FR2850445A1 - Coupling, especially for connecting water meter to inlet/outlet pipes, incorporates rotary ring with lugs to engage with grooves in pipe connector - Google Patents

Abstract

The coupling, designed to fit a threaded connector (12) on a water meter to an inlet (6) or outlet pipe, incorporates a ring (10) with an inner thread (11) to fit on the meter connector and outer surface lugs (13) to engage with grooves (14) in the pipe connector. The lugs are fitted into the grooves via inlet slots (15), and the ring is then rotated so they engage with notches at the other end of the slots. Seals (17) inside the pipe connector make the joint watertight, while a seal (22) inside the ring does the same for the meter connector.

Description

ROTATING RING CONNECTION DEVICE FOR WATER METERING STATION

  The present invention relates to an improvement in connection devices, in particular for water metering stations.

  The connection of water meters requires junction devices with possibly water cut-off means. To do this, it is known to interpose connection modules provided with valves between the meter and the pipes. The document FR 2 800 401 Ai for example relates to a connection device with removable connector and valve. According to this document, it is planned to make a connection between a meter and a connection module by a nipple screwed onto a fixed elbow, the nipple and the elbow enclosing a support element. This device is however bulky and requires many parts. Furthermore, the fixing of fittings on the meter is made by screwing and the tightening of the seal is dependent on the position of the fittings on the meter which can lead to too much crushing of the seal to realign the organs of the counting station. water.

  1 5 In order to increase the flexibility of making the connections to the water metering station and to offer a reduced footprint, patent application FR01 07069 in the name of the applicant proposes a connection device according to which tubular connections are received in a body forming a water inlet-outlet module and are therefore provided with 20 male end pieces with external O-rings. According to this patent application, the body forming a water inlet-outlet module comprises isolation valve valve means. According to this device, the tubular connections are connected to the meter through screwed intermediate connection elements allowing a certain adaptation of the positions of the parts but to the detriment of an implementation requiring position adjustments.

  The connection of the pipes to the meter is, according to the systems of the prior art, an operation which can lead to the crushing of seals of the facial type such as flat seals or O-rings taken between two spans between the meter and the connection pipes. In fact, the pipes are screwed onto water outlets and water inlets on the meter and, depending on the manufacturing tolerances of the threads, the complete screwing may not agree with a correct angular position of the pipes, 10 in the most unfavorable cases it is necessary to make the tubing practically a full turn between a position for which the seal is in contact with its bearing surface and the position where the tubing is in its mounting axis, which amounts to at the joint, at a gap of up to practically 1 mm of crushing, this crushing being liable to cause leaks and degradation of the joint over time.

  In order to guarantee increased longevity of the connections, it is desirable to improve the tightness of the connection area, in particular by avoiding crushing the seals at the outputs of the meter.

  For this, the invention mainly proposes a connection device, in particular applicable to a water metering station consisting mainly of a meter provided with nozzles and a connection module, the meter and the module being connected by a tube. inlet and outlet tubing, each connected by means of connection to one of said nozzles, at least one of the connection means comprising a ring, associated with one of said pipes and provided with a part for receiving the 'one of said nozzles, the ring and the associated tubing being provided with cooperating retaining means in translation along the axis of revolution of the ring, these retaining means allowing relative rotation of the tubing and the ring along at least one 30 angular sector.

  More particularly, the cooperating means for retaining in translation may include bosses on an external cylindrical surface of the ring and segments of internal grooves in the tube.

  In particular, the internal groove segments are separated by 5 segments for introducing the bosses. In addition at least one of the groove segments may include a stop in rotation of at least one of the bosses.

  The ring and the associated tubing may include complementary sealing means.

  Advantageously, the complementary sealing means may comprise at least one seal, housed in an internal groove of the tube, coming to bear against an external surface of the ring, these means allowing a seal to be maintained between the ring and the tube. .

  In an advantageous embodiment, the ring is screwed onto the associated connection nozzle, the ring and the connection nozzle may include front sealing means.

  Still according to the invention, the tubing can be mounted on the ring according to several distinct angular positions, the ring being able to rotate in the tubing according to an angular sector.

  The invention also relates to a method of connecting at least one tubing to a meter provided with a device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the following steps: screwing a ring on a meter connection to a sealed support position, insertion of the tubing on the ring according to a determined angular position of engagement 25 of the cooperating retaining means, rotation of the tubing to place it in an angular position of engagement in the connection module.

  Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description which follows, given by way of nonlimiting exemplary embodiment, in relation to the appended figures which represent: - Figure 1, a general view of a water metering according to the invention, FIG. 2a, a perspective view of a water meter and a ring during an assembly step according to the invention, - FIG. 2b, a view of the device according to FIG. 2a during a complementary step of fitting tubes, - FIG. 3 a detail in section of a tube and a ring and a side view of a tap, - FIG. 4 a perspective view of a ring and a tube according to the invention, - Figure 5 a detail of engagement means between the ring and the tube according to the invention.

  In FIG. 1 is described a water metering station 1 comprising a meter 2, a connection module 3 and connecting pipes between the meter 2 and the module 3. According to this system, the inlet pipes 100 and outlet 101 of water are spaced apart and received on a lower face of the module. The module comprises a first chamber 1 03 connected downwards to the water inlet pipe and upwards to a first tube 6 bringing the water to the meter 2. At the outlet of the meter, the water passes in a second tubing 7, optionally provided with a shut-off valve 102, then passes into a second chamber 104 of the module and exits the station through the line 20 101 to be distributed to the subscriber.

  To connect the metering station, it is first of all necessary to connect the pipes 100, 101 to the module in the traditional way.

  Then connect the pipes 6 and 7 to the meter and finally insert and lock them in the module to complete the connection.

  FIGS. 2a and 2b show the steps for mounting the pipes 6, 7 on the meter 2, before mounting the pipes on the module 3.

  In Figure 2a in the left part a ring 10 is shown in front of a tap 1 2 before receiving it. In FIG. 2a in the right part has been shown a ring 10 in section mounted on the counter 2.

  The meter comprises on the water inlet side and on the water outlet side 1 2 connection sockets or tappings. According to the example, each tap is associated with a ring 1 0. The ring 1 0 and its associated tap 1 2 have complementary threads 11, 20 making it possible to screw the ring onto the tap. The nozzles are provided with an external thread 20 intended to receive an internal thread 1 1 (visible in FIG. 3) of the ring 1 0.

  To ensure leaktightness at the outlet of the counter, the ring 10 and the nozzle 12 comprise front sealing means 21, 22 such that the end of the nozzle constitutes a bearing surface 21 for a seal 22 disposed in the ring. The seal, for example located in a groove in the ring, which can be an O-ring made of elastomeric material, makes it possible to seal the connection between the nozzle and the ring. In the case of an O-ring, the seal is obtained by screwing the ring 10 onto the connection 12 for a reduced tightening torque, For a standard fitting whose thread has a pitch of about 1.8 mm, this torque of tightening corresponds approximately to a quarter of tightening turn from the contact of the seal with the surface 21.

  The screwing of the ring on the nozzle is represented by the arrow reference 1 5 A in FIG. 2b illustrating, on the left side of the figure, a ring being screwed on the meter and, on the right side of the figure, a ring screwed onto the meter, the tubing being positioned.

  To mount the tubing on the ring, the invention proposes to provide the tubing and the ring with means 13, 14 retaining cooperants in translation 20 along the axis of revolution of the ring, these retaining means allowing the rotation of the ring. according to at least one angular sector. An example of such means is described with reference to FIG. 4. According to the invention, the tubing has an at least partial degree of freedom in rotation around the ring, so as not to cause the ring to rotate at least on a sector of rotation of the tubing. This makes it possible not to crush the seal 22 by a screwing of the ring caused by a drive of the ring by the tubing during the correct positioning of the tubing. To do this and, according to the example shown in Figure 4, the retaining means comprise bosses 13 formed on an external cylindrical surface of the ring. These bosses 30 can enter internal groove segments 14 in the tubing through segments 1 5 for introducing the bosses separating the groove segments. According to the example shown, four bosses are arranged at the periphery of the ring and four grooves, perpendicular to the axis of insertion of the ring in the tubing, are made in the tubing. Thus the tubing can rotate about a quarter of a turn around the ring without driving the ring in rotation. It remains within the scope of the invention to provide a different number of bosses and segments. For example, a device comprising 8 bosses and 8 segments of an eighth of a turn or else three bosses and three or six segments optionally makes it possible to adapt the free travel of the ring in the pipe as a function of the pitch of the threads of the nozzle and the ring .

  Still according to FIG. 4 and according to the detail shown in FIG. 5, the groove segments comprise stop stops 1 6 in rotation of the bosses 1 3. At least one stop stop is necessary. This or these stops allow a final tightening of the ring on the nozzle. In addition and more particularly visible in FIG. 5, notches 25 produced at the end of the groove segment 14 for example by simple milling or by cutting allow, by a slight recoil of the ring when the system is pressurized, a blocking of the bosses 13 which snap into the notches, the notches 25 making it possible to stop the ring in rotation and to prevent any inadvertent movement of the ring or accidental uncoupling 20.

  Thus according to the invention, to connect the pipes 6, 7 to the meter 2, the operator, proceeding to the connection of the meter between a subscriber and the network, can first of all screw the ring 10 according to the arrow A on the nozzle 1 2 for connection of the meter to a sealed support position of the seal 22 on the surface 21 forming a bearing surface, the seal being in abutment between this bearing surface 21 and a flange 23 of the ring, then insert the tubing on the ring , this according to an engagement position of the cooperating means 13, 14 angularly distant at most a quarter turn, for a device with four bosses and four grooves, relative to the final mounting position of the tubing on a module, then finally turn the tubing to position it in the angular position of engagement in the module 3. According to this principle it is possible to subject the joint to only minimal additional compression and in any case less than the compression caused by a quarter turn of the ring on the nozzle.

  Still according to the invention, it is also possible for the operator to screw the ring until simple contact of the seal 22 with the bearing surface 21, then to insert the tubing on the ring, this, according to an engagement position of the cooperating means 1 3, 1 4 retaining angularly more than a quarter of a turn and less than half a turn, always for a device with four bosses and four grooves, relative to the final mounting position of the tubing on a module, then finally, to rotate the tubing until positioning it in the angular position of engagement in the module 3. According to this principle, the operator performs the quarter-turn tightening of the seal of the ring with the tubing to perfect sealing.

  In order to achieve a seal between the ring 10 and the tubing 6, 7, complementary sealing means 1 7, 1 9 are provided between the ring and the tubing. These means, which must allow the ring to rotate in the tubing without loss of tightness include, according to the example shown in particular in Figures 3 and 4 at least one seal 1 7, housed in an internal groove 1 8 of the tubing 6 , 7, coming to bear against an external surface 1 9 of the ring. The external surface here is the periphery of the ring located behind the bosses 20 with respect to the front face of the ring considered as the face for introducing the ring onto the tap 1 2 of the meter.

  Thus the invention proposes to mount the tubing 6, 7 on the ring 1 0 according to several distinct angular positions, the ring being able to rotate in the tubing according to an angular sector then possibly driven in rotation 25 with the tubing by the stopper (s) 1 6. The invention thus allows easy positioning of the pipes relative to the meter and to the module to which they must be connected, without requiring special tools or risking crushing of the seal (s) at the outlet of the counter.

  The ring can in particular be made of plastic or composite material in order to limit the risks of corrosion or seizure between the pipes and the meter and allow easy disassembly.

  Thus, at the level of the counter-tubing interface, the invention provides an easy connection to implement, the ring making it possible to maintain a degree of freedom in rotation of the tubings allowing an easy approach of the 5 tubings for their connection with the module 3 The groove and boss system allows greater flexibility of adjustment and even if the friction between the ring and the tubing, during the rotation of the tubing, causes a tightening torque on the joint between the nozzle and the ring, this tightening torque remains low enough not to cause crushing of the seal.

Claims (8)

  1 - Connection device, in particular applicable to a water metering station (1) mainly consisting of a meter (2) provided with nozzles 5 (12) and a connection module (3), the meter (2 ) and the module (3) being connected by an inlet pipe (6) and an outlet pipe (7), each connected by means of connection to one of said nozzles (1 2) characterized in that at least one connection means comprises a ring (10), associated with one of said pipes and provided with a part 10 for receiving one of said nozzles (12), the ring and the associated pipe being provided with cooperating means (13 , 14) retaining in translation along the axis of revolution of the ring, these retaining means allowing relative rotation of the tube and the ring along at least one angular sector.   2 - Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the means 1 5 cooperating retaining in translation comprise bosses (1 3) on an outer cylindrical surface of the ring and internal groove segments (14) in the tubing.   3 - Device according to claim 2 characterized in that the internal groove segments (14) are separated by segments (15) for introducing the bosses.   4 - Device according to claim 2 or 3 characterized in that at least one of the groove segments has a stop (16) for stopping the rotation of at least one of the bosses (13).   - Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ring (10) and the associated tubing (6, 7) comprise complementary sealing means (1 7, 1 9).   6 - Device according to claim 5 characterized in that the complementary sealing means comprise at least one seal (1 7), housed in a groove (1 8) internal of the tube (6, 7), bearing against a outer surface (19) of the ring, these means allowing a seal to be maintained between the ring and the tube.   7 - Device according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the ring (10) is screwed onto the nozzle (12) associated.   8 - Device according to claim 7 characterized in that the ring (10) and the connection (12) associated comprise front sealing means (21, 22).   9 - Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tube (6, 7) is mounted on the ring (10) in several distinct angular positions, the ring being able to rotate in the tube according to an angular sector, notches (25) for stopping the rotating ring.   1 0 - Method for connecting at least one tube (6, 7) to a meter (2) provided with a device according to one of the preceding claims 15 characterized by the following steps: screwing (A) of a ring (10) on a tap (12) of the counter to a sealed support position, insertion of the tubing (6, 7) on the ring (10) according to a determined angular position of engagement of the cooperating means (13, 14) retaining, rotation (B) of the tubing to place it in an angular position of engagement in the connection module (3).