Worm Clamp Marker Holder for Buried Pipe Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Structural elements like pipes and skylights are often buried under snow or debris, leading to damage and safety hazards due to invisibility, as existing solutions fail to provide a quick and effective means to mark their presence beneath burying materials.
Innovation Solution
A worm clamp marker holder assembly that attaches to buried elements, featuring a band with a captive screw and a holder for a marker, allowing the marker to extend through burying materials like snow, enabling visible identification of the buried structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If structural elements are buried under snow or debris for coverage, then protection from exposure is improved, but visibility and detectability deteriorate leading to damage and safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The marking system is segmented into two distinct parts: a clamp component that attaches to the structural element and remains buried, and a marker component that extends above the snow surface. This segmentation allows the system to provide both coverage (buried clamp) and visibility (extending marker) simultaneously, resolving the contradiction between protection and detectability.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If markers are attached to buried elements to improve visibility, then detectability is improved, but attachment security and stability worsen due to lack of reliable fastening mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening function is extracted from the marker itself and placed in the clamp component that attaches to the structural element. The clamp uses a screw mechanism to provide secure attachment, while the marker component focuses solely on providing visibility. This separation allows each component to optimize its specific function without compromise.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp is attached to the structural element before the snow burial occurs, establishing a secure anchor point in advance. This preliminary attachment ensures that when snow accumulates, the marker system remains firmly positioned and does not become dislodged, maintaining both security and visibility.
3Ease of operation
If a simple marker system is used for quick attachment, then ease of installation is improved, but attachment strength and reliability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges a simple clamp design with an effective screw fastening mechanism into a single integrated component. The clamp portion provides easy attachment by simply positioning around the structural element, while the integrated screw mechanism provides strong, reliable fastening. This combination achieves both ease of installation and strong attachment without requiring separate components or complex procedures.
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
The solution provides a secure and adjustable means to mark buried structural elements, preventing damage and ensuring safety by allowing markers to protrude through snow and debris, thereby avoiding accidents and hazards.
Implementation Method 1
a rotation of the screw passes the band across the captive screw, thereby tightening the band
Implementation Method 2
a rotation of the screw passes the band across the captive screw, thereby tightening the band
Data Source
AI summary
A worm clamp marker holder is provided. The worm clamp is connectable to a buryable element such as a pipe. A marker may be removably attached to the worm clamp by way of a holder connected to the worm clamp, to extend away from the buryable element allowing it to be easily identified once buried.