Pre-Assembled Valve Coupling for Fast Pipe Joint Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mechanical couplings for joining pipe elements require disassembly and reassembly during installation, involving multiple piece parts and significant time and effort, and the need for separate couplings and valves in pipelines increases installation complexity.
Innovation Solution
A combined valve and coupling design with pre-assembled segments that can be installed without full disassembly, featuring projections and lobes for secure engagement and a pre-assembled configuration with support bodies and springs to facilitate easy assembly and secure attachment to pipe elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If mechanical couplings are designed with continuous arcuate projections to engage pipe elements, then secure mechanical restraint is achieved, but installation complexity increases due to sequential disassembly and reassembly of multiple piece parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple coupling segments into a pre-assembled unit with integrated housing, gasket, and projection structures. This merging eliminates the need to handle and assemble multiple separate piece parts during installation, directly reducing installation complexity while maintaining the mechanical restraint function through the integrated projection design that engages pipe element grooves
2Reliability
If mechanical couplings use multiple piece parts including segments, gaskets, and fasteners, then reliable fluid-tight seals are achieved, but installation time and effort increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling segments, ring gasket, and support bodies are pre-assembled into a complete unit during manufacturing. This preliminary action ensures proper alignment and secure engagement of all components before installation, eliminating the time-consuming sequential assembly process while maintaining reliable fluid-tight sealing through the pre-positioned gasket and support structures
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate couplings and valves are used in pipelines, then functional requirements are met, but installation complexity and number of parts increase
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling design incorporates multi-functional capabilities where the housing serves both as a connection structure and as a valve body, the projections provide both mechanical engagement and sealing surfaces, and the integrated structure eliminates the need for separate coupling and valve components. This universality reduces the total number of parts while meeting both connection and flow control functional requirements
Data Source
AI summary
A valve and coupling for joining pipe elements has a valve body captured in a central space defined by a plurality of coupling segments attached to one another end to end. The inner surface of the valve body defines a bore. A liner on the inner surface surrounds the bore and forms a seal with a valve closing member. Circumferentially arranged projections on the segments engage and center the valve body within the central space. The liner has lobes that extend axially in opposite directions. The lobes are compressed between the segments and the pipe elements to form a fluid tight seal when connection members are tightened to draw the segments toward the central space and into engagement with the pipe elements.