Fire Sprinkler Fitting Assembly with Sealing and Gripping Zones
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fire protection sprinkler and pipe connection assemblies lack a reliable method for forming a fluid-tight, adjustable, and positively aligned connection that resists decoupling, which is crucial for effective fire protection systems.
Innovation Solution
A tubular connection fitting with a sealing surface and a gripping portion that allows for coaxial alignment and adjustable insertion of the sprinkler body, forming a fluid-tight seal and resisting decoupling through a combination of sealing and mechanical engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a traditional pipe connection assembly is used, then the connection can be formed, but the alignment between sprinkler and fitting is not positive and the seal reliability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The fitting includes an asymmetric gripping portion with external threads that engage with corresponding internal threads in the sprinkler body. This asymmetric threading design creates a positive mechanical interlock that ensures precise coaxial alignment during assembly, eliminating misalignment issues while maintaining seal reliability through the threaded engagement mechanism.
2Reliability
If the connection is made fixed and rigid, then the seal is reliable, but the adjustability and ease of assembly are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The connection assembly incorporates a dynamic threaded engagement mechanism where the gripping portion with external threads can be rotated to tighten or loosen the connection. This dynamic threading allows the assembly to transition from a loose state during easy insertion to a tightly secured state during operation, maintaining both ease of assembly and connection reliability.
3Reliability
If the sprinkler body and fitting are tightly coupled, then the seal is effective, but the adjustability for relative translation is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The connection assembly is segmented into distinct functional zones: a sealing zone with the sealing surface and a gripping zone with external threads. This segmentation allows the sealing surface to provide effective sealing while the threaded gripping portion enables controlled relative translation and adjustment, achieving both seal effectiveness and adaptability through separate functional elements.
Data Source
AI summary
A sprinkler assembly includes a connection fitting and a fire protection sprinkler. The connection fitting includes a tubular member with a first insertion end and a second insertion end with an internal conduit extending between the first and second insertion end along a longitudinal axis, the tubular member including an exterior surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining a sealing surface between the first and second insertion ends circumscribed about the longitudinal axis and including a gripping portion axially spaced from the sealing surface. The fire protection sprinkler has a body defining an inlet and an outlet, a deflector spaced from the outlet, the body having an outer encasing surface surrounding the longitudinal axis and including a leading portion and a trailing portion for insertion in the second insertion end with the leading portion received within the sealing surface before the trailing portion engages the gripping portion.