Description
[0001] The invention relates to a connector in accordance with the pream- ble of claim 1.
[0002] A generic connector is known from WO 97/36128 A1 or DE 196 11 682 C1. It enables connection of, for example, a domestic sewer- age system by means of plastic pipes with a diameter of 200 mm to the public sewerage system, which typically incorporates mineral channel pipes made of, for example, earthenware and in particular often of concrete. For this purpose a lateral hole is made in the channel pipe. "Lateral" in this connection refers to the position of a hole that is made in the wall of the channel pipe at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the channel pipe. Ideally the hole is made in the channel pipe precisely radially, typically in the upper circumferential half of the channel pipe. The term "lateral" may therefore also apply to a hole that is made in the channel pipe precisely vertically from above.
[0003] A sealing section of the connector is introduced into the hole. This sealing section either ends flush with the inside surface of the channel pipe on the inside of the channel pipe or, as is often the case, does not extend quite as far as the inside surface of the channel pipe. Whichever applies, in this way in an obstructive pro- trusion is avoided on the inside of the channel pipe. To limit how far the sealing section extends into the hole, a contact collar that ena- bles the connector to fit against the outside of the concrete pipe ex- tends around the outside of the connector. Accordingly the contact collar extends around the outside of the pipe socket in a wave form, because the contact collar is adapted to conform to the external curvature of the channel pipe.
[0004] In addition to the sealing ring a second seal, which is designed in the form of a fluid seal, that is, is formed by the use of a flowable sealing compound, is provided for. For this purpose the sealing sec- tion incorporates between the sealing chamber in which the sealing ring is arranged and the contact collar a filling chamber into which the flowable sealing compound can be injected. To fill the filling chamber a filling channel is provided for that at one end opens out into the filling chamber and at the other opens out on the far side of the contact collar, that is, outside the sealing section, on the outside of the connector, so enabling the sealing compound to be injected from there after the connector has been inserted by its sealing sec- tion into the hole in the channel pipe.
[0005] Known from printed documents DE 20 2019 100 076U1.DE 20 2017 101 503 U1 and DE 298 00 496 U1 are also connectors that in addition to a sealing ring enable a flowable sealing material to be filled into a cavity to produce a second seal in the form of a fluid seal.
[0006] The invention is based on the problem of improving a generic con- nector so that this generic connector enables an especially reliable seal to be provided between the connector and the channel pipe.
[0007] This problem is solved by a connector in accordance with claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are described in the subclaims.
[0008] In other words the invention proposes means of securing the con- nector once it has been inserted into the hole in the channel pipe. In this connection the invention is based on the consideration that the elastomer seal exerts return forces that tend to force the sealing section that has first been inserted into the hole in the channel pipe back out of the hole, a distance of, for example, just a few millime- tres. By this backwards movement the circumferential contact collar would be removed from the surface of the channel pipe. However, contact between the contact collar and the channel pipe is desirable in order to prevent the flowable sealing compound from leaking out.
[0009] For this reason two spring elements are arranged in the filling chamber, and in particular more than two spring elements can be advantageously provided for, the spring elements being arranged like barbs so that, when the sealing section is introduced into the hole in the channel pipe, the spring elements are first compressed, because, for example, they are designed with a V-shaped cross- section or have a V-shaped section and are inserted pointed-end first into the hole in the channel pipe. When this inserting movement has been completed and because of the return forces exerted by the elastomer seal, a movement in the opposite direction is then ini- tiated, the barb-like sections or spring elements are automatically moved apart and grip the channel pipe, so making further move- ment in this opposite direction more difficult or preventing such movement.
[0010] In this way the connector and in particular its sealing section, which, after being inserted as far as possible into the hole in the channel pipe, is retained in the required position by means of the spring el- ements, so counteracting the return forces exerted by the elastomer seal. Also when the sealing compound is then injected into the fill- ing chamber and accordingly pressure that tends to force the seal- ing section out of the hole builds up in the filling chamber, the spring elements retain the sealing section securely in position in the hole until the sealing compound has set. As well as this advantageous, comparatively short-time effectiveness of the spring elements dur- ing fitting of the connector, the spring elements also act over the long term: the aforementioned unwanted forcing of the connector out of the hole in the main or channel pipe is counteracted not only by an adhesive action of the sealing compound but in particular also by the mechanical gripping of the connector in the channel pipe set up by the spring elements.
[0011] The spring elements can be designed in the form of, for example, metal spring claws or else, if the connector or its sealing section is designed, for example, as an injection-moulded part, can also be moulded onto the sealing section of the connector as a single piece.
[0012] By using a flowable sealing compound optimum contact of the liquid seal with the channel pipe wall in the hole is ensured. Towards the inside of the channel pipe the elastomer seal of the connector de- limits the filling chamber and prevents the flowable sealing com- 5 pound from leaking out. Towards the outside the contact collar pre- vents the sealing compound that has been injected into the filling chamber from leaking out, so ensuring that the filling chamber can be completely filled with sealing compound as required and so an optimally close contact be achieved between the sealing compound and the material of the channel pipe. It must be ensured here that the sealing compound is made up with the appropriate viscosity and not free-flowing like water, so leaving narrow gaps between the connector and the channel pipe and so enabling air to escape and because of the viscosity of the sealing compound enabling the filling chamber to be completely filled without loss of sealing compound.
[0013] Depending on whether the sealing compound is made up of one- component or two-component material, setting time can be adjusted to within a short, convenient time scale of, for example, 10 to 30 minutes so that the aforementioned gaps do not result in unwanted loss of sealing compound, especially as the sealing compound steadily gains in viscosity as the setting process progresses. To en- sure problemfree processability and prevent unwanted premature setting, the setting time can also be deliberately adjusted so as to be longer than the aforementioned 10 to 30 minutes and can be set at, for example, 60 minutes.
[0014] Furthermore, if the channel pipe is designed in the form of a rein- forced concrete pipe, by using suitable sealing compounds the rein- forcing steel contained in the channel pipe can be protected against corrosion.
[0015] Depending on the make-up of the sealing compound, a really close bond with the channel pipe can be achieved, so that in addition to the sealing action the sealing compound also provides effective se- curity against forces that tend to pull the connector out of the chan- nel pipe so that, as a result, the connector that is designed in ac- cordance with the proposal offers a considerably improved seal compared with the seal provided for the channel pipe by elastomer sealing rings only.
[0016] tis to be observed in practice that the soil in the area of the con- nected-up pipe — for example, a domestic mains connection pipe — is compressed differently from that underneath the main pipe re- ferred to as the channel pipe. Therefore, and also merely because of the difference in nominal widths between the main pipe (with, for example, a diameter DN300 or DN400) and the connected pipe (with, for example, a diameter DN150 or DN200), the connected pipe settles differently from the main pipe or channel pipe over time. This applies the more, the closer to the horizontal the connection of the connected pipe to the main pipe is, particularly, for example, connection in the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions. Different de- grees of soil settlement take place at least in the first five years after laying.
[0017] These different degrees of settlement first of all set up shear forces that act on the connection socket. Depending on the compressive strength that the hardened or set sealing compound gains, the seal- ing compound offers a good supporting action because of its distri- bution over the entire surface of the filling chamber, so enabling compressive strain on the elastomer sealing ring to be limited or even completely prevented in its lower circumferential area and ac- cordingly insufficient contact between the sealing ring and the main or channel pipe to be prevented in its upper circumferential area.
[0018] Secondly, the different degrees of settlement may cause the con- nector to tend to twist or tilt out of the hole. Since the sealing com- pound typically also has an adhesive action, it counteracts this un- wanted forcing of the connector out of the hole.
[0019] A number of centring ribs can be advantageously arranged around the circumference of the sealing section in the filling chamber. By means of such centring ribs tilting of the connector can be prevent- ed or at least considerably limited when the connector has been in- serted into the hole in the channel pipe. This serves, for one thing, to align the connector in the required, correct position on the chan- nel pipe and, for another, ensures that the sealing compound is evenly spread in the filling chamber, that is, to achieve as even a layer thickness as possible all the way around between the channel pipe wall and the pipe socket on the connector.
[0020] The contact collar can be advantageously provided with a soft seal, that is, on the side oriented towards the sealing section, that is, on the side by which the contact collar rests against the outside of the channel pipe. This soft seal assists the sealing action that the con- tact collar is to develop on the outside of the channel pipe and pre- vents the sealing compound from leaking out between the channel pipe and contact collar. Because this seal is designed in the form of a soft seal, its compressibility is guaranteed, so that, when the con- nector is inserted into the hole, it can be inserted into the hole as far as it will go and at the same time the soft seal can be compressed as much as possible. The subsequent return movement that is brought about by the return forces that are exerted by the elastomer sealing ring on the sealing section results in decompression of the soft seal on the contact collar, where because of the compressibility of this soft seal the desired close contact of the soft seal with the outer surface of the channel pipe continues to be ensured.
[0021] Such a soft seal can be designed in the form of, for example, a foam rubber seal. The soft nature of such a seal enables optimum adaptation to the channel pipe surface and the economical provi- sion of such a seal, as no special seal profiles need be used and the seal material is commercially available in the form of sheets from which seals can be cut out. Despite the porosity of the foam rubber a good sealing action is ensured and leakage of the sealing compound from under the contact collar is prevented.
[0022] The joining section of the connector can advantageously incorpo- rate a sleeve for connecting up the spigot end of a plastic pipe. The direction of flow in the plastic pipeline towards the channel pipe means that whichever pipe section is being used can in an advan- tageous way in the direction of flow advantageously end in a spigot end that is received in the sleeve of the pipe section following it and in accordance with this advantageous orientation of the individual pipe sections the connector then connects by its sleeve to the re- spective spigot end of the plastic pipeline.
[0023] The sleeve of the joining section can be advantageously designed in the form of a so-called ball adapter, which is known in itself and incorporates an outer housing that incorporates a spherical inner contour. Arranged in this housing is a sleeve insert that is sealed off from the inner contour of the housing with a circumferential seal and can be freely moved with a kind of wobbling motion in any required direction inside the inner contour. Because of this movability the sleeve insert can be aligned in different angular positions and com- pensate for incorrect positioning, for example, if the pipeline of the domestic mains connection does not connect to the channel pipe exactly as planned or if the hole has not been made in the channel pipe at the exact angle planned.
[0024] The connector in accordance with the proposal may incorporate a one-piece pipe socket that is designed, for example, in the form of an injection moulded part. However, the pipe socket may in one ad- vantageous embodiment also be designed in two pieces where a first part incorporates the sealing section and the second part the joining section. In this way for the purpose of economical production of different connectors different connectors can be configured mod- ularly from just a few different component parts. For example, the sealing sections may incorporate differently designed contact col- lars that have been adapted to conform to the outside diameters of differently sized channel pipes, while the joining section can be de- signed to be always the same. However, also different joining sec- tions, for example, rigid or movable joining sections that incorporate the sleeve that is specifically designed in the form of a ball adapter, can be provided for. Because of the two-piece design of the pipe socket these different variants of the sealing sections and/or joining sections can be combined as required.
[0025] In the case of such a two-piece design of the pipe socket the con- tact collar can be advantageously arranged on that part of the pipe socket that forms the sealing section. In this way an optimum leak- tightness is ensured, as the sealing section, including the contact collar, is manufactured seamlessly as a single piece, so enabling unwanted leakage of the sealing compound out of the filling cham- ber to be reliably prevented.
[0026] The sealing section that is inserted into the hole in the channel pipe may typically have a diameter of about 200 mm, so enabling typical domestic mains connection pipes to be run up into the channel pipe without reduction of their cross-sections. Particularly for connection to channel pipes with comparatively small diameters, however, it may be advantageous to keep the diameter of the sealing section as small as possible. Accordingly it is sufficient to make a hole with a correspondingly small diameter in the channel pipe in order to be able to fit the sealing section of the connector into such a hole. Be- cause of this hole diameter that has been reduced as much as pos- sible the channel pipe is correspondingly less weakened, a circum- stance which may prove to be advantageous, especially in the case of channel pipes of small diameters. Correspondingly the sealing section may have a diameter in the region of between 170 and 175 mm.
[0027] Example embodiments of the invention are explained in greater de- tail in the following with the aid of purely schematic drawings. Shown are in
Fig. 1 a perspective view of a first example embodiment of a connector,
Fig. 2 a perspective view from above and into the joining section of the connector shown in fig. 1, and
Fig. 3 an exploded view of a second example embodiment of a connector.
[0028] Shown in fig 1 is a connector 1 that incorporates a joining section 2 and a sealing section 3, these two sections being separated from each other by a contact collar 4.
[0029] The joining section 2 incorporates on the inside a circumferential flange 5 that can be identified from outside as a correspondingly circumferential projection.
[0030] The sealing section 3 incorporates a circumferential sealing cham- ber 6 into which an elastomer sealing ring can be inserted. The sealing chamber 6 is delimited at the lower end of the connector 1 by an end collar 7 and towards the contact collar 4 by a retaining collar 8, so retaining the elastomer sealing ring securely between the end collar 7 and the retaining collar 8 in the sealing chamber 6.
[0031] Between the sealing chamber 6 and the contact collar 4 the sealing section 3 incorporates a filling chamber 9 that serves to receive a flowable sealing compound. The sealing compound is injected into the filling chamber 9 through a filling channel, where this filling channel opens out into the filling chamber 9 underneath the contact collar 4. A second outlet 10 of the filling channel is provided for out- side the contact collar 4 and is located in a base 11 shown in fig 1.
[0032] Arranged around the circumference of the pipe-socket-like connect- or 1 inside the filling chamber 9 is a number of centring ribs 12.
[0033] Figure 2 shows in a view of the interior of the connector 1 from above an internal seal 14 that is designed in the form of an elasto- mer seal and, as a so-called FE seal, incorporates a dimensionally stable support section that ensures that the internal seal 14 is re- tained securely in the flange 5.
[0034] The joining section 2 of the connector 1 is designed in the form of a sleeve into which the spigot end of a pipe, typically a plastic pipe, can be inserted.
[0035] Whereas figs. 1 and 2 show a connector 1 that incorporates a rigid, one-piece pipe socket, fig. 3 shows a second example embodiment, in which the connector 1 incorporates a pipe socket that consists of two separate pieces. The joining section 2 here is designed in the form of a so-called ball adapter 15. Furthermore, the joining section 2 incorporates an external screw thread 16 that co-acts with a cor- responding internal screw thread 17 in the separate sealing section
3. For the design of this internal thread 17 the sealing section 3 ex- tends beyond the contact collar 4 and is otherwise designed like the sealing section 3 of the example embodiment shown in figs. 1 and