Mechanical Plastic Pipe Fitting With Conical Gripper Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for connecting plastic pipes for natural gas transmission face challenges in achieving robust, reliable, and easy-to-install seals that meet industry standards, often requiring specialized skills and compromising on integrity or axial strength.
Innovation Solution
A mechanical fitting system comprising a spigot device with radially inwardly angled conical bearing surfaces and a sleeve assembly with a compression collar and gripper ring, which contracts radially to form a high-integrity seal, utilizing viscoelastic properties of the pipe for secure locking and sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dynamic seals are exposed directly to the telescopical tube, then the sealing function is provided, but the seals are damaged by foreign material, dirt or debris carried on the tube
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary protective structure between the dynamic seal and the telescopical tube. This protective barrier prevents foreign material, dirt, and debris carried on the tube from directly contacting and damaging the seal, while still allowing the seal to perform its sealing function effectively.
2Reliability
If fusion procedures are used to connect plastic pipes, then gas tight seal is achieved, but high degree of technical competency is required for proper installation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the thermal fusion process with a mechanical connection system. Instead of requiring heat and specialized fusion equipment, the invention uses mechanically operated components that can be assembled through straightforward mechanical actions, eliminating the need for high-degree technical competency while maintaining seal integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical connection system is designed to be self-aligning and self-sealing through its mechanical operation. The components automatically achieve proper positioning and sealing contact through the mechanical assembly process itself, without requiring precise alignment skills or specialized knowledge typically needed for fusion procedures.
3Ease of operation
If mechanical fitting with gripper ring is used, then ease of installation is improved, but the seal integrity and axial pull characteristics may not meet industry demands
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite material construction in the mechanical fitting components, combining materials with complementary properties. This composite approach enhances both the seal integrity and axial pull resistance while maintaining the ease of mechanical installation, meeting industry demands without sacrificing simplicity.
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 reliable, easy-to-install connection that meets industry standards for integrity and durability, offering a hermetic seal and enhanced axial strength, capable of resisting thermal expansion and ground forces, while being simpler to assemble with modest skill.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing viscoelastic properties of the pipe for secure locking and sealing
Data Source
AI summary
A fitting for a pipe has a cylindrical sleeve and a spigot fitted concentrically within the sleeve. The sleeve is slidable along the spigot in a proximal direction. The sleeve has a gripper ring cavity with a conical bearing surface with a diameter that is smaller at the distal end and a larger at the proximal end. One or more gripper rings fit within the cavity and slidingly engage the bearing surface. The spigot has an outer surface sized to fit within a proximal end of the pipe. The inner surface of the gripper rings and the outer surface of the spigot define an annular space with a first radial width sized to accept insertion of the proximal end of the pipe. When the sleeve is moved with respect to the spigot in the proximal direction toward a sealed position, the rings are inwardly compressed by the bearing surface to grip an outer surface of the pipe. The end of the pipe is drawn into a space between the sleeve and the spigot with radial width smaller than the first radial width.