JP2000092676A - Connector for waterproof flexible electric wire pipe - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector for connecting a waterproof flexible electric wire pipe to another instruments securely with a single action while retaining high waterproofness. SOLUTION: When a gate-type insertion pin 18 with a spring property is inserted into a gate-type insertion part 6 being provided at a body 1 and is slightly exposed at the inner surface side and then a bushing 13 that is screwed into a flexible electric wire pipe 50 is engaged into the body 1, the exposed part of the insertion pin 18 is hooked to an engagement line groove 15 of the bushing 13. Its insertion part 6 is provided with an insertion pin 8 and an enlargement part 9 that is extended from it and is enlarged in steps. The insertion pin 18 is provided with a projection part halfway through a gate-type leg part 20 and a hook at the tip of the leg part 20, the projection part is engaged to a stepped part 9a when the bushing 13 is to be engaged for preventing the insertion pin 18 from escaping, and at the same time the hook is engaged to the stepped part of the enlargement part 9 when the bushing 13 is allowed to leave to prevent the insertion pin 18 from being pulled out. Then, waterproofness can be secured by first and second packings 23 and 24.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in a connector for connecting a waterproof flexible conduit to another device such as a rigid conduit or a terminal box.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When an insulated wire or an electric cable is laid underground or attached to a building or a frame, it is often protected by a conduit. However, if there is a stepped portion or a portion subject to vibration in the installation route, it is necessary to interpose a flexible conduit between the hard conduits. Also, flexible conduits are often used for connecting parts from conduits to terminal boxes of equipment. A commonly used flexible conduit has a flexible cylindrical body such as rubber or soft plastic, and a metal wire spirally embedded in a peripheral wall of the cylindrical body. In many cases, the bellows shape has spiral irregularities formed on the inner wall along. If there is a risk of flooding from the outside when using such a flexible conduit, a waterproof flexible conduit provided with a further waterproof layer on the outer periphery is used,
A waterproof connector is used for the connection.

[0003] Conventionally, a waterproof connector generally used has a first connection portion connected to a flexible conduit and a second connection portion connected to another device or the like coaxially. The connection with the flexible conduit is made by combining the flexible conduit with the first connecting portion via the bushing and the packing.
From above, they are tightened with cap nuts. However, this type of connector has a problem in that it requires time and effort to remove and attach the flexible conduit so that the waterproof performance is affected by the fastening of the cap nut. Therefore, the present applicant has previously proposed a waterproof connector improved from the above. (JP-A-8-289512)

[0004] The connector described in the above publication is a cylindrical main body in which a first connection portion connected to a flexible conduit and a second connection portion connected to another device or the like are provided coaxially in the axial direction. And a bushing provided with a helical groove on the outer periphery and a spiral uneven portion which can be screwed into the inner wall of the flexible conduit tube.
Then, a U-shaped insertion pin having a spring property is detachably inserted from the outside into an insertion portion provided in the first connection portion of the main body, and screwed into the flexible conduit via the first packing. By inserting the bushing into the first connection portion of the main body via the second packing, the insertion pin is hooked in the annular engaging groove on the outer periphery of the bushing.

[0005]

However, the above-mentioned connector has an advantage that a waterproof flexible conduit can be attached and detached with one touch, but a bushing screwed into the flexible conduit is attached to the first connection portion of the main body. At the time of insertion, if the insertion operation is too strong, the insertion pin is pushed up at the tip of the bushing,
In some cases, the insertion pin cannot be hooked in the engaging groove of the bushing. In addition, when the flexible conduit is detached from the connector, there is a problem that the inserted insertion pin is easily lost. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved connector for a waterproof flexible conduit which solves such a problem.

[0006]

According to the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems, that is, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a waterproof flexible electric conduit tube 50 having a spiral uneven portion formed on an inner wall by using another device. And a connector for connecting to the flexible conduit tube 50 and a second connecting portion 3 for connecting to another instrument or the like.
A bushing in which a main body fitting portion 14 having an engaging groove 15 on the outer periphery and a flexible conduit threaded portion 16 having a spiral uneven portion 17 which can be screwed into the inner wall of the flexible conduit tube 50 are coaxially provided. 13 and an insertion pin 18 having a pair of legs 20 and having a spring property and formed in a substantially U-shape. The enlarged portion 9 is provided at an intermediate portion of each of the legs 20 of the insertion pin 18.
A projection 21 is formed on the stepped portion 9a of the enlarged portion 9 and a hook 22 is formed on the tip of the projection 21. The projection 22 is formed on the stepped portion 9b of the enlarged portion 9. A pair of insertion holes 8 communicating with the peripheral surface, and an insertion portion 6 having an enlarged portion 9 that expands in a stepped manner from the insertion hole 6 are provided. In a state where the insertion pin 18 is inserted into the insertion portion 6,
The main body fitting portion 14 of the bushing 13 screwed into the flexible conduit tube 50 via the first packing 23 is inserted into the second packing 2.
4. A waterproof flexible conduit connector, wherein the insertion pin 18 is hooked into the engaging groove 15 of the bushing 13 by being fitted into the first connection portion 2 of the main body 1 through the connector 4. is there.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the first connecting portion 2 includes the bushing engaging tube 4 provided with the inserting portion 6 and the tube inserting tube 5 having an inner diameter larger than that. Have
The bushing 13 has a main body fitting portion 14 whose outer diameter is enlarged stepwise from the flexible conduit threaded portion 16 to be coaxially extended, and the flexible conduit threaded portion 16 of the bushing 13 is While being screwed into the opening, the first packing 23 is connected to the distal end surface of the flexible conduit tube 50 and the bushing 1.
3 and between the outer peripheral surface of the flexible conduit tube 50 and the inner surface of the pipe insertion tube 5 in the first connection portion 2. Further, the first packing 23 has a free end. This is a waterproof flexible conduit connector having a substantially S-shaped cross-section that continues to the distal end of the pipe insertion tube 5.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the stepped surface 10 is provided in the bushing engaging cylinder 4 of the first connecting portion 2, and the second packing 24 formed in a ring shape is provided. , A waterproof flexible conduit connector interposed between the step surface 10 and the tip of the main body fitting portion 14 of the bushing 13. The present invention described in claim 4 is the invention according to claims 1 to
The waterproof flexible conduit connector according to claim 3, wherein a tapered portion (14b) is formed at an end of the main body fitting portion (14) of the bushing (13).

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of a main body constituting the connector of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. In these figures, a cylindrical main body 1 has a first connection portion 2 to which a flexible conduit is connected at one end, and a second connection portion 3 to which other devices are connected at the other end. It is provided coaxially. The first connecting portion 2 is formed by coaxially connecting the bushing engaging cylinder 4 and the pipe inserting cylinder 5 having a larger inner diameter than the bushing engaging cylinder 4. A substantially U-shaped insertion pin described later is connected to the bushing engaging cylinder 4. An insertion portion 6 for mounting is provided.

The insertion portion 6 has an arc groove 7 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the bushing engaging cylinder 4, a pair of insertion holes 8 communicating from both ends of the arc groove 7 to the inner peripheral surface, and a step-like enlargement therefrom. A stepped portion 9a is formed on one side in the axial direction and a stepped portion 9b is formed on the other side at the boundary between the insertion hole 8 and the enlarged portion 9. As shown in FIG. 2, the enlarged portion 9 has a slit shape with one side opened to the inner peripheral surface. In the illustrated example, the enlarged portion 9 extends from the end of the insertion hole 8. It is also possible to provide an enlarging portion 9 which expands in the form of a step from midway. A step surface 10 is provided in the bushing engaging cylinder 4 of the first connection portion 2.
Further, a hexagonal flange 11 for engaging a tool such as a wrench is provided on an outer peripheral portion of the bushing engagement cylinder 4. An external thread portion 12 is formed in the second connection portion 3 on the left side of the main body 1 so that it can be screw-coupled to another device (not shown). Note that the second connection portion 3 may be configured to be flange-connected to another device.

FIG. 3 is an axial sectional view of the bushing 13 combined with the main body 1. The bushing 13 has a main body fitting portion 14 at the front end portion, and a flexible conduit threaded portion 16 on the outer periphery of the intermediate portion and the rear end portion.
The outer diameter is increased coaxially from the threaded portion 16 of the flexible conduit so as to be stepped. Then, a step surface 14a is formed at the boundary. An annular engaging groove 15 is provided in the outer peripheral portion of the main body fitting portion 14, and a flexible conduit threaded portion 16 is provided.
A spiral uneven portion 17 that can be screwed into the inner wall of the flexible conduit is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the flexible conduit. Further, a tapered portion 14b is formed at the tip of the main body fitting portion 14. FIG. 4 is a front view showing an example of the insertion pin mounted on the insertion section 6. As shown in FIG. The insertion pin 18 includes an arc portion 19 and a pair of leg portions 20 extending from both ends thereof. The insertion pin 18 is formed by, for example, bending a piano wire or the like and has spring properties as a whole. A convex portion 21 slightly bent outward is formed near the upper end of the intermediate portion of each leg portion 20, and a hook portion 22 bent slightly inward is formed at the distal end. The widths of the protrusion 21 and the hook 22 substantially match the diameter of the insertion hole 8. Furthermore, the insertion pin 18 is free in its shoulder width L _1.
Is made equal to or slightly larger than the outer maximum width of the pair of insertion holes 8, and the width L ₂ between the lower ends of the legs 20 is made equal to or slightly smaller than the inner minimum width of the pair of insertion holes 8. Is formed.

[0012]

How to use FIGS. 5 to 7 show a procedure for attaching the insertion pin 18 to the insertion portion 6 of the bushing engaging cylinder 4. FIG. The inner diameter of the insertion hole 8 of the insertion portion 6 is set to a size that allows the hook portion 22 and the projection 21 to pass through. First, as shown in FIG. 5, the two legs 20 are inserted into the insertion holes 8 by utilizing the resiliency of the insertion pins 18 so as to pass through the hooks 22, and the projections 21 are inserted into the insertion holes 8 as shown in FIG. insert. Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the insertion pin 18 is attached to the insertion portion 6 by completely passing the projection 21 through the insertion hole 8. Insert pin 1 in that state
The circular arc portion 8 of 8 is stably mounted in the circular groove 7 of the insertion portion 6.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10, a method of connecting a waterproof flexible conduit to another device using the connector of the present invention will be described. First, as shown in FIG.
3 is screwed into the waterproof flexible conduit 50 via the first packing 23. Note that the first packing 23 is integrally made of an elastic material such as rubber,
The cross section of the short tube is a substantially S-shaped cross section having a straight portion 23a and bent portions 23b and 23c bent from both ends thereof,
One bent portion 23 b is interposed between the distal end surface of the flexible conduit tube 50 and the step surface 14 a of the main body fitting portion 14. On the other hand, for the main body 1, the insertion portion 6 of the bushing
The above-mentioned insertion pin 18 is inserted into the connector. Further, the second packing 24 formed in a ring shape is mounted in contact with the step surface 10 of the bushing engaging cylinder 4. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the second packing 24 is formed in an annular shape having a U-shaped cross section, and is integrally made of an elastic material such as rubber. Then, when pressed against the tip of the main body fitting portion 14,
The second packing 24 is deformed from the state of the solid line to the state of the chain line to maintain liquid tightness.

As shown by the arrow in FIG.
The bushing 13 screwed into the bushing 0 is brought close to the first connection portion 2 of the main body 1, and the main body fitting portion 14 is
Is inserted. Then, as shown in FIG. 10, both legs 20 of the insertion pin 18 are fitted into the engaging groove 15 of the main body fitting portion 14,
Thereby, the bushing 13 is stably connected to the main body 1. At this time, one bent portion 23 of the first packing 23 is used.
b is interposed between the distal end surface of the flexible conduit tube 50 and the stepped surface 14a of the main body fitting portion 14, and the straight portion 23a is
The outer peripheral surface of the flexible conduit tube 50 into which is screwed and the first connecting portion 2
And the other bent portion 23c contacts the distal end of the pipe insertion tube 5. First
By arranging the packing 23 in this way, high waterproofness can be maintained between the flexible conduit 50, the bushing 13, and the main body 1.

When the main body fitting portion 14 of the bushing 13 is fitted into the bushing engaging cylinder 4, the main body fitting portion 14
The insertion pin 18 is formed by the tapered portion 14b formed at the tip of
Since each of the legs 20 is guided and opened outward, the main body insertion portion 14 can be smoothly inserted. When each leg 20 is opened outward, a force is generated in the insertion pin 18 to move it in the upward direction (that is, in the pull-out direction). However, as shown in FIG. Since it is hooked on one of the step portions 9a, it does not come out upward, so that the insertion pin 18 can be stably held against the moving force.

Next, in order to detach and attach the flexible conduit 50 connected to the main body 1 as described above together with the bushing 13, first, the insertion pin 1 attached to the arc-shaped groove 7 of the bushing engaging cylinder 4.
8 is pulled up by a sharp tool such as a screwdriver, and the convex portion 21 of the leg portion 20 is lifted off the step portion 9a of the enlarged portion 9 by bending due to the spring property. When the leg portion 20 is lifted halfway as shown in FIG. 5, the leg portion 20 is detached from the engaging groove 15 of the main body fitting portion 14, and the flexible conduit 50 together with the bushing 13 can be detached from the main body 1. State.
On the other hand, the leg portion 20 pulled up to the state shown in FIG. 5 cannot be further pulled up because the hook portion 22 is hooked on the step 9 b of the enlarged portion 9. Therefore, since the insertion pin 18 is still hung on the main body 1, it is not lost.

[0017]

As described above, the connector according to the first aspect of the present invention can easily attach and detach a waterproof flexible electric conduit to another electric conduit or a terminal box while maintaining high waterproofness. it can. Therefore, it is extremely easy to lay or change the electric wiring or to perform maintenance and inspection. Further, the insertion portion of the first connection portion has an insertion hole and an enlarged portion that expands in a step-like manner from the insertion hole, and a convex portion that can be engaged with the step portion of the enlarged portion is provided at an intermediate portion between the legs of the insertion pin. Since the hook is formed at the front end thereof and can be hooked on the step portion of the enlarged portion, when the bushing is fitted into the first connection portion of the main body, the insertion pin is held at the front end of the bushing. Even if it is pushed up, the pushing up is prevented by the engagement of the convex portion with the step portion. Therefore, the insertion pin can be securely hooked on the engaging groove of the bushing.

Further, the connector according to the second aspect is provided with a first connector.
The connecting portion has a bushing engagement tube provided with an insertion portion and a tube insertion tube having a larger inner diameter than that of the bushing. When the body fitting portion is fitted into the first connection portion by screwing the flexible conduit threaded portion of the bushing into the flexible conduit tube, the first packing is in contact with the distal end surface of the flexible conduit tube. And between the outer peripheral surface of the flexible conduit and the inner surface of the tube insertion tube at the first connection portion, and further has an S-shaped cross section which continues to the tip of the tube insertion tube. Therefore, high waterproofness can be maintained between the flexible conduit, the bushing, and the main body.

Further, in the connector according to the third aspect, a step surface is provided in the bushing engagement cylinder of the first connection portion,
The ring-shaped second packing is interposed between the step surface and the tip of the main body fitting portion of the bushing, whereby more reliable and high waterproofness can be maintained. Next, the connector according to claim 4 is characterized in that a tapered portion is formed at the tip of the body fitting portion of the bushing, whereby the body fitting portion of the bushing is fitted into the bushing engaging cylinder of the first connection portion. At this time, the legs of the insertion pin are guided outward and opened, so that the main body fitting portion 14 can be fitted more smoothly.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of a main body constituting a connector of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG.

FIG. 3 shows a bushing 13 combined with the main body 1 of FIG.
FIG.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing an example of an insertion pin mounted on the insertion section 6 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a first stage of mounting the insertion pin of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a second stage of mounting the insertion pin of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a third stage of mounting the insertion pin of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a state in which the bushing 13 screwed into the flexible conduit tube 50 is inserted into the main body 1 of FIG.

FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged side view of a second packing 24 shown in FIG. 8 and a modified explanatory view thereof.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a state in which a bushing 13 screwed into a flexible conduit tube 50 is connected to the main body 1 of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 2 1st connection part 3 2nd connection part 4 bushing engagement tube 5 pipe insertion tube 6 insertion part 7 arc groove 8 insertion hole 9 enlarged part 9a step part 9b step part 10 step surface 11 flange part 12 outside Screw part 13 Bushing 14 Body fitting part 14a Step surface 14b Taper part 15 Engagement groove 16 Flexible conduit thread screw part 17 Irregular part 18 Insertion pin 19 Arc part 20 Leg part 21 Convex part 22 Hook part 23 First packing 23a Straight portion 23b Bend portion 23c Bend portion 24 Second packing 50 Flexible conduit

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Yoshiharu Tanaka 3-7-1 Nishishinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo Inside Toshiba Plant Construction Corporation (72) Inventor Minoru Nakagawa 3-7-1 Nishishinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo No. 1 Toshiba Plant Construction Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kenichi Nakayama 1-26-5, Kichijoji Honcho, Musashino City, Tokyo Lead Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Tokuaki Nakamura 1-26, Kichijoji Honcho, Musashino City, Tokyo No. 5 F-term in Lead Engineering Co., Ltd. (reference) 3J106 AA02 AB01 AB10 BA02 BB01 BC04 BD01 BE13 BE29 BE40 CA20 EA03 EB05 EC01 EC07 ED14 ED34 EE02 EF04 EF05 5G369 AA05 BA04 DC09 DC14 EA03

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A connector for connecting a waterproof flexible conduit 50 having a spiral uneven portion formed on an inner wall thereof to another device or the like, wherein a first connection for connecting to the flexible conduit 50 is provided. A cylindrical main body 1 in which a second connecting portion 3 for connecting to the portion 2 and other equipment is provided coaxially; a main body fitting portion 14 having an engaging groove 15 on the outer periphery; A bushing 13 provided coaxially with a flexible conduit threaded portion 16 having a helical uneven portion 17 which can be screwed into the inner wall, and a substantially U-shaped spring having a pair of legs 20. And a projection 21 which can be engaged with the step portion 9a of the enlarged portion 9 is formed at an intermediate portion between the legs 20 of the insertion pin 18;
A hook 22 is formed at the tip of the enlarged portion 9 so as to be hooked on the step portion 9b of the enlarged portion 9. The first connection portion 2 has a pair of insertion holes 8 communicating from the outer peripheral surface to the inner peripheral surface, and a step-like shape. An insertion portion 6 having an enlarged portion 9 for enlarging is provided. In a state where an insertion pin 18 is inserted into the insertion portion 6, the first
By fitting the body fitting portion 14 of the bushing 13 screwed into the flexible conduit tube 50 through the packing 23 into the first connecting portion 2 of the body 1 through the second packing 24, the bushing 13 Inserting pin 18 into hook groove 15
A waterproof flexible conduit connector, wherein the connector is hooked. 2. The first connecting portion 2 according to claim 1, wherein the first connecting portion 2 has a bushing engaging tube 4 provided with an inserting portion 6 and a tube inserting tube 5 having an inner diameter larger than the bushing engaging tube 4. The main body fitting portion 14 is coaxially extended from the flexible conduit threaded portion 16 with its outer diameter enlarged in a stepped manner, and the flexible conduit threaded portion 16 of the bushing 13 is screwed into the opening of the flexible conduit 50. , First packing 2
3 are interposed between the distal end surface of the flexible conduit tube 50 and the stepped surface 14a of the bushing 13 and between the outer peripheral surface of the flexible conduit tube 50 and the inner surface of the tube insertion tube 5 at the first connection portion 2. The free end of the first packing 23 has a pipe insertion tube 5.
A flexible flexible conduit connector having a substantially S-shaped cross section that continues to the tip of the connector. 3. The stepped surface 10 is provided in the bushing engaging cylinder 4 of the first connecting portion 2, and the second packing 24 formed in a ring shape is provided with the stepped surface 10 and the bushing 13. A waterproof flexible conduit connector interposed between the body fitting portion 14 and the distal end thereof. 4. The waterproof flexible conduit connector according to claim 1, wherein a tapered portion 14b is formed at a tip of the main body fitting portion 14 of the bushing 13.