JP2006322575A - Pipe joint - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pipe joint capable of easily grasping by the senses whether lock is actually released or not when a release member is operated and lock by a lock ring is released, and capable of smoothly performing release operation without any difficulty. <P>SOLUTION: This pipe joint 10 is provided with an outer cylinder 26, the lock ring 40 having a plurality of claws 74 along the peripheral direction and locking a pipe 20 in the pulling-out preventing state by the claws 74 biting into an outer surface of the pipe 20, and the release member 46 for releasing lock by opening the claw 74 of the lock ring 40 by advancing movement. A release spring 52 is provided for applying the operation load to the release member 46 by elastic deformation at least in a predetermined stroke range from advancing movement start of the release member 46 until the release member 46 starts to open the claw 74 of the lock ring 40. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a pipe joint provided with a lock ring that locks a pipe in a retaining state and a release member that releases the lock by the lock ring, and more particularly to a technique characterized by technical means for unlocking.

  Conventionally, a pipe inserted into the insertion space, which has a plurality of claws along the circumferential direction, and an outer cylinder part that forms an insertion space for the pipe on the inner side, and a claw projecting obliquely inward in the radial direction toward the pipe insertion direction A lock ring that digs into the outer surface of the pipe and locks the pipe in an unplugged state, and a release member that is provided so as to be able to advance and retract in the axial direction and that unlocks the lock ring by expanding the lock ring claw by forward movement. The pipe joint provided with these is well known.

FIG. 7 shows an example (disclosed in Patent Document 1 below).
In the figure, reference numeral 200 denotes a pipe joint, an outer tube portion 204 that forms a pipe insertion space 202 on the inside, and a lock that locks the pipe in a retaining state by clawing the outer surface of the pipe inserted into the insertion space 202. A ring 206 and a release member 207 for releasing the biting into the outer surface of the pipe by expanding the claw of the lock ring 206 by the forward movement in the axial direction and releasing the lock by the lock ring 206 are provided.

  Here, the release member 207 includes a cylindrical portion 208 and a flange portion 210 that extends radially outward from the axial end of the cylindrical portion 208 on the outer side in the axial direction of the outer cylindrical portion 204. On the other hand, an operation force for unlocking is applied.

  In this pipe joint 200, when the pipe is inserted into the insertion space 202 inside the outer cylinder portion 204, the claw of the lock ring 206 bites into the outer surface of the pipe and locks the pipe in the unblocked state.

On the other hand, when pulling out the pipe, a leftward pushing force is applied to the flange portion 210 of the release member 207.
Then, the release member 207 advances leftward in the figure to widen the claw of the lock ring 206 and release the claw from getting into the outer surface of the pipe.
Here, the piping can be extracted, and when a pulling force is applied to the right in the drawing, the piping is extracted from the insertion space 202 to the right in the drawing.

However, in the case of this type of conventional pipe joint including the pipe joint 200 shown in FIG. 7, the claw is expanded after the tip of the release member 207 hits the claw of the lock ring 206 to release the lock by the lock ring 206. The stroke required for this is an extremely small stroke (for example, about 0.1 to 0.2 mm), and therefore it is difficult to sensuously know whether or not the lock by the lock ring 206 has been released when the operator performs a release operation. There was a problem.
In this case, if the release member 207 is pushed in excessively for reliable unlocking, there is a problem that the claw of the lock ring 206 is deformed.

JP 2000-320768 A

  With the above circumstances as a background, when operating the release member to release the lock by the lock ring, the present invention can easily and intuitively grasp whether or not the lock has actually been released. It was made for the purpose of providing a pipe joint that can be smoothly and smoothly performed.

  Thus, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided (a) an outer cylindrical portion that forms a pipe insertion space on the inner side, and (b) a claw projecting obliquely inward in the radial direction toward the pipe insertion direction. A lock ring that has a plurality along the direction, bites the claws into the outer surface of the pipe inserted into the insertion space, and locks the pipe in a removal state, and (c) is provided so as to be able to advance and retreat in the axial direction. And a release member that releases the lock by the lock ring by expanding the claw of the lock ring by a forward movement, and the release member is at least from the start of the forward movement of the release member. An elastic member is provided that applies an operating load to the release member by elastic deformation over a predetermined stroke range until the nail starts to expand.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the elastic member is a conical coil spring that can be flattened by overlapping adjacent windings in a direction perpendicular to the axis by compressive elastic deformation in the axial direction. .

Effects and effects of the invention

  As described above, the present invention provides an elastic member that applies an operation load to the release member by elastic deformation over a predetermined stroke range until the release member starts to expand the claw of the lock ring when the release member moves forward. According to the present invention, when the operator moves the release member forward in the axial direction to release the lock by the lock ring, the operator performs an operation based on the elastic deformation of the elastic member over a predetermined stroke range. Feeling, so-called responsiveness, which makes it possible for the operator to easily and intuitively grasp whether or not the lock ring has actually been unlocked, and the operability when unlocking is good. Become.

  Also, since it is easy to grasp sensuously whether or not the lock has actually been released when the release member is operated, the release member is excessively operated and the lock ring pawls are forced to expand greatly. The problem of deforming the nails can be solved.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the elastic member is a conical coil spring that can be flattened by overlapping the windings in the direction perpendicular to the axis by compressive elastic deformation in the axial direction. By providing the pipe joint, specifically, the peripheral portion of the release member can be prevented from being elongated in the axial direction, and the pipe joint can be kept compact.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
1 and 2, 10 is a metal pipe joint, 12 is a joint body, and has a flange-shaped large-diameter tool hanging portion 14, and a male screw is provided on the outer peripheral surface on the right side of the tool hanging portion 14 in the drawing. 16.
Further, a cylindrical inner cylinder portion 18 is integrally provided on the left side in the drawing opposite to the male screw 16.
A resin pipe 20 is extrapolated from the axial direction to the inner cylinder portion 18 in an externally fitted state, and is connected to the inner cylinder portion 18.
Here, a pair of O-ring grooves (holding grooves) 22-1 and 22-2 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 18 with an interval in the axial direction, and an annular seal member having elasticity therein. O-rings 24-1 and 24-2 are held.

Reference numeral 26 denotes an outer cylinder part provided in the pipe joint 10, which is composed of an outer sleeve 28 and an inner sleeve 30. An insertion space 32 for the pipe 20 is formed between the inner sleeve 30 and the inner cylinder part 18. Yes.
The outer sleeve 28 has a female thread 34 at the right end in the figure, and the female thread 34 is screwed and fixed to a male thread 36 of the joint body 12.
The outer sleeve 28 is formed with a stepped first sandwiching portion 38, and the first sandwiching portion 38 is made of a metal dish together with a second sandwiching portion 39 constituted by the end of the inner sleeve 30. A ring base 72 (see FIG. 3) of the spring-like lock ring 40 is held in the axial direction.
As shown in FIG. 3, the lock ring 40 has a flat ring base 72 having an annular shape that is continuous in the circumferential direction, and a configuration in which the lock ring 40 obliquely protrudes radially inward from the ring base 72 toward the insertion direction of the pipe 20. Thus, it has a plurality of claws 74 formed side by side in the circumferential direction along the ring base 72, and the pipes 20 are prevented from being pulled out by biting the claws 74 into the outer surface of the pipe 20 inserted into the insertion space 32. Locked in.

2 and 3, reference numeral 54 denotes a metal coil spring fitted to the inner cylinder portion 18 on the outer peripheral side of the O-rings 24-1, 24-2.
As shown in FIG. 3, the coil spring 54 includes a tightly wound portion 58 formed by tightly winding without forming a gap between the adjacent windings 56 and 56, and the windings 56 and 56. And a sparsely wound portion 60 that is sparsely wound in a state in which a gap is formed, and the densely wound portion 58 is disposed on the side of the front end surface 20A (see FIG. 2) of the pipe 20 before insertion, and is also loosely wound. The O-rings 24-1 and 24-2 are fitted on the outer peripheral side with the portion 60 positioned on the opposite side.

When the distal end surface 20A of the pipe 20 is cut obliquely, the coil spring 54 is inserted into the insertion space 32 so that the pipe 20 is fitted to the inner cylindrical portion 18 in an externally fitted state. At this time, the O-rings 24-1 and 24-2 are provided to prevent the O-rings 24-1 and 24-2 from being lifted from the O-ring grooves 22-1 and 22-2 at the oblique tip surface 20 </ b> A.
Specifically, the O-rings 24-1 and 24-2 are covered with the O-rings 24-1 and 24-2 from the outside at the densely wound portion 58 when the pipe 20 is inserted. Lifts up from 2 and prevents it from protruding.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the outer cylindrical portion 26 in the pipe joint 10, specifically, the inner peripheral surface of the inner sleeve 30, has a large diameter portion 62 on the right inner side of the insertion space 32 in the drawing. In addition, the insertion side on the left side in the figure is a small diameter portion 64, and a stepped portion 66 is formed between them.

On the other hand, the coil spring 54 also has a large diameter portion 68 on the right side and a small diameter portion 70 on the left side as shown in FIG.
As a result of the configuration of the coil spring 54, the large diameter portion 68 hits the stepped portion 66 of the inner sleeve 30 while being fitted to the pipe joint 10, thereby preventing the coil spring 54 from falling off the pipe joint 10. .

  In FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, 46 is a release member for releasing the lock of the pipe 20 by the lock ring 40, radially outward from the axial end of the cylindrical portion 48 on the outer side in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 48 and the outer cylindrical portion 26. And an operating force for unlocking the flange 50 is applied to the flange 50.

  The release member 46 is assembled to the outer cylinder portion 26 so as to be capable of moving forward and backward in the axial direction, and the pawl 74 of the lock ring 40 is expanded by the forward movement in the axial direction (rightward in the drawing). The nail | claw 74 is made to cancel | release the biting with respect to the outer surface of the.

An annular recess 51 is formed between the release member 46 and the outer cylinder portion 26, specifically, the outer sleeve 28, and a release spring (elastic member) 52 is accommodated therein.
As shown in FIG. 4A, the release spring 52 is formed of a conical coil spring, with one end on the large diameter side abutting against the wall surface of the recess 51 and one end on the small diameter side on the release member 46. The release member 46 is repelled in the backward direction (left direction in the figure) by contacting the stepped and annular spring receiving portion 53 provided.

Here, in the release spring 52 formed of a conical coil spring, the outer diameter of the small-diameter side winding among the adjacent windings in the axial direction is smaller than the inner diameter of the large-diameter side winding.
As a result, when the release spring 52 is compressed and elastically deformed in the axial direction, the windings can overlap each other in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction to form a flat shape (see FIG. 4B).

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 5 (I) shows a state in which the pipe 20 is inserted into the insertion space 32 inside the outer cylinder portion 26, and the claw 74 of the lock ring 40 bites into the outer surface of the pipe 20 to lock the pipe 20 in the locked state. Is shown.
At this time, the release member 46 is located at the retracted end by the elastic force of the release spring 52 accommodated in the recess 51.

  In order to extract the pipe 20 from this state, as shown in FIG. 5 (II), a pushing force in the right direction in the figure is applied to the release member 46, and the release member 46 is moved forward in the axial direction (right direction in the figure).

At this time, the elastic force of the release spring 52 acts on the release member 46, and an operating load is applied to the release member 46 by the elastic force.
The operator pushes the release member 46 rightward in the figure under this operation load, and can push the release member 46 while feeling responsive at that time.

The release member 46 moved forward is brought into contact with the claw 74 of the lock ring 40 at a certain position (the state shown in FIG. 5 (II)), and the claw 74 is expanded with further forward movement, so that the outer surface of the pipe 20 is moved. The nail | claw 74 with respect to is released. That is, the lock by the lock ring 40 is released (state shown in FIG. 5 (III)).
At this time, the elastic force of the release spring 52 continues to be applied to the release member 46. When the claw 74 of the lock ring 40 is expanded, the elastic force of the release spring 52 is caused by elastic deformation of the claw 74. Joining with resistance.

  Now, when the lock by the lock ring 40 is released as described above, when a pulling force is applied to the pipe 20 in the left direction in the figure, the pipe 20 is extracted from the insertion space 32 in the left direction in the figure.

  During the release operation, the release spring 52 is elastically deformed in the compression direction in accordance with the forward movement of the release member 46, but the windings of the release spring 52 overlap each other in the direction perpendicular to the axis without interference to form a flat shape. Therefore (see FIG. 5), by providing the release spring 52, it is possible to prevent the peripheral portion of the release member 46 from being elongated in the axial direction.

  In this embodiment, when the release member 46 moves forward, the release spring 52 is elastically deformed to apply an operation load to the release member 46, so that the operator moves the release member 46 forward in the axial direction and uses the lock ring 40. When releasing the lock, it is possible to feel a feeling of operation based on the elastic deformation of the release spring 52, so-called response, so that the operator can easily and intuitively determine whether or not the lock by the lock ring 40 has actually been released. It becomes possible to grasp and the operability at the time of unlocking is improved.

  Moreover, since it is easy to grasp sensuously whether or not the lock is actually released when the release member 46 is operated, the release member 46 is excessively operated and the claw 74 of the lock ring 40 is forcibly enlarged. The problem of deforming the claw 74 can also be solved.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the present invention.
In this example, the release member 90 is made of resin, and a release spring piece 92 made of resin that applies a predetermined operation load to the release member 90 during the release operation is integrally formed on the release member 90. It is an example.
This release spring piece 92 has the same function as the release spring 52 in the above embodiment, and has a shape that expands from the release member 90 toward the right in the figure. Is elastically brought into contact with the wall surface of the recess 51.

  The release spring piece 92 has an annular shape that is continuous in the circumferential direction. However, the release spring piece 92 can be partially provided along the circumferential direction.

  Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, this is merely an example, and the present invention can be configured in various modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

It is a figure which partially cuts and shows the piping joint of one Embodiment of this invention in a piping connection state. It is a figure which shows the piping joint of the embodiment in the state before piping connection. It is a perspective view which decomposes | disassembles and shows the piping joint in the same embodiment. It is the figure which showed the shape of the spring for a release of the same piping joint. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing at the time of lock release in the same piping joint. It is a figure which shows other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the conventional piping joint.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Piping joint 20 Piping 26 Outer cylinder part 32 Insertion space 40, 90 Lock ring 46 Release member 52 Release spring (elastic member)
74 Claw 92 Release spring piece (elastic member)

Claims (2)

(a) an outer cylinder part that forms an insertion space for pipes on the inner side, and (b) a plurality of claws that project obliquely inward in the radial direction toward the insertion direction of the pipes along the circumferential direction. A lock ring that bites the claw into the outer surface of the pipe inserted into the space and locks the pipe in a retaining state; and (c) provided so as to be able to advance and retreat in the axial direction. In a pipe joint provided with a release member that opens and releases the lock by the lock ring,
There is provided an elastic member that applies an operation load to the release member by elastic deformation over a predetermined stroke range from at least the start of forward movement of the release member until the release member starts to expand the pawl of the lock ring. Piping joints characterized by that.   2. The pipe joint according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is a conical coil spring that can be flattened by overlapping adjacent windings in a direction perpendicular to the axis by compressive elastic deformation in the axial direction.

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