Telescoping Pipe Coupling for Wide-Diameter Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pipe couplings are often difficult to install due to the need for precise bolt tightening and can be incompatible with a wide range of pipe diameters, leading to issues with sealing and leaks, especially when dealing with different standards and manufacturing tolerances.
Innovation Solution
A wide range coupling system featuring a body with a telescoping end ring and gasket configuration that can accommodate various pipe diameters by axially traveling along the body axis, forming seals with both the body and pipe surfaces, and utilizing a spreader mechanism for easy engagement and disengagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional pipe couplings with multiple bolts are used, then reliable sealing can be achieved, but installation time increases and installation difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex multi-bolt tightening system from traditional pipe couplings and replaces it with a simple lever-operated mechanism. The lever applies force directly to compress the gasket between the coupling body and pipe end, eliminating the need for multiple bolts and their associated tightening patterns, thereby dramatically reducing installation time while maintaining sealing reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the complex mechanical bolt-tightening system with a simplified lever-based compression mechanism. Instead of requiring multiple bolts to be tightened in a specific pattern, the lever provides mechanical advantage to uniformly compress the gasket, achieving reliable sealing with a single operational motion that significantly reduces installation time
2Reliability
If traditional pipe couplings designed for specific standards are used, then proper sealing can be achieved, but compatibility with different pipe standards decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the coupling body with a universal internal geometry that can accommodate pipes of different standards (ASME, JIS, DIN) and nominal sizes. The coupling body includes a standardized internal profile with a gasket seating surface that adapts to various pipe outer diameters, allowing a single coupling design to universally connect different pipe standards while maintaining reliable sealing through the elastomeric gasket's ability to conform to different pipe surfaces
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the elastomeric gasket's material properties to adapt to different pipe dimensions. The gasket can elastically deform to conform to pipes with different outer diameters and tolerances, allowing the same coupling body to reliably seal against pipes manufactured to different standards (ASME, JIS, DIN) without requiring multiple specialized coupling designs
3Manufacturing precision
If pipe couplings with fixed dimensions are used, then manufacturing precision can be maintained, but adaptability to different pipe sizes decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a telescoping mechanism that allows the coupling's effective internal diameter to dynamically adjust based on the pipe size being connected. The telescoping sections can extend or retract to accommodate different pipe outer diameters while maintaining precise manufacturing tolerances for the coupling body itself, thus preserving manufacturing precision while achieving adaptability across a wide range of pipe sizes
Data Source
AI summary
A wide range coupling includes a body, the body defining a first body end and a second body end, the body defining a body bore extending through the body from the first body end to the second body end, the body bore defining an axis, the body defining a body shoulder disposed at the first body end, the body shoulder extending radially inward into the body bore; and an end ring, the end ring positioned over the first body end, the end ring defining a ring shoulder extending radially inward towards the body; and a gasket connected to the end ring, the gasket disposed within the body bore, the end ring and the gasket configured to axially travel along the axis relative to the body, the end ring and the gasket selectively positionable about and between an engaged position and a disengaged position.