Separation-Resistant Pipe Joint With Axial Flexibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pipe joints fail to resist separation under extreme stresses during natural and man-made disasters due to lack of axial flexibility and complex installation and disassembly processes.
Innovation Solution
A separation-resistant pipe joint design featuring a female joint member with a circumferential groove, constriction, and reverse taper region, allowing axial displacement without separation, and a method for assembly and disassembly using a locking ring segment, enabling easy installation and servicing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a restrained joint is used to prevent axial displacement, then joint stability is improved, but the joint cannot resist extremely high axial or radial forces and lacks axial flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The joint is divided into distinct functional regions: a recessed region for lateral deflection, a traverse region for axial movement, and a reverse taper region for insertion guidance. This segmentation allows each region to specialize in resisting specific forces, enabling the joint to maintain stability while accommodating axial flexibility and high force resistance simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The joint design allows dynamic response to different force types: the recessed region enables lateral deflection under radial forces, the traverse region permits axial displacement under axial forces, and the locking ring provides restrained connection. This dynamic adaptability resolves the contradiction between stability and axial flexibility.
2Reliability
If locking rings are placed around a pipe spigot internal to a pipe socket, then separation resistance is improved, but installation and disassembly become complicated and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The locking ring is extracted from the internal position and placed in an external position on the spigot. This allows the locking ring to be easily accessed, installed, and removed without disassembling the joint, thereby maintaining separation resistance while dramatically improving ease of operation for installation and servicing.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking ring is pre-positioned on the spigot before insertion into the socket, allowing for simple snap-in installation. The spigot is inserted into the socket with the locking ring already in place, and the locking ring engages with the recessed region to provide immediate separation resistance without requiring complex internal manipulation.
3Force
If a crushable element is placed between a fixed weld and a locking ring segment, then force absorption is improved, but the remnants can damage joint components such as gaskets
Solution Approach 1:
The design replaces the crushable element with a durable locking ring and recessed region system that does not rely on sacrificial materials. The locking ring and socket structure are designed to withstand extreme forces without damage, eliminating the harmful effect of crushed remnants damaging gaskets and other joint components.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the joint allows axial displacement to resist separation, then axial flexibility is improved, but the joint may become too loose under normal conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The joint provides dynamic response based on force magnitude: under normal conditions, the locking ring maintains a stable connection with minimal play, while under extreme axial forces, the traverse region enables significant axial displacement. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between axial flexibility and joint stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The effective stiffness of the joint changes based on the applied load. The traverse region length and locking ring geometry are designed to provide appropriate stiffness characteristics: rigid under normal operation for stability, but capable of large displacements under extreme loads for axial flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A joint having a male joint member and female joint member, in which a raised stop on the male joint member is limited to displacement between a constriction on the female joint member and a locking ring segment, and in which the locking ring segment and constriction are separated by an unobstructed traverse region that allows the male joint member to slide axially when under stress without separation from the female joint member. The rounded shape of the groove that accommodates the locking ring segment acts like a universal joint, allowing deflection between the male and female joint members without separation. The female joint member flares on the inside of its distal region to accommodate such deflection. Thus the male and female joint members have a degree of axial and radial flexibility.