AU2010200412A1 - Boss connector for pipe junctions - Google Patents

Description

Regulation 3.2 Revised 2/98 AUSTRALIA Patents Act, 1990 ORIGINAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION TO BE COMPLETED BY THE APPLICANT NAME OF APPLICANT: Aymroo Pty Limited ACN 003 426 435 ACTUAL INVENTOR: LEAVES, Joel Colin ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: Peter Maxwell and Associates Level 6 60 Pitt Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 INVENTION TITLE: BOSS CONNECTOR FOR PIPE JUNCTIONS DETAILS OF ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION NO(S): 2009 901 609 - 16 April 2009 - AU The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to us: m:\docs\20101006\184396.doc 2 FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to pipe junctions and, in particular, to a boss connector for forming a junction between pipes. The invention has particular application to aerial pipe drainage systems for the flow of stormwater 5 or sewerage along the ceilings and walls of multi-level carparks and the like. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Where it is desired to connect a new pipe to an existing pipe in situ or prior to installation, it is known to cut out a pipe section from the existing pipe and fit into the so cut out gap a replacement branched pipe section, to the 10 branch of which a new pipe can be connected. Such branched pipe sections may be constructed from two short pieces of pipe, one of which (the main pipe portion) has a hole cut out to receive the other piece of pipe (the branch portion) therearound. The new pipe that is connected to the branch portion can be an outflow pipe or an inflow pipe for the 15 existing pipe to which such a replacement branched pipe section is connected. A problem with branched pipe sections of this kind is that they rely on the precision of the many manual steps that go into their construction and their connection to an existing pipe. For instance, the branch portion is usually plastic tack welded to around the hole cut out of the main pipe portion and then 20 glued with a solvent based polyurethane based adhesive at the adjoining walls of the portions to form a seal therebetween. The hole itself must be cut with some degree of precision, usually with a jigsaw tool. The opposed ends of the main pipe portion of the replacement branched pipe section must also be cut with some degree of precision to be sealably received by the facing cut out end 25 portions defining the gap of the existing pipe. This sealing usually involves the use of a silicone glue applied between the overlapping ends of the portions, 02/02/10 3 followed by the use of buckled straps that tightly press those glued ends together. As a result, there may be one or more structural weak points or leak prone regions in the pipe junction so formed. 5 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to overcome, or at least substantially ameliorate, the aforementioned problems of the prior art. It has been found by the present inventor that these problems may be addressed by using a moulding process to form a one piece boss connector 10 that includes improved means for reliably connecting to it an existing pipe and a new pipe for forming a pipe junction, and that avoids having to cut out a pipe section from the existing pipe for the boss connector to be fitted into the so cut out gap. According to the present invention, there is provided a one piece, 15 moulded boss connector for forming a junction between an existing pipe and a new pipe, the boss connector comprising a saddle portion having a junction hole formed through an arcuate body, and a branch portion extending from the body around the junction hole at a suitable angle for the junction and having an end adapted to receive the new pipe, wherein the arcuate body of the saddle 20 portion is adapted to fit sealingly around an arcuate portion of the existing pipe through which an access hole has been cut, so that the junction hole formed through the arcuate body of the saddle portion overlaps with the access hole cut through the arcuate portion of the existing pipe, whereby, when so fitted, there will be fluid flow communication between the existing pipe and the new 25 pipe when received by the branch portion. Preferably, the angle at which the branch portion extends from the body around the junction hole is 450. n') In')I n 4 It is preferred that the boss connector is moulded by an injection moulding process. In a preferred form, the end of the branch portion adapted to receive the new pipe is stepped. 5 In another preferred form, the arcuate body has a convex outer side from which the branch portion extends and a concave inner side, the concave inner side having a continuous groove formed adjacent to the junction hole so as to receive sealing material. The arcuate body also preferably has a continuous lip extending from 10 the concave inner side and formed between the junction hole and the continuous groove so as to overlapingly locate the junction hole with the access hole. It is also preferred that the convex outer side of the arcuate body has first and second pairs of securing pins formed at respective opposite sides of 15 the branch portion so as to receive stretchable securing straps. According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a pipe junction assembly between an existing pipe and a new pipe, comprising the aforementioned boss connector, and one or more stretchable securing straps received between respective pairs of securing pins formed on the convex outer 20 side of the branch portion, the or each securing strap extending from one pin of the respective pair around the existing pipe to the other pin of the respective pair. SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into 25 practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

A)IOA'I

5 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a boss connector according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2 is a side view of a pipe junction assembly that includes the boss connector of Fig. 1, the pipe junction assembly being secured to an existing 5 pipe having an overlapping hole, Fig. 3 is a top view of the pipe junction assembly of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is an end view (from the left) of the pipe junction assembly of Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a boss connector according to a second 10 preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 6 is a side view of a pipe junction assembly that includes the boss connector of Fig. 5, the pipe junction assembly being secured to an existing pipe having an overlapping hole, Fig. 7 is a top view of the pipe junction assembly of Fig. 6, 15 Fig. 8 is a top disassembled view of the pipe junction assembly and existing pipe shown in Figs. 6 and 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION The boss connector 10 shown in Figs. 1 to 4 is formed in one piece by 20 an injection moulding process, and is used to form a junction between an existing pipe 12 (as shown in Figs. 2 to 4) and a new pipe (not shown). The boss connector 10 has a saddle portion 14 formed of an arcuate body 16 through which a junction hole 18 is formed. The boss connector 10 also has a branch portion 20 extending from the body 16 around the junction 25 hole 18 at a suitable angle, say, of about 450, for the junction. The free end 22 of the branch portion 20 is adapted to receive a new pipe. So as to properly connect to an existing pipe 12, the arcuate body 16 of the saddle portion 14 l') In') /11 n 6 has a slightly larger radius of curvature than the arcuate portion of the existing pipe it is adapted to fit sealingly around. The existing pipe 12 has an access hole 24 cut therethrough which has approximately the same diameter as the junction hole 18 of the saddle portion 14. When the saddle portion 14 is fitted 5 to the existing pipe 12, the junction hole 18 formed through the arcuate body 16 of the saddle portion overlaps with the access hole 24 cut through the arcuate portion of the existing pipe. This will allow fluid flow communication of, say, stormwater or sewerage between the existing pipe and the new pipe when received by the branch portion 20. 10 In order to ensure that the junction hole 18 properly overlaps with the access hole 24 in a sealed relationship, there is a continuous groove formed at the concave inner side of the arcuate body of the saddle portion 14 which is adjacent to the junction hole 18 and which can receive sealing material such as a silicone or polyurethane adhesive of the kind that may be applied by a trigger 15 operated nozzle dispenser or the like. The arcuate body of the saddle portion 14 also has a continuous lip extending from the concave inner side of the arcuate body and which is formed between the junction hole and the continuous groove so as to overlappingly locate the junction hole with the access hole. 20 In order to secure the boss connector 10 to the existing pipe 12, first and second pairs of securing pins 30 formed at respective opposite sides of the branch portion 20 are able to receive stretchable securing straps 32. The stretchable securing straps 32 each extend from one pin 30 of a pair around the existing pipe to the other pin 30 of that pair, thereby forming a pipe junction 25 assembly between the existing pipe and a new pipe. The boss connector 100 shown in Figs. 5 to 8 and the pipe junction assembly formed when such a boss connector is secured around an existing 2/9i2/1n 7 pipe with one or more stretchable securing straps, is similar to the boss connector and pipe junction assembly described above with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. The same numbers that are used in Figs. 1 to 4 are used again to refer to like features in Figs. 5 to 8. However, the end of the branch portion 102 of 5 the boss connector 100 is stepped so as to have a shoulder portion 104 and a male portion 106. The radius of the arcuate body of the saddle portion in the boss connector 100 is also larger than the corresponding radius in the boss connector 10. This allows the boss connector 100 to be fitted to larger diameter existing pipes. 10 It will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in details of design and construction of the boss connector and the pipe junction assembly described above without departing from the scope or ambit of the present invention. 02q/2/1 n

Claims (10)

1. A one piece, moulded boss connector for forming a junction between an existing pipe and a new pipe, the boss connector comprising a saddle portion having a junction hole formed through an arcuate body, and a branch portion extending from the body around the junction hole at a suitable angle for the junction and having an end adapted to receive the new pipe, wherein the arcuate body of the saddle portion is adapted to fit sealingly around an arcuate portion of the existing pipe through which an access hole has been cut, so that the junction hole formed through the arcuate body of the saddle portion overlaps with the access hole cut through the arcuate portion of the existing pipe, whereby, when so fitted, there will be fluid flow communication between the existing pipe and the new pipe when received by the branch portion.

2. The boss connector of claim 1 wherein the angle at which the branch portion extends from the body around the junction hole is 450.

3. The boss connector of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the boss connector is moulded by an injection moulding process.

4. The boss connector of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the end of the branch portion adapted to receive the new pipe is stepped.

5. The boss connector of any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the arcuate body has a convex outer side from which the branch portion extends and a concave inner side, the concave inner side having a continuous groove formed adjacent to the junction hole so as to receive sealing material.

6. The boss connector of claim 5 wherein the arcuate body also has a continuous lip extending from the concave inner side and formed between the A2/l/1 A 9 junction hole and the continuous groove so as to overlapingly locate the junction hole with the access hole.

7. The boss connector of claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the convex outer side of the arcuate body has first and second pairs of securing pins formed at respective opposite sides of the branch portion so as to receive stretchable securing straps.

8. A pipe junction assembly between an existing pipe and a new pipe, comprising the boss connector of any one of claims 1 to 6 and one or more stretchable securing straps received between respective pairs of securing pins formed on the convex outer side of the branch portion, the or each securing strap extending from one pin of the respective pair around the existing pipe to the other pin of the respective pair.

9. A one piece, moulded boss connector substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A pipe junction assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 2 day of February 2010 Aymroo Pty Limited Patent Attorneys for the Applicant PETER MAXWELL AND ASSOCIATES A)/A) I1 A