Sewer Pipe Branch Connection with Spacer Ring Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connection devices fail to achieve a reliably tight seal with main pipes having uneven inner surfaces, particularly in applications involving pressurized groundwater or pipes made of stoneware or concrete with inliners.
Innovation Solution
A connection device featuring a radially extending seal with a minimum thickness of 3 mm, a spacer ring creating a cavity around the base body, and a soft seal to ensure sealing compound is retained and evenly distributed, along with a modular design for adaptability to different pipe diameters and orientations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional seal is used on the collar, then the connection device can be installed, but it cannot achieve a reliably tight seal on uneven inner surfaces of main pipes
Solution Approach 1:
The seal thickness is increased to at least 3 mm to provide sufficient material that can bridge over surface irregularities and unevenness on the main pipe inner surface, transforming the sealing mechanism from surface-contact dependent to bulk-material-dependent sealing
Solution Approach 2:
The seal is designed with excess thickness (at least 3 mm) that acts as a cushioning layer, absorbing and compensating for surface irregularities before they can compromise the sealing interface, ensuring reliable sealing even on uneven surfaces
2Reliability
If the collar is placed directly against the main pipe, then installation is simple, but the seal cannot compensate for misalignment or uneven surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The seal acts as an intermediary element between the collar and the main pipe inner surface, providing a compliant layer that accommodates misalignment and unevenness while maintaining sealing integrity, thus mediating between the rigid collar and the irregular pipe surface
3Reliability
If sealing compound is used to fill gaps, then sealing on uneven surfaces is improved, but the sealing compound may escape or air pockets may form
Solution Approach 1:
The cavity structure with integrated filling and venting bores enables the sealing process to be self-regulating, where air automatically escapes through the venting bore during filling, and the filling bore automatically closes or restricts flow when sealing compound reaches a certain level, eliminating the need for external monitoring or control
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
In a connection device (1) for connecting a main tube (2) provided with a radial bore to a side tube, the invention proposes that: • the connection device (1) has a collar (11) with a seal (12) in the region of a first end (6), which has a section (14) that can be applied to the inner surface (4) of the main tube (2) and extends at least 3 mm towards a second end (8); • a spacer ring (16) is shaped such that a cavity (20) which can be filled with a flowable sealant is created between the spacer ring (16) on the one hand and a base body (5) designed as a tube section and the main tube (2) on the other hand, and which adjoins the base body (5) and the main tube (2); • the spacer ring (16) has two opposing bores opening into the cavity (20), which are arranged at different distances from the first end (6) in the axial direction of the base body (5).• and a soft seal (19) is arranged on a side of the flange surface (17) of the spacer ring (16) that points towards the first end (6), limiting the cavity (20).