JP2003139284A - Joint and joint structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To shield a clearance between a shaft part of an internal valve and a bearing without using the shaft part as a fixing part. SOLUTION: A joint structure is provided with a joint main body 2 having a connection port 5 connected with a pipe passage linked to transfer destination (or origin of a transfer), an opening 6 connected with or separated from a joint on a mate side, and an internal fluid passage 7 linking the connection port 5 to the opening 6, the internal valve 3 which is slidably provided in the direction in which it comes into contact with and leaves the opening 6, has an enlarged diameter head part 8 abutting on a peripheral fringe part of the opening 6 on a tip side, and has the shaft part 8 whose diameter is reduced on a base end side of the enlarged diameter head part 8 in the inside of the joint main boy 2, the bearing 4 holding the halfway of the shaft part 9 slidably and provided in the joint main body 2 so as to expose an opening 6 side in the internal fluid passage 7, and bellows 10 whose one end is fixed to a shaft part 9 side of the enlarged diameter head part 8 and whose other end is fixed to an opposing part of the bearing 4 opposing to the shaft part 9 side of the enlarged diameter head part 8 so as to surround a part 9a exposed in the internal fluid passage 7 of the shaft part 9.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a joint and a joint structure preferably used for connecting passages for fluids such as foods and chemicals which require cleanliness.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As the above-mentioned joint, for example, a sanitary joint is known. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, this joint includes a female joint 101 having an internal fluid passage 102 and a male joint 111 having an internal fluid passage 112.
Are used to connect the internal fluid passages 102 and 112 to separate fluid passages. The female joint 101 has an abutting surface 101a at its upper end, the male joint 111 has an abutting surface 111a at its lower end, and these abutting surfaces 101a, 111a are butted against each other on the same axis. Inner valve 1 provided in female joint 101 after butting
03 is slid away from the valve seat 104, and the inner valve 113 provided in the male joint 111 is slid away from the valve seat 114, so that the internal fluid passages 102 and 112 are connected to each other (FIG. 6
(State of (b)). Conversely, the inner valve 103 is replaced by the valve seat 104
In this state, the inner valve 113 is shut off by bringing it into contact with the valve seat 114, respectively, and the abutting surfaces 101a and 111a are separated from each other, so that the internal fluid passages 102 and 112 are separated from each other (FIG. 6A). State).

The inner valves 103 and 113 are provided with shaft portions 105 and 115, respectively, and these shaft portions 1
The shaft portion 1 is slidably supported by bearings 106 and 116 supporting 05 and 115, respectively.
05 is covered with a flexible film 108 between the flange 107 and the bearing 106, and the flexible film 1 is provided between the flange 117 and the bearing 116 provided in the shaft 115.
Covered at 18. The flexible membranes 108 and 11
8 is provided to prevent the fluid to be transferred from remaining in the gap between the shaft portions 105 and 115 and the bearings 106 and 116 when the internal fluid passages 102 and 112 are in a connected state.

[0004]

By the way, in the above-mentioned flexible film 118, as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 (showing the male joint 111 side), one split shaft portion obtained by splitting the shaft portion 115 into two is provided. It is provided by being sandwiched between 115a and the flange 117 while being pressed by the other split shaft portion 115b, and the other flexible film 108 is similarly provided. The reason why this configuration is adopted is that it is difficult to directly fix the end of the flexible film 108 or the like to the shaft portion, and therefore the shaft portion is divided and the space between them is used as a fixing portion.

Therefore, in the case of the conventional joint,
Since the joint X between the split shaft 115a and the like and the flange 117 and the like is exposed to the internal fluid passage 112 and the like, there is a possibility that the transferred fluid may enter and remain in the joint X, and there is room for improvement. It was

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and shields the gap between the shaft portion and the bearing without using the shaft portion of the inner valve as the fixing portion. An object of the present invention is to provide a joint and a joint structure capable of performing the above.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a joint, which is connected to a pipeline connected to a transfer destination or a transfer source, an opening which is connected to or separated from a mating joint.
And a joint main body having an internal fluid passage connecting the connection port and the opening, and an expansion member provided inside the joint main body so as to be slidable in a direction of coming into contact with and separating from the opening and coming into contact with a peripheral portion of the opening. An inner valve having a radial head on the distal end side and a shrunk shaft portion on the proximal end side of the radial expansion head, and an intermediate portion of the shaft portion slidably held, and the opening side is exposed to the internal fluid passage. In such a manner that the bearing provided on the joint body and the sliding portion between the shaft portion and the bearing are surrounded, one end on the shaft portion side of the diameter expanding head is the shaft of the diameter expanding head. It is characterized by comprising a bearing or a cylindrical elastic member having the other end fixed to an opposing portion of the inner wall surface of the joint body facing the section side.

In the joint of the present invention, the tubular elastic member has one end fixed to the shaft portion side of the inner diameter expanding head of the inner valve and the other end facing the shaft portion side of the inner diameter expanding head. The bearing is fixed to the inner wall surface of the bearing or the joint body, and surrounds the sliding portion between the shaft portion and the bearing. Therefore, it is possible to shield the gap between the shaft portion and the bearing without using the shaft portion of the inner valve as the fixing portion. Moreover, since both ends of the tubular elastic member are fixed, the fluid does not enter and remain at the joints.

In the joint according to the invention of claim 2, the connecting port is arranged in a direction orthogonal to the sliding direction of the inner valve, and the portion to which the other end of the cylindrical elastic member is fixed is the outside thereof. It is characterized in that it is formed so as to be located closer to the center of the connection port with respect to the portion.

In the joint of the present invention, since the fixed portion to which the other end of the tubular elastic member is fixed is located closer to the center of the connection port than the outer portion thereof, the fixed portion is the internal fluid passage rather than the outer portion. When the fluid is transferred, it becomes difficult for the fluid to stagnate and the cleaning performance is improved.

Further, the joint according to the invention of claim 3 is characterized in that the cylindrical elastic member is a bellows.

A joint structure according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is a joint structure using two sets of the joint according to the third aspect.
One joint of the pair of joints has a slide drive means for sliding the inner valve, and the expanding head of the inner valve slides from the outer side to the inner side with respect to the opening of the joint body to expand the inner valve. The radial head is configured to be displaced between a closed state in which it is in contact with the peripheral edge of the opening and an open state in which it is separated by sliding in the opposite direction. By sliding from the inside to the outside with respect to the opening of the main body, the expanded head is displaced between the closed state where the expanded head is in contact with the peripheral edge of the opening and the opened state where it is separated by sliding in the opposite direction. In addition, the inner valve is configured to be pressed and urged outward by the pressing and urging means so that the closed valve state is obtained, and the slide drive means closes the inner valve of one joint. When pushed out from the valve state, the inner valve pushes the inner valve of the other joint. It is designed to displace from the valve closed state to the valve opened state by pushing it against the pressing force of the means, and even if the bellows of both joints are displaced between the valve closed state and the valve opened state, the free length It is characterized in that it is arranged so as to be in a range from the free length to the compressed state.

Here, the free length means a length when the bellows is not subjected to external load or the like and is neither contracted nor expanded.

In the joint structure of the present invention, when the slide drive means is driven in a state where both joints are connected, the inner valve of one joint slides outward to open the valve. The slide of the inner valve pushes the inner valve of the other joint inward to change the valve to the open state. At this time, the bellows of both joints are arranged so as to be in the range from the free length to the compressed state from the free length in the valve closed state and the valve opened state, so that the bellows are deformed in the valve closed state and the valve opened state. However, it does not cause plastic deformation.

[0015]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a male joint for sanitary according to the first embodiment (AA in FIG. 2).
2 is a bottom view showing the male joint thereof, and FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the female joint for sanitary according to the first embodiment (a sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 4). 4 is a plan view showing the female joint, and FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view showing a state in which both joints are connected.

The male joint 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a joint body 2, an inner valve 3 and a bearing 4. The joint body 2 is connected to or separated from, for example, a connection port 5 connected to a pipe (not shown) connected to a transfer destination (or a transfer source) and a mating joint (female joint 21 shown in FIG. 3). It has an opening 6 and an internal fluid passage 7 connecting the connection port 5 and the opening 6. A groove 12 used for connection is provided on the outer side of the joint body 2 along the outer peripheral surface thereof.

The inner valve 3 is provided inside the joint body 2 so as to be slidable in a direction in which it comes in contact with and separates from the opening 6 (vertical direction), and has a diameter-expanding head that comes into contact with the inner peripheral edge portion 6a of the opening 6. 8 is provided on the distal end side (lower side) and the shrunk shaft portion 9 is provided on the proximal end side (upper side) of the expanded diameter head 8. The inner valve 3
The slide drive is performed by the slide drive unit 11 attached to the shaft unit 9. As the slide drive unit 11, for example, a known means such as an air actuator, an electromagnet, or a manual handle is used.

The bearing 4 is provided in the joint body 2 so that the shaft portion 9 is slidably held in the middle and the opening 6 side is exposed to the internal fluid passage 7. Both ends of a bellows 10 as a cylindrical elastic member are fixed to the bearing 4 and the surface of the expanded diameter head 8 on the shaft portion 9 side, for example, by welding. Exposed part 9
It surrounds a. The bellows 10 is made of, for example, a thin wall made of stainless steel in consideration of corrosion resistance and flexibility. Also, one end (upper end) of the bellows 10
The fixed portion 4a of the bearing 4 to which is fixed is projected toward the internal fluid passage 7 side so as to be located closer to the center 5a of the connection port 5 than the outer portion (including the joint body 2) 4b thereof. In addition, the bellows 10 has both ends fixed to the fixing part 4a and the fixing part 8a of the expanding head 8 which face each other.
In order to improve the difficulty of welding the thin-walled bellows 10, the protrusions 4c and 8c slightly protruding radially outward from the center of the shaft are formed to improve the heat escape property.

On the other hand, the female joint 21 shown in FIG. 3 has a joint body 22, an inner valve 23 and a bearing 24. Joint body 22
Is, for example, a connection port 25 connected to a conduit (not shown) connected to a transfer source (or a transfer destination), an opening 26 connected to or separated from a mating joint (female joint 1 shown in FIG. 1),
And an internal fluid passage 27 connecting the connection port 25 and the opening 26.
Have. On the outside of the joint body 22, fixing means 32 used for connection is provided at a position where its outer peripheral surface is divided into four equal parts. As the fixing means 32, the lever 33 is driven by an air actuator or the like to engage the catching portion 34 with the groove 12, thereby opening the opening 6 of the male joint 1 and the female joint 2.
No. 1 opening 26 is connected. By operating in reverse,
Both openings 6 and 26 can be separated.

The inner valve 23 is provided inside the joint body 22.
The diametrical expansion head 28 of the diametrical expansion head 28 is provided so as to be slidable toward and away from the opening 26 (vertical direction) and has a diametrical expansion head 28 that abuts the inner peripheral edge portion 26a of the opening 26 on the distal end side (upper side). It has a shrunk portion 29 on the base end side (lower side). The slide drive of the inner valve 23 is performed by a slide drive unit 31 attached to the shaft 29. As the slide drive unit 31, for example, a known means such as an air actuator, an electromagnet, or a manual handle is used.

The bearing 24 is provided in the joint body 22 so that the shaft portion 29 is slidably held in the middle and the opening 26 side is exposed to the internal fluid passage 27. This bearing 2
Both ends of a bellows 30 as a cylindrical elastic member are fixed to the surface of the expanded diameter head 28 on the side of the shaft portion 29 by, for example, welding, and the bellows 30 is exposed to the internal fluid passage 27 of the shaft portion 29. The surrounded portion 29a is surrounded. Bellows 30
In consideration of corrosion resistance and flexibility, a thin-walled product made of, for example, stainless steel is used. The fixed portion 24 a of the bearing 24, to which one end (lower end) of the bellows 30 is fixed, has an outer portion (including the joint body 22) 24.
so that it is located closer to the center 25a of the connection port 25 than b
It is projected toward the internal fluid passage 27 side. Further, the bellows 30 has both ends fixed to each other, and fixed portions 24 facing each other.
In order to improve the difficulty of welding the thin bellows 30 to the fixing portion 28a between the a and the enlarged diameter head portion 28, projecting portions 24c, 28c slightly projecting radially outward from the center of the shaft are formed to improve heat dissipation. Is improving.

Therefore, in the male joint 1 and the female joint 21 of the first embodiment, both ends of the bellows 10 and 30 have the shaft portions 9 and 29 side of the expanded diameter heads 8 and 28 and the bearings 4 and 24.
The inner valve 3, which is fixed to the inner valve 3, surrounds the portions 9a and 29a exposed to the inner fluid passages 7 and 27 of the shafts 9 and 29, respectively.
It is possible to shield the gap between the shaft portions 9 and 29 and the bearings 4 and 24 without using the shaft portions 9 and 29 of 23 as the fixing portion. Further, since both ends of the bellows 10 and 30 are fixed by welding, there is no gap between the bellows and the expanded head, and between the bellows and the bearing. The fluid does not enter and remain.

Further, the ends of the bellows 10, 30 have bearings 4,
The fixed portions 4a, 24a fixed to 24 are located at the centers 5a, 25a of the connection ports 5, 25 more than the outer portions 4b, 24b.
Since it is located closer to the inner fluid passages 7 and 27 than the outer portions 4b and 24b, the fixed portions 4a and 24a are more likely to stagnate when the fluid is transferred, improving the cleaning performance. obtain.

(Second Embodiment) The second embodiment has a joint structure in which an inner valve of both joints is slid by a slide drive portion provided on one of the two joints so that the inner fluid joints of both joints communicate with each other. This is a case where the present invention is applied. Hereinafter, a specific description will be given with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view showing a male joint for sanitary of the second embodiment, FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view showing a female joint for sanitary of the second embodiment, and FIG. 10 is a state in which both joints are connected. FIG. 1 to 3 of the first embodiment.
Members having the same functions as those in FIG. 5 are designated by the same reference numerals.

The female joint 21A shown in FIG. 9 is different from the first embodiment in that the enlarged diameter head portion 28A of the inner valve 23A has the joint main body 2
The radially enlarged head portion 28A slides from the outer side to the inner side with respect to the second opening 26 so that the outer diameter peripheral portion 26A of the opening 26 extends.
The valve is in a closed state in which it abuts against the valve, and is separated by sliding in the opposite direction to be displaced in a valve opened state. In addition, a hollow portion 23B that is recessed toward the base end side is formed on the front end side of the inner valve 23A, and a base end portion 40b of the cleaning member 40 is attached to the bottom of the hollow portion 23B.

The cleaning member 40 has a front end portion 40a having a plurality of cleaning nozzles 40c at its front end, and the front end portion 4 thereof.
0a passes through the inside of the hollow portion 23B and projects outward from the diameter-expanding head portion 28A. The hollow portion 23 is provided in the middle of the cleaning member 40.
It is supported by the opening 41a of the support plate 41 fixed to B. A passage through which cleaning water passes is formed inside the cleaning member 40, and the cleaning water sent from the outside through the passage is ejected from the cleaning nozzle 40c.

The inner valve 23A is constructed so as to slide by the slide driving section 31, and has a male joint 1A which will be described later.
It works to push the inner valve 3 of. The sliding portion between the shaft portion 29 of the inner valve 23A and the bearing 24 is covered with the bellows 30 as in the first embodiment.
Is provided so as to be compressed from the free length in the valve closed state and to have a substantially free length in the valve opened state. The other parts of the female joint 21A are
It has the same configuration as the female joint 21 of the embodiment.

In the male joint 1A shown in FIG. 8, the diameter-expanding head 8 of the inner valve 3 is slidable from the inner side to the outer side with respect to the opening 6 of the joint body 2 as in the first embodiment. Thus, the enlarged diameter head 8 is displaced between a valve closed state in which it contacts the inner peripheral edge portion 6a of the opening 2 and an valve opened state in which it is separated by sliding in the opposite direction. Also, the inner valve 3 of the male joint 1A
Is pressed and urged outward by the pressing and urging means 11A such as a compression coil spring so that the valve open state can be obtained. Further, in the inner valve 3, the slide drive unit 31 connects the inner valve 23A of the female joint 21A to the outer peripheral edge portion 26A of the opening 26.
When it is pushed outward from the state of contact with the inner valve 23A
As a result, the valve is pushed inward against the pressure biasing force of the pressure biasing means 11A to open the valve. The sliding portion between the shaft portion 9 of the inner valve 3 and the bearing 4 is covered with the bellows 10 as in the first embodiment. The bellows 10 is provided so as to have a free length in the valve closed state and to be compressed more than the free length in the valve opened state. In addition,
The other parts of the male joint 1A also have the same configuration as the male joint 1 of the first embodiment.

In the joint structure of the second embodiment, the hooking portion 34 of the fixing means 32 provided in the female joint 21A is engaged with the groove 12 of the male joint 1A to form the opening 6 of the male joint 1A. By connecting the opening 26 of the female joint 21A, both joints 1A and 21A are connected. Then, the slide drive unit 31 is driven to slide the inner valve 23A of the female joint 21A toward the outside. Along with this, the female joint 21
The enlarged diameter head portion 28A of A changes from the valve closed state to the valve opened state. Then, by sliding the inner valve 23A outward, the inner valve 3 of the male joint 1A slides inward, and the expanded diameter head 8 changes from the valve closed state to the valve opened state. As a result, the internal fluid passage 7 of the male joint 1A and the internal fluid passage 27 of the female joint 21A are in communication with each other, and the bellows 10 of the male joint 1A contracts and is compressed more than the sled from the sled. In this state, the bellows 30 of the female joint 21A extends and is compressed from the free length to the free length.

Contrary to the above, when the slide drive portion 31 is driven to slide the inner valve 23A of the female joint 21A from the outside to the inside, both the bellows 10 and 30 return to their original state, and Both the diameter expansion heads 8 and 28A return to the valve closed state. Then, by releasing the engagement state by the fixing means 32, the male joint 1A and the female joint 21A are separated.

Therefore, in the case of the second embodiment, in addition to being able to obtain the effect of the case of the first embodiment, even if both of the enlarged diameter heads 8 and 28A are displaced from the open state to the valve closed state. Since the bellows 10 and 30 both expand and contract in the free length to a state in which they are compressed more than the free length, plastic deformation can be prevented. Further, since the bellows 10 and 30 do not extend beyond the free length, the tensile force does not act on the fixed portions 14a and 28a of the bellows 30, and the fixed portions 14a and 28a do not peel off. Also, the fixed portions 4a, 8a of the bellows 10
The pulling force does not act on the fixed portions 4a and 8a and the fixed portions 4a and 8a are not peeled off.

In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments,
Although the ends of the bellows 10 and 30 are fixed to the bearings 4 and 24, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the bellows 10, 30 have a large diameter or the bearings 4, 2
When the diameter of 4 is small, it goes without saying that the ends of the bellows 10 and 30 may be fixed to the inner wall surfaces of the joint bodies 2 and 22 outside the bearings 4 and 24.

Further, in the above-mentioned first and second embodiments,
Although the bellows 10 and 30 are made of stainless steel, the present invention is not limited to this, and other metal ones may be used as long as the corrosion resistance and flexibility can be satisfied. . Further, not limited to the bellows, a cylindrical elastic member made of polymer silicon, rubber, metal or the like may be used as long as corrosion resistance and flexibility can be satisfied.

Further, although the above-mentioned first and second embodiments are applied to the sanitary joint, the present invention is not limited to this and can be widely applied to various other joints.

[0037]

As described above in detail, in the case of the present invention, one end of the bellows is fixed to the shaft portion side of the expanding head of the inner valve, and the other end is the shaft portion of the expanding head. The shaft is fixed to a bearing or a joint body inner wall surface facing the side, and surrounds a portion of the shaft portion exposed to the internal fluid passage.
Therefore, it is possible to shield the gap between the shaft portion and the bearing without using the shaft portion of the inner valve as the fixing portion. Further, since both ends of the bellows are fixed, the fluid does not enter and remain at these joints.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 2) showing a male joint for sanitary according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing the male joint of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 4) showing the female joint for sanitary according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a plan view showing the female joint of FIG. 3. FIG.

5 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the male joint of FIG. 1 and the female joint of FIG. 3 are connected.

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view showing a conventional sanitary joint, in which (a) shows a state in which both joints are separated from each other, and (b) shows a state in which both joints are connected.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a problem of a conventional sanitary joint.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a male joint for sanitary according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view showing a female joint for sanitary according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which both joints shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 are connected.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 male joint 2,22 Joint body 3,23 Inner valve 4, 24 bearings 4a, 24a fixed part 4b, 24b outer part 5, 25 connection port 6, 26 openings 7, 27 Internal fluid passage 8, 28 Expanding head 9, 29 Shaft 9a, 29a Exposed part 10,30 Bellows 21 female joint

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A joint main body having a connection port connected to a pipe line connected to a transfer destination or a transfer source, an opening connected to or separated from a mating joint, and an internal fluid passage connecting the connection port and the opening. And a diametrically expanding head, which is provided inside the joint body so as to be slidable toward and away from the opening and abuts on the peripheral edge of the opening, on the distal end side, and a base end of the diametrically expanding head. An inner valve having a shaft portion with a reduced diameter on the side, a bearing that is slidably held in the middle of the shaft portion and is provided in the joint body so that the opening side is exposed to the internal fluid passage, and the shaft. While surrounding the sliding portion between the shaft and the bearing, one end on the shaft portion side of the diametrical expansion head has another end on the bearing portion facing the shaft portion side of the diametrical expansion head or the opposing portion of the inner wall surface of the joint body. A tubular elastic member having fixed ends, the joint. 2. The connection port is arranged in a direction orthogonal to the sliding direction of the inner valve, and the portion to which the other end of the tubular elastic member is fixed is located closer to the center of the connection port with respect to the outer portion thereof. The joint according to claim 1, wherein the joint is formed as follows. 3. The joint according to claim 1, wherein the tubular elastic member is a bellows. 4. A joint structure using two sets of the joints according to claim 3, wherein one joint in the one joint has a slide driving means for sliding the inner valve, and the inner valve expands. The radial head slides from the outside to the inside of the opening of the joint body, so that the expanded head is separated from the valve closed state in which the radial head is in contact with the peripheral edge of the opening by sliding in the opposite direction. In the other joint, the expanding head of the inner valve is opened by sliding the expanding head of the inner valve inward from the opening of the fitting body. The inner valve is pushed outward by the pressing urging means so that it is displaced between the valve closed state in which it is in contact with the peripheral edge of the valve and the valve opened state in which it is separated by sliding in the opposite direction, and the valve closed state is obtained. The slide drive means is configured to be biased by pressing, and When the inner valve is pushed outward from the closed state, the inner valve pushes the inner valve of the other joint against the pressing biasing force of the pressing biasing means to displace it from the closed state to the open state. The joint structure is characterized in that even if the bellows of both joints are displaced between the valve closed state and the valve opened state, they are arranged so that the range from the free length to the state compressed from the free length is maintained. .