Push-to-Connect Fitting Removal Tool With Guide Bar Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tools for removing push-to-connect fittings from water pipes often fail to maintain alignment, leading to binding issues and requiring separate tools for different sizes and types of fittings and pipes, which can result in pipe damage during removal.
Innovation Solution
A tool with pivotally-connected handles and guide bars that convert pivotal motion into translation motion, allowing the jaws to remain perpendicular to the pipe and fitting, and featuring interchangeable jaws for different sizes and types, along with a ratchet mechanism for locking and releasing positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If pliers with arcuate jaw movement are used to remove push fittings, then the handles can be compressed to release the grip, but the jaws move out of perpendicular alignment and bind against the pipe and fitting, preventing sufficient movement for removal
Solution Approach 1:
The tool separates the handle pivot mechanism from the jaw movement mechanism using guide bars. The handles pivot independently while the jaws are constrained to move linearly along the guide bars, maintaining perpendicular alignment with the pipe throughout the compression stroke.
Solution Approach 2:
Guide bars serve as intermediary elements between the pivoting handles and the gripping jaws. These guide bars translate the arcuate handle motion into linear jaw motion, preventing the jaws from moving out of alignment while still allowing handle compression to release the grip.
2Device complexity
If pliers with integrally formed jaws are used, then the tool structure is simplified, but separate pliers with differently sized jaws are required for differently sized pipes
Solution Approach 1:
The tool employs interchangeable jaw assemblies that can be attached to different guide bars. This allows a single tool body to accommodate multiple jaw sizes and types, making the tool versatile for different pipe and fitting sizes without requiring multiple separate plier tools.
Solution Approach 2:
The jaw assemblies are designed to be changeable rather than fixed. Users can dynamically swap jaws based on the specific pipe and fitting size being worked on, transforming the tool from a static configuration to an adaptable system that responds to different operational requirements.
3Device complexity
If conventional pliers are used to remove push fittings, then the tool is simple in design, but pipe damage can occur requiring long lengths of pipe to be replaced
Solution Approach 1:
The guide bar mechanism preliminarily prevents misalignment and binding before they can cause pipe damage. By constraining jaw motion to remain perpendicular to the pipe throughout the compression stroke, the tool eliminates the binding action that would otherwise damage the pipe or fitting.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide bars create a motion path that copies the ideal perpendicular alignment between the jaws and the pipe. This ensures that the force applied to release the grip is always directed correctly, preventing lateral forces that could damage the pipe.
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
Enables efficient and damage-free removal of push-to-connect fittings by maintaining alignment and allowing quick adaptation to different sizes and types, reducing the need for multiple tools and minimizing pipe damage.
Implementation Method 1
cooperates with the first guide bar for converting pivotal movement of the first and second handles into non-pivoting, translation motion of the first and second guide bars
Implementation Method 2
spring-loaded handles for allowing a biased return to an open handle position
Implementation Method 3
a ratchet carried by one of the first handle and the second handle for locking the first handle and the second handle in a position between an open handle position and a closed handle position
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4~5
AI summary
A push-to-connect fitting removal tool (10) that includes first and second handles (12,14) pivotally-connected for being grasped and manually moved towards and away from each other, a first guide bar (26) connected to both the first and second handles, and a second guide bar (28) connected to both the first and second handles and cooperating with the first guide bar for converting pivotal movement of the first and second handles into non-pivoting, translation motion of the first and second guide bars. A push fitting jaw (58) is attached to the first guide bar (26) and a pipe jaw (60) is attached to the second guide bar (28) for being moved towards and away from each other as the first and second handles (12,14) are moved towards and away from each other. The push fitting jaw (58) is adapted for at least partially encircling the push fitting and the pipe jaw (60) adapted for at least partially encircling the pipe. Grasping the first and second handles (12,14) and moving them towards each other moves the push fitting jaw and the pipe jaw towards each other, and twisting the push fitting removal tool, pushes the push fitting off of the pipe.