Waterproof Quick Coupler for Pressure Vessel Sealing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional quick couplers are cumbersome to remove from ports under high pressure and require additional processes, such as electro painting, which complicates water leak examinations on pressure containers.
Innovation Solution
A waterproof quick coupler design featuring an external body, an internal body that rotates and moves linearly, a cap, and a fixing lever that clamps and unclamps the port, allowing for easy decoupling and maintaining a sealed state without separate tools, even at high pressures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional quick coupler is used, then the port can be sealed during water leak examination, but it is cumbersome to remove the quick coupler from the port under high pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The quick coupler employs a dynamic locking mechanism where the locking protrusion can transition between engaged and disengaged states. The elastic member provides dynamic force to maintain the locking protrusion in the engaged state during high-pressure operations, while allowing easy transition to disengaged state for removal, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of removal and sealed state maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The quick coupler is divided into functional segments: a sealing section with the sealing member, a locking section with the locking protrusion and locking groove, and an actuating section with the elastic member. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in maintaining seal integrity while enabling easy removal through coordinated action of the locking and actuating sections.
2Ease of manufacture
If a separate cap is used to cover the port, then the port can be protected, but an additional process of removing and covering the port is required
Solution Approach 1:
The quick coupler merges the sealing function, locking function, and protective cover function into a single integrated component. The external body serves as both the protective cover and the housing for sealing and locking mechanisms, eliminating the need for separate caps and additional covering/removing processes, thus resolving the contradiction between process simplicity and time consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The quick coupler is designed as a multi-functional device that simultaneously provides port protection, sealing, and secure attachment. The external body performs multiple functions: protecting the port, housing the sealing member, and providing the locking mechanism, thereby eliminating the need for separate protective caps and reducing process steps.
3Reliability
If the quick coupler is entirely painted through electro painting, then rust prevention is achieved, but the internal and external parts require entire painting process
Solution Approach 1:
The quick coupler applies different surface treatments to different parts: the external body receives electro painting for rust prevention, while the internal body uses a different material composition ( brass with zinc alloy) that provides inherent corrosion resistance. This local differentiation allows targeted protection where needed while simplifying the overall manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The quick coupler uses composite material construction with the external body made of steel or iron for strength and electro painting adhesion, and the internal body made of brass with zinc alloy for inherent corrosion resistance and ease of manufacturing. This composite approach provides rust prevention through both electro painting and material properties, reducing painting process complexity.
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 decoupling and recoupling of the quick coupler from pressure container ports without tools, maintaining a sealed state during water leak examinations and electro deposition procedures, even at pressures above 15 kg/cm².
Implementation Method 1
a fixing lever elastically disposed between the internal body and the cap and configure to clamp a port of a pressure container and to unclamp the port while the internal body is moved forward and backward
Implementation Method 2
The external body may include at least one locking protrusion formed in the external body, the internal body may include a locking groove to which the locking protrusion is slidably coupled
Data Source
AI summary
A waterproof quick coupler which closes a port of a pressure vessel in an air-tight state during a water leakage inspection of a welding portion of the pressure vessel of a compressor. The quick coupler comprises: an outer body having an opening formed at a distal end portion thereof, an inner body flexibly disposed to be rotatable and linearly movable in the outer body; a cap coupled to the distal end portion of the outer body, and a fixing lever flexibly disposed between the inner body and the cap to clamp and unclamp a port of a pressure vessel when the inner body moves forward and backward, wherein the inner body may be locked in the outer body when moving backward, and may be unlocked from the outer body when the outer body rotates in one direction.