Sliding Fluid Coupler Structure for Tight-Space Sealed Installation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid device couplers require space to open and close, making installation difficult in confined environments, and may compromise sealing performance.
Innovation Solution
A fluid device coupler with a coupling base and a blockage member that can be slidably attached, allowing direct mounting without opening, and a locking mechanism to secure the coupler in place, ensuring sealing integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional hinged coupler is used that requires opening and closing around a hinge axis, then the coupler can be mounted on connecting portions, but it requires significant installation space that is not available when fluid devices are close together
Solution Approach 1:
The coupler is divided into two independent coupling segments that can be positioned and secured separately. Each segment can be independently mounted on opposite sides of the connecting portion, eliminating the need for a hinged opening mechanism and reducing installation space requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling segments are designed with pre-positioned blocking members that can be secured in place before final assembly. This preliminary positioning allows the segments to be mounted in confined spaces without requiring large opening movements, as the blocking members can be inserted and secured in a straightforward sequence.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the coupler is designed to open and close around a hinge axis, then it can accommodate connecting portions, but it becomes difficult to install when space is limited and the connecting portion is hard to reach
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the coupler into two independent segments that can be mounted on opposite sides of the connecting portion, the design adapts to confined spaces without requiring hinged movement. Each segment can be independently positioned and secured, making installation feasible in hard-to-reach locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling segments are positioned on opposite sides of the connecting portion, utilizing spatial distribution in different dimensions rather than requiring linear opening movement. This dimensional arrangement allows installation in confined spaces where the connecting portion is difficult to access.
3Area of stationary object
If a simple coupler structure is used to save space, then installation space is reduced, but sealing performance may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The coupler is segmented into two parts that can be positioned on opposite sides of the connecting portion, reducing the overall coupler size and installation space requirements. Each segment maintains the necessary sealing interface with the connecting portion, ensuring sealing performance is preserved despite the compact design.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a fluid device coupler which can achieve satisfactory workability while saving space without reducing sealing performance, wherein the fluid device coupler comprises a coupling base having a depressed part at least partially curved in an arc shape, a first end edge side and a second end edge side continuous with an inner surface of the depressed part, and an opening portion formed between the first end edge side and the second end edge side a blockage member protrudable from the first end edge side toward the second end edge side and retractable in a circumferential direction from the second end edge side toward the first end edge side, and a sliding structure configured to slidably move the blockage member toward the second edge side of the coupling base without changing a distance radially from the coupling base.