JP2002089759A - Coupling - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a coupling capable of accurately and easily judging an insertion state of a pipe. SOLUTION: A confirmation means for confirming an insertion state of a pipe inserted to an insertion space 27 of the coupling 11 is constituted by a collar 20 and a shaft 21. A taper surface 31 is formed at a lower end of the shaft 21. An end of the pipe inserted to the insertion space 27 interferes with the taper surface 31. Thereby, the shaft 21 is upwardly moved and an upper end of the shaft 21 is projected from a through hole 30.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a joint used in a piping system for a water supply system and a hot water supply system, for example.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional joint of this type has an insertion space for allowing an end of a pipe to be inserted therein. It is known that a joint is provided with a confirmation hole or a transparent part in a corresponding portion of the joint so that the end of the pipe can be visually recognized.

[0003]

However, in the conventional joint described above, it is necessary to check the end of the pipe by looking into the confirmation hole or the transparent portion when checking the insertion state of the pipe, which is difficult to see. It was not easy to judge accurately.

The present invention has been made by focusing on the problems existing in the prior art as described above. It is an object of the present invention to provide a joint capable of accurately and easily determining the inserted state of a pipe.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, an insertion space for allowing an end of a pipe to be inserted is formed in a cylindrical main body. In a joint provided with a confirmation means for confirming an insertion state of a pipe inserted into a pipe, a pipe fitted in a through hole formed in a peripheral wall of the main body so as to communicate with the insertion space. And a shaft fitted into the collar, and an inclined surface is provided at an inner end of the shaft so as to face an end of a pipe inserted into the insertion space. The inner end is disposed so as to protrude into the insertion space, and the end of the pipe inserted into the insertion space interferes with the inclined surface, whereby the shaft is moved outward, and the outer end of the shaft is moved. So that it protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the main body The gist that form.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the joint according to the first aspect, a large-diameter portion is formed at an intermediate portion of the shaft, and the stepped surface which engages with an inner end surface of the large-diameter portion is provided. The gist is that it is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the hole.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the joint according to the first or second aspect, a large-diameter portion is formed at an intermediate portion of the shaft, and the step is engaged with an outer end surface of the large-diameter portion. The gist is that a surface is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the collar.

[0010] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the joint according to any one of the first to third aspects, an inner cylindrical portion fitted inside the pipe protrudes inside the main body, The gist is that a seal member for sealing between the inner cylinder and the pipe is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the present invention is described by using an end of a pipe constituting a water supply pipe and a polyolefin (crosslinked polyethylene,
An embodiment embodied in a joint for connecting an end of a pipe formed of a synthetic resin material such as polybutene will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, up, down, left and right in the following description correspond to up, down, left and right in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the joint 11 has, at the left end, a pipe connecting portion 12 to which an end of the pipe (not shown) is connected, and a pipe P (see FIGS. 3 and 4). Has a pipe connection portion 13 to the right end. The pipe P has an end inserted into the joint 11 from the pipe connection 13, and a pipe (not shown) has an end connected to the pipe connection 12.
Is connected to the joint 11 by external fitting. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the joint 11 has a cylindrical main body 14, a nut 15, a split ring 16, a washer 17, an O-ring 18 as a seal material, Packing 1
9, a collar 20, and a shaft 21. Body 14, nut 15, split ring 16, and washer 17
Is brass, O-ring 18 and packing 19 are ethylene-
The collar 20 and the shaft 21 are made of polyacetal, respectively, of a propylene-diene copolymer.

The main body 14 is provided with two threads 2
2,23. The nut 15 is screwed to the right end of the main body 14, and the tube (not shown) is screwed to the left end of the main body 14. The inner peripheral surface at the right end of the main body 14 is a tapered surface 24 that approaches the outer peripheral surface of the main body 14 toward the right side. Further, a cylindrical inner cylindrical portion 25 is protruded inside the main body 14. The inner cylindrical portion 25 extends rightward from an inner peripheral surface of an intermediate portion of the main body 14 in the axial direction. An accommodation groove 26 for accommodating the packing 19 is provided at the right end of the inner cylindrical portion 25.
Is recessed. The accommodation groove 26 is formed over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction of the inner cylindrical portion 25. The accommodation groove 26 is
The inner bottom surface is formed to be inclined so that the depth decreases toward the right side. The inner cylindrical portion 25 and the main body 14
An annular gap is formed between the pipe and the pipe P. The gap forms an insertion space 27 that allows the insertion of the pipe P inserted from the pipe connection portion 13 into the joint 11.

The packing 19 housed in the housing groove 26
Has a ring shape, and the width thereof is formed smaller than the width of the accommodation groove 26. For this reason, the packing 19 is provided in the housing groove 2.
6 can be moved left and right. Packing 1
The outer peripheral surface of 9 slightly protrudes from the accommodation groove 26 regardless of the position in the accommodation groove 26. And
The packing 19 is pressed against and engaged with the inner peripheral surface of the pipe P externally fitted to the inner cylindrical portion 25, thereby sealing between the pipe P and the inner cylindrical portion 25 and dropping the pipe P. Is suppressed.

The nut 15 has a thread 28 on the inner peripheral surface and an annular locking portion 29 extending radially inward from the right end. An adhesive layer (not shown) is partially interposed between the nut 15 and the threads 23 and 28 of the main body 14. The nut 15 is attached to the body 1
In a state where the main body 14 is not loosely tightened but slightly loosened with respect to the main body 14 by an adhesive layer (not shown).
Is adhered to. This adhesive layer (not shown)
The strength is set such that it can be broken by applying a rotation torque of 30N. Also, the adhesive layer (not shown)
It is formed by applying an adhesive, a sealant or the like between the screw threads 23 and 28.

The split ring 16 includes a nut 15 and a main body 14.
It is arranged between and. The split ring 16 is formed in a substantially C-shape, and has a configuration in which the diameter can be reduced when a force is applied from the outside toward the radial inside. The outer peripheral surface of the split ring 16 approaches the inner peripheral surface of the split ring 16 toward the left side, and the tapered surface 1 at the left end thereof coincides with the inner peripheral surface.
6a.

The washer 17 is formed in a ring shape, and is interposed between the split ring 16 and the locking portion 29 of the nut 15. The O-ring 18 is disposed inside the insertion space 27. The inner wall of the insertion space 27 and the end of the pipe P inserted into the insertion space 27 are in close contact with each other to seal between them.

The collar 20 and the shaft 21 constitute checking means for checking the insertion state of the pipe P inserted into the insertion space 27. As shown in FIG. 2, the collar 20 is fitted in a through hole 30 formed in a radial direction at an intermediate portion of the main body 14. The through hole 30 is formed so as to communicate with the insertion space 27 at a position corresponding to the inner part of the insertion space 27. A step surface 30a is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 30, and a hole diameter above the step surface 30a is larger than a hole diameter below the step surface 30a. The collar 20 is fitted into the through hole 30 at a large diameter portion above the step surface 30a. The collar 20 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and has a step surface 20a on an inner peripheral surface thereof. The inner diameter of the collar 20 above the step surface 20a is smaller than the inner diameter of the collar 20 below it.

On the other hand, the shaft 21 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. The lower end of the shaft 21 has a conical shape whose diameter decreases toward the bottom, and a tapered surface 31 as an inclined surface is formed at the lower end. A large diameter portion 32 is formed at an intermediate portion of the shaft 21 in the axial direction. The shaft 21 is disposed in the through hole 30 in a state of being fitted into the collar 20, and is configured to be able to move up and down in the through hole 30. This vertical movement of the shaft 21 is performed by moving the lower end surface of the large diameter portion 32 of the shaft 21 through the through hole 3.
0 and the large-diameter portion 32
Is restricted between a position where the upper end surface of the shaft 21 is engaged with the step surface 20 a of the collar 20, and an upper end of the shaft 21 is immersed in the through-hole 30 and a lower end projects from the through-hole 30 into the insertion space 27. And a position where the upper end of the shaft 21 projects outward from the through hole 30 and the lower end of the shaft 21 enters the through hole 30. Shaft 2
When the large diameter portion 32 is engaged with the step surface 30a of the through hole 30, the upper end surface of the shaft 21 and the outer peripheral surface of the main body 14 are flush. The outer peripheral surface of the shaft 21 is colored red. The outer peripheral surface of the shaft 21 that is colored red constitutes a visual recognition unit for improving visibility.

Next, the operation of the joint 11 configured as described above will be described. When connecting the pipe P to the pipe connecting portion 13 of the joint 11, first, as shown in FIG.
The end of the pipe P is externally fitted to the right end of the inner cylindrical portion 25, and the pipe P is pushed toward the inside of the joint 11 in this state.
When the pipe P is pushed inward, the packing 19 moves in the accommodation groove 26 to the left due to interference with the inner peripheral surface of the pipe P. When the pipe P is further pushed inward, the end of the pipe P is pressed against the tapered surface 31 at the lower end of the shaft 21. Since the diameter of the tapered surface 31 is reduced toward the lower side, when pressure is applied from the side by the pipe P, the shaft 21 is moved upward, and the upper end of the shaft 21 is outwardly immersed in the through hole 30. Displaced into a protruding state. As the pipe P is pushed in, the shaft 21
Gradually moves upward, and when the pipe P is pushed in until the end comes into contact with the O-ring 18, the amount of protrusion of the upper end of the shaft 21 becomes maximum.

After inserting the pipe P into the joint 11 as described above and confirming that the upper end of the shaft 21 protrudes outward, as shown in FIG.
The connection of the pipe P is completed by tightening. When the nut 15 is tightened, the split ring 16 is pushed to the left via the washer 17 by the locking portion 29 of the nut 15, and the tapered surface 16 a of the split ring 16 engages with the tapered surface 24 of the main body 14 to split the split ring 16. 16 is reduced in diameter. As a result, the split ring 16 is pressed against and engaged with the outer peripheral surface of the pipe P, thereby preventing the pipe P from being accidentally dropped. At the same time, the end of the pipe P is further pressed into the inside of the joint 11 while being pinched by the split ring 16, so that the end of the pipe P is pressed against the O-ring 18 to exhibit the sealing property.

When a force is applied to the pipe P in a state before the nut 15 is tightened by being inserted into the pipe connection portion 13 of the joint 11 in a pulling-out direction, the packing acts due to interference with the inner peripheral surface of the pipe P. The reference numeral 19 moves rightward in the accommodation groove 26. In this case, since the inner bottom surface of the housing groove 26 is inclined so that the depth of the housing groove 26 decreases toward the right side, the housing groove 26 protrudes from the inside of the housing groove 26 as compared to the case where the housing groove 26 is located to the left. The amount of the packing 19 is increased, and as a result, the packing 19 is more strongly pressed against and engaged with the inner peripheral surface of the pipe P. For this reason, a larger resistance is generated at the time of extraction than at the time of insertion.

According to the above-described embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. Whether or not the upper end of the shaft 21 projects outward;
In addition, since the inserted state of the pipe P can be determined by checking how much the pipe P is protruding, it is more accurate and more accurate than the conventional one in which the end of the pipe P is checked by looking into the end of the pipe P from a check hole or a transparent part. The insertion state of the pipe P can be easily determined.

Even if the work site is in a dark place, it is possible to confirm whether or not the upper end of the shaft 21 projects outward by touching with a hand. A taper surface 31 is formed at the lower end of the shaft 21 so as to decrease in diameter as it goes downward, and the end of the pipe P interferes with the taper surface 31 so that even if the shaft 21 rotates. In addition, the upper end of the shaft 21 can be reliably protruded and retracted according to the inserted state.

The component constituting the confirmation means is the collar 20
And the shaft 21, the assembling work is easy, and the parts management is also easy. In the case of the present embodiment, the step surface 20 a for restricting the upward movement of the shaft 21 is provided not on the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 30 but on the collar 20 fitted in the through hole 30. When the step surface 20a is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the through hole, it is necessary to form the hole diameter above the step surface 20a smaller than the hole diameter below the step surface 20a.
Its processing is not easy. However, in the case of the present embodiment,
By providing the step surface 20a on the collar 20, it is possible to avoid such difficult processing as described above. The shaft 21
In this embodiment, the step surface 30a for restricting the downward movement of the through hole 30 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 30, but the processing is not particularly difficult.

Since the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 21 is colored red, visibility when the upper end of the shaft 21 protrudes outward can be improved, and the determination of the inserted state of the pipe P is accurate and easy. Can be improved.

In the case of the present embodiment, the packing 19
The seal between the inner peripheral surface of the pipe P and the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 25 is ensured by the O-ring 18, and the seal between the end of the pipe P and the inner wall of the insertion space 27 is ensured by the O-ring 18. Have been. Therefore, there is no danger of water leakage without providing a seal mechanism between the outer peripheral surface of the collar 20 and the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 30 or between the inner peripheral surface of the collar 20 and the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 21. The configuration according to the means can be simplified.

When a force in the pulling direction acts on the pipe P inserted into the pipe connection portion 13 of the joint 11, the packing 19 moves into the accommodation groove 26 so as to follow the movement of the pipe P.
Move to the right inside. However, in this case, since the packing 19 that has moved to the right in the accommodation groove 26 is strongly pressed against and engaged with the inner peripheral surface of the pipe P, a large resistance is generated. Is done. For this reason, even if the pipe P is not stopped by the split ring 16 due to the tightening of the nut 15, there is little possibility that the pipe P falls off carelessly, and the pipe P can be temporarily fixed in a relatively stable state.

The nut 15 is adhered to the main body 14 by an adhesive layer (not shown), and the adhesive layer (not shown) is set to a strength that can be broken by applying a rotation torque of 20 to 30N. I have. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the possibility that the nut 15 will fall off the main body 14 due to vibration during transportation or the like. Further, since the strength is such that the nut 15 can be easily broken by rotating the nut 15 by hand, the end of the pipe P is connected to the pipe connecting portion 13.
When the nut 15 is tightened after being inserted into the hole, there is no possibility that the adhesive layer (not shown) causes any particular trouble.

The nut 15 is adhered to the main body 14 by an adhesive layer (not shown) in a state in which the nut 15 is slightly loosened, but not tightened, with respect to the main body 14. Therefore, when connecting the pipe P, once the nut 1
The end of the pipe P can be inserted into the pipe connection portion 13 without having to re-slack the connection 5, and the connection work can be facilitated.

The above-described embodiment can be modified as follows. In the above-described embodiment, the tapered surface 31 is formed at the lower end portion of the shaft 21 so as to decrease in diameter toward the lower side. However, the tapered surface 31 may be formed so that the lower end surface of the shaft 21 is inclined upward toward the right side. In this case, it is preferable to provide a rotation restricting means for suppressing the rotation of the shaft 21 in the through hole 30 and fixing the inclination direction of the inclined surface in the above direction. For example, a ridge extending in the axial direction is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 21, and a concave ridge corresponding to the ridge is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the collar 20, and the ridge and the concave ridge constitute rotation restricting means. You may.

The outer peripheral surface of the shaft 21 may be colored with a color other than red. -Instead of the pipe P formed of a synthetic resin material, a pipe formed of a soft metal material such as aluminum or copper may be used.

Next, the technical ideas that can be grasped from the above embodiment will be described below. -The visual recognition part for improving visibility is provided in the outer peripheral surface of the said shaft, The claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned.
The joint according to any one of the preceding claims. With this configuration, it is possible to improve the accuracy and easiness of determining the insertion state of the pipe.

[0032] A sealing material for sealing between an inner wall of the insertion space and an end of the pipe is provided in an inner part of the insertion space. The joint according to claim 1. In the case of such a configuration, it is not necessary to provide a seal mechanism in the configuration relating to the checking means, so that the configuration can be simplified.

The joint according to claim 4, wherein a seal member for sealing between an inner wall of the insertion space and an end of the pipe is provided in an inner part of the insertion space. With this configuration, the sealing performance can be further improved, so that it is not necessary to provide a sealing mechanism in the configuration relating to the checking means.

The joint according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein an inner end of the shaft is formed in a conical shape. With this configuration, it is easy to manufacture the shaft, and it is possible to reliably function the shaft as a checking unit.

[0035]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects. According to the first aspect of the present invention, the inserted state of the pipe can be accurately and easily determined.

According to the invention described in claim 2, according to claim 1
In addition to the effects of the invention described in (1), the inward movement of the shaft can be reliably restricted. According to the invention described in claim 3, in addition to the effect of the invention described in claim 1 or 2, the outward movement of the shaft can be reliably restricted.

According to the invention set forth in claim 4, according to claim 1,
In addition to the effects of the invention described in any one of the third to third aspects, there is no need to provide a seal mechanism in the configuration relating to the checking means, so that the configuration can be simplified.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a half sectional view showing a joint according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing a main part of the joint.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a joint.

4 (a) and 4 (b) are half sectional views showing a use state of the joint.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Joint, 14 ... Main body, 19 ... Packing as a sealing material, 20 ... Collar, 20a ... Step surface, 21 ... Shaft, 25 ... Inner cylinder part, 27 ... Insertion space, 30 ... Through-hole, 3
0a: step surface, 31: tapered surface as an inclined surface, 32:
Large diameter part, P ... pipe.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A joint provided with an insertion space for allowing an end of a pipe to be inserted into a cylindrical main body, and provided with a checking means for checking an inserted state of the pipe inserted into the insertion space, The checking means is constituted by a cylindrical collar fitted into a through hole formed in the peripheral wall of the main body so as to communicate with the insertion space, and a shaft fitted into the collar, and inserted into the insertion space. An inclined surface is provided at the inner end of the shaft so as to face the end of the pipe, and the shaft is disposed so that the inner end protrudes into the insertion space, and is inserted into the insertion space. A joint characterized in that the end of a pipe that interferes with the inclined surface moves the shaft outward, so that the outer end of the shaft projects beyond the outer peripheral surface of the main body. 2. A large diameter portion is formed in an intermediate portion of the shaft, and a step surface which engages with an inner end surface of the large diameter portion is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the through hole. The joint described in the above. 3. The collar according to claim 1, wherein a large-diameter portion is formed in an intermediate portion of the shaft, and a step surface engaging with an outer end surface of the large-diameter portion is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the collar. The joint according to claim 2. 4. An inner tube portion fitted inside the pipe protrudes inside the main body, and a seal member for sealing between the inner tube portion and the pipe is provided on an outer peripheral surface of the inner tube portion. The joint according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the joint is provided.