Rotatable Outer Cylinder Fluid Joint Phase Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The operation of joining the outer cylinder of the male-side coupler and the female-side coupler in existing fluid joints is difficult, and there is a problem of imperfect joining due to phase differences between the joints.
Innovation Solution
A fluid joint design where the first coupler includes a cylindrical main body with an outer cylinder featuring engagement portions, and the second coupler has a main body that engages with the first coupler's inner surface, allowing for alignment of engagement portions to facilitate easy joining, with the outer cylinder capable of free rotation to align phases visually, ensuring secure engagement without individual engagement of each portion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple engagement portions are provided on both outer cylinder and second main body, then secure joining is achieved, but the operation of joining becomes difficult due to phase alignment requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The outer cylinder is designed to rotate freely about its axis relative to the first main body, allowing dynamic adjustment of the phase position of engagement portions. This rotational freedom enables the operator to align engagement portions easily by rotating the outer cylinder to the appropriate phase, rather than requiring precise initial positioning, thus resolving the contradiction between secure multi-point engagement and ease of joining operation
Solution Approach 2:
The design allows the outer cylinder to be rotated beforehand to align the engagement portions with their corresponding counterparts on the second main body before final engagement. This preliminary alignment action simplifies the subsequent joining operation while ensuring secure engagement of all portions
2Device complexity
If engagement portions are provided at fixed phases, then structural simplicity is maintained, but imperfect joining occurs when phases of male-side and female-side couplers differ
Solution Approach 1:
By making the outer cylinder rotatable, the phase position of engagement portions becomes dynamically adjustable rather than fixed. This allows the system to adapt to different phase positions of the second coupler, ensuring complete and reliable joining regardless of initial phase differences, while maintaining relatively simple structural design
Solution Approach 2:
The phase position parameter of the engagement portions can be changed by rotating the outer cylinder. This parameter change capability allows the system to match phases between male-side and female-side couplers, ensuring proper engagement without requiring complex structural modifications to the couplers themselves
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid joint having a first coupler includes a cylindrical first main body and an outer cylinder located at the outer circumferential side of the first main body, which protrudes to a distal end of the first main body, and is provided with a first engagement portion and a second engagement portion at the distal end. The second coupler includes a second main body provided with a third engagement portion that can engage with the first engagement portion and a fourth engagement portion that can engage with the second engagement portion. The phases of the first engagement portion and the third engagement portion match in the process of engagement thereof, so that the second engagement portion and the fourth engagement portion engage with each other to join the outer cylinder and the second main body together.