Sewage Pipe Vermin Barrier with Pivoting Shutter Guide

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing barriers for preventing vermin in sewage pipes are not easily installable without professional skills, and they often require special adaptations due to non-cylindrical manholes and varying sewage flow directions, leading to instability and increased costs.

Innovation Solution

A barrier with pivotable support wings and a shutter guide mechanism that can be easily adjusted for different flow directions, using mechanical urging and resilient means to ensure secure engagement with the pipe, allowing for installation in non-circular pipes and easy alteration of shutter movement without tools.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a barrier is installed in a sewage pipe through a manhole to prevent vermin, then vermin prevention is achieved, but the installation becomes difficult and requires professional skills when the manhole is non-cylindrical

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevermin preventionVSAvoidinstallation ease
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The barrier incorporates a shutter mechanism that can dynamically change its position and orientation. The shutter is hinged and can be rotated to different angles, allowing it to adapt to various pipe configurations and flow directions, making installation easier while maintaining effective vermin prevention

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The barrier design allows for changing the shutter's angular position as a key parameter. By adjusting the shutter angle, the barrier can accommodate non-cylindrical manholes and different pipe geometries, thereby improving installation ease without compromising vermin prevention reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If the shutter is designed to pivot in a determined direction to match sewage flow, then vermin prevention effectiveness is improved, but the barrier requires separate versions for different flow directions increasing cost and complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevermin prevention effectivenessVSAvoidflow direction adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The shutter is designed with a hinged connection that allows it to pivot dynamically in response to sewage flow direction. This dynamic capability enables a single barrier design to adapt to different flow directions, eliminating the need for separate versions and reducing complexity while maintaining effective vermin prevention

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The barrier incorporates a universal shutter mechanism that can function effectively in both upstream and downstream flow directions. This multi-functional design allows one barrier type to serve multiple purposes across different installation scenarios, reducing the need for multiple specialized versions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If the shutter forms a large angle with the flow direction to block the aperture, then vermin prevention is improved, but sewage flow passage is restricted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevermin preventionVSAvoidsewage flow passage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The shutter mechanism is designed to be dynamic, allowing it to assume different angular positions. In normal operation, it maintains an angle that blocks vermin while permitting sewage flow. The system can adjust its position to optimize the balance between vermin prevention and flow passage based on operational conditions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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 reliable, easy-to-install barrier that maintains position against sewage flow and vermin attempts, reducing maintenance and installation complexity while accommodating non-standard pipe configurations and flow directions.

Implementation Method 1

springs arranged around the central mandrel, where the springs apply elastic force to guide plates

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

two support wings pivotably mounted on a housing

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPivoting: Hinge

Data Source

PatentEP3692219B1Rat and vermin barrier suitable for installation in a sewage pipe
Publication Date: 2023.06.07 SEWATECH APS
  • EP3692219B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP3692219B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b
  • EP3692219B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Barrier (1) for being installed at least partly within a sewage pipe, wherein said barrier (1) comprises two support wings (4) forming an outer shell of said barrier, one or more shutters (6), at least one shutter guide mechanism (7), and a mounting tube (8), and wherein said barrier (1) having a pipe shaped outer shell installable in the sewage pipe, and said barrier having a longitudinal axis X along said pipe shaped outer shell, • wherein said shutter (6) is partly covered by said support wings (4), and wherein said support wings (4) are placed along the longitudinal axis X, wherein said support wings (4) are adapted to pivot about a wing hinge (10) positioned on a frame housing (9) of said barrier, • wherein said barrier is adapted for having said shutter (6) capable of pivoting about a shutter hinge (15) provided in said frame housing (9) of said barrier, where said shutter (6) having a closed position and a more or less open position, where the shutter (6) is capable of pivoting from a substantially vertical closed position to an angular open position away from vertical in one direction along the longitudinal axis X, • where said shutter guide mechanism (7) is capable of controlling said shutter movement direction from a first direction to a second direction opposite to the first direction, along the longitudinal axis X, and furthermore said shutter guide mechanism is capable of adjusting a shutter kip angle a, where shutter kip angle a is the angle from the shutters vertical closing position to maximum angular opening position, and said shutter guide mechanism (7) being capable of preventing the shutter to move in the respective opposite direction to the first or second direction along the longitudinal axis X.