JP2013068326A - Connection method of fluid pipe, protection structure of fluid pipe, and connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily carry out connecting work of a fluid pipe to a pipe fitting, and to surely and sufficiently protect the fluid pipe at a connecting part to the pipe fitting.SOLUTION: Two water flow pipes 3 inserted into a sheath pipe 4 with a corrugated outer surface are drawn out from an end part of the sheath pipe 4 by a prescribed length and connected respectively to the pipe fitting 61, and a protection pipe 11 having a total length shorter than the prescribed length and having a corrugated outer surface is externally inserted between the pipe fitting 61 and the sheath pipe 4 in each water flow pipe 3. One sheath pipe 4 and two protection pipes 11 are connected by a connector 21 in a manner such that they are relatively immovable in the pipe axial direction, and the end parts of the sheath pipe 4 and the protection pipes 11 are separated from each other by a connecting work allowance for connecting the water flow pipes 3 to the pipe fitting 61 in the connector 21.

Description

  The present invention relates to pipe joints for water heaters, water heaters, etc., pipe joints for diversion headers provided between these water heaters, water heaters, etc., to the water taps of the terminal, or floor heating, etc. Connecting a fluid pipe such as a water pipe to a pipe joint at various connection points such as a pipe joint, and covering and protecting the end of the fluid pipe connected to the pipe joint with a protective member, The present invention relates to a protective structure and a connector.

  Fluid pipes such as water pipes are connected to water taps such as kitchens, bathrooms, toilets, and washbasins in houses, and fluids such as tap water and hot water are supplied from each of the water taps and water heaters to each water tap. In addition, a header for distributing these fluids is disposed in the piping path. One or a plurality of pipe joints are provided in the water heater, the water heater, the header, and the like, and the fluid pipe is connected to each device, the water tap, the header, and the like through the pipe joint. Various techniques have been disclosed regarding the connection of fluid pipes to these pipe joints. For example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-50463 discloses a structure for connecting a fluid pipe to a pipe joint of a header.

  FIG. 10 shows a connection structure of a fluid pipe to the header pipe joint described in the above publication. In FIG. 10, the water pipe 3 connected to the pipe joint 61 of the header 5 is made of a flexible synthetic resin pipe. It is penetrated in the sheath tube 4 with an external wave which forms double piping. By adopting such a double piping structure and attaching the sheath tube 4 to the outside of the water pipe 3, the water pipe 3 prevents damage and damage due to contact and collision of an object from the outside. Deterioration can be prevented, and further, water leakage from the pipe joint 61 can be temporarily accumulated in the sheath tube 4 to prevent damage to the floor surface or the like due to water leakage. The water conduit 3 is drawn out from the end of the sheath tube 4 and connected to the pipe joint 61 of the header 5. The exposed portion of the water conduit 3 drawn out from the end of the sheath tube 4 is protected by the expansion / contraction protection tube 71. The The expansion protection pipe 71 is fitted and fixed to the pipe joint 61 and also accommodates the pipe joint 61, the lower cylinder part 73 fitted and connected to the sheath pipe 4, It is comprised between the upper cylinder part 72 and the lower cylinder part 73, and the bellows-like expansion-contraction part 74 which expands-contracts in a pipe-axis direction is comprised.

  In order to connect the water pipe 3 to the pipe joint 61 of the header 5, first, the tip of the water pipe 3 is drawn out from the end of the sheath pipe 4 by a predetermined length. Next, the expansion / contraction protection tube 71 is extrapolated to the drawer portion of the water flow tube 3, and the lower cylinder portion 73 of the expansion / contraction protection tube 71 is fitted and connected to the end portion of the sheath tube 4. Next, like the second expansion protection tube 71 from the right in FIG. 10, the expansion / contraction portion 74 is contracted to project the end portion of the water conduit 3 from the upper end of the upper cylinder portion 72. The projecting length of the water flow pipe 3 at this time facilitates connection work such as gripping the end of the water flow pipe 3 or inserting the tip of the connection tool instead of the connection allowance connected to the pipe joint 61. This is equivalent to the length of the connection work cost including the work cost necessary for this. Next, in a state where the expansion / contraction part 74 of the expansion / contraction protection pipe 71 is contracted, the end of the water flow pipe 3 is press-fitted to the outside of the connecting cylinder part of the pipe joint 61, and a tightening nut or the like is fitted and tightened from the outside. Thus, the end of the water flow pipe 3 is fixed to the pipe joint 61. Thereafter, the contraction of the expansion / contraction part 74 of the expansion / contraction protection tube 71 is released, the original expansion state is restored, the upper cylinder part 72 is fitted to the pipe joint 61 and fixed. After the expansion / contraction protection tube 71 is fixed to the pipe joint 61, the same state as the other three expansion / contraction protection tubes 71 in FIG. 10 is obtained, and the protruding portion of the water flow tube 3 protruding from the end of the sheath tube 4 is expanded / contracted. It is protected by a protective tube 71.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-50463

However, the conventional water pipe connection structure as described in the above publication is such that when the end of the water pipe 3 is drawn from the end of the sheath pipe 4 and connected to the pipe joint 61, the end of the water pipe 3 is connected. In this case, the expansion / contraction part 74 of the expansion / contraction protection tube 71 must be contracted in order to expose the connection work cost. It must be pressed down against the force, and since the end of the water pipe 3 must be gripped and the tool must be handled in this state, it is very difficult to work and requires a lot of labor. It cost.
In addition, since the upper tube portion 72 is merely fitted and fixed to the pipe joint 61, the expansion / contraction protection tube 71 is subjected to vibration of the fluid flowing in the water passage 3 or an impact by a water hammer. It may fall by its own weight, the expansion / contraction part 74 contracts and the end part of the water flow pipe 3 is exposed, and the protection by the expansion / contraction protection pipe 71 may be insufficient.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a method for connecting a fluid pipe, a fluid pipe connection method, a fluid pipe connection method, and a fluid pipe that can easily and sufficiently protect the fluid pipe at the connection portion to the pipe joint. It is an object to provide a protective structure and a connecting tool.

  In the method for connecting fluid pipes according to claim 1, after the plurality of fluid pipes inserted in parallel in the sheath pipe with the outer surface wave protecting the fluid pipes are drawn out from the end portions of the sheath pipes for a predetermined length, A connection for extrapolating a plurality of protective tubes shorter than the predetermined length to the drawn portions of the plurality of fluid tubes, and further moving them to the sheath tube side to connect to pipe joints at each end of the plurality of fluid tubes A work allowance is exposed, and each end of the plurality of fluid pipes is connected to the pipe joint. Next, each of the plurality of protective tubes is moved to the pipe joint side, and the sheath tube and the plurality of protective tubes cannot be moved relative to each other in the tube axis direction by a connector formed of a half-cut cylindrical body. In addition to being connected, the plurality of fluid pipes exposed between the sheath pipe and the plurality of protective pipes as they move to the pipe joint side are covered and protected by the connecting tool.

  In the connecting method of the fluid pipe according to claim 1, that is, in connecting to the pipe joint, after the fluid pipe is drawn out from the end of the sheath pipe for a predetermined length, the protective pipe is attached to the exposed drawing part of the fluid pipe. The lead portion is protected by insertion, but when connecting to the pipe joint, it is necessary to expose the end portion of the fluid pipe from the protective pipe for the connection work required for connection. Therefore, after extrapolating a protective tube whose overall length is shorter than the drawing portion of the fluid tube, the protective tube is moved to the sheath tube side to expose the end of the fluid tube. And after connecting to the pipe joint, the protective pipe is moved back to the pipe joint side to cover the exposed portion of the fluid pipe, and the fluid pipe between the protective pipe and the sheath pipe is moved along with this movement. Since an exposed part is newly generated, a connecting tool is attached to the exposed part to cover and protect it.

  Unlike the conventional expansion protection tube, the protection tube is formed shorter than the fluid tube lead-out part and is merely extrapolated to the fluid tube. Even if the protective tube is not pressed against the sheath tube by hand after moving to the sheath tube side, the end of the fluid tube can be protruded from the end of the protective tube by the amount of connection work. Therefore, since it is not necessary to press the protective tube and shrink it, the connection work becomes easy.

  In addition, after connection to the pipe joint, the exposed end of the fluid pipe is covered and protected by moving the protective pipe to the pipe joint side. Since the exposed portion of the fluid pipe between the pipes is protected by the connector, the fluid pipe drawn out from the sheath pipe is covered with the protective pipe and the connector so that the entire drawn-out portion of the fluid pipe is surely protected. Become.

The coupling tool connects the sheath tube and the protective tube so that they cannot move relative to each other in the direction of the tube axis, that is, connects the sheath tube and the protective tube in a state in which the distance between the sheath tube and the protective tube is kept constant. The pipe is held at a fixed position on the pipe joint side and does not shift to the sheath pipe side due to vibration or the like. As a result, it is possible to reliably avoid a situation in which the protective pipe moves and a gap is formed between the pipe joint and the fluid pipe at that portion is exposed as in the prior art.
The connector is provided with a protrusion that fits into a trough on the outer surface of the outer tube with a corrugated outer surface at one end thereof, and a projection that fits into a trough on the outer surface of the protective tube having a corrugated outer surface at the other end. For example, the sheath tube and the protective tube are connected so as not to move in the fitting axis direction.

  Here, it is conceivable that the drawn-out portion of the fluid pipe drawn from the sheath pipe at the time of connection to the pipe joint extends directly and covers the sheath pipe with the external wave, but the sheath pipe is flexible but stretchable. Many of them are poor, and even if they are stretchable, it is unpreferable to keep the sheath tube in a contracted state in a steady state against the elastic force for a long period of time. It is also necessary to have a means for holding. Furthermore, the drawer part of the fluid pipe has a reasonable length. For this reason, it is practically impossible to cover the entire drawer portion of the fluid pipe with a sheath pipe. Therefore, in the present invention, the drawn-out portion of the fluid pipe is covered and protected by using the protective pipe and the connecting tool.

  The connection allowance for the fluid pipe is a connection allowance that is a portion that is directly connected to the pipe joint, and connection work such as gripping the end of the fluid pipe or inserting the tip of a connecting tool at the time of connection is performed. This is the length of the exposed portion of the fluid pipe plus the work allowance required. Of these, the work allowance means the length of the exposed portion of the fluid pipe that is widely required in connection work.

In addition, there are a sheath tube in which only one fluid tube is inserted, and a sheath tube in which two fluid tubes are inserted in parallel. In the case where a sheath tube in which two fluid tubes are inserted is used, a protective tube is extrapolated to each of the two fluid tubes drawn from the end of the sheath tube. Moreover, as for a connection tool, one sheath pipe is connected to one end part, and two protective tubes are connected to the other end part.
In addition, the protective tube may be a dedicated tube, or may be used by cutting an existing corrugated tube or sheath tube.

  The protective structure for a fluid pipe according to claim 2 is configured such that a fluid pipe inserted into a sheath pipe with an outer surface wave is pulled out from the end of the sheath pipe by a predetermined length and connected to a pipe joint, A protection tube having a corrugated outer surface shorter than the predetermined length is inserted between the sheath tube and the sheath tube, and the protection tube is formed of a half-cut cylindrical body to protect the fluid tube. The end portions of the sheath tube and the protective tube are separated from each other by a work allowance for connecting the fluid tube to the tube joint.

  Furthermore, in the protective structure of the fluid pipe according to claim 2, a plurality of fluid pipes are inserted in parallel in the sheath pipe, and the plurality of fluid pipes drawn from the sheath pipe are extrapolated to the respective drawn portions. In the connector, the sheath tube is connected to one end, and a plurality of protective tubes are connected to the other end.

  The coupling tool according to claim 3 includes a sheath pipe with an outer surface wave into which a fluid pipe is inserted, and the pipe joint in the fluid pipe drawn out from the end of the sheath pipe by a predetermined length and connected to the pipe joint. The outer tube is extrapolated between the sheath tube and a protective tube having a corrugated outer surface is connected and the fluid tube between the sheath tube and the protective tube is covered and protected. A connecting portion that is formed of a cylindrical body and is connected to the outer surface of the sheath tube and connected to one end portion so as to connect the sheath tube and the protective tube in the tube axis direction, and the other end A connecting portion that engages and connects to an outer surface of the protective tube is provided at a portion, and the two connecting portions are connected to each other so that ends of the sheath tube and the protective tube connect the fluid pipe to the pipe joint. It is provided so that it can be connected in a state where the work allowances are separated.

  Here, for example, the half-divided cylindrical body is formed with a hinge at an intermediate portion between two halves, and the cylindrical body is formed by rotating about the hinge. . Moreover, the connection part latched on the outer surface of a sheath tube and a protection tube can form and provide the flange which protrudes in the inner space side orthogonal to a pipe axis at the peripheral edge of both ends opening of a connection tool, for example. The connecting portion formed by this flange or the like is fitted into the outer surface of the corrugated sheath tube and the valley of the outer surface of the protective tube having the corrugated outer surface, so that the sheath tube and the protective tube cannot move relative to each other in the tube axis direction. Connected to In addition, the both ends of a connection tool do not necessarily mean only the both ends opening part of a cylindrical body, but the peripheral part of both ends opening is also included. Therefore, the connecting portion of the connecting tool does not prevent the connecting portion from being provided in a portion slightly inside the opening from both ends.

  The connector includes an aspect in which one sheath pipe into which two fluid pipes are inserted in parallel is connected to one end, and two protective pipes are connected to the other end. For example, one in which the return and return fluid pipes are connected to the pipe joint of the water heater can be mentioned.

  Furthermore, the connection tool of the third aspect is provided with a plurality of connection portions to connect the plurality of protection tubes to the other end portion to which the protection tube in the connection device is connected.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, when connecting to the pipe joint, the end of the fluid pipe is protruded from the end of the protective pipe by the amount of connection work only by moving the protective pipe to the sheath pipe side, and this state is maintained. Therefore, it is not necessary to press the protective tube down by hand and to shrink it. Therefore, the connection work of the fluid pipe to the pipe joint becomes easy, and the work can be devoted to tightening the pipe joint. Tubes can be connected.

  Further, the fluid pipe drawn out from the sheath pipe is reliably protected by the protective pipe and the connecting tool in its entirety. As a result, it is possible to prevent damage and damage due to external collisions, etc., and to reliably prevent deterioration due to ultraviolet rays. Leakage from pipe joints etc. is temporarily stored in the protective tube and sheath tube, and water leakage It is possible to reliably prevent damage to the floor surface due to.

  The invention of claim 2 is provided with a structure for carrying out the fluid pipe connection method of claim 1, and has the same effect as that of claim 1.

  Further, in the first and second aspects of the present invention, a protection tube is extrapolated to each drawing portion of a plurality of fluid tubes drawn from the sheath tube, and a plurality of protection tubes are connected to the other end portion of the connector. Therefore, a remarkable effect can be obtained particularly in a structure in which a total of two fluid pipes are connected to and returned from two pipe joints of the water heater.

  The invention of claim 3 is a coupling tool used for carrying out the method for connecting fluid pipes of claim 1, and has the same effects as those of claims 1 and 2. In particular, since it is formed by a half-divided cylindrical body, it is possible to form a connector with a simple configuration, and after the protective tube is extrapolated to the fluid pipe lead-out part, the protective tube and the sheath tube can be easily attached later. Can be installed and connected between. Moreover, since the connection part which latches to the trough part of the outer surface of a sheath tube and a protection tube is provided in the edge part, it connects a sheath tube and a protection tube with a simple structure so that relative movement is impossible. Can do. Moreover, since the connection part for connecting a some protection tube is provided in the edge part of a connection tool similarly to invention of Claim 1 and Claim 2, a some protection tube is provided with one connection tool. It can be connected and the parts cost can be reduced.

It is a front view which shows the protection structure of the water pipe of embodiment of this invention. It is a disassembled front view which shows the pipe joint of FIG. It is a perspective view of the coupling tool of FIG. 3 shows the connector of FIG. 3, (a) is a plan view, (b) is a front view, and (c) is a right side view. FIG. 3 shows the connector of FIG. 3, wherein (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 4 (b), and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 4 (b). It is a front view which shows the procedure of the connection method of the water pipe in embodiment of this invention. Similarly, it is a front view which shows the procedure of the connection method of the water pipe in embodiment of this invention. Similarly, it is sectional drawing which shows the procedure of the connection method of the water flow pipe in embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which shows the modification of the protective tube of FIG. It is a front view which shows the protection structure of the conventional water flow pipe.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a water pipe is used as the fluid pipe, and the water pipe is connected to the pipe joint of the water heater. Here, FIG. 1 shows a protection structure for a water pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 shows the pipe joint of FIG. 1, and FIGS. 3 to 5 show the connector of FIG. Moreover, FIG. 6 thru | or FIG. 8 shows the connection method to the pipe joint of a water flow pipe.

  In FIG. 1, two pipe joints 61 are provided on the bottom surface of a hot water heater 2 with a home cooking function for passing and returning water. These pipe joints 61 each have a water pipe 3 for sending hot water from the water heater 2 to a water tap such as a kitchen, a bathroom, a toilet, and a washbasin (not shown), and a return pipe for reheating from the bathroom or floor heating. A water pipe 3 is connected. These two water pipes 3 are inserted into a sheath pipe 4 for protecting them, and are housed in one sheath pipe 4 in a state where two pipes are arranged in parallel. In the portion where the water pipe 3 is connected to the pipe joint 61 of the water heater 2, the outer length of the water pipe 3 drawn out from the sheath pipe 4 for a predetermined length for the connection is shorter than the length of the drawn portion of the water pipe 3. A pipe 11 is extrapolated, and a connector 21 is attached between the protective pipe 11 and the sheath pipe 4. The pipe joint 61 of the water heater 2, the lead-out portion of the water pipe 3, the sheath pipe 4 The protective pipe 1 and the protective pipe 11 and the connector 21 constitute a water pipe protective structure 1. Hereinafter, each component will be specifically described.

The water flow pipe 3 is made of a synthetic resin pipe such as a flexible cross-linked polyethylene pipe or a polybutene pipe, and a fluid such as tap water or warm water flows through the inside.
Next, the sheath pipe 4 that reaches the entire piping path of the water pipe 3 and is extrapolated to the outside and forms a double pipe with the water pipe 3 is flexible, has an outer surface wave, and is a cross-linked polyethylene. It consists of a synthetic resin tube such as a tube. The sheath pipe 4 covers the outside of the water pipe 3, prevents the water pipe 3 from being damaged or damaged by an external object, prevents deterioration due to ultraviolet rays, and temporarily leaks water from the pipe joint 61 or the like. Used to store in The sheath pipe 4 includes a pipe through which a single water pipe 3 is inserted and a pipe through which two water pipes 3 are inserted in parallel. In this embodiment, two water pipes 3 are inserted.

  Next, the pipe joint 61 of the water heater 2 can be connected to the end of the water pipe 3 by various connection structures. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. It is composed of a metal clamping ring 63 and connects and fixes the tip of the water pipe 3. In addition, the water pipe 3 is clamped and fixed by the joint main body 62 and the cap nut, and a metal cylindrical incore is inserted into the tip of the water pipe 3, and a lock ring is provided therein. For example, the joint body 61 may be inserted, connected, and fixed as it is, and the inner member and the outer member of the pipe joint 61 are firmly sandwiched between the end portions of the water pipe 3 so as to be compressed and fixed.

  The joint main body 62 of the pipe joint 61 of the present embodiment is provided with a hexagonal flange portion 64 in the approximate center, and a first cylindrical portion 65 having a male threaded portion 66 on the outer peripheral surface is provided on one side. The first cylindrical portion 65 is connected to the water heater 2. A second cylindrical portion 67 is provided on the other side of the flange portion 64, that is, on the connection side of the water pipe 3. An annular step portion 68 having a substantially L-shaped cross section protruding outward is integrally provided at a substantially intermediate position in the tube axis direction of the second cylindrical portion 67. The tip of the water pipe 3 is accommodated, and the tip of the water pipe 3 comes into contact with the inner bottom surface 68 a of the annular step 68. In the second cylindrical portion 67, a portion from the annular stepped portion 68 to the tip on the pipe connecting side is a connecting cylinder portion 69 having an outer diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of the water flow pipe 3, and on the outer surface of the connecting cylinder portion 69. The water pipe 3 is press-fitted and connected. And the annular protrusion 69a which bites into the inner surface of the water flow pipe 3 and prevents the water flow pipe 3 from being pulled out is provided at two locations on the outer surface of the connection tube portion 69 in the tube axis direction. In addition, arc-shaped cutout windows 70 are formed at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral wall of the annular step portion 68, and the position of the front end portion of the internal water pipe 3 is visually recognized through the cutout windows 70. And the insertion state of the front-end | tip part of the water flow pipe 3 can be confirmed now.

The tightening ring 63 of the pipe joint 61 of the present embodiment is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and the inner diameter is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the water conduit 3, and the tightening ring 63 passes through the outer surface of the water conduit 3. By forcibly press-fitting into the water pipe 3, the water pipe 3 is firmly sandwiched and fixed between the connecting cylinder part 69 of the second cylindrical part 67. The tightening ring 63 is formed to have substantially the same length as the connection cylinder portion 69 of the second cylindrical portion 67. However, although it is desirable that the tightening ring 63 has substantially the same length as the connecting tube portion 69, the present invention is not limited to this.
Here, the connecting cylinder portion 69 of the second cylindrical portion 67 of the pipe joint 61 is a portion to which the water pipe 3 is externally connected, and its length L1 is the connection allowance of the water pipe 3 connected to this portion. Corresponds to T1.

  Next, the protective tube 11 has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the water flow tube 3 and is fitted and protected on the outer side of the water flow tube 3, and has flexibility so that it can cope with a bent portion, It consists of a synthetic resin tube such as a cross-linked polyethylene tube with an external wave. Further, the protective tube 11 is formed to have substantially the same outer diameter as the tightening ring 63 of the pipe joint 61, and the end portions of the protective tube 11 and the tightening ring 63 are in contact with each other. The total length of the protective tube 11 is shorter than the length of the lead-out portion of the water flow tube 3 drawn from the end of the sheath tube 4, and specifically, the connection allowance T1 and the work allowance T2 necessary for the connect operation. And the connection work cost T is short. Therefore, the water conduit 3 protrudes from the protective tube 11 to the outside by the length of the connection work allowance T.

  The protective tube 11 is different from the protective tube 11 in that the connection work cost is exposed at the end of the water flow tube 3 by being contracted in the tube axis direction as in the conventional example when connected to the pipe joint 61. A predetermined connecting work allowance T is exposed by shifting in the direction, and the pipe shaft is caused by vibrations due to pulsation of fluid, contact of an object, own weight, etc. during use after the water pipe 3 is connected to the pipe joint 61. Considering that the drawer portion of the water pipe 3 should be reliably protected by preventing contraction in the direction, it is desirable to maintain a certain length that does not expand and contract. However, if the exposed portion is not formed in the water flow pipe 3 due to the contraction and can be reliably protected, even if it has some stretchability, it is allowed.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the connector 21 is formed of a half-cut cylindrical body, and the shape of the cross section orthogonal to the tube axis of the outer wall 22 is substantially oval. One end portion of the connector 21 is provided with one substantially oval-shaped sheath tube insertion hole 23 through which the end portion of the sheath tube 4 is inserted, and the end portion of the sheath tube 4 is connected. A portion 24 is provided. On the other hand, two circular protective tube insertion holes 25 through which the end portion of the protective tube 11 is inserted are arranged in parallel at the other end portion of the connector 21, and the end portion of the protective tube 11 is connected. A protective tube connecting portion 26 is provided. The sheath pipe connecting portion 24 is formed by a flange 27 which is matched to the cross-sectional shape of the sheath pipe 4 and bent at right angles from the edge of the outer wall 22 to the inner side, and the distal end portion of the flange 27 is a sheath pipe with an outer surface wave. It inserts and latches in the trough part 12 of 4, and this sheath pipe | tube 4 is connected in the retaining state. On the other hand, the protective tube connecting portion 26 matches the cross-sectional shape of the outer surface of the two protective tubes 11 so as to connect the two protective tubes 11 in parallel to each other at right angles from the edge of the outer wall 22 to the inner side. It is formed by a flange 27 that is bent and protrudes, and the front end of the flange 27 is fitted and locked in the valley 12 of each protective tube 11 with an external wave to connect each protective tube 11 in a retaining state.

  The connector 21 in the present embodiment is composed of two halves divided at the split surface 28, and is arranged between the first half 31 and the second half 41 that are substantially left and right in the tube axis direction. A thin hinge 1 is provided, and the first half 29 and the second half 41 are relatively pivoted and closed with the first hinge 29 as an axis. It is to be formed. The connector 21 is formed of a synthetic resin, and can be formed by integral molding of the resin in a form in which the first half 31 and the second half 41 are developed. Therefore, it can be manufactured at low cost.

  By the coupling tool 21 formed in this way, the sheath tube 4 and the protective tube 11 are coupled in the tube axis direction with their ends spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. Here, the predetermined distance corresponds to a work allowance T2 necessary for connecting the water pipe 3 to the pipe joint 61. That is, the sheath tube connection portion 24 and the protection tube connection portion 26 on both sides of the connector 21 are provided so that the end portions of the sheath tube 4 and the protection tube 11 are separated from each other by the work allowance T2.

  Further, the first half 31 of the connector 21 is the opposite side of the first hinge 29 by closing the first half 31 and the second half 41 in the unfolded state around the first hinge 29. The side end surface 33 opposite to the first hinge 29 that is the split surface 28 of the outer wall 22 of the half cylindrical body is formed so that the side end portion 32 and the side end portion 42 are locked to form a cylindrical body. A locked projection 34 is integrally provided at a position of the side end portion 32 slightly spaced from the intermediate portion toward the first hinge 29 side. The locked projection 34 is formed in an L-shaped plate shape, and the bent tip portion forms a locked portion 35 that locks with a locking portion 48 of a second half 41 that will be described later. In addition, on both sides of the locked portion 35 in the tube axis direction, a first cutout hole 36 is formed which is cut out in a U-shape and opens on the side end face 33 whose one side is the split surface 28. Further, a window frame 37 slightly protruding from the surface of the outer wall 22 of the first half 31 is integrally formed along the peripheral edge on the two peripheral edges of the first cutout hole 36.

  On the other hand, the second half 41 of the connector 21 corresponds to the locked portion 35 of the first half 31 and is the first hinge that is the split surface 28 of the outer wall 22 of the half cylindrical body. The rectangular plate-like locking piece 44 is positioned horizontally at the position of the side end portion 42 slightly spaced from the middle portion of the side end surface 43 opposite to the first hinge 29 side with the joint portion with the outer wall 22 as the base end. Projected integrally in the direction. The locking piece 44 can be rotated about a second hinge 45 provided at its base end by being formed thin. The locking piece 44 is provided with a locking hole 46 formed of a square hole, and further, the tip side of the locking hole 46 is an inclined surface. The inclined surface is picked with a finger and the locking piece 44 is rotated. A knob portion 47 is formed for a dynamic operation. Further, the peripheral edge portion adjacent to the knob 47 of the locking hole 46 forms a locking portion 48 that locks to the locked portion 35 of the first half 31. Further, the both sides of the locking piece 44 are made of a rectangular plate material, and a closing lid 49 for closing a signal line drawing hole 30 described later is integrally extended toward the side. The closing lid 49 is connected to an operation of rotating the locking piece 44 around the second hinge 45 and locking the locking portion 48 to the locked portion 35 of the first half 31. The wire drawing hole 30 is closed. In addition, the closing lid 49 can be rotated about a third hinge 50 provided between the locking piece 44 and the locking piece 44 as a thin wall, and is further folded along the third hinge 50. It is also possible.

  Also, the outer wall 22 around the split surface 28 of the second half 41 is cut into a U-shape at positions facing the two first cutout holes 36 of the first half 31. A second cutout hole 51 is formed in the side end face 43, which is the split face 28 on the side, and the second cutout hole 51 has a slight margin from the surface of the outer wall 22 of the second half split body 41 on the two peripheral edges. A protruding window frame 52 is integrally formed along the periphery. When the two second cutout holes 51 of the second half 41 are formed into a cylindrical body by relatively rotating and closing the first half 31 and the second half 41, Two rectangular signal lines communicate with the two first cutout holes 36 of the opposing first half body 31 and are integrated with the first cutout hole 36 on the split surface 28 of the connector 21. A lead hole 30 is formed. The signal line extraction hole 30 is inserted into the sheath pipe 4 in parallel with the water pipe 3, and is a hole for drawing out a signal line for sending an electric signal to the water heater 2 and the like. The third hinge 50 is used as an axis. By turning the closing lid 49 in the opening direction or by breaking the closing lid 49 along the third hinge 50, the signal line extraction hole 30 can be opened and the signal line can be drawn therefrom.

Next, a method of connecting the water pipe to the pipe joint of the water heater and protecting the connection end of the water pipe in the protection structure for the water pipe configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. .
First, as shown in FIG. 6 (a), the two water pipes 3, which are inserted in parallel into the sheath tube 4 and return, are pulled out from the end portion of the sheath tube 4 by a predetermined length. Here, since the two pipe joints 61 are usually fixed at substantially the same height on the bottom surface of the water heater 2, the lengths of the drawn portions of the two water pipes 3 are substantially equal. When the water pipe 3 is pulled out, the tip thereof is substantially at the same height as the upper end portion of the connecting tube portion 69, that is, the inner bottom surface 68 a of the annular step portion 68, outside the pipe joint 61. Therefore, after the water pipe 3 is pulled out, the water pipe 3 and the sheath pipe 4 are slightly bent or bent in the horizontal direction, and the tip of the water pipe 3 is placed directly below the connecting tube portion 69 of the pipe joint 61. Position. FIG. 6 (a) shows this state.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6 (b), the protective tubes 11 having a total length shorter than the length of the drawer portion of the water pipe 3 are extrapolated outside the drawer portions of the two water pipes 3. Then, in a series of operations for extrapolating the protective pipe 11 to the water pipe 3, the protective pipe 11 is further moved along the water pipe 3 toward the sheath pipe 4, and as shown in FIG. 11 is brought into contact with the end portion of the sheath tube 4, and the end portion of the water flow tube 3 is projected from the upper end portion of the protective tube 11 by the projecting length L2 to be exposed. Here, the protrusion length L2 is a length corresponding to the connection work allowance T obtained by adding the connection allowance T1 and the work allowance T2.

  When the connection work allowance T is exposed at the end of the water pipe 3, the water pipe 3 is connected to the pipe joint 61 of the water heater 2. To connect to the pipe joint 61, first, as shown in FIG. 6 (d), the fastening ring 63 of the pipe joint 61 is extrapolated to the end of the water pipe 3, and the water pipe 3 is connected in this state. The portion of the work allowance T is grasped, and the end portion of the water flow pipe 3 is externally fitted into the connecting tube portion 69 of the joint body 62 and press-fitted using a tool. Specifically, although not shown in the drawing, using a diameter expanding tool such as an expander and rotating it to change the diameter expansion position, the water pipe 3 is uniformly expanded to some extent, as shown in FIG. 7 (e). The water flow pipe 3 is press-fitted into the connecting tube portion 69 of the joint body 62 and extrapolated. Next, although not shown in the figure, using a clamping tool such as a slider, the joint body 62 and the fastening ring 63 are sandwiched by a clamp at the tip, and the fastening ring 63 is attached to the joint body 62 as shown in FIG. It press-fits and pushes up in the tube axis direction until it abuts on the annular step portion 68, and the end portion of the water flow tube 3 is strongly sandwiched between the connection tube portion 69 of the joint body 62. At this time, an annular protrusion 69a is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the connecting tube portion 69 of the joint body 62, and the annular protrusion 69a bites into the inner surface of the water pipe 3, so that the water pipe 3 is more firmly connected to the pipe joint 61. The Here, the tool to be used is not limited to these.

  The water pipe 3 connected in this way has a length connected to the connecting tube portion 69 of the joint body 62 of the pipe joint 61 as shown in FIGS. 7 (e) and 7 (f). The tightening ring 63 of the pipe joint 61 is formed to have substantially the same length as the connection tube portion 69 of the joint body 62, so that almost the entire connection allowance T 1 is protected by the tightening ring 63. It will be. Therefore, the remaining work allowance T2 obtained by subtracting the connection allowance T1 out of the projecting length L2 of the water conduit 3 drawn out from the end of the protective tube 11 before connection, that is, the connect allowance T, is exposed.

  Therefore, next, as shown in FIG. 7G, the protective tube 11 is pulled upward until it comes into contact with the lower end of the fastening ring 63 of the pipe joint 61. As a result, the portion of the work allowance T2 exposed immediately below the pipe joint 61 in the water flow pipe 3 is covered and protected by the protective pipe 11. However, on the other hand, as the protective tube 11 moves to the pipe joint 61 side, an exposed portion is newly generated in the water flow tube 3 between the protective tube 11 and the sheath tube 4. Then, next, as shown in FIG. 7 (h), a connecting tool 21 is fitted from the outside to the exposed portion of the water flow pipe 3 between the protective tube 11 and the sheath tube 4, and the connecting tool 21 The exposed portion of the water pipe 3 is covered and protected.

  Here, the attachment of the connector 21 that covers the exposed portion of the water pipe 3 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. Since the connector 21 is normally in the unfolded state as shown in FIG. 8A, first, the first half 31 is placed between the protective pipe 11 and the sheath pipe 4 in the two water pipes 3. The sheath tube connection portion 24 and the protective tube connection portion 26 provided on the flanges 27 at both ends of the first half 31 are disposed on the back side of the exposed portion of the first halved body 31, respectively. It fits in the trough 12 on the outer surface of the protective tube 11. Next, the second half 41 is rotated about the first hinge 29, and as shown in FIG. 8 (b), the side end face 33 and the second half of the first half 31 that is the split 28 are formed. The side end surface 43 of the split body 41 is closed in contact with each other. At this time, the second halved body 41 has a sheath tube connection portion 24 and a protection tube connection portion 26 provided on the flanges 27 at both ends thereof, respectively, and the outer surface of the sheath tube 4 with the outer surface wave and the protection tube 11 with the outer surface wave. It is turned and closed while being inserted into the valley portion 12. When both halves are closed, as shown in FIG. 8 (c), the locking piece 44 of the second halved body 41 is rotated about the second hinge 45 to one side of the locking hole 46. The locking portion 48 is locked to the locked portion 35 provided on the locked protrusion 34 of the first half 31.

  Thereby, the attachment of the connector 21 is completed, and the sheath tube connecting portion 24 and the protective tube connecting portion 26 provided at both ends of both halves are respectively connected to the valley portion 12 and the protective tube on the outer surface of the sheath tube 4. 11 is fitted and locked in the trough portion 12 on the outer surface of the outer casing 11, so that the sheath tube 4 and the protective tube 11 are prevented from moving relative to each other in the tube axis direction via the connector 21, and the end portions of the two are mutually connected. The interval of is kept constant. Therefore, after attaching the connector 21, the protective tube 11 does not fall even if it is not gripped. Here, the interval corresponds to the length of the exposed portion generated in the water conduit 3 between the sheath tube 4 and the protective tube 11, that is, the work allowance T2 of the water conduit 3.

Next, the operation of the water pipe protecting method and the protection structure will be described.
First, when connecting the water pipe 3 to the pipe joint 61, the protective pipe 11 shorter than the drawer part of the water pipe 3 drawn from the end part of the sheath pipe 4 is extrapolated to the drawer part and moved to the sheath pipe 4 side. Only by doing this, the tip of the water pipe 3 is maintained in an exposed state for the connection work allowance T. As a result, after the protective tube 11 is extrapolated, it is not necessary to press the protective tube 11 by hand to shrink it as in the prior art, and therefore the connection work is facilitated.

  Further, after the connection, the end portion of the water conduit 3 exposed by the work allowance T2 is covered and protected by moving the protective tube 11 to the pipe joint 61 side, and the protective tube 11 and the sheath generated by the movement are covered. The exposed portion of the fluid pipe between the pipe 4 is protected by the connector 21. Therefore, eventually, the water pipe 3 drawn out from the sheath pipe 4 is protected by the protective pipe 11 and the connector 21.

And as for the connector 21, the sheath pipe connection part 24 and the protection pipe connection part 26 of both ends are the trough part 12 of the outer surface of the sheath pipe 4 with an external wave, and the trough part 12 of the outer surface of the protection pipe 11 with an external wave, respectively. Therefore, the sheath tube 4 and the protective tube 11 are held in a fixed position, and the end portions of the sheath tube 4 and the protective tube 11 are reliably maintained in a state where they are separated from each other by a fixed connection work allowance T2. As a result, the protective tube 11 falls by its own weight due to vibration, contact, and other causes and shifts to the sheath tube 4 side, a gap is formed between the protective tube 11 and the pipe joint 61, and the water conduit 3 is exposed. Is reliably prevented. And the sheath pipe connection part 24 and the protection pipe connection part 26 are these very simple structures which only fit in the trough part 12 of the outer surface of the sheath pipe 4, and the trough part 12 of the outer surface of the protection pipe 11, respectively. The protective tube 11 can be connected, and the connector 21 can be manufactured at low cost.
In addition, since the connecting tool 21 is provided with two protective pipe connecting portions 26 at one end, the two water pipes 3 inserted in parallel in the single sheath pipe 4 are connected to the water heater 2. When connecting to the pipe joint 61, it is possible to cover the exposed portion of the water flow pipe 3 between the two protective pipes 11 and the single sheath pipe 4 with one piece, thereby reducing the component cost.

  Here, in addition to the work allowance T2, in the state where the sheath tube 4 and the protective tube 11 are connected by the connector 21, the end portion of the protective tube 11 is as described above for the protection of the water flow tube 3. Although it is ideal that the pipe 61 is pulled upward until it contacts the lower end of the fastening ring 63 and no gap is formed between the protective pipe 11 and the lower end of the pipe joint 61, the water pipe 3 is substantially formed. If it is protected, a slight gap may be formed between the protective tube 11 and the pipe joint 61. In this case, the work allowance T <b> 2 is a length obtained by adding a gap between the protective tube 11 and the pipe joint 61 to the interval between the sheath tube 4 and the protective tube 11. That is, in this case, the distance between the end portions of the sheath tube 4 and the protective tube 11 is strictly the length obtained by subtracting the gap between the protective tube 11 and the pipe joint 61 from the work allowance T2. . However, even if a gap is generated between the protective tube 11 and the pipe joint 61, the degree of the clearance is slight. Therefore, the “work cost” in the claims includes the work cost T2 itself and the work cost T2. It shall also include those with a slight gap subtracted. Therefore, in this case as well, the end portions of the sheath tube and the protective tube in the claims correspond to a state where they are separated from each other by the “operation cost”.

  By the way, although the protective tube 11 of the said embodiment has a substantially the same outer diameter as the fastening ring 63 of the pipe joint 61, and uses what contact | abuts the lower end of the fastening ring 63, it is restricted to this. Instead, for example, as shown in FIG. 9 (a), the inner diameter is larger than the outer diameter of the tightening ring 63, and is externally inserted into the tightening ring 63, and the tip abuts against the lower surface of the flange portion 64 of the pipe joint 61. It may be a thing. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9 (b), the cylinder 13 having the same diameter as that of the protective tube 11 of the above embodiment and the pipe joint 61 are provided only at the end of the fastening ring 63. It is good also as what forms with the cap part 14 formed larger than the outer diameter in the shape of a funnel, and the front-end | tip contacts the lower surface of the collar part 64 of the pipe joint 61. FIG. In the case of these protective pipes 11, when water leaks in the pipe joint 61, it can be temporarily stored in the protective pipe 11. In addition, in the protective tube 11 in which these tips contact the lower surface of the flange portion 64 of the pipe joint 61, the connection work allowance T is a length obtained by adding the entire connection allowance T1 and the work allowance T2.

Further, these protective tubes 11 may be formed with a corrugated outer surface only in a portion connected to the connector 21 including the protective tube 11 of the above embodiment. In the claims, the “protective tube having a corrugated outer surface” is taken into consideration. Furthermore, if the connection by the connector 21 is possible, it does not prevent the use of a straight tube having a smooth outer surface.
In addition, the protective tube 11 may be provided as a dedicated product, or may be used by cutting an existing corrugated tube. In this case, the protective tube 11 can be manufactured at low cost.

  In addition, the two protective pipes 11 of the said embodiment are each extrapolated by the water flow pipe 3 connected to the two pipe joints provided in the bottom face of the water heater 2, and become substantially the same length. However, when the two pipe joints are provided at two different places such as the height, the lengths are naturally different.

  In the connecting device 21 of the above embodiment, the first half 31 and the second half 41 are rotated about the first hinge 29, and the locking portion 48 of the second half 41 is moved to the first half 29. Although it is formed into a cylindrical body by being engaged with the engaged portion 35 of the half-divided body 31, it is not limited to this engagement means. Moreover, although the said latching means is provided in one place of the intermediate position of the side edge part of each halved body, you may provide in two places of the both ends of a side edge part, etc. Further, the connecting tool 21 is, for example, a structure in which two halves are separated from each other, and locking means are provided at both end portions of each half member, and are locked at both end portions. It may be formed into a body.

  In addition, the connector 21 of the above embodiment has the signal line lead-out hole 30 in the split surface 28. However, when the present invention is implemented, it is not always necessary to provide it. When the signal line lead hole 30 is not provided in the split surface 28, the locking portion 48 is formed directly on the side end portion 42 of the outer wall 22 without protruding the locking piece 44 in the second halved body 41. You can also

  Furthermore, in the said embodiment, although the two water pipes 3 were penetrated in parallel in the sheath tube 4, this invention is not limited to this, One in the sheath tube 4 The present invention can be similarly applied to a case in which only one of the fluid pipes is inserted, or a case in which three or more fluid pipes are inserted. In these cases, for example, when the number of the fluid pipes is one, one circular sheath tube insertion hole 23 is provided at one end of the connector 21 and one circular protection is provided at the other end. A tube insertion hole 25 is provided.

  The protective structure of the water pipe 3 provided with the protective pipe 11 and the connector 21 according to the present invention is the water heater 2 in particular, with the two water pipes 3 inserted into the sheath pipe 4 exemplified in the above embodiment. Is suitably used as a protective structure when connecting to pipe joints 61 provided at two locations, but in addition, for example, two fluid pipes are inserted into the sheath pipe 4 in parallel in floor heating or the like, The same applies to a portion that is pulled out from the end portion of the sheath tube 4 and connected to a pipe joint 61 provided on the floor heating floor plate. Further, the present invention is similarly applied to a case where a fluid pipe is connected to a pipe joint 61 of a diversion header provided between a water heater, a water heater 2 and the like, and each water tap of the terminal.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Protection structure of water pipe 3 Water pipe 4 Sheath pipe 11 Protection pipe 21 Connection tool 24 Sheath pipe connection part 26 Protection pipe connection part 31 1st half body 41 2nd half body 61 Pipe joint T Connection work cost

Claims (3)

After a plurality of fluid tubes inserted in parallel in a sheath tube with an outer surface wave protecting the fluid tube are pulled out from the end of the sheath tube by a predetermined length, a plurality of protective tubes having a total length shorter than the predetermined length are Extrapolating each of the plurality of fluid pipes to the outer side, further moving to the sheath pipe side, exposing connection work costs for connecting to pipe joints at each end of the plurality of fluid pipes. Each end of the fluid pipe is connected to the pipe joint,
Next, each of the plurality of protective pipes is moved to the pipe joint side,
The sheath tube and the plurality of protective tubes are connected to each other so as not to move relative to each other in the tube axis direction by a connector formed of a half-cut cylindrical body, and the sheath tube is moved along with the movement toward the tube joint side. A method of connecting fluid pipes, wherein the plurality of fluid pipes exposed between the plurality of protective pipes are covered and protected by the coupling tool. A plurality of fluid pipes inserted in parallel in a sheath pipe with an external wave are pulled out from the end of the sheath pipe by a predetermined length and connected to pipe joints, respectively.
Between the pipe joints and the sheath pipes in the plurality of fluid pipes, protective pipes each having a corrugated outer surface shorter than the predetermined length are extrapolated, respectively.
The sheath tube and the plurality of protective tubes are connected so as not to be relatively movable in the tube axis direction by a connector formed of a half-cut cylindrical body,
The ends of the sheath pipe and the plurality of protective pipes are separated from each other by a work allowance for connecting the fluid pipe to the pipe joint, and the plurality of fluid pipes exposed by the separation are covered by the connector. A protective structure for a fluid pipe, characterized by being protected. A sheath tube with an outer surface wave in which a plurality of fluid tubes are inserted in parallel;
A plurality of protective pipes each having a corrugated outer surface, which are extrapolated between the pipe joints and the sheath pipes in the plurality of fluid pipes drawn out from the end of the sheath pipe by a predetermined length and connected to pipe joints; A connector that covers and protects the plurality of fluid tubes between the sheath tube and the plurality of protective tubes,
It is formed with a half cylinder
In order to connect the sheath tube and the plurality of protection tubes in the tube axis direction, a connection portion is provided at one end portion to be engaged and connected to the outer surface of the sheath tube, and the protection tube is provided at the other end portion. A plurality of connecting portions corresponding to the plurality of protective tubes are provided to be locked and connected to the outer surface of
The both connecting portions are provided so that the end portions of the sheath tube and the plurality of protective tubes can be connected in a state where work allowances for connecting the fluid pipe to the pipe joint are separated. Connecting tool.

Images