Seal Marker for Pipe Joint Orientation Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seals for spline-type, restrained pipe joint systems are difficult to install correctly, as the orientation of the seal is not easily verifiable once installed, requiring manual inspection to ensure proper installation.
Innovation Solution
A seal design with axial-facing surfaces featuring a visual indicium that is visible before assembly and remains visible without physical contact, allowing for correct orientation verification without manual inspection during installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional seal with a marker at the inner radial edge is used, then the seal can be installed in the seal groove, but the marker becomes invisible after installation and it is impossible to visually detect from an exterior view whether the seal was properly installed
Solution Approach 1:
The marker is repositioned from the inner radial edge to the outer radial edge of the seal, changing its spatial dimension from an interior location to an exterior location. This allows the marker to remain visible after installation, enabling visual verification of correct seal orientation from outside the pipe without requiring disassembly or interior inspection.
Solution Approach 2:
The marker serves as an intermediary visual indicator that mediates between the seal's internal orientation and external observation. By placing the marker on the outer radial edge, it acts as a visible proxy that communicates the seal's correct orientation to the installer without requiring direct observation of the seal's internal features or disassembly of the assembly.
2Device complexity
If the marker is located at the inner radial edge of the seal, then the seal structure is simple, but manual inspection is required to verify correct installation orientation
Solution Approach 1:
The marker position is changed from the inner radial edge to the outer radial edge of the seal, moving it to a dimension that is externally accessible. This simple structural modification eliminates the need for manual inspection by allowing visual verification of correct orientation from outside the pipe, thereby improving ease of operation without increasing device complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the visual indicium is located on an axial-facing surface of the seal, then correct orientation can be verified visually before assembly, but the indicium must remain visible without physical contact during installation
Solution Approach 1:
The visual indicium is positioned on the outer radial edge of the seal rather than the inner radial edge, placing it in a dimension that is externally visible after installation. This allows installers to verify correct orientation visually without physical contact during installation, while the indicium's position on the axial-facing surface maintains manufacturing precision requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A seal has a seal body with an axis and axial-facing surfaces. The seal body is configured to be mounted to a tubular member, and seal between the tubular member and a second tubular member. A visual indicium can be located on only one of the axial-facing surfaces. Prior to assembly of the tubular member and the second tubular member, the visual indicium is configured to be visible to a user after being correctly mounted to the tubular member without the user physically contacting the seal body.