Sealing Sleeve Clamp Structure for Unequal Pipe Diameters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connecting devices face challenges in securely attaching sealing sleeves to pipes with significantly different outer diameters, leading to potential leaks or breakage due to mechanical stress.
Innovation Solution
A connecting device featuring a sealing sleeve with support elements made of deformable material, arranged along its circumference, and tension bands that can be adjusted to compress or relax the sleeve, ensuring a secure fit across varying pipe diameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a sealing sleeve is pressed onto pipes with very different outer diameters using conventional tensioning straps, then the connection can be established, but the strong mechanical stress on the sleeve at the transition point can lead to leaks or breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is divided into multiple individual support elements (first support element, second support element, etc.) arranged along the sealing sleeve. Each support element can be independently positioned and adjusted, allowing the system to adapt to varying pipe diameters without concentrating stress on a single rigid structure, thereby preventing leaks and breakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The support elements are designed to be movable along the sealing sleeve rather than being fixed in rigid positions. This dynamic capability allows the support elements to adjust to the specific diameter differences between pipes, distributing mechanical stress evenly and maintaining reliable sealing under varying conditions.
2Ease of manufacture
If support elements are arranged along the sealing sleeve without being connected to one another, then assembly is simplified and individual movement is enabled, but structural rigidity may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure consists of multiple discrete support elements arranged along the sealing sleeve without rigid connections between them. This segmentation enables simple assembly where each element can be independently positioned, while the collective arrangement of multiple elements provides sufficient overall structural support.
Solution Approach 2:
The tensioning straps serve as intermediaries that connect and coordinate the movement of multiple independent support elements. By applying tension through the straps, all support elements work together cooperatively to provide the necessary structural rigidity, even though the elements themselves are not directly connected.
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 solution provides a simple, quick, and cost-effective method to achieve reliable fluid-tight connections between pipes with different diameters, preventing leaks and ensuring durability.
Implementation Method 1
Each support element consists at least partially of a deformable material or contains such. By shortening or lengthening the tensioning bands... the first support element pressing sections can be positioned closer to one another or further away from one another... and thus compress or relax the first end section of the sealing sleeve
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~3b
AI summary
The present invention relates to a connecting device (100) for connecting a first and a second tube, comprising a sealing sleeve (200), a plurality of support elements (300) and at least two clamping bands (401, 402). In order to form the connection, a first of two end portions (201, 202) of the sealing sleeve (200) receives a tube end portion of the first tube and the second end portion (202) receives a tube end portion of the second tube, which are connected to each other by means of the sealing sleeve (200). The sealing sleeve (200) has an inner face (210) and an outer face (220). The plurality of support elements (300) are disposed along the outer face (220) of the sealing sleeve (200) without being connected to each other. Each support element (300) at least partly consists of or contains a deformable material. Each support element (300) has a first support element contact portion (310) and a second support element contact portion (320). The first support element contact portions (310) are disposed one following the other along a circumference of a first circle (230) along the outer face (220) of the sealing sleeve (200) and form a first support element end portion (330) having a first opening (340) for receiving the first end portion (201) of the sealing sleeve (200), and the second support element contact portions (320) are disposed one following the other along a circumference of a second circle (240) along the outer face (220) of the sealing sleeve (200) and form a second support element end portion (350) having a second opening (350) for receiving the second end portion (202) of the sealing sleeve (200). At least one first support element contact portion (310) is connected to a second support element contact portion (320) by means of at least one deformable connecting portion (380). By means of the shortening or extending of the clamping bands (401, 402), which are in the form of a first clamping band (401) and a second clamping band (402), the first clamping band (401) being associated with the first support element contact portion (310) and the second clamping band (402) being associated with the second support element contact portion (320), the first support element contact portions (310) are positioned closer to or farther from each other along the circumference of the first circle (230) along the outer face (220) of the sealing sleeve (200) and thus compress or relax the first end portion (201) of the sealing sleeve (200), and the second support element contact portions (320) are positioned closer to or farther from each other along the circumference of the second circle (240) along the outer face (220) of the sealing sleeve (200) and thus compress or relax the second end portion (202) of the sealing sleeve (200).