JP2012141008A - Fluid coupling - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fluid coupling that requires no screwing.SOLUTION: In the fluid coupling 20, a holding part 25 projects from the outer peripheral surface of a piping part 21 radially outward and faces a flange surface 23a. The fluid coupling 20 includes two holding parts 25 which are separated from each other by 180° with respect to the center axis of a piping part 21. The two holding parts 25 are inserted together with the piping part 21 into an attaching hole 101. When a worker rotates the piping part 21 around the center axis after inserting the piping part 21 into the attaching hole 101, the two holding parts 25 also rotate, and an attaching plate 100 is held between the flange parts 23.

Description

  The present invention relates to a fluid coupling, and more particularly to a fluid coupling used in a hot water storage unit of a hot water supply apparatus.

  In a water heater, a fluid coupling used for connecting a pipe inside a hot water storage unit and a pipe outside the hot water storage unit is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-198114). It is fixed to the housing of the hot water storage unit with screws.

  However, in a hot water storage unit that uses a plurality of fluid couplings, screwing is a factor that reduces the productivity of the hot water storage unit.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a fluid coupling that does not require a screwing operation.

  A fluid coupling according to a first aspect of the present invention is a fluid coupling that is attached to a plate-like attachment part having a first hole that is a through hole, and includes a pipe part, a flange part, and a clamping part. I have. The piping part is inserted so as to penetrate the first hole. The flange portion intersects with the outer peripheral surface of the piping portion and has a flange surface that faces the surface of the mounting portion when the piping portion is inserted into the first hole. The clamping portion faces the flange surface, is inserted into the first hole together with the piping portion, and is sandwiched between the flange portion by being rotated about the central axis of the piping portion.

  In this fluid coupling, the fluid coupling itself is fixed to the mounting portion when the flange surface and the clamping portion sandwich the plate-shaped mounting portion. This eliminates the need for a mounting operation using a dedicated mounting tool or a screwing operation, thereby improving the mounting workability.

  The fluid coupling according to the second aspect of the present invention is the fluid coupling according to the first aspect, wherein the attachment portion further has a second hole smaller than the first hole. The flange portion further has a protrusion. When the flange portion is rotated together with the holding portion by a predetermined angle, the projection portion enters the second hole.

  In this fluid coupling, since the projecting portion enters the second hole of the mounting portion, the fluid coupling is positioned at a position where the flange surface and the clamping portion securely sandwich the mounting portion. Is prevented from rotating.

  The fluid coupling according to the third aspect of the present invention is the fluid coupling according to the first aspect or the second aspect, wherein the clamping portion gradually slopes the gap with the flange surface on the side facing the flange surface. Has a surface. The inclined surface is inclined along the direction in which the clamping portion is rotated.

  In this fluid coupling, when the operator turns the clamping part, the plate-shaped attachment part enters from a wide gap between the clamping part and the flange surface toward a narrow gap. Since the force with which the sandwiching portion sandwiches the attachment portion gradually increases, transient stress on the root of the sandwiching portion is suppressed, and breakage is prevented.

  The fluid coupling according to the fourth aspect of the present invention is the fluid coupling according to the third aspect, wherein the flange portion further includes a second protrusion. The second protrusion protrudes from the flange surface and is interposed between the surface of the attachment portion and the flange surface when the pipe portion is inserted into the first hole.

  When the flange surface is inclined with respect to the attachment portion, the attachment portion cannot enter between the sandwiching portion and the flange surface. However, in this fluid coupling, the second projecting portion is interposed between the mounting portion and the flange surface to prevent the flange surface from being inclined toward the mounting portion.

  In the fluid coupling according to the first aspect of the present invention, the fluid coupling itself is fixed to the mounting portion when the flange surface and the clamping portion sandwich the plate-shaped mounting portion. This eliminates the need for a mounting operation using a dedicated mounting tool or a screwing operation, thereby improving the mounting workability.

  In the fluid coupling according to the second aspect of the present invention, since the protrusion enters the second hole of the mounting portion, the fluid coupling is positioned at a position where the flange surface and the clamping portion securely sandwich the mounting portion. Rotation in the direction of loosening the fluid coupling is prevented.

  In the fluid coupling according to the third aspect of the present invention, when the operator turns the clamping part, the plate-like attachment part enters from a wide gap between the clamping part and the flange surface toward a narrow gap. Since the force with which the sandwiching portion sandwiches the attachment portion gradually increases, transient stress on the root of the sandwiching portion is suppressed, and breakage is prevented.

  In the fluid coupling according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the second protrusion is interposed between the attachment portion and the flange surface, and the flange surface is prevented from being inclined toward the attachment portion.

The external appearance perspective view of the hot water storage unit in which the fluid coupling which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention is used. The perspective view of a mounting plate. The perspective view of the fluid coupling which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing of the fluid coupling in the plane perpendicular | vertical to the paper surface containing the central axis C of FIG. Sectional drawing of the intermediate flow path of the fluid coupling in the DD line | wire of FIG. The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the fluid coupling to which piping was connected. The perspective view of the fluid coupling just before inserting in the mounting hole of a mounting plate. The perspective view of the fluid coupling just after inserted in the mounting hole of a mounting plate. The perspective view of the fluid coupling just after inserted in the mounting hole of a mounting plate, and rotated only the predetermined angle. The perspective view of the fluid coupling which concerns on a modification.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are specific examples of the present invention and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

(1) Configuration of Hot Water Storage Unit FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a hot water storage unit in which a fluid coupling according to an embodiment of the present invention is used, and a part thereof is broken so that the inside to which the fluid coupling is fixed can be seen. Shown in state.

  In FIG. 1, the hot water storage unit 3 stores a tank 30 in a casing 130. The tank 30 is connected to heating means such as a heat pump unit (not shown) by piping, for example, water is sent from the tank 30 to the heating means, and the water heated by the heating means is returned to the tank 30 and stored. .

(2) Detailed Configuration (2-1) Casing When the casing 130 is viewed from the direction A in FIG. 1, the casing 130 includes the front front plate 131, the right side plate 133 on the right side, the left side plate 135 on the left side, and the back surface. The upper and lower openings of the cylindrical frame formed by the back plate 137 are closed by the top plate 139 and the bottom plate 141.

  The lower end of the front plate 131 is higher than the lower ends of the right side plate 133, the left side plate 135, and the back plate 137, below the lower end of the front plate 131, and closer to the back plate 137 than the front plate 131. In the inserted position, the second front plate 143 is supported by the right side plate 133, the left side plate 135 and the bottom plate 141.

  Furthermore, the mounting plate 100 is disposed so as to horizontally connect the lower end of the front plate 131 and the upper end of the second front plate 143, and functions as a fitting for mounting the fluid coupling 20.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mounting plate. In FIG. 2, when the mounting plate 100 is viewed from the direction B in FIG. 2, the front edge 100a is folded vertically upward on the front, the right edge 100b folded vertically upward is on the right, and the vertical is on the left. A left edge 100c folded back upward is formed, and a rear edge 100d folded vertically downward is formed on the back side.

  The front edge 100a is screwed to the front plate 131, the right edge 100b is screwed to the right side plate 133, the left edge 100c is screwed to the left side plate 135, and the rear edge 100d is screwed to the second front plate 143. .

  The mounting plate 100 has holes for fixing various fluid couplings. Here, the mounting holes 101 to which the fluid couplings according to the embodiments of the present invention are mounted will be described. The mounting hole 101 has a shape such that the center of the circular through hole and the rectangular square hole are combined into a single hole. The short side of the rectangle is smaller than the diameter of the through hole, and the long side is the through hole. Greater than diameter.

  The mounting plate 100 further includes two positioning holes 103 around the mounting hole 101. The two positioning holes 103 are point-symmetric with respect to the center of the mounting hole 101. As shown in FIG. 1, a fluid coupling 20 is attached to the attachment hole 101.

(2-2) Fluid Coupling FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a fluid coupling according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 3, the fluid coupling 20 is a resin coupling, and includes a piping part 21, a flange part 23, a clamping part 25, a protruding part 27, a pipe insertion part 31, and a handle 33. . In this embodiment, the piping part 21, the flange part 23, the clamping part 25, the projection part 27, the pipe insertion part 31, and the handle 33 are integrally formed of PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) resin. Of course, the molding material may be another synthetic resin.

  The piping portion 21 has a cylindrical shape and is inserted into the mounting hole 101 of the mounting plate 100. The flange portion 23 is a disk that spreads outward from the outer peripheral surface of the piping portion 21 in the radial direction. Since the flange portion 23 and the piping portion 21 intersect with each other coaxially, it appears that the piping portion 21 protrudes coaxially from the flange portion 23 in appearance.

  For convenience of explanation, the surface on the side where the pipe portion 21 is present is defined as the flange surface 23a among the two flat surfaces of the flange portion 23. The flange surface 23 a faces the surface of the mounting plate 100 when the piping portion 21 is inserted into the mounting hole 101.

  The sandwiching portion 25 protrudes radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the piping portion 21 and faces the flange surface 23a. In FIG. 3, only one clamping part 25 is shown, but the fluid coupling 20 includes two clamping parts 25, and the two clamping parts 25 are 180 ° apart from each other with respect to the central axis of the pipe part 21. is seperated. The two clamping parts 25 are inserted into the mounting hole 101 together with the pipe part 21. Then, after the operator inserts the piping part 21 into the mounting hole 101 and rotates it around the central axis of the piping part 21, the two clamping parts 25 also rotate, and the mounting plate 100 is placed between the flange part 23. Can be pinched.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the clamping part 25 has the inclined surface 25a which makes a clearance gap with the flange surface 23a gradually narrow on the side facing the flange surface 23a. The inclined surface 25a is inclined along the direction in which the clamping part 25 is rotated. In the present embodiment, the inclined surface 25a is a curved surface or an inclined surface, and the inclination rate decreases as the inclination increases.

  The protruding portion 27 protrudes from the flange surface 23 a of the flange portion 23. The projecting dimension of the protrusion 27 is equal to or less than the thickness of the mounting plate 100. When the operator inserts the piping portion 21 into the mounting hole 101 and rotates it around the central axis of the piping portion 21, the flange portion 23, the sandwiching portion 25, and the protruding portion 27 rotate together. The protrusion 27 is fitted into the positioning hole 103 when rotated by a predetermined angle.

  The tube insertion portion 31 has a cylindrical shape, and is located on the surface opposite to the flange surface 23 a of both the flat surfaces of the flange portion 23. In addition, the pipe insertion part 31, the flange part 23, and the piping part 21 are coaxial.

  The handle 33 is a plate that extends radially outward from the outer periphery of the tube insertion portion 31 and intersects the flange portion 23 perpendicularly. The fluid coupling 20 includes two handles 33, and the positional relationship between the two handles 33 is 180 ° away from the central axis of the tube insertion portion 31.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid coupling in a plane perpendicular to the paper surface including the central axis C of FIG. In FIG. 4, a screw hole 21 a is formed inside the piping part 21. The screw hole 21a includes an effective screw portion 21aa and a nozzle portion 21ab having a diameter that gradually decreases from the end of the effective screw portion 21aa to the back. The terminal end of the effective screw portion 21aa reaches an intermediate position of the flange portion 23, and the nozzle portion 21ab enters from the intermediate position of the flange portion 23 to the middle of the tube insertion portion 31.

  A tube insertion hole 31 a is formed inside the tube insertion portion 31. The depth of the tube insertion hole 31 a is about half of the axial length of the tube insertion portion 31. The bottom of the tube insertion hole 31a and the tip of the nozzle portion 21ab of the screw hole 21a are connected by an intermediate flow path 35.

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the intermediate flow path of the fluid coupling along line DD in FIG. In FIG. 5, the intermediate channel 35 is formed with four ribs 35a projecting radially inward from the inner surface. The four ribs 35a are separated from each other by 90 ° with respect to the central axis.

  FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a fluid coupling to which piping is connected. In FIG. 6, a male screw pipe 50 having a nozzle-like tip is screwed into the screw hole 21 a of the pipe portion 21. The operator only needs to insert the screw hole 21a while holding the knob 51 of the male screw tube 50 and turning it.

  A communication pipe 40 is inserted into the pipe insertion hole 31 a of the pipe insertion portion 31. The end of the communication pipe 40 is expanded, and an attachment 41 is attached.

(3) Fixing of fluid coupling to mounting plate FIG. 7A is a perspective view of the fluid coupling just before being inserted into the mounting hole of the mounting plate. FIG. 7B is a perspective view of the fluid coupling immediately after being inserted into the mounting hole of the mounting plate. FIG. 7C is a perspective view of the fluid coupling immediately after being inserted into the mounting hole of the mounting plate and rotated by a predetermined angle.

  7A and 7B, the operator holds the handle 33 of the fluid coupling 20 and inserts the piping portion 21 and the clamping portion 25 into the mounting hole 101 of the mounting plate 100. At this time, the flange portion 23 is brought close to the mounting plate 100 until the tip of the protruding portion 27 contacts the mounting plate 100.

  Next, in FIGS. 7B and 7C, the operator moves the handle 33 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 7B so that the flange portion 23, the sandwiching portion 25, and the protruding portion 27 rotate about the central axis of the piping portion 21. Twist into. When the clamping part 25 rotates, the mounting plate 100 enters from a wide gap between the inclined surface 25a of the clamping part 25 and the flange surface 23a toward a narrow gap. Since the force with which the sandwiching portion 25 sandwiches the mounting plate 100 gradually increases, the concentration of transient stress at the base of the sandwiching portion 25 is suppressed. And when the clamping part 25 is rotated only a predetermined angle, the projection part 27 fits into the positioning hole 103, and fixation to the attachment plate 100 of the fluid coupling 20 is completed.

(4) Features (4-1)
In the fluid coupling 20, the fluid coupling 20 itself is fixed to the mounting plate 100 by the flange surface 23 a and the clamping portion 25 sandwiching the mounting plate 100. This eliminates the need for a mounting operation using a dedicated mounting tool or a screwing operation, thereby improving the mounting workability.

(4-2)
In the fluid coupling 20, the protruding portion 27 enters the positioning hole 103 of the mounting plate 100, whereby the fluid coupling 20 is positioned at a position where the flange surface 23 a and the clamping portion 25 securely sandwich the mounting plate 100. Therefore, rotation in the direction of loosening the fixing of the fluid coupling 20 is prevented.

(4-3)
In the fluid coupling 20, when the operator rotates the clamping part 25, the mounting plate 100 enters from a wide gap between the inclined surface 25 a of the clamping part 25 and the flange surface 23 a toward a narrow gap. Since the force with which the clamping unit 25 clamps the mounting plate 100 gradually increases, transient stress on the root of the clamping unit 25 is suppressed. Therefore, even a resin that has high rigidity such as PPS resin and is easily cracked by impact can be prevented from being damaged.

(5) Modification In the above embodiment, the flange portion 23 is brought close to the mounting plate 100 until the tip of the protruding portion 27 contacts the mounting plate 100, but when the two protruding portions 27 contact the surface of the mounting plate 100. The flange portion 23 is easy to tilt. Therefore, a modification for eliminating the above inconvenience is introduced.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a fluid coupling according to a modification. In FIG. 8, in addition to the two protrusions 27, two second protrusions 29 protrude from the flange surface 23a. When the piping portion 21 is inserted into the mounting hole 101, the second protrusion 29 is interposed between the surface of the mounting plate 100 and the flange surface 23a, so that the flange surface 23a is prevented from tilting toward the mounting plate. .

  As a result, the mounting plate can easily enter between the clamping portion 25 and the flange surface 23a, and workability is further improved.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the operator can fix the fluid coupling 20 to the mounting plate 100 without performing a mounting operation with a dedicated mounting tool or a screwing operation. Not limited to this, it is useful for equipment that needs to fix a fluid coupling.

20 Fluid coupling 21 Piping part 23 Flange part 23a Flange surface 25 Holding part 25a Inclined surface 27 Protrusion part 29 Second protrusion part 100 Mounting plate (attachment part)
101 Mounting hole (1st hole)
103 Positioning hole (second hole)

JP 2009-198114 A

Claims (4)

A fluid coupling that is attached to a plate-like attachment part having a first hole that is a through hole,
A piping part (21) inserted so as to penetrate the first hole;
A flange portion (23) having a flange surface (23a) that intersects with the outer peripheral surface of the pipe portion (21) and faces the surface of the mounting portion when the pipe portion (21) is inserted into the first hole. When,
It faces the flange surface (23a), is inserted into the first hole together with the pipe part (21), and is rotated about the central axis of the pipe part (21) to thereby contact the flange part (23). A sandwiching portion (25) that sandwiches the mounting portion therebetween,
A fluid coupling (20). The mounting portion further has a second hole smaller than the first hole,
The flange portion (23) further includes a protrusion (27) that enters the second hole when rotated by a predetermined angle together with the clamping portion (25).
The fluid coupling (20) according to claim 1. The clamping part (25) has an inclined surface (25a) that gradually narrows the gap with the flange surface (23a) on the side facing the flange surface (23a),
The inclined surface (25a) is inclined along the direction in which the clamping portion (25) is rotated.
A fluid coupling (20) according to claim 1 or claim 2. The flange portion (23) is raised from the flange surface (23a), and when the pipe portion (21) is inserted into the first hole, the flange portion (23) is interposed between the surface of the attachment portion and the flange surface (23a). A second protrusion (29) interposed between
A fluid coupling (20) according to claim 3.

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