JP2000085806A - Pipe-sealing plug - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a plug that is adaptable on sealing pipe to various kinds of bore size and various kinds of shape at pipe end. SOLUTION: A fluid is supplied through a check valve 22 and a supply pipe 14 to an inflatable body 12 inserted into a pipe 36. Thereby, the inflatable body 12 is stuck close to the internal face of the pipe 36 and seals up the pipe 36. The supply pipe 14 provided being integral with the inflatable body 12 is housed almost entirely in a guide 16. The guide 16 is supported with a holder main body 26 of a holder 24. The pipe 36 is held between arms 30 of the holder 24, and thereby the guide 16 and the inflatable body 12 are supported and fixed to the pipe 36.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pipe sealing plug for sealing an open end of an installed pipe to prevent foreign matter from entering the inside of the pipe.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In many cases, refrigerant piping of an air conditioner of a large building such as a building is piped in accordance with the progress of construction of the building, and an end of the pipe is not connected to a compressor, a condenser or the like at an intermediate stage. It is in a state.
If the tube is kept in such a state, that is, the end portion is opened, foreign matter such as dirt and water may enter therethrough. After the air conditioner is completed, the foreign matter may enter the compressor and the condenser, and may cause the device to fail to achieve the expected performance. Conventionally, in order to prevent such foreign matter from entering, the open end of the installed pipe has been closed with a cap made of a material such as rubber or with a vinyl tape wound thereon.

[0003]

However, the cap is
It is necessary to prepare a separate one for each shape and diameter of the end of the tube. There are many types of pipe end shapes and the like, and there is a problem that it is necessary to prepare many caps in order to correspond to each type. In addition, when winding a vinyl tape, it is necessary to wind the tape without a gap, and it may not be possible to reliably seal the pipe end.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and is capable of accommodating various types of pipe end shapes, and can be easily mounted on the pipe end. It is intended to provide a stopper.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a tube sealing plug according to the present invention abuts on an open end of a tube,
A cover for covering the tube, an inflatable body inserted into the inside of the tube, inflated and closely attached to the inner surface of the tube, and a supply tube for penetrating the cover and supplying a fluid to the inflatable body from outside the tube; ,
And a valve provided on the supply pipe. The expanded body expands due to the supplied fluid, and comes into close contact with the inner surface of the tube, thereby sealing the tube.

Further, the tube may be provided with a holder for holding the cover and the inflatable body by sandwiching the tube from the outside.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a tube sealing plug 10 according to this embodiment. The inflatable body 12 is made of a stretchable and air-tight material such as rubber.
A supply pipe 14 for supplying a fluid to the inside of the container 2 is provided.
The supply pipe 14 can be provided integrally with the expansion body 12. Most of the supply pipe 14 is housed inside a cylindrical guide 16. The end of the guide 16 on the side of the expansion body 12 extends in a trumpet shape so as not to damage the expansion body 12. The guide 16 passes through a through hole 20 provided in the substantially disk-shaped cover 18. A check valve 22 is provided at the end of the supply pipe 14 opposite to the expansion body 12 with respect to the cover 18. The check valve 22 allows the fluid to be sent to the inside of the expansion body 12, and conversely prevents the fluid inside the expansion body 12 from flowing out.

FIG. 2 shows a holder 24 for securely fixing the pipe sealing plug 10 to the pipe end. Holder 24
Has a three-pronged holder main body 26, and a through hole 28 having a shape corresponding to the shape of the portion of the guide 16 protruding from the cover 18 is provided in the center of the holder main body 26.
An arm 3 is provided at each of the three-pronged ends of the holder body 26.
0 is rotatably supported. A holder 32 is attached to the tip of the arm 30, and
Has a spring 34 that urges the end of the arm 30 having the retainer 32 in the closing direction.

FIG. 3 shows a tube sealing plug 10 according to this embodiment.
Is shown. Guide 16 for tube sealing plug 10
Is inserted into the through hole 28 of the holder 24, and the holder 24 is attached to the pipe sealing plug 10. Unexpanded fluid 12 is inserted into tube 36 until cover 18 abuts the end of tube 36. This is performed with the arm 30 of the holder 24 open. After the expansion body 12 is inserted, the arm 30 is closed. Thereafter, the holder 24 clamps the tube 36 by the urging force of the spring 34, and fixedly supports the tube sealing plug 10 at the end of the tube 36. Then, the fluid is supplied into the expansion body 12 through the check valve 22. As the fluid, air is most easily available and is suitable, but any fluid such as gas and liquid can be used. The tube can be sealed by the inflatable body 12 expanding and coming into close contact with the inner wall surface of the tube 36. Further, even if the inner diameter of the tube changes, it is possible to cope with the change in the size of the expansion body 12. Accordingly, one pipe sealing plug 10 can handle pipes having various inner diameters. Further, since the shape of the cover 18 is a substantially circular plate, and particularly, it is not necessary to maintain airtightness here, the shape of the pipe end can be various.

[0010]

As described above, according to the present invention, even tubes having different inner diameters can be reliably sealed by the expandable body which expands itself and adheres to the inner surface of the tube. Further, by using the holder, the inflatable body can be supported on the tube.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a tube sealing plug according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a holder for fixing a pipe sealing stopper to a pipe end;

FIG. 3 is a view showing a state where a pipe sealing plug is attached to a pipe end;

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Pipe sealing stopper, 12 Expansion body, 14 Supply pipe, 16
Guide, 18 cover, 22 check valve, 24 holder,
26 holder body, 30 arm, 34 spring, 36
tube.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A cover which abuts on and covers an open end of a pipe, an inflatable body which is inserted into the inside of the pipe, expands and closely adheres to the inner surface of the pipe, and seals the pipe; A pipe sealing plug comprising: a supply pipe configured to supply a fluid to the expansion body; and a valve provided in the supply pipe. 2. The pipe-sealing plug according to claim 1, further comprising a holder for sandwiching the pipe from outside and supporting the cover and the inflatable body.