Sub-slab Soil Gas Sampling Adapter with Barbed Seals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for collecting sub-slab soil gas samples are cumbersome and prone to leaks, requiring multiple fittings and frequent disconnection/reconnection, which leads to sample contamination and inconvenience for building occupants, and often necessitate multiple visits for installation and sampling.
Innovation Solution
A device machined from a single piece of material, such as brass, with a one-inch diameter hole cored through the slab, providing a smoother bonding surface and an air-tight seal using flexible silicone tubing and barbed fittings, allowing for prompt and leak-resistant installation and removal, potentially facilitated by automated or manual tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If multiple fittings and connections are used in sub-slab vapor points, then the device can be assembled and installed, but the likelihood of leaks increases and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate fittings and connections into a single integrated sampling device. The vapor point assembly combines the connection interface, sampling port, and sealing elements into one unified structure that eliminates multiple leak-prone joints while maintaining ease of installation through a single insertion motion into the slab opening.
Solution Approach 2:
The device is segmented into distinct functional components: a insertion portion for engagement with the slab opening, a sampling portion for gas collection, and a sealing portion with elastomeric elements. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall reliability through precise interfaces between segments.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple disconnection and reconnection operations are performed, then sampling can be conducted on multiple occasions, but fittings progressively loosen and leaks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates dynamic sealing elements including elastomeric seals and O-rings that can deform and adapt during insertion and removal operations. These flexible sealing components maintain reliable seals through repeated use by accommodating dimensional variations and wear while preventing leaks during both initial installation and subsequent sampling operations.
3Reliability
If elaborate leak detection methods are implemented, then sample quality is protected, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates pre-designed sealing features and leak-prevention mechanisms that are built into the structure before use. The elastomeric sealing elements and precise fitting designs are engineered to prevent leaks from the outset, eliminating the need for time-consuming post-installation leak detection procedures while ensuring sample integrity.
4Strength
If cement is used to anchor the vapor point, then the connection is secured, but the cement must cure before sampling can occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the chemical curing process of cement with a mechanical insertion and retention system. The vapor point is secured through physical engagement features such as expansion elements, friction fits, or mechanical anchors that provide immediate holding strength upon insertion, eliminating the curing time delay associated with cement-based anchoring systems.
5Manufacturing precision
If a one-inch diameter hole is cored through the slab, then a smoother bonding surface is achieved, but the installation process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates an intermediary sealing element or bonding agent that fills the one-inch opening and creates a smooth bonding surface. This intermediary component simplifies the installation process by providing a ready-to-engage interface that accommodates the coring operation while ensuring proper sealing and bonding without requiring complex finishing procedures.
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 reduces the likelihood of leaks and sample contamination, allowing for more efficient and convenient sub-slab soil gas analysis with fewer visits, enhancing the reliability and speed of VOC measurements.
Implementation Method 1
Installation of exemplary embodiments of the device force the flexible silicone tubing located on at least a portion of the exterior surface thereof against the interior wall of the cored hole, effectuating an air-tight, or almost air-tight, seal between the cored slab and the device.
Data Source
AI summary
Exemplary embodiments are directed to a device and method of use thereof for facilitating the analysis of samples of sub-slab soil gas that comprise an adapter body that includes, a first barbed portion, an external engaging portion, a threaded collar portion, a second barbed portion, and an internal cavity that axially passes through the length of the adapter body. The device may further include a tubular body with an interior cavity adapted to receive at least a portion of the second barbed portion of the adapter body to produce a mating engagement therebetween.