Sleeve Actuated Wide-Range Coupling for Pipe Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pipe couplings face challenges in installation due to difficulty in maneuvering large diameter pipes, uneven tightening leading to poor seals, and incompatibility with varying pipe standards and sizes, resulting in leaks or failure to seal.
Innovation Solution
A wide-range coupling system featuring a body with a sleeve and actuator that axially translates to engage and disengage with the pipe, allowing for easy connection and sealing without the need for extensive tooling or bolt tightening, accommodating a range of pipe diameters and standards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a stab-in coupling with gasket is used to connect large diameter pipes, then a seal can be formed between the pipe and gasket, but very high force is required to stab the pipe through the gasket opening requiring heavy machinery
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling system uses a collapsible collar that transitions from an expanded installation state to a collapsed operational state. During installation, the collar is expanded to provide a large opening for pipe insertion. After insertion, the collar collapses to grip the pipe and pull it through the gasket, converting the installation process from a high-force pushing operation to a mechanical gripping and pulling operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The collapsible collar acts as an intermediary mechanical element between the pipe and the gasket. It provides a mechanical advantage system that amplifies the pulling force applied to the pipe, enabling the pipe to be drawn through the gasket opening without requiring external heavy machinery. The collar's collapsible structure creates a mechanical leverage system that reduces the force requirement.
2Reliability
If pipe couplings are designed to accommodate narrow range of pipe sizes per standard, then precise sealing can be achieved, but compatibility with pipes from different standards (ASME, JIS) with varying diameters is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling system is designed with universal adaptability to accommodate pipes from different standards (ASME, JIS, and others) with varying diameters. The collapsible collar mechanism can adjust to different pipe outer diameters, and the gasket is designed with flexibility to seal against various pipe sizes within a specified range, making the coupling system multi-functional across different pipe standards while maintaining sealing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling system utilizes parameter changes in the collar's collapse ratio and gasket dimensions to adapt to different pipe outer diameters. By adjusting these parameters within design limits, the system can accommodate pipes from different standards while maintaining effective sealing. The gasket's flexible material properties allow it to deform and conform to slight variations in pipe diameter.
3Reliability
If multiple bolts are used to secure the pipe coupling, then a reliable seal can be formed, but uneven tightening leads to poor seals and leaking
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the bolt tightening operation from the coupling system. Instead of using multiple bolts that require precise sequential tightening, the coupling uses a mechanical interference fit between the collapsible collar and the pipe, combined with the gasket's elastic deformation, to create the sealing force. This removes the complexity of bolt tightening while maintaining seal reliability.
4Reliability
If traditional pipe couplings are used in limited access locations such as trenches, then pipe connections can be made, but difficulty in accessing individual bolts for tightening increases installation time and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the bolt and nut components from the coupling system, eliminating the need for complex tightening operations in difficult-to-reach locations. The coupling relies on the collapsible collar's mechanical gripping action and the gasket's elastic seal, which can be installed using simple pulling and collapsing motions that are accessible even in confined spaces like trenches.
Solution Approach 2:
The collapsible collar performs the sealing function automatically through its mechanical collapse and grip on the pipe. The gasket self-seals through elastic deformation as the collar collapses onto the pipe. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for operator intervention in complex tightening sequences, making the installation process simpler and more suitable for limited access locations.
Data Source
AI summary
A wide-range coupling includes a body, the body defining a first body end and a second body end, a body bore defined extending through the body from the first body end to the second body end, the body bore defining an axis; a gasket positioned within the body bore; a sleeve positioned at least partially within the body bore proximate to the first body end; and a sleeve actuator attached to the body, the sleeve actuator mechanically engaging the sleeve, the sleeve actuator configured to axially translate the sleeve relative to the axis of the body bore about and between a disengaged position and an engaged position.