Stamped Plug-In Sleeve for Low-Cost Tube Coupling Inserts
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production and assembly of existing plug-in inserts for coupling tubular elements to main bodies are complex, leading to high production costs.
Innovation Solution
A plug-in insert design that utilizes a plug-in sleeve produced by stamping and bending a metallic portion of flat material, featuring a fixing element and a release member, with claws or ribs for secure anchoring and a sealing flange, allowing for reduced production effort and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional machining and assembly methods are used for the plug-in sleeve, then manufacturing precision and structural integrity are maintained, but production complexity and costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The plug-in sleeve integrates multiple functions into a single component: the sealing surface is formed directly on the sleeve body, the fixing claws are integrated into the sleeve structure, and the release mechanism is built-in. This merging of functions eliminates the need for separate sealing elements and reducing the number of assembly steps while maintaining manufacturing precision through stamping and bending processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug-in sleeve serves multiple purposes simultaneously: it provides sealing against the main body, mechanically fixes the tubular element through integrated claws, and incorporates a release mechanism for detachment. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of components needed while maintaining all necessary functions at required precision levels.
2Productivity
If multiple separate components are used for the plug-in insert, then functional requirements are met, but the number of assembly steps and production effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines the plug-in sleeve, sealing element, fixing mechanism, and release mechanism into a single integrated component made from one piece of metallic material. This dramatically reduces the number of parts from multiple separate components to one unified structure, thereby reducing assembly steps and improving production efficiency while maintaining all necessary functions.
Solution Approach 2:
While the overall structure is integrated, the design incorporates functional segmentation through distinct features: the sealing flange, the爪-like fixing elements, and the release mechanism are all integrated but functionally distinct. This segmentation of functions within a unified structure allows for efficient production while maintaining device functionality.
3Ease of manufacture
If the plug-in insert design is simplified for easier production, then manufacturing costs decrease, but anchoring security and sealing reliability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses stamping and bending processes to create complex three-dimensional features from flat metallic material. The claw-like fixing elements are formed by bending the material into specific geometries that provide secure anchoring. The sealing flange is created by stamping the material into a configuration that ensures reliable sealing. These parameter changes in the manufacturing process enable cost-effective production while maintaining high reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug-in sleeve is made from metallic material that combines the properties of strength, ductility, and formability. The metallic material allows the integrated design to achieve both secure mechanical anchoring through the claw structures and reliable sealing through the flange, while being manufacturable through stamping and bending processes at lower cost than traditional machining methods.
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 design achieves secure anchoring and sealing while significantly lowering production costs through simplified manufacturing processes, enabling use in applications with continuous pressures up to 20 bar and pressure peaks of up to 100 bar.
Implementation Method 1
The wall element is formed by stamping and bending a metallic portion of flat material into a shell-shaped or circumferentially closed element
Implementation Method 2
The wall element is formed by stamping and bending a metallic portion of flat material into a shell-shaped or circumferentially closed element
Implementation Method 3
The fixing element is designed to releasably fix a tubular element, inserted via an insertion opening, in the plug-in sleeve
Implementation Method 4
The release member cooperates with the fixing element in such a way that the fixing of the tubular element is released by an axial movement of the release member relative to the plug-in sleeve
Implementation Method 5
the plug-in sleeve has a flange at a second free end opposite to the insertion opening to form a contact surface for a sealing element, by means of which the transition between the tubular element and the main body is sealed
Data Source
AI summary
A plug-in insert designed for releasably coupling a tubular element to the main body is disclosed. The plug-in insert can have a plug-in sleeve, a fixing element, and a release member. The fixing element can releasably fix the tubular element inserted via an insertion opening in the plug-in sleeve, and the release member cooperating with the fixing element in such a way that the fixing of the tubular element is released by an axial movement of the release member relative to the plug-in sleeve. The plug-in sleeve can include a sleeve portion formed of at least one wall element being formed by stamping and bending a metallic flat material portion into a bowl-shaped or circumferentially closed element. The fixing members can be formed by a plurality of claws or detents arranged circumferentially, by at least one rib, or fixed in the main body by shaping an edge region of the main body.