Tube Coupling Joint With Press-Fitted Ring For Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tube coupling joints, both inner ring and flare types, face issues such as fluid penetration and residence, pressure drop, unstable seal performance, and low tensile strength, particularly when subjected to vibration or tensile forces, and require complex assembly processes.
Innovation Solution
A tube coupling joint design where a ring is press-fitted into one end of the tube to flare it, with a cap nut surrounding the flared end for secure fixation, featuring a recessed groove and tapered portions to prevent displacement and enhance sealing, while simplifying assembly and reducing pressure drop.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the ring is inserted into the tube to provide tensile strength and prevent tube removal, then the tensile strength is improved, but the ring deforms to a smaller inside diameter causing pressure drop in fluid transportation
Solution Approach 1:
The joint is divided into separate functional components: the ring provides tensile strength and anti-removal function, while the tapered bore provides sealing and fluid flow. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The tapered bore creates a localized sealing region at the tube-joint interface without affecting the overall inside diameter of the joint. The taper angle is specifically designed to provide sealing contact only where needed, maintaining full flow capacity through the joint.
2Ease of operation
If the conventional inner ring type coupling joint is used to ensure assemblability and tensile strength, then the ring prevents tube removal, but fluid penetration and residence occur at both ends of the ring
Solution Approach 1:
The tapered bore creates a localized sealing region at the tube-joint interface. The taper angle is specifically designed to provide sealing contact only where needed, preventing fluid penetration at the interface while maintaining full flow capacity through the joint.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a flat-ended ring that creates gaps at its ends, the invention uses a tapered bore that converges toward the center, creating a tight sealing contact at the interface while leaving the ring ends open for fluid flow.
3Reliability
If the flare type coupling joint is used to achieve pressure contact and prevent fluid penetration, then no gap is produced between tube and joint, but the tube must be flared 3 to 10 times requiring significant effort and time
Solution Approach 1:
The ring is pre-installed on the tube before insertion into the joint. This preliminary action ensures the tube is properly prepared and positioned, eliminating the need for repeated flaring operations and reducing assembly time while maintaining reliable sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The joint is divided into separate functional components: the ring provides tensile strength and anti-removal function, while the tapered bore provides sealing. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its function without compromising the other.
4Ease of operation
If the conventional inner ring type is used to simplify assembly, then the ring is inserted into the tube, but it cannot be detected from the outside whether the ring has been inserted, allowing accidental tube removal
Solution Approach 1:
The ring is made visible through visual indicators such as color coding or contrasting material appearance. This allows operators to easily verify ring installation from the outside, preventing accidental tube removal while maintaining simple assembly procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
By previously press-fitting a ring (40) into one end portion (12) of a tube (11), the one end portion (12) is held in the flared state. With an inner cylindrical portion (22) of the joint main body (20) having been inserted into this ring (40) while the one end portion (12) having been press-fitted into a recessed groove (21) to the innermost recess portion, a greatest wall thickness portion (41) of the ring is covered. In this state, with a cap nut (30) being screwed with the joint main body (20), the greatest wall thickness portion (41) of the ring is pressed against the inner cylindrical portion (22) together with the one end portion (12) through an outer cylindrical portion (23), and a hole peripheral edge (34a) of an insertion hole (34) of the cap nut is pressure-contacted with a bent portion (12c) of the tube by the ring (40).