Quick-Connector Grab Ring Hinge Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing quick-connectors damage pipes during insertion due to forcefully engaging teeth, despite single hinges attempting to loosen engagement, leading to scoring and other damage.
Innovation Solution
A quick-connector design featuring a grab ring with multiple circumferentially spaced hinges that allows the body to flex, uniformly distributing clamping forces and preventing pipe damage during insertion, along with a tooth insert with tapered protrusions that secure the pipe without excessive force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If teeth of the grab ring forcefully engage the pipe during insertion, then the pipe is securely clamped, but the pipe surface is scored or damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The grab ring body is made flexible through the incorporation of multiple hinges, allowing it to dynamically adapt its shape during pipe insertion. The hinges enable the body to flex and conform to the pipe's outer surface, distributing clamping forces evenly across multiple contact points rather than concentrating force at discrete teeth locations, thereby preventing pipe scoring while maintaining secure clamping.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state of the grab ring body from rigid to flexible by introducing hinges. This parameter change allows the body to deform elastically during insertion, transforming the interaction from forceful engagement to gentle conforming contact. The flexible body adjusts its curvature to match the pipe's surface profile, ensuring uniform pressure distribution without exceeding the pipe's surface tolerance.
2Ease of operation
If a single hinge is used to loosen teeth engagement, then some flexibility is achieved, but other teeth remain forcefully engaged and still damage the pipe
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single hinge, the invention segments the flexibility mechanism into multiple hinges spaced circumferentially around the grab ring body. This segmentation ensures that every section of the body, and consequently every set of teeth, benefits from the flexibility. Each hinge allows its adjacent body section to flex independently, guaranteeing uniform loosening of tooth engagement across the entire circumference and eliminating localized pipe damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies flexibility excessively by using multiple hinges rather than the minimal single hinge. This excessive action ensures that not only do the teeth loosen, but the entire body conformingly adapts to the pipe surface. The multiple hinges provide more flexibility than strictly necessary, ensuring complete and uniform tooth loosening across all contact points, thereby preventing any residual pipe damage.
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 design prevents pipe scoring and damage by evenly distributing clamping forces, ensuring a secure and damage-free connection between pipes.
Implementation Method 1
A plurality of hinges are spaced from one another about the body for allowing the body to flex circumferentially about the hinges when the first or second pipe is received in the passage
Data Source
AI summary
A quick-connector connecting a first pipe and a second pipe. The quick-connector includes a housing that extends about a first axis and defines a bore that extends axially therethrough. A grab ring is disposed in the bore of the housing and includes a body that extends about and along the first axis between a first end and a second end and defines a passage that extends between the first and second ends for receiving one of the first or second pipes. A plurality of protrusions extend from the body in the passage for clamping against the received pipe to prevent the received pipe from being axially removed from the passage. A plurality of hinges are spaced from one another about the body for allowing the body to uniformly and circumferentially flex about the hinges relative to the first axis when the first or second pipe is received in the passage.