Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for joining parts by integrally forming the joining device with the parts to be joined and to a method and apparatus for simultaneously joining and angularly and linearly aligning two parts together.
Pipe systems are used in many different applications. For example, buildings have a pipe system for its heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. Automobiles have pipes that regulate the flow of air from the environment into the interior of the automobile. Airplanes have complex pipe systems for hydraulic controls, pneumatic controls and for controlling the environment of the cabin.
In each of the above mentioned pipe systems, the pipes may be routed through the building, automobile or airplane via elbows, Ts, reducers, expanders and the like joined by sleeves and other pipe connecting mechanisms. The pipes and pipe connecting mechanisms must be assembled within the pipe system at a proper angular rotation and at a proper linear displacement with respect to each adjacent pipe within the pipe system such that pipes systems may fit within the application. To this end, an assembler or maintenance personnel must take great care in ensuring that the pipes and pipe connectors are aligned to each other both linearly and angularly to ensure that the pipe system is properly assembled.
For example, the assembler or maintenance personnel must custom fit each pipe and pipe connector to match a blue print. Unfortunately, the time to custom fit each pipe and pipe connector may be time consuming. Also, the assembler may mis-read the blue print thereby incorrectly assembling the pipe system.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved method for joining two pipes within a pipe system.
The present invention addresses the above-described deficiencies as well as other deficiencies associated with the prior art. In an aspect of the present invention, a male pipe having an integrally formed thread may be joined to a female pipe having an integrally formed groove wherein the thread and groove are integrally formed with the male pipe and the female pipe, respectively, via selective laser sintering. This reduces the time to initially assemble the pipe system in which the male pipe and the female pipe are a part of because threads do not have to be formed on the male and female pipes during assembly.
In another aspect of the present invention, the thread and groove are integrally formed on the male pipe and the female pipe, respectively, such that a proximal portion of the thread contacts a distal portion of the groove when the male pipe is fully engaged to the female pipe. Additionally, the proximal portion of the thread of the male pipe may have a box configuration, and the groove distal portion may have a corresponding box configuration such that the thread proximal portion bumps into the groove distal portion when the male pipe is fully engaged to the female pipe. At this point, the pipes are fully engaged to each other and the male pipe can no longer advance into the female pipe. At the fully engaged position, the pipes are aligned with respect to each other in regards to their relative angular displacement and relative linear displacement.
In another aspect of the present invention, male pipe may have two or more threads integrally formed thereon, and the female pipe may have two or more grooves integrally formed thereon which correspond to the male pipe threads. Moreover, the threads and grooves may be unevenly distributed about the outer and inner periphery of the pipes. For example, two threads may be formed on the male pipe at about 45 degrees or at about 90 degrees apart from each other. In this way, there is only one correct angular orientation to thread the male pipe onto the female pipe.
In another aspect of the present invention, external surfaces of the male pipe and the female pipe may have an integrally formed alignment indices. These alignment indices are aligned with each other only when the male pipe is fully engaged to the female pipe in the proper angular orientation.
In another aspect of the present invention, a male pipe may be integrally formed with a nub, and a female pipe may be integrally formed with a groove wherein the nub is slideable within the groove. The groove, at its proximal and medial portions, may be aligned to the central axis of the pipe, and at its distal portion, be bent at an angle between about 1 degree to about 90 degrees. Accordingly, the nub may be slide into the groove along the central axis of the female pipe until the nub contacts the bend near the distal portion of the groove. At this point, the relative linear relationship of the male pipe to the female pipe is correct. Thereafter, the male pipe may be rotated such that the nub slides into the distal portion of the groove. At this point, the male pipe is fully engaged to the female pipe, and the relative angular displacement between the male pipe and the female pipe is correct.
In another aspect of the present invention, the exterior surfaces of the male and female pipes may have integrally formed indices which are aligned when the male pipe is fully engaged to the female pipe. Also, multiple nubs and grooves may be integrally formed on the male pipe and the female pipe, respectively, to strength the engagement between the male pipe and the female pipe. Moreover, to ensure proper angular orientation between the male pipe and the female pipe when multiple nubs and grooves are formed on the male pipe and the female pipe, the nubs may be unevenly distributed about the periphery of the male pipe, and grooves corresponding to such nubs may be integrally formed in the female pipe.
These as well as other features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reference to the drawings wherein:
The drawings referred to herein are for the purposes of illustrating the various aspects of the present invention and are not meant to limit the scope of the present invention.
Referring now to
As shown in
The male pipe 10a may have at least one thread 12 formed on its outer cylindrical surface 18. As shown in
It is contemplated within the scope of the present invention that the male pipe 10a may be engaged to the female pipe 10b by hand. In particular, the threads 12 integrally formed on the male pipe 10a may be sized and configured to the grooves 14 integrally formed on the female pipe 10b such that the frictional forces between the threads 12 and grooves 14 are less than a torque createable by a human hand. Alternatively, the grooves 14 and threads 12 may be slightly deformed such that a wrench or other tool is required to twist the male pipe 10a into engagement with the female pipe 10b. By way of example and not limitation, it is contemplated within the scope of the present invention that the mating surfaces of the threads 12 and grooves 14 be pitted to create additional frictional forces between the threads 12 and grooves 14.
In
As stated above, the threads 12 formed on the male pipe 10a terminate at the medial portion 26 of the male pipe 10a. Likewise, the groove 14 formed on the female pipe 10b may terminate at a medial portion 28 of the female pipe 10b. Further, the linear lengths of the threads 12 and grooves 14 formed on the male and female pipes 10a, b may be equal to each other. By way of example and not limitation, as shown in
As shown in
In certain situations, the angular displacement of the male pipe 10a to the female pipe 10b should be fixed. For example, the male pipe 10a and the female pipe 10b may typically be a part of an overall pipe system. In the pipe system, the male pipe 10a and the female pipe 10b are connected to each other but may also be connected to other pipes within the pipe system. To this end, the distal ends 32a, b (see
As discussed above, the strength of the engagement between the threads 12 of the male pipe 10a and the grooves 14 of the female pipe 10b may be increased by integrally forming additional threads 12 and grooves 14 on the male pipe 10a and the female pipe 10b. For example, the male pipe 10a may be formed with two or more threads 12, and the female pipe 10b may be formed with a corresponding number of grooves 14. However, in this instance, the threads 12 integrally formed on the male pipe 10a may engage any of the grooves 14 integrally formed on the female pipe 10b. As such, the male pipe 10a when fully engaged to the female pipe 10b may not be in the correct angular orientation. For example, if two threads 12 are formed on the male pipe 10a separated by 180 degrees from each other, then there are two possible angular displacements between the male pipe 10a and the female pipe 10b, namely, 0 degrees and 180 degrees. To alleviate this problem, the threads 12 may be integrally formed on the male pipe 10a in an uneven manner. For example, the threads 12 may be 45 degrees apart from each other, as shown in
In another aspect of the present invention,
The male pipe 40a may have an integrally formed nub 54 formed on its engagement portion 42. The nub 54 may protrude outward from the engagement portion 42 of the male pipe 40a, as shown in
The nub 54 may be integrally formed with the male pipe 40a via selective laser sintering, and the groove 56 may be integrally formed with the female pipe 40b via selective laser sintering. The process of selective laser sintering is more fully discussed above and may be employed when fabricating the male pipe 40a with an integrally formed nub 54 and the female pipe 40b with an integrally formed groove 56. Moreover, the male pipe 40a and/or the female pipe 40b may be fabricated from material such as nylon 12, glass filled nylon, polystyrene, and the like.
As stated above, the nub 54 and groove 56 may be sized and configured such that the nub 54 may slide through the groove 56 by hand. For example, there may be a clearance fit between the nub 54 and the groove 56. Alternatively, the nub 54 and groove 56 may have a friction fit such that insertion of the male pipe 40a into the female pipe 40b requires a mallet or the like. For a friction fit, the exterior surface of the nub 54 and the interior surface of the groove 56 may be pitted such that there is an interference fit between the nub 54 and the groove 56. As such, when the male pipe's engagement portion 42 is inserted into the female pipe's engagement portion 46, the pitts on the respective nub 54 and groove 56 interferes with each other so as to cause friction therebetween such that a mallet is required for insertion of the male pipe 40a into the female pipe 40b.
The nub as shown in
Both embodiments of the present invention discussed herein are useful for ensuring that the relative linear displacement of the male pipe 40a into the female pipe 40b is correct when the male pipe 10a, 40a is fully engaged to the female pipe 10b, 40b. Also, both embodiments are useful for ensuring that the relative angular displacement of the male pipe 10a, 40a with respect to the female pipe 10b,40b is correct when the male pipe 10a, 40a is fully engaged to the female pipe 10b,40b. For example, maintenance personnel or assembler can insert the male pipe 10a of the threaded embodiment into the female pipe 10b and thread the male pipe 10a onto the female pipe 10b. When the male pipe 10a is fully engaged to the female pipe 10b, then the relative linear displacement and relative angular displacement between the pipes 10a, b are correct. This is confirmed because the male pipe is no longer threadable onto the female pipe. Additionally, for the nub 54 and groove 56 embodiment, maintenance personnel or assembler may insert the male pipe 40a into the female pipe 40b then twist the male pipe 40a with respect to the female pipe 40b to fully engage the male and female pipes 40a, b. When the male pipe 40a is fully engaged to the female pipe 40b, then the relative linear displacement and the relative angular displacement between the pipes 40a, b are correct. This is confirmed because the nub 54 of the male pipe 40a has been twisted into the groove 56 of the female pipe 40b.
To further provide maintenance personnel assurance that the male pipe 10a, 40a and female pipe 10b, 40b are fully engaged, alignment indices may be placed on the male pipe 10a, 40a and the female pipes 10b, 40b which are aligned together only when the male pipe 10a, 40a is fully engaged to the female pipe 10b, 40b in proper angular displacement and linear displacement. For example, the male pipe 10a, 40a may have a mark (e.g., printed, integrally formed indentation, integrally formed protrusion) on its exterior surface which is aligned to a corresponding mark (e.g., printed, integrally formed indentation, integrally formed protrusion) located on the exterior surface of the female pipe 10b, 40b only when the male pipe 10a, 40a is fully engaged to the female pipe 10b, 40b.
Additional modifications and improvements of the present invention may also be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Thus, the particular combination of parts and steps described and illustrated herein are intended to represent only certain embodiments of the present invention, and is not intended to serve as limitations of alternative devices or methods within the spirit and scope of the invention.