IE960692A1 - A pipe connector - Google Patents

Abstract

A precision pipe connector (1) has a socket (3) for receiving a pipe end (20). The socket (3) retains a gasket (6). The gasket (6) has a main pressurising portion (7) which presses radially against the wall of the pipe end inserted into the socket (3). The gasket (6) also has a tail hygiene portion (8) which extends along the pipe end to its rim (21) and completely surrounds the rim (21) to prevent ingress of a food or pharmaceutical substance entering a void behind the rim (21). In this way an effective and hygienic seal is created for pipework in the food or pharmaceutical industries in an extremely simple manner.<Figs.4&5>

Description

A Pipe Connector The invention relates to a pipe connector of the precision type which has a socket for reception of a pipe end. The invention relates particularly to a pipe connector for use in pipework systems of the food or pharmaceutical industries.

For such applications, it is extremely important that there are no internal voids or crevices within which a substance may be entrapped and cause contamination. To ensure that this does not arise, it is often the practice to make joints in such pipework systems by welding. However, welding of treated steel such as stainless steel is a task which requires specialist skills and equipment. The task is also of course time-consuming and expensive.

Another approach has been to heat-treat a pipe end or socket to cause it to expand, to apply adhesive to the pipe end which is to be inserted and to insert one into the other and allow a seal to develop as the heated part cools and contracts and the adhesive cures. While this requires less skill than welding, it is still a time20 consuming and expensive task and the joints tend to degrade over time due to ambient temperature and pressure. For example, repeated heating caused by steam purging can cause mutual expansion and contraction of the parts, thus gradually breaking the adhesive seal.

There is therefore a need for a pipe connector which allows connection of pipe ends in a simple and inexpensive manner whereby there are no voids or crevices for contamination build-up. arw&Li ^ΙρΑ,.| I OPEN TO PUBLIC INSPECTION UNDER SECTION 28 AND RULE 23 JNL. No...\%.S.S..... __J 960692. - 2 According to the invention, there is provided a precision pipe connector of the socketed type having an internal circumferential seat supporting an annular pipe endcontacting gasket, characterised in that, the socket includes an internal pipe end stop; and the gasket has a main pressuring portion for pressing radially against a pipe end, and a tail hygiene portion extending to the end stop to lie between the rim of a pipe end and the socket.

Preferably, the end stop extends circumferentially around the socket.

In one embodiment, the end stop comprises a tapered wall of the socket.

In another embodiment, the tail hygiene portion of the gasket is tapered in conformity with the end stop.

Preferably, the tail hygiene portion is configured to extend beyond a limit position set by the end stop whereby an inserted pipe end rim severs a trailing end of the tail hygiene portion.

In one embodiment, the gasket seat comprises an annular groove in the socket and preferably the gasket main pressurising portion is retained within the groove and preferably the gasket main pressurising portion has the general shape of an O-ring.

In another embodiment, the connector is of stainless steel material and the gasket is of rubber material. - 3 Preferably, the connector further comprises a locking means located on the socket forwardly of the gasket for engagement between the socket and a pipe end.

Ideally, the locking means comprises a locking screw mounted on and passing through the socket wall for engagement with a pipe end.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:Fig. 1 is a perspective view from above of portion of a pipe connector of the invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view from above of a gasket of the connector; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the gasket; and Figs. 4 and 5 are cross-sectional side views showing insertion of a pipe end into the connector.

Referring to the drawings, a pipe connector 1 is shown. The connector 1 is a precision straight connector of stainless steel material, having a central conduit 2 and a socket 3 at each end. For clarity, only one socket is shown.

The socket 3 comprises a mouth 4 at a front extremity, and it joins the conduit 2 at an expanded part 5 of the connector 1. The connector 1 also comprises a gasket 6 of rubber material which is seated within the expanded part 5.

As shown most clearly in Figs. 4 and 5, the expanded part 5 of the connector 1 comprises a circumferential groove 10 and an integral tapered wall end stop 11. The inner diameter of the end stop 11 is less than that of the mouth 4.

The gasket 6 comprises a main pressurising portion 7 which is of substantially circular cross-sectional shape - much like an O-ring. The gasket 6 also has a tail hygiene portion 8 which is tapered in conformity with the end stop 11 and extends rearwardly in the space inside the end stop 11.

In operation, the connector 1 is used as a precision fitting in a pipework system for the food or pharmaceutical industries in which maintenance of hygiene is extremely important. It is used as a straight connector to connect two adjoining pipe ends, however, for clarity, insertion of only one pipe end is illustrated as the two sockets are similar.

Connection of a pipe end 20 to the connector 1 is extremely simple. As illustrated in Fig. 4, a pipe end 20 is prepared by ensuring that the rim 21 has been squarely cut and is free of burrs or other debris. The pipe end 20 is pushed into the socket 3 through the mouth 4 as illustrated in Fig. 4. When the rim 21 reaches the gasket 6, the main pressurising portion 7 of the gasket 6 presses inwardly against the wall of the pipe end 20. Further movement of the pipe end 20 brings it to a limit position against the end stop 11 as illustrated in Fig. 5. The tail hygiene portion 8 of the gasket 6 is configured so that it extends just beyond the limit position so that the trailing edge surrounds the rim 21 and in practice a small part of the trailing end will be severed by the rim 21 as 960692. - 5 the tail portion 8 extends just beyond the limit position to ensure that there is always an hygienic seal around the rim 21.

As will be clearly seen from Fig. 5, the main pressurising portion 7 operates to apply radial pressure on the pipe end 20 to provide a strong seal, while the tail hygiene portion 8 acts to provide an hygienic seal around the rim to prevent entry of the substance being carried in the pipework behind the rim 21.

It will be appreciated that connection of the pipe end to the connector 1 is extremely simple. It is only necessary for the plumber to ensure that the pipe end 20 is correctly prepared and to simply push it home into the connector 1 to create the seal. This is much quicker than present methods for connecting pipe ends, without sacrificing quality of the seal.

Depending on the location of the joint in the pipework, the plumber may use an additional fixture to connect the pipe end to the socket 3. For example, a locking screw may be inserted through the wall of the socket 3 to press against the wall of the pipe end 20 to lock it in place. Alternatively, the plumber may apply adhesive around the pipe end, the adhesive curing to form a bond between the pipe end 20 and the wall of the socket 3 between the gasket 6 and the mouth 4. Alternatively, if both the connector 1 and the pipe are well secured by brackets there may be no need for additional means of securing the connector and pipe end together.

It will be appreciated that the joint may be easily broken by simply pulling the pipe end from the connector, the gasket 6 being retained in position by the groove 10. The pipe end and the connector may then be cleaned during a 960692. - 6 maintenance period. The joint may then be re-made after cleaning, either using the original gasket 6 or a replacement.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described. For example, it is envisaged that the gasket 6 may be ribbed, so that it presses against the pipe end wall in rings extending along the tail portion 8. It is also envisaged that the tail portion 8 may include a weakened trailing end which can be easily severed by the rim of the pipe end 20 as it is inserted. This helps to ensure that there is both a consistent seal around the rim 21 and that parts of the gasket do not project into the connector. It is also envisaged that the end stop need not necessarily be circumferential, as non-circumferential stop members could be used to provide the function of limiting movement of the pipe end into the connector and the gasket may be configured to seal all the way around the rim with a larger gap in places between the rim and the end stop. It is also envisaged that the gasket may be of triangular cross-sectional shape, the wider end being the main pressuring portion and the thinner end being the tail hygiene portion. Of course, the connector could take the form of any suitable type in addition to a straight connector, such as an elbow or T-piece.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied within the scope of the claims and the construction and detail.

Claims (12)

1. A precision pipe connector of the socketed type having an internal circumferential seat supporting an annular pipe end-contacting gasket, characterised in that, 5 the socket includes an internal pipe end stop; and the gasket has a main pressuring portion for pressing radially against a pipe end, and a tail hygiene portion extending to the end stop to lie between the rim of a pipe end and the socket. 10

2. A pipe connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the end stop extends circumferentially around the socket.

3. A pipe connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the end stop comprises a tapered wall of the socket.

4. A pipe connector as claimed in claim 3, wherein the 15 tail hygiene portion of the gasket is tapered in conformity with the end stop.

5. A pipe connector as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the tail hygiene portion is configured to extend beyond a limit position set by the end stop 20 whereby an inserted pipe end rim severs a trailing end of the tail hygiene portion.

6. A pipe connector as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the gasket seat comprises an annular groove in the socket.

7. A pipe connector as claimed in claim 6, wherein the gasket main pressurising portion is retained within the groove.

8. A pipe connector as claimed in claim 7, wherein the 5 gasket main pressurising portion has the general shape of an O-ring.

9. A pipe connector as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the connector is of stainless steel material and the gasket is of rubber material.

10. 10. A pipe connector as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a locking means located on the socket forwardly of the gasket for engagement between the socket and a pipe end.

11. A pipe connector as claimed in claim 10, wherein the 15 locking means comprises a locking screw mounted on and passing through the socket wall for engagement with a pipe end.

12. A pipe connector substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the 20 accompanying drawings.