Sectioned Hose Tension Ring Prevents Misalignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hose sectioning methods fail to prevent longitudinal displacement of the tube encasement relative to the tube, leading to misalignment and increased occurrence of plumbing mishaps, such as floods, which negatively impact consumer satisfaction.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the formation of a ring of tensioned material around the outer circumference of the tube encasement, either by wrapping and tensioning a strip of material or forming a bonded ring, to induce radial forces that prevent longitudinal displacement during and after cutting, thereby maintaining alignment and reliability of the hose components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the tube and tube encasement are cut without a fixation mechanism, then the sectioning process is simple and fast, but longitudinal displacement occurs causing misalignment and fraying
Solution Approach 1:
A ring of tensioned material is formed around the tube encasement before cutting to prevent longitudinal displacement during the sectioning process. This preliminary fixation action ensures that when the tube and tube encasement are cut, they remain properly aligned and the encasement does not fray, thereby improving manufacturing precision without significantly complicating the overall process.
Solution Approach 2:
The ring of tensioned material acts as an intermediary element between the tube encasement and the cutting operation. This intermediary component provides the necessary fixation to prevent displacement and fraying during sectioning, while being simple enough to apply and remove, thus resolving the contradiction between precision and complexity.
2Reliability
If a ring of tensioned material is formed around the tube encasement, then longitudinal displacement is prevented improving reliability, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The ring of tensioned material is applied in advance to the tube encasement before any cutting or separation operations. This preliminary action ensures that the encasement is secured against longitudinal displacement, which directly improves hose reliability by preventing misalignment and fraying that could lead to plumbing failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The ring of tensioned material changes the mechanical parameters of the tube encasement by providing tensile restraint. This parameter change (adding tensile constraint) prevents longitudinal displacement and improves reliability, while the simplicity of the ring structure keeps the added process complexity minimal.
3Reliability
If the tube encasement is not secured during cutting, then the sectioning operation is quick and easy, but misalignment and fraying occur leading to plumbing mishaps
Solution Approach 1:
The ring of tensioned material is installed on the tube encasement before the sectioning operation to prevent longitudinal displacement. This preliminary securing action ensures that when cutting occurs, the encasement remains stable and aligned, preventing misalignment and fraying that could cause plumbing mishaps, while the process remains relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The ring of tensioned material serves as an intermediary fixation device that simplifies the sectioning process by providing automatic restraint during cutting. Instead of requiring complex clamping or gripping mechanisms, the tensioned ring passively prevents displacement, thereby improving plumbing reliability while maintaining ease of manufacture.
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 effectively prevents misalignment and fraying of the tube encasement, reducing the occurrence of plumbing mishaps and enhancing consumer satisfaction by ensuring the hose components remain accurately aligned during and after the sectioning process.
Implementation Method 1
The ring of tensioned material acts to induce radial forces that prevent longitudinal displacement of the tube encasement relative to the tube
Implementation Method 2
The wrapped strip of material is then shrink processed, e.g. by heat shrinking, into a ring of tensioned material
Data Source
AI summary
A system comprising a wrapping device that forms a ring of tensioned material by wrapping a material around an outer circumference of a tube encasement, and a cutting device that cuts through an entire cross-section of the ring of tensioned material, the tube encasement and a tube encased by the tube encasement, wherein the ring of tensioned material applies a first radial force onto the tube encasement and induces a second radial force from the tube encasement onto the tube.