Ribbed Irrigation Pipe Wall for Emitter Bonding and Wear Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Relative thin-walled irrigation pipes are susceptible to damage due to wear and tear, particularly at areas of bonding and connection to drip emitters, which can lead to structural weaknesses and increased risk of failure during use.
Innovation Solution
The incorporation of ribbed bulge members along the inner and/or outer faces of the pipe wall, which increase the local thickness of the pipe, forming valleys between adjacent bulges, thereby enhancing the pipe's resistance to damage and providing additional protection at vulnerable areas such as the locations of drip emitters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If thin-walled irrigation pipes are used, then cost and ease of installation are improved, but structural strength and durability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by incorporating bulge members at specific locations along the pipe where strength is needed (such as at emitter connection points and intervals along the pipe), while maintaining thin walls in other areas. This allows the pipe to be thin-walled overall for ease of installation while having localized reinforcement where structural strength is required to resist wear and tear and bonding stresses.
2Quantity of substance
If thin-walled irrigation pipes are used, then material usage and cost are reduced, but resistance to wear and tear deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bulge members provide localized reinforcement at critical areas where wear and tear occurs most frequently, such as at emitter connection points and along the pipe length. This allows the majority of the pipe to remain thin-walled for material efficiency, while specific zones have enhanced thickness to resist abrasion, friction, and mechanical damage during installation and use.
Solution Approach 2:
The bulge members act as pre-positioned protective elements that cushion and distribute mechanical stresses before they can cause damage to the thin-walled sections. The reinforced zones are strategically placed to absorb and dissipate wear forces, friction from contact with soil and machinery, and stresses during handling and installation, thereby protecting the vulnerable thin-walled portions.
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform wall thickness is maintained, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but bonding strength at emitter connections deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by placing bulge members specifically at or near emitter connection points, where bonding strength is critical. The bulge members create localized zones of increased wall thickness that provide a stronger substrate for heat bonding emitters, ensuring reliable attachment at these critical interfaces while maintaining uniform thin walls in sections where emitters are not installed, thus balancing manufacturing simplicity with bonding strength.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
An irrigation pipe that extends along an axis and has a pipe wall with a base portion (55) and a plurality of bulge members (1, 2) that extends away from the base portion.