Urinal Bracket Composite Design for Corrosion and Stress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Urinal brackets face challenges in providing a durable, cost-effective, and watertight seal due to the corrosive nature of urinal effluent, as corrosion-resistant metals are costly and rigid plastics tend to crack under load.
Innovation Solution
A urinal bracket design featuring a substrate of a high-strength, cost-effective material overmolded with a corrosion-resistant coating, including a recess to allow arm flexure while maintaining a watertight seal, with a tapered rib configuration to enhance torsional rigidity and reduce bending stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If corrosion-resistant metals such as brass are used for the bracket, then corrosion resistance is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket uses a composite structure combining a rigid substrate (metal or plastic) with a corrosion-resistant coating material overmolded thereon. This composite approach provides corrosion resistance comparable to solid brass while using less expensive materials, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliability and manufacturing cost.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making the entire bracket from expensive corrosion-resistant metal, the invention applies corrosion-resistant material only to the surfaces and areas that require protection (the overmolded coating on the substrate). This localized application of quality reduces overall material cost while maintaining necessary corrosion resistance where needed.
2Ease of manufacture
If rigid plastics are used for the bracket, then cost is reduced, but the bracket tends to crack under load
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket employs a composite structure with a rigid substrate providing structural strength and load-bearing capacity, combined with a corrosion-resistant coating. The substrate can be made from cost-effective rigid plastics or metals, while the coating provides the necessary durability and corrosion protection, thus achieving both cost reduction and maintained strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket is segmented into two functional parts: a substrate that handles structural loads and a corrosion-resistant coating that handles environmental protection. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently - the substrate for strength and cost, and the coating for corrosion resistance - resolving the contradiction between cost and strength.
3Strength
If the bracket structure is made rigid to resist bending, then strength is improved, but flexure is reduced which may affect sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket design allows different regions to have different rigidity characteristics. The substrate provides overall structural rigidity for bending resistance, while the recess and gasket interface regions are designed to allow controlled flexure for sealing. This localized differentiation of mechanical properties resolves the contradiction between strength and operational flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A bracket for coupling a urinal to a soil pipe is provided. The bracket includes a body portion defining a first opening configured to be in fluid communication with the soil pipe, the body portion having a first surface configured to receive a resilient gasket. The bracket further includes an arm extending outwardly from the body portion, the arm having a structure configured to receive a fastener for coupling the bracket to the urinal, the structure having a first surface positioned forward of the first surface of the body portion.