One-Handed Tube Fitting With Flexible Locking Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tube fittings require two-handed manipulation and increased difficulty when placed in hard-to-reach or hard-to-see locations, making easy attachment and detachment challenging, especially when multiple fittings are proximate.
Innovation Solution
A tubular-shaped tube fitting with a main body, a sleeve, and a locking member featuring a ring part and extended parts with flexibility, allowing one-handed operation through guided protrusions and tapered faces for enhanced locking and unlocking mechanisms, utilizing materials like PBT and POM for thermal stability and ease of assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the conventional tube fitting structure with open tubular body and locking nail is used, then the tube can be securely locked, but two-handed manipulation is required making detachment difficult in hard-to-reach places
Solution Approach 1:
The tube fitting is designed so that the tube itself performs the locking function through its interaction with the locking nail and tapered bore, eliminating the need for separate locking mechanisms that require two-handed operation. The tube's insertion automatically engages the locking feature.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex multi-component locking mechanism (open tubular body, locking nail, stopper) is simplified by extracting only the essential locking function, which is achieved through the interaction between the tube's end and the tapered bore with the locking nail.
2Productivity
If multiple tube fittings are placed in proximity or hard-to-reach places, then space is utilized efficiently, but operation difficulty increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The fitting design allows the tube to self-lock and self-seal through its interaction with the tapered bore and locking nail, eliminating the need for operators to manually manipulate multiple components in hard-to-reach locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual manipulation of the open tubular body to engage locking mechanisms is replaced by a passive mechanical system where the tube's insertion and pressure automatically engage the locking and sealing features.
3Ease of operation
If the locking nail is made flexible to enable one-handed operation, then ease of operation improves, but the structural strength may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The locking nail is designed with localized flexibility only in the regions that need to deform for engagement and disengagement, while maintaining structural strength in the core loading regions. The tapered bore provides guidance and support to maintain overall strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking nail incorporates flexible elements that can elastically deform during the locking and unlocking process, allowing one-handed operation while maintaining sufficient structural strength through the material selection and geometric design.
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
Enables easy one-handed attachment and detachment of tubes while maintaining a high pressure contact force, simplifying production and improving usability by automating assembly and reducing manufacturing costs.
Implementation Method 1
an extended part 6 having flexibility which extends from the ring part 5 toward the opening part 106
Implementation Method 2
when the locking member 104 moves toward the opening part 106 side, an end part of the extended part enters to decrease the diameter of the end part
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
A tube fitting (1) is provided which is capable of easily attaching and detaching a tube (50) by one hand manipulation and of more improving attachability and detachability and setting pressure contact force to be higher. The tube fitting (1) including a tubular main body (2), a sleeve (3) being tubular-shaped and being fixed in the main body (2) with axial lines of the main body (2) and the sleeve (3) coincided with each other, a locking member (4) having a ring part (5) and a plurality of extended parts (6) extending from the ring part (5) toward an axial direction and being mounted in the sleeve (3) in a state where axial lines of the ring part (5) and the sleeve (3) are coincided with each other and being movable in the sleeve (3) in an axial direction and in a circumferential direction.