Plumbing Fitting Assemblies With O-Ringed Shank
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flexible pipe connections in plumbing are prone to fouling, damage, and improper sealing due to job-site debris and abuse, making them difficult to install and service, especially in tight spaces, and often require specialized tools, leading to costly repairs and wasteful assembly processes.
Innovation Solution
The development of male and female fitting assemblies with a rotatable connecting device and o-ringed shank that provide a tool-less, sealed connection on the internal diameter, protecting the sealing surface from debris and damage, allowing for easy installation and replacement without specialized tools, and enabling a modular design for inventory control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional flexible pipe connections are used with test caps and crimp rings, then the rough plumbing installation can be completed, but the stub out becomes fouled with paint or debris and scarred from job-site abuse, making proper sealing difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the connection into separate components: a stub out fitting installed during rough plumbing that remains protected, and a valve assembly with integrated seal that is installed later. The seal is contained within the valve assembly rather than being applied to the exposed stub out, protecting it from job-site contaminants.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve assembly acts as an intermediary component that interfaces with the protected stub out fitting. The internal seal within the valve assembly mediates the connection, preventing direct exposure of the sealing surface to external contaminants while maintaining a reliable seal.
2Ease of manufacture
If specialized tools are used for cutting and crimping at finish plumbing installation, then connections can be made, but the process becomes difficult in tight spaces and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The valve assembly is designed to be self-installing onto the stub out fitting without requiring specialized crimping tools. The connection mechanism integrates the sealing and securing functions into a single operation that can be performed with basic tools, eliminating the need for complex crimping equipment in confined spaces.
3Ease of repair
If the flexible pipe is cut and valve crimped during finish plumbing installation, then the connection is complete, but the valve becomes hard to service or replace and requires tearing out drywall
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the valve assembly from the permanent stub out fitting, allowing the valve to be independently removed and replaced. The stub out fitting remains installed in the wall with its seal protected, while the valve assembly can be unscrewed and swapped without disturbing the seal or requiring drywall removal.
4Ease of manufacture
If test cap and crimp ring are installed during rough plumbing, then the stub out is protected, but these components must be thrown away and require difficult removal during finish installation
Solution Approach 1:
The stub out fitting is designed as a universal component that serves both as a protective cap during rough plumbing and as a permanent mounting interface for the valve assembly during finish installation. This eliminates the need for separate test caps and crimp rings, as the stub out fitting itself provides both protective and functional roles.
Data Source
AI summary
Plumbing fitting assemblies are described. The plumbing fitting assemblies use a male and female fitting combination that enables a user or installer to make a sealed connection on an internal diameter of a female part or receiving end by way of an o-ringed shank on a male part or insert end. A connecting device is rotatably attached to the male end. The connecting device also engages to an outer surface of the female part such that the sealed fitting assemblies will not disconnect under normal pressure of a fluid or air working through the assemblies.