, making the system inherently foolproof against misalignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The anti-rotation members act as intermediary elements between the pipe and the connection piece. These intermediate features mediate the connection process by providing a mechanical interface that enforces correct angular alignment. The anti-rotation members translate the abstract concept of angular precision into a tangible mechanical constraint, ensuring that only the correct orientation allows for successful connection.
2Reliability
If mechanical anti-rotation protection is added to the pipe, then rotational positioning is secured, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The anti-rotation members are integrated directly into the pipe's extrusion process, merging the anti-rotation function with the pipe's structural formation. Rather than adding separate anti-rotation devices or components, the patent incorporates the anti-rotation features as integral parts of the pipe itself during the extrusion process. This merging approach maintains structural simplicity while achieving the desired anti-rotation effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the geometric parameters of the pipe's outer surface by adding controlled protrusions or ribs during extrusion. These parameter changes create the necessary anti-rotation features without fundamentally altering the pipe's basic structure. The modifications are localized and minimal, affecting only specific regions of the pipe surface where anti-rotation functionality is required.
Data Source
AI summary
A plastic pipe is designed with a plurality of chambers each extending along a pipe longitudinal axis, with elevations orientated to be perpendicular to the pipe longitudinal axis on an outer side of the pipe and with an anti-rotation member arranged at the elevations and extending to be parallel to the pipe longitudinal axis. A corresponding plastic sleeve serves for connecting to the plastic pipe and comprises a sleeve longitudinal axis, an axial stop element for axial abutment of the plastic pipe in the plastic sleeve, a sleeve pipe section adjoining the axial stop element and an insertion section widening towards an insertion opening, wherein an anti-rotation countermember corresponding to the anti-rotation member of the plastic pipe is arranged on an inner wall of the sleeve pipe section.