Plastic-Reinforced Pipe Seal for Leak-Safe Rieber Joints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Rieber joint pipe seals rely on metal reinforcing bands, which can lead to lead leakage and require complex rubber-to-metal bonding adhesives, increasing manufacturing costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A pipe seal featuring an annular sealing member with a completely embedded annular reinforcing member made of rigid plastic, incorporating protrusions or recesses for enhanced contact area, eliminating the need for metal and specialized adhesives, and providing improved adhesion and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a metal reinforcing band is used in the seal, then the structural support and pre-compression of the rubber ring are improved, but the risk of lead leakage increases and complex rubber-to-metal bonding adhesives are required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful metal component (reinforcing band) from the seal structure and replaces it with a plastic alternative. This eliminates the source of lead leakage while maintaining the structural support function through the plastic reinforcing element that is completely embedded in the rubber sealing ring.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces expensive and harmful metal materials with cheaper, safer plastic materials. The plastic reinforcing element achieves the same structural support function without the complications of metal-to-rubber bonding, simplifying manufacturing and eliminating lead leakage risks.
2Strength
If a metal reinforcing band is used in the seal, then the structural support is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases due to required bonding adhesives
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the complex rubber-to-metal bonding adhesive step from the manufacturing process by eliminating the metal component entirely. The plastic reinforcing element can be directly embedded in the rubber sealing ring without requiring specialized bonding agents, significantly simplifying manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces complex metal bonding processes with simpler plastic embedding techniques. The plastic reinforcing element is designed to be completely embedded in the rubber material, eliminating the need for expensive and complex rubber-to-metal bonding adhesives and their associated manufacturing steps.
3Strength
If the contact area between sealing member and reinforcing member is increased, then the adhesion strength is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by providing protrusions only at specific locations on the reinforcing element rather than across the entire surface. These localized protrusions concentrate the adhesion enhancement where most needed, improving bonding strength without requiring complex structures throughout the entire component.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite structure where the plastic reinforcing element with protrusions is embedded in the rubber sealing ring. The combination of rigid plastic with localized protrusions and flexible rubber material provides both structural support and enhanced adhesion through increased contact area, achieving strong bonding without excessive complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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AI summary
The invention refers to a pipe seal suitable for use in a Rieber joint, the seal (14) comprising an annular sealing member (18) and an annular reinforcing member (20) completely embedded in the sealing member (18). The reinforcing member (20) is made of a rigid plastic band and the reinforcing member (20) includes, for increasing an area of contact between the sealing member (18) and the reinforcing member (20), at least one protrusion (24) and/or at least one recess (26).