Positioning Pipe Assembly for Screwless Round Pipe Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fiberglass safety guardrails on railways face issues with loosening due to friction from trains, structural damage from screw fixation, and allergenic fiberglass powder during machining, making them unsuitable for mass production and posing health risks.
Innovation Solution
A positioning pipe assembly with a sleeve and pipe locking member that secures round pipes without screws, using a sleeve with grooves and adjustable locking members to clamp and lock the round pipes, ensuring secure and non-destructive mounting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fiberglass round pipes are fixed with screws, then the round pipes can be secured to the square pipes, but the friction from trains causes screw loosening and fiberglass pore enlargement, reducing service life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a resin as an intermediary substance that coats both the square pipe and the round pipe before assembly. This resin layer acts as a mediator that bonds the two fiberglass components together, eliminating the need for screws that would otherwise cause friction and loosening. The resin coating prevents direct mechanical fastening that damages the fiberglass structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical screw-fixation system with a chemical bonding system using resin. Instead of using screws that create friction and loosening over time, the resin provides a permanent bond between the square pipe and round pipe, substituting mechanical fastening with chemical adhesion that does not degrade from train-induced vibrations.
2Ease of manufacture
If holes are drilled in fiberglass square pipes for screw fixation, then round pipes can be mounted, but fiberglass powder is generated causing allergic reactions and making mass production difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies resin coating to the square pipe and round pipe before assembly, rather than drilling holes after the fact. This preliminary action of coating the surfaces with resin eliminates the need for subsequent drilling operations that would generate harmful fiberglass powder, while still enabling secure mounting through the resin bond.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the drilling and screw-fixation mechanical process with a resin-based chemical bonding process. This substitution eliminates the drilling operation that generates allergenic fiberglass powder, while still achieving secure mounting of the round pipe to the square pipe through the resin coating.
3Reliability
If fiberglass pipes are drilled and screwed together, then secure fixation is achieved, but the process is complex and not suitable for mass production
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies resin coating to the pipe surfaces before assembly in a preliminary step that can be easily automated. This preliminary resin application eliminates the need for complex drilling and screwing operations during final assembly, enabling much faster production rates suitable for mass manufacturing while maintaining secure fixation through the resin bond.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the multi-step mechanical process of drilling, cleaning, and screwing with a single resin coating and assembly process. This substitution dramatically simplifies the manufacturing workflow, reduces the number of operations required, and enables automated mass production while maintaining reliable fixation security through the chemical bond of the resin.
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 assembly provides a secure, environment-friendly, and mass-producible solution that prevents loosening and allergenic powder issues, enhancing the durability and safety of the guardrail system.
Implementation Method 1
the pipe locking member clamps the sleeve on the round pipe
Implementation Method 2
the pipe locking member clamps the sleeve on the round pipe
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
A positioning pipe capable of effectively locking a round pipe comprises a pipe body and a pipe locking member, the pipe body is provided with a pipe locking hole; an annular frame is formed by extending from the pipe locking hole toward the outside; at least one position adjusting groove is formed in the frame and extends from a free end to the inside; the frame is divided into a plurality of frame blocks by the position adjusting groove; the pipe locking member includes a body portion and a locking member arranged on the body portion; the round pipe is inserted into the pipe locking hole and the frame; the body portion of the pipe locking member sleeves the frame; and the body portion is locked on the frame through the locking member.