Threaded Tube Assembly With Angular Locking for RO Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
In reverse osmosis systems, precise length adjustment of tube assemblies is challenging due to fabrication tolerances and high-pressure forces, leading to dislocation or damage of equipment during connection and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A tube assembly design featuring an inner tube with an outer thread and an outer tube with an inner recess, allowing for adjustable length through a blocking element that secures the tubes in place, preventing rotation and ensuring a pressure-tight connection, with fine-thread pitch for precise adjustment and sealing rings to protect against media exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the tube assembly length is precisely adapted to ensure pressure-tight connection, then connection reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity and time increase due to individual length adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The tube assembly incorporates a threaded connection mechanism that allows continuous adjustment of the effective length by rotating the inner tube within the outer tube. This parameter change enables precise length adaptation to compensate for fabrication tolerances while maintaining a standardized tube assembly design, thereby improving connection reliability without significantly increasing manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The tube assembly transitions from a static fixed-length design to a dynamic adjustable-length design through the threaded connection. The inner tube can be rotated to adjust the overlapping length with the outer tube, allowing the connection to adapt dynamically to different installation requirements and tolerance variations, thus improving reliability while using a standardized component
2Stability of the object's composition
If the tube assembly length is precisely adapted to prevent dislocation under high pressure, then connection stability is improved, but installation time increases due to difficult tracking and adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The manual adjustment and tracking process is replaced by a self-aligning threaded mechanism. The threads guide the inner tube into the correct position and provide automatic length adjustment through rotation, eliminating the need for complex tracking and manual adjustment procedures, thus improving stability while reducing installation time
Solution Approach 2:
The threaded connection mechanism is self-adjusting and self-locking. Once the tubes are inserted, the threads automatically engage and allow precise length adjustment through simple rotation, with the friction and thread geometry providing self-locking to maintain the adjusted position without additional fastening components, reducing installation complexity and time
3Ease of operation
If grooved connections are used for easy assembly, then ease of operation is improved, but high-pressure forces cause extension and dislocation of the connections
Solution Approach 1:
The connection transitions from a rigid grooved interface to a threaded screw interface that distributes forces along the helical thread path. This curved/threaded geometry converts the axial high-pressure forces into combined axial and radial loads on the threads, preventing the extension and dislocation that occurs with straight grooved connections while maintaining assembly simplicity
Data Source
AI summary
A tube assembly (12) including an inner tube (13) having an outer thread (15), an outer tube (14) having an inner thread (16) engaging the outer thread (15), at least for securing an angular position between the inner tube (13) and the outer tube (14) is provided. Such a tube assembly should facilitate mounting and maintenance of a reverse osmosis system. To this end, the inner tube (13) includes at least an groove (17) on its outer surface and the outer tube (14) includes an recess (18) on its inner surface, wherein a blocking element is arranged in a space formed by the recess (18) and the groove (17) in overlapping relation with the groove (17) and the recess (18).