JP2022163089A - Construction piping system and construction method of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a construction piping system which is formed by connecting piping elements by using a mechanical-type pipe joint and which can remarkably reduce construction work in a construction site.

SOLUTION: An annular bulged part is integrally formed at least at one pipe end of a piping element. Then, in a connection portion of a mechanical-type pipe joint and the piping element, a part of the mechanical-type piping is formed of the pipe end at which the annular bulged part of the piping element constituting the connection portion is formed. The piping element is manufactured at a manufacturing site, and transferred to a construction site of a construction piping system, a plurality of piping elements are connected to one another by the mechanical-type pipe joint at the construction site, and the construction piping system is formed. After the manufacturing of the piping element, quality inspection may be performed prior to the transfer to the construction site.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

COPYRIGHT: (C)2023,JPO&INPIT

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a building piping system and a method for installing the system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a construction piping system that is organized by connecting piping elements using mechanical pipe joints, and a method of constructing the system.

A building piping system that supplies and/or circulates cold water and/or hot water as a heat medium for domestic use and air conditioning connects thin-walled piping elements made of metal such as iron such as stainless steel at construction sites. It may be organized by Mechanical pipe joints that do not require the use of firearms or the like are used in the work of connecting piping elements at such construction sites, for example, from the viewpoint of ensuring work easiness and safety. Mechanical type pipe joints are classified into various types such as press type, tube expansion type, nut type, rolling screw type, insertion type and coupling type according to the standard (SAS322) defined by the Stainless Steel Association. In many of these types, an annular bulge or annular groove or the like is formed at the end of the piping element by an operator at the construction site so that the piping element engages the pipe joint when the pipe joint is assembled. The pipe elements are connected to each other in an air- or liquid-tight manner.

According to the mechanical pipe joint as described above, there is no need for highly difficult and dangerous operations such as welding and thread cutting, so that the operations at the construction site are facilitated. However, since it is still necessary to form an annular bulge or an annular groove in each piping element and to connect the piping elements while assembling the pipe joint, further simplification of the work and cost reduction are required. It is

Therefore, in the technical field, a large number of metal mechanical pipe joints having various shapes and integrally formed annular bulges are prepared, and a straight pipe as a piping element is used as the expanded diameter portion of the pipe joint. A construction method is used in which piping elements are connected to form a piping system by inserting them into (sockets) and deforming (caulking) the annular bulges. A specific example of such a mechanical type pipe joint is a "press type pipe joint" disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent No. 3436822). In this press-type pipe joint, an annular sealing member (O-ring) made of an elastic material is mounted inside (annular groove) an annular bulging portion formed in the enlarged diameter portion, and the end of the piping element (connecting pipe) is fitted. The portion (pipe end) is inserted inside the enlarged diameter portion. While this state is maintained, the portions on both sides sandwiching the annular bulging portion in the axial direction of the enlarged diameter portion and the annular bulging portion are subjected to diameter reduction processing (caulking processing) to connect the connecting pipe airtightly or liquidtightly. be done.

However, due to a plurality of piping elements such as a straight pipe, an elbow pipe including a bent portion, a cheese pipe including a bifurcated portion, a reducer pipe including a gradually changing diameter portion, and a pipe including a low-rigidity portion (for example, a bellows including a bellows portion), When constructing a desired piping system, it is necessary to individually arrange a press-type pipe joint at each of the connection portions between these piping elements and perform caulking. Therefore, the number of times of crimping processing becomes enormous, and as a result, there is a possibility of leading to problems such as a decrease in efficiency of construction work and an increase in cost, for example. Moreover, the number of pipe joints used to connect the pipe elements is also enormous, which may lead to an increase in material costs.

As a solution to the above problems, a predetermined number of piping elements are organized in advance as a unit at a manufacturing site such as a factory, the unit is transported to the construction site, and the unit and other units and / or other A so-called "prefabrication method" has also been proposed, in which piping elements are connected to each other by mechanical pipe joints. For example, Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent No. 6177520) proposes a method of constructing a circuit for circulating a refrigerant between indoor and outdoor units of an air conditioner by such a prefabrication method. In this construction method, a unit in which multiple parts are connected by brazing is assembled at the manufacturing site, the unit is transported to the construction site after an airtightness test, and the units are connected using independent snap-in connection joints. be done.

Japanese Patent No. 3436822 Japanese Patent No. 6177520

However, in the above-described prior art, by pre-organizing a predetermined number of piping elements as a unit at a manufacturing site such as a factory, although the amount of work at the construction site is reduced by that amount, the unit is formed by an independent fit-in connection joint. need to connect with each other. That is, the prefabrication method as described above only transfers a part of the number of plug-in connection joints (and the man-hours for connection work) used at the site to the manufacturing site. Even if press-fit fittings were replaced with press-fit fittings, the number of press-type fittings used on-site and part of the number of times of caulking would only be transferred to the manufacturing site. result in problems. Thus, it is difficult to reduce the overall workload and the number of parts, including the manufacturing site and the construction site, by prefabricating some of the plurality of piping elements that constitute the piping system.

Therefore, in order to reduce the number of crimping processes for press-type pipe joints, a structure that constitutes a part of the press-type pipe joint (for example, an enlarged diameter portion and an annular bulge portion, etc.) is provided at the pipe end of the piping element. It is conceivable to form them integrally. However, there are no facilities or places at general construction sites to perform the processing work of forming such a structure on the pipe end of the piping element, and there are few workers with the skills to perform the processing work. , it is extremely difficult to perform the processing work at the construction site.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a construction piping system that is organized by connecting piping elements using mechanical pipe joints, and that can greatly reduce construction work at a construction site. is to provide

As a result of intensive research, the present inventors have found that in a construction piping system composed of a plurality of piping elements connected to each other by mechanical pipe joints, an annular bulging portion is integrally formed on at least one pipe end of each piping element. However, the inventors have found that the above problem can be solved by forming a part of the pipe joint or a part of the connection structure between the pipe joint and the pipe element by the pipe end.

In view of the above, a building piping system according to the present invention (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "the system of the present invention") is a building piping system composed of a plurality of piping elements connected to each other by mechanical pipe joints. A piping system. Furthermore, at least one pipe end of the piping element is integrally formed with an enlarged diameter portion over a certain range, and the enlarged diameter portion bulges outward in the radial direction over the entire circumference. A partial annular bulging portion is integrally formed. In addition, at least one of the mechanical type pipe joints is composed of the enlarged diameter portion, the annular bulging portion, and an annular seal member (O-ring) provided inside the annular bulging portion. It is a press type pipe joint that has been designed.

A construction method for a building piping system according to the present invention (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "method of the present invention") is a method for constructing a building constructed by a plurality of piping elements connected to each other by mechanical pipe joints. A method for constructing a piping system for buildings, which is characterized by including a manufacturing process, a transfer process, and a construction process listed below.

Manufacturing process: At a manufacturing site, at least one pipe end of a pipe element that constitutes a piping system for construction is integrally formed with an enlarged diameter portion over a certain range, and is radially outwardly formed over the entire circumference. integrally forming an annular bulging portion, which is a portion that bulges out, with the enlarged diameter portion.
Transfer process: The process of transferring piping elements and mechanical fittings from the manufacturing site to the building piping system installation site.
Construction process: The process of connecting a plurality of piping elements transferred in the transfer process to each other by mechanical type pipe joints at the construction site to form a building piping system.

In addition, in the method of the present invention, the pipe end having the annular bulge of the pipe element constitutes a part of the mechanical pipe joint.

The system of the present invention is a building piping system made up of a plurality of piping elements connected together by mechanical type pipe joints. Furthermore, at least one pipe end of the piping element is integrally formed with an enlarged diameter portion, and the enlarged diameter portion is integrally formed with an annular bulging portion. In addition, at least one of the upper mechanical type pipe joints is a press-type joint constituted by the enlarged diameter portion, the annular bulging portion, and an annular seal member provided inside the annular bulging portion. It's a pipe joint. By integrally forming the enlarged diameter portion and the annular bulging portion at the pipe end of the piping element at the manufacturing site such as a factory, the processing accuracy of the enlarged diameter portion and the annular bulging portion is improved, and the man-hours required for the work at the construction site are improved. and difficulty can be reduced. In addition, since the press-type pipe joint is configured by at least one pipe end having the enlarged diameter portion and the annular bulging portion of the pipe element, the press-type pipe joint is not used separately from the pipe element. can halve the number of crimping processes.

That is, according to the present invention, it is possible to greatly reduce the construction work at the construction site in the construction piping system formed by connecting the piping elements using the mechanical pipe joint.

Other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will be readily understood from the description of each embodiment of the present invention described with reference to the following drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of a structure of the construction piping system (1st system) which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of one of the plurality of piping elements that constitute the first system; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing how two piping elements among the plurality of piping elements that constitute the first system are connected by a press-type pipe joint that is integrally formed at the pipe end of one of the piping elements. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between a pair of piping elements connected by an expandable pipe joint, a seal member, and a casing included in a construction piping system (third system) according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The first mark is used when two piping elements among the plurality of piping elements constituting the building piping system (fourth system) according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention are connected by the press type pipe joint. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing how mutual insertion allowance and mutual indexing are set to predetermined appropriate amounts. FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of each step in a construction method (sixth method) for a construction piping system according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of each step in a construction method (tenth method) for a building piping system according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of each step in a construction method (eleventh method) for a construction piping system according to an eleventh embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram showing how a construction piping system is organized along with the execution of the first to third steps included in the construction steps of the eleventh method; FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of each step in a construction method (twelfth method) for a construction piping system according to a twelfth embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

<<1st Embodiment>>
Hereinafter, a construction piping system (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "first system") according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

<Constitution>
The first system is a building piping system made up of a plurality of piping elements connected together by mechanical type pipe joints. A piping system constructed in an actual building or the like is, for example, covered with a heat-insulating material on almost the entire surface, or suspended from the ceiling by support fittings at appropriate locations. The same applies to the first system, but since such an additional construction form is a form well known to those skilled in the art, a description of such an additional construction form will be omitted in this specification.

Furthermore, at least one pipe end of the piping element is integrally formed with an enlarged diameter portion over a certain range, and the enlarged diameter portion bulges outward in the radial direction over the entire circumference. A partial annular bulging portion is integrally formed. In this specification, a piping element is a tubular member in which a space in which a fluid can flow is defined, and a flow path having a desired structure can be configured by connecting a plurality of piping elements. . Moreover, the enlarged diameter portion refers to a portion of the piping element whose inner diameter is enlarged so as to be larger than other portions. Further, the annular bulging portion refers to a portion of the pipe wall of the piping element that partially bulges outward in the radial direction over the entire circumference. A specific method for forming such an enlarged diameter portion and an annular bulging portion is not particularly limited. The enlarged diameter portion can be formed by, for example, plastic working such as so-called “spinning”. The annular bulging portion can be formed, for example, by rolling. Further, the annular bulging portion can be formed by a so-called "urethane bulge method" in which a bulging portion is formed in a portion of the tubular material by axially compressing a tubular material filled with urethane material. Alternatively, the annular bulging portion may be formed by, for example, a so-called "hydraulic bulging (hydroforming) process" and a split expansion type tube expanding method.

The enlarged diameter portion and the annular bulging portion are formed on at least one pipe end of each pipe element. That is, in each pipe element, an annular bulge is formed at one pipe end, two or more pipe ends, or all pipe ends.

In addition, at least one of the mechanical pipe joints is composed of the enlarged diameter portion, the annular bulging portion, and an annular seal member (O-ring) provided inside the annular bulging portion. It is a press type pipe joint.

When connecting piping elements using a press-type pipe joint, an annular sealing member (O-ring) made of an elastic material is placed inside an annular bulging portion formed in an enlarged diameter portion formed at the pipe end of the piping element. With the pipe end of another piping element inserted into the enlarged diameter portion, the portions on both sides sandwiching the annular bulge portion in the axial direction of the enlarged diameter portion and the annular bulge portion are crimped, These two plumbing elements can be connected gas-tight or liquid-tight. That is, one of the two opposite pipe ends of the two pipe elements to be connected is formed with an enlarged diameter portion and an annular bulge portion, and the other is not formed with an enlarged diameter portion and an annular bulge portion. , the enlarged diameter portion of the former piping element formed with the annular bulging portion functions as a press-type pipe joint. In other words, at the connecting portion of these two piping elements, the pipe end of one of the piping elements formed with the enlarged diameter portion and the annular bulging portion constitutes a part of the press-type pipe joint as a mechanical pipe joint. is doing.

It should be noted that, in the same way as the conventional building piping system (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "conventional system"), the first system also has a structure that matches the structure of the building or the like in which the piping system is installed. is configured to be Therefore, at least some of the plurality of piping elements that make up the first system may be connected so as to form a channel that extends two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally. In other words, at least part of the plurality of piping elements that constitute the first system can exist over a region corresponding to a specific range of x and y on a two-dimensional xy orthogonal coordinate plane. In this case, the first system may be configured such that, in the region, there are a plurality of piping elements in the x-axis direction and a plurality of piping elements in the y-direction. Alternatively, at least some of the plurality of piping elements that make up the first system can exist over a region corresponding to a specific range of x, y, and z in a three-dimensional xyz Cartesian coordinate space. In this case, in the above region, the first system is configured such that a plurality of piping elements exist in the x-axis direction, a plurality of piping elements exist in the y-axis direction, and a plurality of piping elements exist in the z-direction. may be configured.

Furthermore, at least one of the plurality of piping elements that constitute the first system may further include at least one portion selected from the group consisting of bending portions, branching portions, gradually changing diameter portions, and low-rigidity portions. This makes it possible to easily configure the first system so as to have a structure that matches the structure of a building or the like in which the piping system is installed. For example, as described above, at least a part of the plurality of piping elements that constitute the first system can easily form a channel that extends two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally.

At least one portion selected from the group consisting of the bent portion, the branched portion, the gradually changing diameter portion, and the low-rigidity portion is integrally formed with each piping element. In this specification, the term "integrally formed" means not only forming a part having a desired shape by plastic working (literally, integrally forming), but also preliminarily forming a separate body. It also means connecting the formed portion having the desired shape to the blank tube by means of, for example, welding. That is, the state in which they are inseparably connected in an airtight or liquid-tight manner is referred to as an "integrally formed state."

In addition, the structure and constituent materials of the piping elements that constitute the first system are not particularly limited as long as they exhibit the function of the construction piping system and can withstand the usage environment and usage conditions of the application. The individual piping elements that make up the first system are not limited to simple straight pipes, and have a wide variety of structures according to the structure of the fluid flow path to be configured by the first system, as will be described later in detail. be able to.

For example, the constituent material of the piping element that constitutes the first system is, for example, metal such as iron including stainless steel. Compared to steel pipes made of carbon steel (SGP pipes) that have been widely used in building piping systems, stainless steel has higher strength, so it is possible to reduce weight by thinning, and it has higher corrosion resistance. Therefore, it is possible to extend the service life of the piping system (reduce the frequency of replacement). Austenitic stainless steels are widely used as stainless steels used in construction piping systems, for example, because of their large distribution and easy availability.

However, the piping elements that make up the first system may include portions having a wide variety of shapes, as described above. Austenitic stainless steel is relatively difficult to be plastically worked, and internal stress generated by plastic working and/or welding must be removed by solution heat treatment. Therefore, the manufacturing process of the piping system becomes complicated and difficult, which may lead to an increase in manufacturing cost. Further, in a piping system using austenitic stainless steel, problems such as deformation and/or breakage of the piping system may occur due to dimensional changes in piping elements due to changes in the temperature of the fluid flowing inside. Furthermore, austenitic stainless steel is significantly more expensive than carbon steel, which may lead to increased material costs for the piping system.

Therefore, at least a portion of the plurality of piping elements forming the first system may be made of ferritic stainless steel. Ferritic stainless steel is easier to plastically work than austenitic stainless steel and does not require solution heat treatment. Also, the coefficient of linear expansion of ferritic stainless steel is much smaller than that of austenitic stainless steel. For example, the linear expansion coefficient of SUS430 is only about 60% of that of SUS304. Furthermore, ferritic stainless steel (such as SUS430) is less expensive than austenitic stainless steel (such as SUS304). Therefore, by constructing at least a part of the plurality of piping elements from ferritic stainless steel, it is possible to suppress increases in the manufacturing cost and material cost of the piping system and to reduce the problems caused by temperature changes as described above. can be done.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the first system, in which the first system constituting a flow path extending in a substantially horizontal plane (substantially two-dimensionally) is viewed from above in the vertical direction. It is a diagram. A first system 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises 14 piping elements 2 to 15 connected to each other. As described above, the piping system 1 constructed in an actual building or the like is, for example, covered with a heat insulating material on almost the entire surface, or suspended from the ceiling by support metal fittings at appropriate locations. Illustrations and descriptions of such incidental construction modes are omitted.

An upstream pipe is connected to the most upstream end a of the piping system 1, and the fluid flows into the first piping element 2 of the piping system 1 from a. Other pipes and/or devices are also connected to the downstream ends B, C, D, E, F, G, H and L of the pipe elements 3, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13 and 15. However, detailed explanation about them is omitted. That is, FIG. 1 shows only the piping system 1, which is the subject of the present invention.

The 14 piping elements 2 to 15 that make up the first system 1 are connected so as to form a channel that extends two-dimensionally. In other words, the piping elements 2 to 15 exist over a region corresponding to a specific range of x and y in a two-dimensional xy Cartesian coordinate plane. That is, in the above region, the piping elements 2 to 15 are connected to each other so that there are a plurality of piping elements in the x-axis direction and a plurality of piping elements in the y-direction. In addition, in the first system 1 illustrated in FIG. 1, there are 14 piping elements 2 to 15 in the above area, but in an actual construction site piping system, there are several tens in both the x direction and the y direction. Each piping element may be connected.

In addition, in the example shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of piping elements are connected so as to form a flow path extending two-dimensionally as described above, but the building or the like in which the first system is installed Depending on the structure, a plurality of piping elements may be connected to form a three-dimensionally extending flow path. In other words, the first system may include piping elements that form a flow path that extends in a direction (z direction) perpendicular to the plane, rather than all of the plurality of piping elements being contained within one plane. can. From the viewpoint of maximizing the effect achieved by the present invention, it is preferable that the first system constitutes as large a part of the piping system as possible in the target building, such as an entire floor of the building. is ideal. However, only a specific part of the piping system may be configured by the first system, depending on the actual situation such as the structure of the building or the like in which the piping system is installed.

In the piping elements 2 to 15, at least one portion selected from the group consisting of a straight pipe portion, a bent portion (elbow pipe portion), a branch portion (tee pipe portion), and a gradually changing diameter portion (reducer pipe portion) is integrated. is formed in Moreover, although not shown in FIG. 1, at least one of the plurality of piping elements that constitute the first system may include a low-rigidity portion (bellows portion).

Reference numerals a to n shown in FIG. 1 indicate portions (connecting portions) in which the above-described annular swelling portion is formed. In the first system 1 illustrated in FIG. 1, connection portions a to n are integrally formed at the ends of the respective piping elements 2 to 15 on the upstream side. In each connection portion b to n, an annular bulging portion is formed integrally with the enlarged diameter portion formed at the upstream pipe end of each of the piping elements 3 to 15. A press-type pipe joint is composed of the protruding portion and an annular seal member (not shown) provided inside the annular bulging portion. Then, in a state in which the downstream end of another piping element adjacent to the upstream side of the piping element is inserted into the enlarged diameter portion of the piping element, the annular bulging portion is formed in the axial direction of the enlarged diameter portion. Both side portions to be sandwiched and the annular bulging portion are diameter-reduced (crimped) (not shown). In this manner, adjacent piping elements are connected and fixed in an air-tight or liquid-tight manner.

Next, focusing on one of the plurality of piping elements forming the first system 1, the configuration of the piping element will be described in more detail. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of one piping element 14 out of 14 piping elements 2 to 15 that constitute the first system 1. As shown in FIG. The piping element 14 includes a first pipe 21 that bends and extends from the upstream side on the left side of the drawing to the lower right side of the drawing, and a welded portion 23 that is positioned in the central portion of the first pipe 21 . and a second pipe 22 connected and fixed so as to branch in a T-shape at . That is, the first pipe 21 and the second pipe 22 are connected by welding to integrally form the piping element 14 .

The upstream end of the first pipe 21 is integrally formed with a press connection 1 as a mechanical pipe joint. The press connection portion 1 includes an annular bulging portion in which an O-ring (annular sealing member made of an elastic material) is embedded and enlarged diameter portions on both sides thereof (a range in which the piping element 10 adjacent to the upstream side is inserted. "Socket") It is a press type pipe joint consisting of The downstream end of the upstream piping element 10 is inserted into the enlarged diameter portion and fixed by caulking. Conversely, the downstream end of the second pipe 22 is inserted into the press connection m formed at the upstream end 24 of the piping element 13 adjacent to the downstream side and fixed by caulking. It is Thus, the downstream end of each piping element 2 to 14 is fitted into a press connection integrally formed with the upstream end of the other piping element adjacent downstream of each. , is caulked and fixed.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing how two piping elements among a plurality of piping elements that constitute the first system are connected by a press-type pipe joint that is integrally formed at the pipe end of one of the piping elements. be. In the example shown in FIG. 3, an enlarged diameter portion 16e is integrally formed over a certain range at the pipe end on the upstream side of the pipe element 16 of the two pipe elements 16 and 17. In the example shown in FIG. An annular bulging portion 16b is formed integrally with the enlarged diameter portion 16e, and an annular sealing member (not shown) is provided inside the annular bulging portion 16b. A press-type pipe joint 41 is composed of the expanded diameter portion 16e, the annular bulging portion 16b, and the sealing member. On the other hand, the downstream pipe end of the pipe element 17 connected to the upstream pipe end of the pipe element 16 does not have such a structure. That is, the vicinity of the pipe end on the downstream side of the pipe element 17 has a straight pipe shape.

When connecting the piping element 16 and the piping element 17, as indicated by a black arrow in the drawing, the piping element 17 is inserted inside the enlarged diameter portion 16e formed at the upstream pipe end of the piping element 16. is inserted into the downstream end of the pipe. Next, while this state is maintained, the portions on both sides sandwiching the annular bulging portion 16b in the axial direction of the annular bulging portion 16b and the enlarged diameter portion 16e (see the hatched portion 41c shown in the drawing) are reduced in diameter. (crimping) is performed to connect the piping element 16 and the piping element 17 in an airtight or liquid-tight manner.

<effect>
In the first system, at least one pipe end of the pipe element is integrally formed with an enlarged diameter portion and an annular bulge. In addition, at least one of the mechanical pipe joints constituting the first system is composed of the enlarged diameter portion, the annular bulging portion, and an annular sealing member provided inside the annular bulging portion. It is a press type pipe joint. By integrally forming the annular bulging portion on the pipe end of the piping element at a manufacturing site such as a factory, it is possible to improve the processing accuracy of the annular bulging portion and reduce the man-hours and difficulty of the work at the construction site. can. In addition, when using a press-type pipe joint that is integrally formed with the pipe end of the piping element as described above, the number of times of caulking is reduced compared to using a press-type pipe fitting separate from the piping element. can be halved. That is, according to the first system, it is possible to greatly reduce the construction work at the construction site in the construction piping system in which the piping elements are connected to each other using the mechanical pipe joints.

<<Second embodiment>>
A construction piping system (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "second system") according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

As described above, in the first system, at least one of the mechanical pipe joints includes an enlarged diameter portion integrally formed on the pipe end of the piping element and an annular bulge integrally formed on the enlarged diameter portion. and an annular sealing member provided inside the annular bulging portion. By integrally forming the enlarged diameter portion and the annular bulging portion at the pipe end of the piping element at the manufacturing site such as a factory, the processing accuracy of the enlarged diameter portion and the annular bulging portion is improved and the work at the construction site is simplified. Man-hours and difficulty can be reduced.

When connecting piping elements using a press-type pipe joint, an annular sealing member made of an elastic material is attached inside an annular bulging portion formed in an enlarged diameter portion formed at a pipe end of the piping element. Then, while the pipe end of another piping element is inserted into the enlarged diameter portion, the portions on both sides sandwiching the annular swelling portion in the axial direction of the enlarged diameter portion and the annular swelling portion are crimped. Two plumbing elements can be connected gas-tight or liquid-tight. That is, one of the two opposite pipe ends of the two pipe elements to be connected is formed with an enlarged diameter portion and an annular bulge portion, and the other is not formed with an enlarged diameter portion and an annular bulge portion. , the enlarged diameter portion of the former piping element formed with the annular bulging portion functions as a press-type pipe joint. In other words, at the connecting portion of these two piping elements, the pipe end of one of the piping elements formed with the enlarged diameter portion and the annular bulging portion constitutes a part of the press-type pipe joint as a mechanical pipe joint. is doing.

However, if the pipe ends of two pipe elements to be connected are both formed with an annular bulging portion, the pipe end of one pipe element (the enlarged diameter portion formed on) of the other pipe element The tube end cannot be inserted. Therefore, in this case, the pipe end formed with the annular bulging portion cannot function as a press-type pipe joint. Incidentally, in this case, for example, if a pipe expansion type pipe joint, which is a type of housing type pipe joint, is adopted as the mechanical type pipe joint, the two pipe elements to be connected are formed on the side where the annular bulging portion is formed. An annular seal member made of an elastic material is attached so as to straddle the pipe ends of these two pipe elements, with the pipe ends facing each other, and the seal member is compressed radially inward and the two pipe elements are compressed. The two pipe elements can be connected in an airtight or liquid tight manner by fitting the casing against the annular bulge of the pipe element to lock the two pipe elements against each other. can. That is, in this case, the pipe end formed with the annular bulging portion of the pipe element constitutes a part of the connection structure between the expansion pipe joint as a mechanical pipe joint and the pipe element.

Furthermore, if the pipe ends of the two pipe elements to be connected are not formed with an annular bulge, in order to connect the two pipe elements, for example, a press type separate from the pipe elements Pipe fittings or expansion pipe fittings must be used. In the former case, it is necessary to crimp each of the two piping elements inserted from both sides of the press-type pipe joint, so the effect of reducing the number of crimping operations cannot be achieved. That is, it is not possible to reduce the man-hours and difficulty of the work at the construction site. On the other hand, in the latter case as well, it is necessary to form annular bulging portions at the pipe ends of the two pipe elements that are inserted from both sides of the pipe expansion type pipe joint. I can't.

As described above, the annular bulge is formed only on one of the pipe ends of the two pipe elements to be connected, or the annular bulge is formed on both pipe ends of the two pipe elements to be connected. The types of mechanical type pipe joints that can be adopted differ depending on whether the pipe ends of the two pipe elements to be connected are formed with an annular bulge portion. Therefore, if the positions of the pipe ends where the annular bulging portions are formed in the individual piping elements are not uniform, the mechanical type pipe joint may be replaced depending on the presence or absence of the annular bulging portions at the pipe ends for each set of connected piping elements. form must be selected, which complicates the organization of the piping system.

<Constitution>
Therefore, the second system is the above-described first system, and includes the piping element that is arranged on the most upstream side of the building piping system and the piping element that is arranged on the most downstream side of the building piping system among the plurality of piping elements. Piping for construction, characterized in that an enlarged diameter portion and an annular bulging portion are uniformly formed only at the upstream pipe end or only the downstream pipe end in all other pipe elements except for the pipe element System.

As described above, in all the piping elements other than the piping elements arranged on the most upstream side and the most downstream side among the plurality of piping elements constituting the second system, only the upstream or downstream pipe end An enlarged diameter portion and an annular bulging portion are integrally formed. For the piping elements arranged on the most upstream side and downstream side among the plurality of piping elements that constitute the second system, the diameters are uniformly expanded only to the upstream or downstream side pipe ends in the same way as the other piping elements. A portion and an annular bulging portion may be formed. However, for example, for the purpose of facilitating connection with piping further upstream or downstream than the second system, among the plurality of piping elements constituting the second system, it is arranged on the most upstream side and downstream side The arrangement of the pipe end on which the annular bulge is formed in the pipe element thus formed may be different from that of the other pipe elements.

In the first system 1 illustrated in FIG. 1, as described above, the connection portions a to n, which are portions in which the annular bulging portion is formed, are located at the upstream end portions of the respective piping elements 2 to 15. integrally formed. That is, the first system 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 also has technical features as the second system.

<effect>
As described above, among the plurality of piping elements that make up the second system, the piping element arranged on the most upstream side of the second system and the piping element arranged on the most downstream side of the second system In all piping elements, the enlarged diameter portion and the annular bulging portion are uniformly formed only on the upstream pipe end or only on the downstream pipe end. Therefore, in the second system, regardless of the order of connection of these piping elements, etc., piping elements having various structures can be combined in accordance with the structure of the building or the like in which the second system is installed. The press-on fittings configured by the ends are used to connect the piping elements, allowing the fluid flow path defined by the second system to be freely designed.

In addition, according to the second system, processing such as formation of the annular bulging portion at the manufacturing site of the piping element becomes a unified work, which is efficient. Furthermore, the connection of the piping elements at the construction site is a unified work, which is efficient and leads to, for example, a reduction in work mistakes.

<<Third Embodiment>>
A construction piping system (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "third system") according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

As described above, in the systems of the present invention, including the first system, at least one of the mechanical pipe joints has an enlarged diameter portion integrally formed on the pipe end of the piping element and an enlarged diameter portion integrally formed with the enlarged diameter portion. and an annular seal member provided inside the annular bulge. When connecting piping elements using this press-type pipe joint, an annular sealing member made of an elastic material is mounted inside an annular bulging portion formed in an enlarged diameter portion formed at a pipe end of the piping element, While the pipe end of another piping element is inserted into the enlarged diameter portion, the portions on both sides sandwiching the annular bulge portion in the axial direction of the enlarged diameter portion and the annular bulge portion are crimped to separate these two parts. The plumbing elements can be connected gas-tight or liquid-tight. That is, the expanded diameter portion of one of the piping elements, which has the annular bulging portion, functions as a press-type pipe joint. Therefore, the number of times of caulking can be halved compared to the case of using a press-type pipe joint separate from the piping element, so that the construction work at the construction site can be greatly reduced.

However, depending on the combination of piping elements connected to configure the system of the present invention and/or the combination of the system of the present invention with other piping systems, it may be desirable to adopt the expansion type pipe joint as the mechanical type pipe joint. There is In other words, the system of the present invention does not exclude the use of a pipe expansion type pipe joint as a mechanical type pipe joint.

<Constitution>
Therefore, the third system is the first system described above, and is a building piping system characterized in that at least one of the mechanical pipe joints is an expandable pipe joint having a casing and an annular sealing member. Furthermore, an annular bulging portion, which is a portion bulging outward in the radial direction over the entire circumference, is located at a predetermined distance from the pipe ends of the two pipe elements connected by the expansion pipe joint. are integrally formed, and the annular bulging portions are fixed to the casing so that the two piping elements are not separated from each other by being engaged with the casing. In addition, the sealing member is installed in the casing and straddles the pipe ends of the two pipe elements facing each other.

As described above, the tube expansion type pipe joint provided in the third system corresponds to the so-called "housing type pipe joint". As a result, even when it becomes necessary to connect the pipe ends having the annular bulging portions due to the convenience of designing the flow path of the fluid defined by the third system, the pipe ends can be used at the connection point. These pipe ends can be connected without any problem by adopting a pipe expansion type pipe joint as a mechanical type pipe joint. In addition, it is sufficient that an annular bulging portion is formed in the vicinity of the pipe ends of the two pipe elements connected by the pipe expansion type pipe joint, and it is not necessary to form the above-described enlarged diameter portion. . In other words, the annular bulging portion formed in the vicinity of the pipe ends of the two pipe elements connected by the expansion pipe joint may be formed on the pipe wall of the straight pipe-shaped pipe element. As described above, it may be formed in an enlarged diameter portion formed over a certain range at the pipe end of the piping element.

However, from the viewpoint of facilitating proper use of pipe joints adopted as mechanical pipe joints according to the design of the fluid flow path defined by the third system as described above, the pipes of each pipe element It is desirable that the position, shape, etc. of the annular bulging portion formed at the end be uniform regardless of the type of pipe joint employed as the mechanical pipe joint. This makes it possible to commonly use the annular bulging portion having the same configuration regardless of whether the pipe joint employed as the mechanical pipe joint is a press type pipe joint or a pipe expansion type pipe joint. From such a point of view, in the piping elements connected by the expansion type pipe joint, as in the case of the piping elements connected by the press type pipe joint, the expanded diameter is formed over a certain range at the pipe end of the pipe element. An annular bulging portion may be formed in the portion.

By the way, among conventional pipe expansion type pipe joints widely used especially in the construction industry (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "conventional joints"), housing type pipe joints provided with cast casings are generally used. used for purposes. Housing-type pipe joints with casting casings have been used for many years and have been recognized for their high reliability. It is

Therefore, in the technical field, as a solution to the above problems, a lightweight and compact housing is formed by forming a housing type pipe joint by forming a metal (for example, stainless steel) thin plate instead of casting. It is known to provide shaped pipe fittings. In particular, in Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-62953 filed on March 31, 2020, the applicant of the present invention has disclosed that a casing constituting a housing type pipe joint is fitted onto a seal member to constrain the shape of the seal member. and an outer casing which is provided outside the inner casing and engages with a pair of pipe members whose pipe ends are opposed to each other in the interior of the seal member and presses the inner casing toward the seal member. This proposal proposes a compact and lightweight housing-type pipe joint capable of achieving sufficiently high levels of both the function of locking and the function of constraining the shape of a seal member.

FIG. 4(a) shows a pair of piping elements 211, a sealing member 110, a first casing 120 and a second casing which are connected by an expanding pipe housing type pipe joint 101A having the above-described structure. It is a schematic diagram which shows the positional relationship of the 2nd segment 131S. 4(b) shows the positional relationship between the outer peripheral portion 131P and the rim portion 131R of the second segment 131S in the housing type pipe joint 101A and the annular swelling portion 210D formed in the pair of piping elements 211 and the first casing 120. It is a schematic diagram showing. In (a) and (b) of FIG. 4, a fastening member that forms a second casing by fastening a pair of second segments 131S to bring them closer together is omitted. In addition, in FIG. 4(a), only the outline of the second segment 131S and the through holes drilled in the seating surface are drawn.

As exemplified in FIG. 4, in the housing type pipe joint 101A, the pipe ends of a pair of piping elements 211 are inserted from both sides in the direction of the axis AX of a so-called "self-seal type" seal member 110 to form a seal member. Inside 110, pipe ends of a pair of pipe elements 211 are opposed to each other with a predetermined gap therebetween. Then, the first casing 120 (consisting of a plurality of first segments) is fitted over the sealing member 110 so as to cover the sealing member 110 . Further, two second segments 131S are arranged to cover the first casing 120. As shown in FIG. In this state, the adjacent second segments 131S are fastened together by a fastening member consisting of a bolt inserted through a through hole drilled in the seating surface of the flange portion 131F of the adjacent second segment 131S and a nut screwed to the bolt. do.

As a result of the above, the two second segments 131S are brought closer together to assemble the second casing, and the plurality of first segments are brought closer together to assemble the first casing 120 . At this time, the plurality of first segments are pressed toward the sealing member 110 by the outer peripheral portions 131P of the two second segments 131S, and the sealing member 110 is pressed toward the pair of piping elements 211 by the outer peripheral portion of the first casing 120. be done. As a result, the outer surface shape of the outer peripheral portion and the rim portion of the seal member 110 is restrained by the first casing 120, the pair of piping elements 211 are connected in a liquid-tight or air-tight manner, and the two second segments 131S each include two When the inner surface of the rim portion 131R and the outer surface of the annular bulging portion 210D of the pair of piping elements 211 abut against each other, the pair of piping elements 211 are locked so as not to separate from each other.

<effect>
As described above, even when it becomes necessary to connect pipe ends having annular bulging portions due to the convenience of designing the fluid flow path defined by the third system, for example, at the connection point, These pipe ends can be connected to each other without problems by adopting a pipe expansion type pipe joint as the mechanical type pipe joint to be used. Therefore, according to the third system, piping elements having various structures can be freely selected without being limited to the position of the pipe end where the annular bulging portion is formed, in accordance with the structure of the building or the like in which the third system is installed. , the fluid flow path defined by the third system can be freely designed.

<<Fourth embodiment>>
A construction piping system (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "fourth system") according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

Regardless of whether the pipe joint employed as the mechanical pipe joint constituting the system of the present invention is a press-type pipe joint or an expansion pipe joint, the pipe elements are connected airtightly or liquid-tightly and are not separated from each other. In order to be locked in such a manner, the piping element must be inserted to a predetermined position inside the pipe joint. In other words, in order to connect the piping elements airtightly or liquid-tightly and lock them so as not to separate them from each other, it is necessary to set a predetermined and appropriate amount of mutual insertion allowance of the piping elements into the pipe joint. be.

In addition, in order to construct a flow path having a desired structure extending two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally in the system of the present invention, the piping elements and pipes to be connected to each other should be arranged around a common axis. It is necessary to set the relative rotation angle with the joint to a predetermined appropriate angle. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to provide a predetermined and appropriate amount of relative indexing between the pipe element and the pipe joint, which have portions that form a two-dimensional or three-dimensional structure.

<Constitution>
Therefore, the fourth system is any one of the above-described first to third systems, wherein the first mark is formed on the outer peripheral surface of at least one piping element and/or the mechanical pipe joint connected to the piping element. A construction piping system characterized by: The first mark is a mark corresponding to mutual insertion allowance and/or mutual indexing required for connecting the piping element and the mechanical pipe joint. In other words, the first mark indicates that an operator who connects the piping element and the mechanical pipe joint can set the mutual insertion allowance and/or mutual indexing of the piping element and the mechanical pipe joint by a predetermined appropriate amount. is a mark that can be used to

The first mark may be a mark corresponding to both the mutual insertion allowance and mutual indexing required for connecting the piping element and the mechanical pipe joint, or any of the mutual insertion allowance and mutual indexing. It may be a mark corresponding to one side.

As a specific example of the first mark as a mark corresponding to the mutual insertion margin required for connecting the piping element and the mechanical pipe joint, for example, the piping element is inserted to a predetermined position inside the mechanical pipe joint. A mark such as a line segment displayed on the outer peripheral surface of the piping element may be used to indicate the position reached by the end of the pipe joint in the closed state. On the other hand, as a specific example of the first mark as a mark corresponding to the mutual indexing required for connecting the piping element and the mechanical type pipe joint, for example, the first mark may Markings such as line segments respectively displayed on the outer peripheral surface of both the piping element and the pipe fitting so as to face each other in the rotated (indexed) state can be mentioned. The first mark as a mark corresponding to mutual insertion allowance and the first mark as a mark corresponding to mutual indexing may be displayed separately or integrally. .

In addition, a specific method for displaying the first mark on the outer peripheral surface of the piping element and/or the mechanical type pipe joint is capable of withstanding the usage environment and usage conditions, etc. in the application as a piping system for construction. And it is not particularly limited as long as it can be used (for example, visually) in the work of connecting the piping element and the mechanical type pipe joint. For example, the first mark can be displayed on the outer peripheral surface of the piping element and/or the mechanical pipe joint by various methods, such as printing with ink or paint, applying a sticker or the like, or imprinting. In addition, when the first mark is realized by pasting a sticker, various information such as identification information ((for example, ID number, etc.) of each piping element is printed on the sticker and displayed so that the operator can You may enable it to confirm visually.

FIG. 5 shows that when two of the plurality of piping elements constituting the fourth system are connected by a press type pipe joint, the first mark is used to set the mutual insertion margin and the mutual indexing to a predetermined value. It is a schematic diagram which shows a mode that it is considered as an appropriate amount. FIG. 5 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 3 referred to in the description of the first system. That is, a press type is formed by an enlarged diameter portion 16e and an annular bulging portion 16b formed at the upstream pipe end of the piping element 16 and an annular seal member (not shown) provided inside the annular bulging portion 16b. A pipe joint 41 is formed. On the other hand, the vicinity of the pipe end on the downstream side of the pipe element 17 has a straight pipe shape.

However, in FIG. 5 relating to the fourth system, a line segment 16i as a mark corresponding to the mutual indexing necessary for connecting the piping element 16 and the piping element 17 (the mechanical type pipe joint 41 formed at the pipe end thereof). and 17i are indicated on the outer peripheral surface of the pipe end on the upstream side of the piping element 16 and on the outer peripheral surface on the downstream side of the piping element 17, respectively. Furthermore, on the outer peripheral surface of the downstream side of the piping element 17, the end of the mechanical type pipe joint 41 (that is, the pipe end of the piping element 16) in a state where the pipe element is inserted to a predetermined position inside the mechanical pipe joint 41. A line segment 17o indicating the position of is displayed.

When connecting the piping element 16 and the piping element 17, as indicated by a black arrow in the drawing, the piping element 17 is inserted inside the enlarged diameter portion 16e formed at the upstream pipe end of the piping element 16. is inserted into the downstream end of the pipe. At this time, by inserting the piping element 17 into the piping element 16 until the pipe end of the piping element 16 (the end of the mechanical type pipe joint 41 formed thereon) reaches the line segment 17o, the piping element 16 and the piping element 17 are connected in an airtight or liquid-tight manner and locked so as not to separate from each other. In addition, by making the line segment 16i and the line segment 17i face each other (existing at the same position in the circumferential direction to constitute one line segment parallel to the axial direction), the piping element 16 and the piping element 17 Rotated (indexed) by a predetermined appropriate angle relative to a common axis can be easily and reliably achieved. Next, while this state is maintained, the portions on both sides sandwiching the annular bulging portion 16b in the axial direction of the annular bulging portion 16b and the enlarged diameter portion 16e (see the hatched portions shown in the figure) are diameter-reduced ( caulking) to connect the piping element 16 and the piping element 17 in an air-tight or liquid-tight manner.

<effect>
As described above, in the fourth system, the outer peripheral surface of at least one piping element and/or the mechanical type pipe joint connected to the piping element is provided with the necessary for connecting the piping element and the mechanical type pipe joint. A first mark is displayed which is a mark corresponding to mutual insertion allowance and/or mutual indexing. Therefore, when an operator recognizes and uses the first mark in the work of connecting the piping element and the mechanical pipe joint, the insertion allowance and/or the amount of insertion necessary for properly connecting the piping element and the mechanical pipe joint can be determined. Alternatively, the index amount can be easily and reliably achieved. In addition, in FIG. 5 and the above description, the fourth system in which the press type pipe joint is adopted as the mechanical type pipe joint on which the first mark is displayed is illustrated, but the mechanical type pipe joint on which the first mark is displayed is It may be an expansion type pipe joint. That is, the mechanical type pipe joint on which the first mark is displayed is not limited to the press type pipe joint, and the first mark may be displayed on the expansion type pipe joint.

<<Fifth Embodiment>>
A construction piping system (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "fifth system") according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

As described above, in the system of the present invention including the first system, piping elements having various structures are combined in accordance with the structure of the building or the like in which the system of the present invention is installed, and the piping elements are defined by the system of the present invention. The fluid flow path can be freely designed. In order to accurately organize the system of the present invention by accurately reflecting such design, it is necessary for supervisors and workers to correctly recognize the construction of individual piping elements in the system of the present invention, the order of construction, and the like.

In addition, when connecting mechanical type pipe fittings and piping elements in a liquid-tight or air-tight manner, in the case of press-type pipe joints, when crimping the annular bulging portion and its vicinity, in the case of expansion-type pipe joints, When fastening the segments that make up the casing, it is necessary to apply an appropriate amount of force (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "connecting force"). However, it is not easy to reliably grasp the appropriate connection processing force for each work at the construction site, and there is a risk of complicating the construction work and increasing labor.

Furthermore, in the case of inspection at the completion of construction of the system of the present invention or maintenance after a certain period of time has passed since construction, the construction history such as connection processing force in actual work at the construction site is accurately recorded for each connection point. It is important that they are recorded. However, it is by no means easy to accurately and reliably record the construction history of individual connection points in actual work at the construction site, and there is a risk of complicating construction work and maintenance work and increasing labor.

<Constitution>
Therefore, the fifth system is any one of the first system to the fourth system described above, and is characterized in that at least some of the plurality of piping elements are provided with RF tags capable of writing and reading electronic data. It is an architectural piping system. The electronic data is data corresponding to at least one selected from the group consisting of identification information of individual piping elements, construction position information, construction procedure information, and construction history information.

An RF tag is a tag that constitutes an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) system that can, for example, rewrite and/or read various electronic data in a non-contact manner using radio waves and/or electromagnetic waves. An RF tag incorporates, for example, an antenna, a control circuit, a memory, and the like, and can perform power supply and data exchange in a non-contact manner using radio waves and/or electromagnetic induction from a reader/writer. Various types of RF tags are known in the technical field, but as the RF tag provided to the piping element constituting the sixth system, for example, a sticker-like (label type) RF tag is preferable, and the outer peripheral surface of the piping element It is preferable to arrange the RF tag in the . Further, identification information (for example, an ID number, etc.) of a piping element may be displayed on a sticker-like RF tag by a technique such as printing for visual confirmation by an operator. Furthermore, a sticker-like RF tag may be given the function of the above-described first mark.

In the schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of one piping element 14 out of the plurality of piping elements forming the first system illustrated in FIG. A press connection portion 1 as a mechanical pipe joint is integrally formed at the end portion (pipe end), and an RF tag 30 is arranged on the outer peripheral surface downstream of the press connection portion 1 . Since the piping element is made of metal, the RF tag is attached directly to the surface of the piping element or indirectly via a film having a magnetic shielding function.

When automatically recording electronic data corresponding to the construction history information on the RF tag, a sensor configured to output a detection signal corresponding to the connection processing force applied to the piping element, for example, the piping element or A processing tool or the like may be provided. In this case, the RF tag may be configured to record information corresponding to the detection signal output from the sensor as data. Specific examples of the sensors include pressure sensors, stress sensors, strain gauges, and the like. Details of such sensors and RF tags are well known to those skilled in the art, and will not be described here. It should be noted that the locations where these sensors are arranged are appropriately determined according to the information to be detected by these sensors. Incidentally, the sensor and the RF tag may be configured as separate devices that are electrically connected by signal lines or the like, or may be configured as an integrated device.

<effect>
As described above, in the fifth system, at least some of the plurality of piping elements contain at least one selected from the group consisting of identification information, construction position information, construction procedure information, and construction history information of individual piping elements. An RF tag capable of writing and reading electronic data, which is corresponding data, is provided.

Therefore, by reading the identification information and construction position information of each piping element with the corresponding reader/writer, the worker can correctly recognize the arrangement, posture, construction order, etc. of each piping element, and the desired design can be accurately performed. This makes it easier to organize the piping system accurately. Furthermore, by reading the identification information and construction procedure information of each individual piping element with a corresponding reader/writer, the worker can reliably grasp the appropriate connection processing force for each work at the construction site, and the mechanical shape pipe It is possible to facilitate the operation of liquid-tight or air-tight connection between the joint and the piping element. In addition, by reading the identification information and construction history information of each piping element with the corresponding reader / writer, without complicating construction work and maintenance work and increasing labor, at the time of completion of construction of the fifth system It is possible to improve the efficiency and accuracy of work such as inspection or maintenance. In the future, construction sites where construction work is assisted by robots, unmanned construction sites where construction work is performed only by robots, and the like are expected to appear. The provision of RF tags is also useful at such construction sites.

<<Sixth embodiment>>
Hereinafter, a method for constructing a construction piping system according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "sixth method") will be described.

As mentioned at the beginning of this specification, the present invention relates not only to building piping systems, but also to methods of construction of such systems.

<Constitution>
The sixth method is a construction method for a building piping system composed of a plurality of piping elements connected to each other by mechanical pipe joints, and is characterized by including the manufacturing process, transfer process, and construction process listed below. This is a construction method for a construction piping system.

Manufacturing process: At a manufacturing site, an annular portion which is a radially outwardly bulging portion over the entire circumference at a position separated by a predetermined distance from at least one pipe end of a piping element that constitutes a piping system for construction A step including integrally forming the bulge.
Transfer process: The process of transferring piping elements and mechanical fittings from the manufacturing site to the building piping system installation site.
Construction process: The process of connecting a plurality of piping elements transferred in the transfer process to each other by mechanical type pipe joints at the construction site to form a building piping system.

Furthermore, in the sixth method, the pipe end having the annular bulge of the pipe element constitutes a part of the mechanical pipe joint.

As described above, the sixth method is a construction method for a construction piping system composed of a plurality of piping elements connected together by mechanical pipe joints. As described in the above description of the first system, at least some of the plurality of piping elements may be connected so as to form a channel extending two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally. Furthermore, at least one of the plurality of piping elements may further include at least one portion selected from the group consisting of bent portions, branched portions, gradually changing diameter portions, and low-rigidity portions. Additionally, at least a portion of the plurality of piping elements may be made of ferritic stainless steel. The details of the piping element and the annular bulging portion have already been described in the description of the first system, so description thereof will be omitted here.

In the manufacturing process, for example, at a manufacturing site such as a factory, at least one pipe element constituting a piping system for construction is radially outwardly expanded over the entire circumference at a position separated by a predetermined distance from the end of at least one pipe. An annular bulging portion, which is a projected portion, is formed integrally with the enlarged diameter portion.

In the transfer process, the piping elements and mechanical fittings are transferred from the manufacturing site to the building piping system installation site. That is, the construction site is a place different from the manufacturing site described above. At this time, the transfer form of the piping elements and the mechanical pipe joints can be appropriately determined according to, for example, the loading capacity of the transfer means, the size of the work space at the construction site, the manpower allowed, and the like. For example, all of the plurality of piping elements may be transferred as a single item, or may be transferred as a unit in which some of the plurality of piping elements are connected.

In the construction process, a plurality of piping elements transferred in the transfer process are connected to each other by mechanical pipe joints at the construction site to form a building piping system. At this time, since the annular bulging portion is already formed on at least one pipe end of the pipe element with high processing accuracy by the manufacturing process described above, the man-hours and difficulty of the work at the construction site are greatly reduced. . Further, as described in the explanation of the first system above, when the press-type pipe joint is constituted by the pipe end having the expanded diameter portion and the annular bulging portion of the pipe element, the pipe joint is separated from the pipe element. The number of times of caulking can be halved compared to the case of using a press type pipe joint.

In the sixth method, "the pipe end on which the annular bulging portion of the piping element is formed constitutes a part of the mechanical type pipe joint" literally means "the pipe element is formed with the annular bulging portion." In addition to the state where the pipe end formed with the pipe end forming a part of the mechanical type pipe joint, the state where the pipe end formed with the annular bulging portion of the piping element constitutes a part of the mechanical type pipe joint during the construction process. It also refers to the state of "constituting a part of the connection structure with the piping element".

For example, when a press-type pipe joint is employed as a mechanical pipe joint, an annular sealing member ( O-ring) is installed, and while the pipe end of another piping element is inserted into the enlarged diameter portion, the annular swelling portion and the portions on both sides sandwiching the annular swelling portion in the axial direction of the enlarged diameter portion are crimped. to connect these two plumbing elements in an airtight or liquidtight manner. That is, in this case, the pipe end of one of the two pipe elements to be connected is formed with the enlarged diameter portion and the annular bulging portion, and the pipe end of the other pipe element is formed with the enlarged diameter portion and the annular bulging portion. No annular bulging portion is formed, and the enlarged diameter portion of the former piping element with the annular bulging portion functions as a press-type pipe joint. In other words, in this case, at the connecting portion of these two piping elements, the enlarged diameter portion, which is the pipe end on which the annular bulging portion of one of the piping elements is formed, is a press-type pipe joint as a mechanical pipe joint. constitutes part of

On the other hand, for example, when a pipe expansion type pipe joint, which is a kind of housing type pipe joint, is adopted as the mechanical type pipe joint, the pipe ends of the two pipe elements to be connected on the side where the annular bulging portion is formed are formed. Annular sealing members made of an elastic material are attached so as to face each other and straddle the pipe ends of these two piping elements, and the sealing members are compressed radially inwardly to connect these two piping elements. By fitting the casing in contact with the annular bulging portion of the pipe, these two piping elements are locked so as not to be separated from each other, and these two piping elements are connected air-tight or liquid-tight. That is, in this case, the pipe end formed with the annular bulging portion of the pipe element constitutes a part of the connection structure between the expansion pipe joint as a mechanical pipe joint and the pipe element.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of each step in the sixth method. In an actual building piping system, individual piping elements are manufactured at a manufacturing site such as a factory based on a piping construction drawing of the piping system, and these piping elements are connected at the construction site to organize the piping system. be done. In the process of manufacturing piping elements at the manufacturing site (sometimes referred to as "prefabrication process"), individual piping elements (sometimes referred to as "prefabricated products" from the piping construction drawing). ) as a single item (drawing for each piping element) is created, and the manufacturing process proceeds based on the design drawing. However, in the following description, the work related to the design drawing as described above will be omitted, and each process after the manufacturing process will be described.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, when the manufacturing of the building piping system by the sixth method is started, the manufacturing process is first performed in step S10. In the manufacturing process, as described above, at the manufacturing site, the pipe is radially outwardly directed over the entire circumference at a position a predetermined distance away from the pipe end of at least one of the piping elements that constitute the piping system for construction. An annular bulging portion, which is a portion that bulges out, is integrally formed. As described above, in the case where the press-type pipe joint is formed by the pipe ends of the pipe elements formed with the annular bulging portion, at least one pipe end of the pipe elements constituting the construction piping system is An enlarged diameter portion is integrally formed with the enlarged diameter portion, and an annular bulging portion, which is a portion that bulges outward in the radial direction over the entire circumference, is integrally formed with the enlarged diameter portion. A manufacturing site is a site different from a construction site, and a specific example of a manufacturing site is a factory capable of performing processing necessary for manufacturing piping elements, such as forming an annular bulge. . For example, it is impossible or difficult to form an enlarged diameter portion and an annular bulge portion at the pipe end of a pipe element at a construction site with restrictions in terms of work space, processing equipment, and the like. However, in the sixth method, it is possible to efficiently and highly accurately form the annular bulging portion (and the enlarged diameter portion in some cases) at the pipe end of the piping element at a manufacturing site different from the construction site. . The details of the configuration of the piping element manufactured in the manufacturing process and the method of forming the enlarged diameter portion and the annular bulging portion have already been described, for example, in the description of the first system, so description thereof will be omitted here.

Next, a transfer process is performed in step S20. In the transfer process, the piping elements and mechanical fittings are transferred from the manufacturing site to the building piping system installation site. At this time, as described above, the transfer mode of the piping elements and the mechanical pipe joints can be appropriately determined according to, for example, the load capacity of the transfer means, the size of the working space at the construction site, the manpower allowed, and the like. For example, all of the plurality of piping elements may be transferred as a single item, or may be transferred as a unit in which some of the plurality of piping elements are connected.

Next, a construction process is performed in step S30. In the construction process, a plurality of piping elements transferred from the manufacturing site to the construction site in the transfer process are connected to each other by mechanical pipe joints to form a construction piping system having a desired structure. At this time, at least one tube end of the piping element has already been formed with a high degree of processing accuracy an annular bulging portion (and possibly an enlarged diameter portion) by the manufacturing process performed at the manufacturing site as step S10. . Therefore, the man-hours and difficulty of the work at the construction site are greatly reduced. In particular, as described above, when a press-type pipe joint is formed by pipe ends having a pipe element with an enlarged diameter portion and an annular bulging portion, a press-type pipe joint separate from the pipe element is used. Compared to , the number of times of caulking can be halved.

On the other hand, when a pipe expansion type pipe joint is used as the mechanical pipe joint, the enlarged diameter portion is not essential, but the two pipe elements connected by the pipe joint are annularly bulged at both the two opposing pipe ends. part must be formed. However, as described above, in the sixth method, at the manufacturing site, the annular bulging portion is integrally formed in advance on at least one pipe end of the piping element that constitutes the construction piping system. Therefore, the construction method of the construction piping system according to the prior art (hereinafter referred to as the "conventional method") that requires the formation of annular bulges on both of the two opposite pipe ends of the two pipe elements that are connected at the construction site. It is sometimes called ), the man-hours and difficulty of work at the construction site are greatly reduced.

<effect>
As described above, according to the sixth method, it is possible to greatly reduce the construction work at the construction site in the construction method of the construction piping system in which the piping elements are connected to each other using the mechanical pipe joint. can. Moreover, since the piping element is manufactured in advance at a manufacturing site different from the construction site, the annular bulging portion can be formed efficiently and with high precision on at least one pipe end of the piping element.

<<Seventh embodiment>>
Hereinafter, a method for constructing a construction piping system according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "seventh method") will be described.

As described above, the sixth method is a construction method for a construction piping system composed of a plurality of piping elements connected together by mechanical pipe joints. According to the sixth method, at the manufacturing site, the annular bulge is integrally formed in advance on at least one pipe end of the pipe element that constitutes the building pipe system. As a result, it is possible to improve the processing accuracy of the annular bulging portion and reduce the man-hours and difficulty of the work at the construction site.

Further, when connecting piping elements using a press type pipe joint as a mechanical type pipe joint, an annular bulge formed in an enlarged diameter portion integrally formed over a certain range at the pipe end of the pipe element An annular sealing member made of an elastic material is attached to the inside of the portion, and the pipe ends of other piping elements are inserted into the enlarged diameter portion on both sides sandwiching the annular bulging portion in the axial direction of the enlarged diameter portion. The sections and the annular bulge can be crimped to connect these two plumbing elements in an air or liquid tight manner. That is, one of the two opposite pipe ends of the two pipe elements to be connected is formed with an enlarged diameter portion and an annular bulge portion, and the other is not formed with an enlarged diameter portion and an annular bulge portion. , the enlarged diameter portion of the former piping element formed with the annular bulging portion functions as a press-type pipe joint. In other words, at the connecting portion of these two piping elements, the pipe end of one of the piping elements formed with the enlarged diameter portion and the annular bulging portion constitutes a part of the press-type pipe joint as a mechanical pipe joint. is doing.

However, if the pipe ends of two pipe elements to be connected are both formed with an annular bulging portion, the pipe end of one pipe element (the enlarged diameter portion formed on) of the other pipe element The tube end cannot be inserted. Therefore, in this case, the pipe end formed with the annular bulging portion cannot function as a press-type pipe joint. Incidentally, in this case, for example, if a pipe expansion type pipe joint is adopted as the mechanical type pipe joint, the pipe ends of the two pipe elements to be connected on the side where the annular bulging portion is formed are opposed to each other, and these two An annular sealing member made of an elastic material is attached so as to straddle the pipe ends of two piping elements, and the sealing member is compressed radially inward and comes into contact with the annular bulges of these two piping elements. The two pipe elements can be connected in an air-tight or liquid-tight manner by fitting the casing in such a way that they abut and lock the two pipe elements against each other. That is, in this case, the pipe end formed with the annular bulging portion of the pipe element constitutes a part of the connection structure between the expansion pipe joint as a mechanical pipe joint and the pipe element.

Furthermore, if the pipe ends of the two pipe elements to be connected are not formed with an annular bulge, in order to connect the two pipe elements, for example, a press type separate from the pipe elements Pipe fittings or expansion pipe fittings must be used. In the former case, it is necessary to crimp each of the two piping elements inserted from both sides of the press-type pipe joint, so the effect of reducing the number of crimping operations cannot be achieved. That is, it is not possible to reduce the man-hours and difficulty of the work at the construction site. On the other hand, in the latter case as well, it is necessary to form annular bulging portions at the pipe ends of the two pipe elements that are inserted from both sides of the pipe expansion type pipe joint. I can't.

As described above, the annular bulge is formed only on one of the pipe ends of the two pipe elements to be connected, or the annular bulge is formed on both pipe ends of the two pipe elements to be connected. The types of mechanical type pipe joints that can be adopted differ depending on whether the pipe ends of the two pipe elements to be connected are formed with an annular bulge portion. Therefore, if the positions of the pipe ends where the annular bulging portions are formed in individual piping elements are not aligned, the mechanical type pipe joint can be adjusted according to the presence or absence of the annular bulging portions at the pipe ends for each combination of piping elements to be connected. form must be selected, which complicates the organization of the piping system.

<Constitution>
Therefore, the seventh method is the sixth method described above, in which the piping element arranged on the most upstream side of the building piping system and the piping element arranged on the most downstream side of the building piping system among the plurality of piping elements A method of constructing a piping system for construction, characterized in that an annular bulging portion is uniformly formed only at the upstream pipe end or only the downstream pipe end of all other piping elements except for the piping element is.

As described above, among the plurality of piping elements constituting the building piping system organized by the seventh method, except for the piping elements arranged on the most upstream side and the most downstream side, in all other piping elements, the upstream side Alternatively, an annular bulging portion is uniformly formed only at the downstream pipe end. Of the plurality of piping elements that make up the system, the piping elements that are arranged on the most upstream side and downstream side have a uniform annular bulge only at the upstream or downstream pipe end like the other piping elements. A part may be formed. However, for example, for the purpose of facilitating connection with piping further upstream or downstream than the system, the most upstream and downstream of the plurality of piping elements constituting the system The arrangement of the pipe end on which the annular bulge is formed in the piping element may be different from that of the other piping elements.

As described in the description of the second system, in the first system 1 illustrated in FIG. It is integrally formed at the upstream end of 15 . That is, the first system 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 also has technical features as a construction piping system organized by the seventh method.

<effect>
As described above, among the plurality of piping elements constituting the building piping system organized by the seventh method, the piping element arranged on the most upstream side of the system and the piping element arranged on the most downstream side of the system In all the piping elements other than the piping element, the annular bulging portion is uniformly formed only on the upstream pipe end or only on the downstream pipe end. Therefore, in the seventh method, regardless of the connection order of these piping elements, etc., piping elements having various structures are combined in accordance with the structure of the building or the like in which the system is installed, and the pipe end of the piping element Piping elements can be connected using a mechanical type pipe fitting constructed by and the fluid flow path defined by the system can be freely designed.

In addition, in the seventh method, processing such as formation of the annular bulging portion at the manufacturing site of the piping element is also a unified work, which is efficient. Furthermore, the connection of the piping elements at the construction site is a unified work, which is efficient and leads to, for example, a reduction in work mistakes. As described above, in the case where the press-type pipe joint is configured by the pipe ends of the piping elements formed with the annular bulging portion, the constant An enlarged diameter portion must be formed over the range, and an annular bulging portion must be formed in the enlarged diameter portion.

<<Eighth Embodiment>>
Hereinafter, a method for constructing a construction piping system according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter sometimes referred to as an "eighth method") will be described.

As described above, in the method of construction of a piping system for construction according to the present invention (method of the present invention) including the sixth method, the annular expansion of the piping element constituting the connecting portion between the mechanical pipe joint and the piping element is performed. A pipe end with a protruding portion forms a part of the mechanical pipe joint. By integrally forming the annular bulging portion on the pipe end of the piping element at a manufacturing site such as a factory, it is possible to improve the processing accuracy of the annular bulging portion and reduce the man-hours and difficulty of the work at the construction site. can.

Further, as the mechanical type pipe joint, as described above, for example, a press type pipe joint and/or a pipe expansion type pipe joint can be employed. In particular, when a press-type pipe joint is composed of a pipe end formed with an annular bulging portion of a piping element, the number of times of caulking is reduced compared to the case of using a press-type pipe joint separate from the piping element. Since it can be halved, the construction work at the construction site can be greatly reduced.

<Constitution>
Therefore, the eighth method is the sixth or seventh method described above, wherein at least one of the mechanical pipe joints is a press-type pipe formed by a pipe end having an annular bulge of a pipe element. A construction method for a construction piping system characterized by being a joint. More specifically, at least one of the mechanical type pipe joints is a press type pipe joint constituted by a pipe end formed with an annular bulge portion of a pipe element. . More specifically, at least one of the mechanical pipe joints includes an enlarged diameter portion integrally formed over a certain range at one pipe end of the piping element, and an enlarged diameter portion integrally formed with the enlarged diameter portion. and an annular seal member provided inside the annular bulge.

Furthermore, in the construction step included in the eighth method, the annular bulging portion of the second element, which is another piping element different from the first element, which is the piping element constituting the press-type pipe joint, is not formed. By reducing the diameter of at least a part of the annular bulging portion and the enlarged diameter portion of the first element in a state in which the tube end is inserted into the enlarged diameter portion of the first element, the first element and the second element are pressed together. Fasten with a pipe joint.

The process of fastening the first element and the second element by the press type pipe joint in the construction process is the same as the schematic diagram shown in FIG. 3 referred to in the description of the third system described above. Accordingly, further description of the eighth method is omitted.

<effect>
As described above, in the construction piping system arranged by the eighth method, at least one of the mechanical type pipe joints is a press type pipe joint constituted by the pipe end having the annular bulge portion of the pipe element. be. Since the pipe element in which the press-type pipe joint is constituted by the pipe end having the annular bulge formed in this way is integrally formed with the press-type pipe joint, caulking for connection with other pipe elements is possible. Machining only needs to be performed on other piping elements to be inserted into the press type pipe joint. That is, according to the eighth method, for a piping element in which a press-type pipe joint is configured by a pipe end having an annular bulging portion, the number of caulking processes for connection with other piping elements is reduced to the conventional number. can be halved compared to Therefore, in the mechanical type pipe joints constituting the construction piping system organized by the eighth method, the more the ratio of the press type pipe joints constituted by the pipe ends formed with the annular bulging portions of the pipe elements is increased, the more It is possible to reduce the number of crimping processes at the construction site, and to greatly reduce the workload at the construction site.

<<Ninth Embodiment>>
Hereinafter, a method for constructing a construction piping system according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "ninth method") will be described.

In the construction piping system organized by the eighth method described above, at least one of the mechanical pipe joints is formed integrally with the enlarged diameter portion and the enlarged diameter portion integrally formed with the pipe end of the piping element. and an annular seal member provided inside the annular bulge. When connecting piping elements using this press-type pipe joint, an annular sealing member made of an elastic material is mounted inside an annular bulging portion formed in an enlarged diameter portion formed at a pipe end of the piping element, While the pipe end of another piping element is inserted into the enlarged diameter portion, the portions on both sides sandwiching the annular bulge portion in the axial direction of the enlarged diameter portion and the annular bulge portion are crimped to separate these two parts. The plumbing elements can be connected gas-tight or liquid-tight. That is, the expanded diameter portion of one of the piping elements, which has the annular bulging portion, functions as a press-type pipe joint. Therefore, the number of times of caulking can be halved compared to the case of using a press-type pipe joint separate from the piping element, so that the construction work at the construction site can be greatly reduced.

However, depending on the combination of piping elements that are connected to form the building piping system and/or the combination of the building piping system and other piping systems, the expandable pipe fitting may be employed as the mechanical pipe fitting. may be desirable. That is, the construction method for a construction piping system according to the present invention (method of the present invention) does not exclude the use of a pipe expansion type pipe joint as a mechanical type pipe joint.

<Constitution>
Therefore, the ninth method is any one of the sixth to eighth methods described above, wherein at least one of the mechanical pipe joints is an expansion pipe joint having a casing and an annular seal member. A construction method for a building piping system. Furthermore, in the construction step included in the ninth method, the pipe ends of the two pipe elements connected by the expandable pipe joint on the side where the annular bulging portion is formed are inserted into the casing, and are opposed to each other in the casing, a sealing member is straddled over the two pipe ends that are opposed to each other in the casing, and the annular bulging portions of the two piping elements that are opposed to each other in the casing are locked by the casing. to fix the two piping elements in question so that they are not separated from each other.

As described above, the pipe expansion type pipe joint as a mechanical type pipe joint constituting the building piping system organized by the ninth method corresponds to the so-called "housing type pipe joint". As a result, for example, when it becomes necessary to connect the pipe ends having the annular bulging portion due to the design convenience of the fluid flow path defined by the construction piping system organized by the ninth method, Also, by adopting a pipe expansion type pipe joint as a mechanical type pipe joint used at the connection point, these pipe ends can be connected without any problem. It should be noted that it is sufficient that an annular bulging portion is formed in the vicinity of the pipe ends of the two pipe elements connected by the pipe expansion type pipe joint as described above, and the above-described enlarged diameter portion is formed. No need. In other words, the annular bulging portion formed in the vicinity of the pipe ends of the two pipe elements connected by the expansion pipe joint may be formed on the pipe wall of the straight pipe pipe element, or as described above. It may be formed in an enlarged diameter portion formed over a certain range at the pipe end of the piping element.

However, from the viewpoint of facilitating proper use of pipe joints employed as mechanical pipe joints according to the design of the fluid flow path defined by the construction piping system organized by the ninth method as described above. It is desirable that the position, shape, etc. of the annular bulging portion formed at the pipe end of each piping element be uniform regardless of the type of pipe joint employed as the mechanical pipe joint. This makes it possible to commonly use the annular bulging portion having the same configuration regardless of whether the pipe joint employed as the mechanical pipe joint is a press type pipe joint or a pipe expansion type pipe joint. From such a point of view, in the piping elements connected by the expansion type pipe joint, as in the case of the piping elements connected by the press type pipe joint, the expanded diameter is formed over a certain range at the pipe end of the pipe element. An annular bulging portion may be formed in the portion.

As a specific example of the expandable pipe joint that can be used in the ninth method, as exemplified in the explanation of the third system above, for example, a casting casing that is widely used especially in the construction industry is used. A housing-type pipe joint comprising: Furthermore, as illustrated with reference to FIG. 4 in the description of the third system described above, a lightweight and compact housing type constructed by molding a thin plate made of metal (such as stainless steel, etc.) instead of casting. A pipe joint may be used.

<effect>
As described above, even when it becomes necessary to connect pipe ends having annular bulges formed thereon due to the convenience of designing a fluid flow path defined by, for example, a construction piping system, the ninth method can be used. By adopting a pipe expansion type pipe joint as the mechanical type pipe joint used at the connection point, these pipe ends can be connected without any problem. Therefore, according to the ninth method, piping elements having various structures can be used without being limited to the position of the pipe end on which the annular bulging portion is formed, in accordance with the structure of the building or the like in which the construction piping system is installed. They can be freely combined to freely design the flow path of the fluid defined by the system.

<<Tenth Embodiment>>
Hereinafter, a method for constructing a construction piping system according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "tenth method") will be described.

The methods of the present invention, including the sixth method described above, include the manufacturing process, transfer process, and construction process, as described above. According to the method of the present invention, the above-described manufacturing process is performed in advance at a manufacturing site such as a factory located at a location different from the construction site, and the annular bulging portion is formed on at least one pipe end of the piping element that constitutes the construction piping system. are integrally formed. As a result, it is possible to significantly reduce the construction work at the construction site in the method of constructing a construction piping system in which piping elements are connected to each other using mechanical pipe joints. Also, the annular bulging portion can be formed efficiently and with high precision on at least one pipe end of the pipe element.

Achieve higher quality in terms of mutual alignment, connection strength, liquid-tightness or air-tightness of multiple piping elements that make up a construction piping system organized at a construction site, workability of connection with mechanical type pipe joints, etc. From the viewpoint of manufacturing, the quality of piping elements and mechanical pipe fittings is inspected before they are transferred from the manufacturing site to the construction site, and the quality of the piping meets the specified standards. It is desirable to transport only the components and mechanical fittings from the manufacturing site to the construction site.

<Constitution>
Therefore, the tenth method is any one of the sixth to ninth methods described above, and is a method for constructing a construction piping system characterized by further including the following inspection process.

Inspection process: For multiple piping elements manufactured in the manufacturing process, dimensional accuracy and mechanical strength of individual piping elements, and connection strength and liquid tightness or airtightness of multiple piping elements connected to each other by mechanical type pipe joints A process of inspecting for one or more qualities selected from the group consisting of

Further, in the transfer step included in the tenth method, only the piping elements and mechanical pipe joints that meet the predetermined quality standards among the plurality of piping elements and mechanical pipe joints inspected in the inspection step are selected for use in the construction piping system. transported to the construction site.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of each step in the tenth method. The flowchart illustrated in FIG. 7 differs from the above-described sixth step except that step S15 in which the inspection process is performed is added between step S10 in which the manufacturing process is performed and step S20 in which the transfer process is performed. It is similar to the flow chart illustrated in FIG. 6 referred to in the description of the method. Therefore, in the following description, the tenth method will be described by focusing on the inspection process and the transfer process that are executed after the inspection process, which the tenth method further includes.

In step S10 of the tenth method, the manufacturing process described above is performed in the same manner as step S10 of the sixth to ninth methods described above. Then, in the tenth method illustrated in FIG. 7, the inspection process described above is executed in the next step S15. In the inspection process, for multiple piping elements manufactured in the manufacturing process, the dimensional accuracy and mechanical strength of individual piping elements and the connection strength and liquid tightness of multiple piping elements connected to each other by mechanical type pipe joints or One or more qualities selected from the group consisting of tightness are inspected. In the inspection process, in addition to inspecting the piping element as a single item, in a state of temporary assembly with upstream and / or downstream piping elements that will be connected by construction work, mutual alignment, connection strength, Liquid-tightness or air-tightness, workability of connection by a pipe joint, etc. can also be inspected.

Next, a transfer process is performed in step S20. However, in the transfer step executed in the tenth method, among the plurality of piping elements and mechanical pipe joints inspected in the inspection step executed in step S15 described above, the above-described quality of the piping elements and mechanical pipe joints satisfying the predetermined standard Only mechanical fittings are transported from the manufacturing site to the building piping system installation site.

<effect>
As described above, according to the tenth method, in the inspection process, the dimensional accuracy and mechanical strength of each of the plurality of piping elements manufactured in the manufacturing process and the plurality of piping elements connected to each other by the mechanical type pipe joint An inspection is performed for one or more qualities selected from the group consisting of connection strength and liquid tightness or gas tightness. Then, in the next transfer step, among the plurality of piping elements and mechanical pipe joints inspected in the inspection step, only those pipe elements and mechanical pipe joints that satisfy the above quality standards are transferred from the manufacturing site to the building piping system. transported to the construction site.

Therefore, according to the tenth method, the work of mutual alignment, connection strength, liquid-tightness or air-tightness, and connection by mechanical type pipe joints of a plurality of piping elements constituting a building piping system organized at a construction site Higher quality can be achieved in terms of quality etc.

<<11th embodiment>>
Hereinafter, a method for constructing a construction piping system according to the eleventh embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "eleventh method") will be described.

The press-type pipe joint is inexpensive and lightweight due to its simple structure, etc., and can be formed integrally with the pipe ends of the piping elements that constitute the system of the present invention. Effective in reducing mass. However, in a state in which the pipe end of the piping element is inserted into the expanded diameter portion of the press-type pipe joint, the annular bulging portion and the portions on both sides sandwiching the annular bulging portion in the axial direction of the enlarged diameter portion are subjected to diameter reduction processing ( A tool (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "crimping tool") for crimping is very heavy. Specifically, even a handy type caulking tool is accompanied by a hydraulic mechanism, so its weight reaches, for example, ten and several kilograms. Therefore, when individually connecting piping elements arranged near the ceiling of a construction site, workers need to carry out the crimping process while lifting a heavy crimping tool toward the ceiling. It is easy to cause worker fatigue.

<Constitution>
Therefore, the eleventh method is any one of the sixth to tenth methods described above, and is characterized in that the construction process includes the first to third steps listed below. The method.

A first step: connecting some of the plurality of piping elements by press fittings to form a first intermediate unit.
Second step: the upstream end, which is the upstream pipe end of the piping element arranged on the furthest upstream side of the first intermediate unit, and the downstream pipe end of the piping element arranged on the furthest downstream side. A second intermediate unit is formed by mounting an expanding pipe joint having a casing and an annular sealing member on the downstream end.
Third step: The upstream end and the downstream end are connected to other piping elements by means of the expansion pipe joints to form a building piping system.

At least part of the press-type pipe joint is a press-type pipe joint integrally configured with a piping element. Specifically, at least a portion of the press-type pipe joint includes an enlarged diameter portion integrally formed over a certain range at one pipe end of the piping element, and an enlarged diameter portion integrally formed with the enlarged diameter portion. and an annular sealing member provided inside the annular swelling portion.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of each step in the eleventh method. As exemplified in FIG. 8, the flow of each step from step S10 to step S20 in the eleventh method is the same as the above-described tenth method, and the construction steps executed in step S30 are the above-described first to first steps. This method differs from the tenth method described above in that it includes three steps. Accordingly, in the following description of the eleventh method, only the construction step (step S30) including the first to third steps described above will be described in detail. Further, in the following description, FIG. 9, which is a schematic diagram showing how a building piping system is organized in accordance with the execution of the first to third steps included in the construction steps of the eleventh method, is appropriately referred to. be. In FIG. 9, for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the essential points of each process, the specific structures of the piping elements 18, 19a and 19b are omitted, and only the vicinity of their mutual connection portions is drawn. .

When the transfer process executed in step S20 is completed and the construction process is executed in the next step S30, first, the first process is executed in step S31. In the first step, as described above, some of the plurality of piping elements are connected by press-type pipe joints to form the first intermediate unit. In the example shown in FIG. 9, four piping elements 18 are connected by three press-type pipe joints 41 (integrally formed with three of the piping elements 18) to form a first intermediate unit 61. there is In a first step, for example four piping elements 18 can be placed on the floor to form a first intermediate unit 61 . Therefore, as described above, there is no need to carry out the crimping process while lifting a very heavy crimping tool toward the ceiling.

Next, a second step is performed in step S32. In the second step, as described above, the second intermediate unit is formed by attaching the tube expansion joints to the upstream end and the downstream end of the first intermediate unit. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the upstream pipe end (upstream end) of the piping element 18 arranged on the most upstream side of the first intermediate unit 61 formed in the first step and the pipe element 18 arranged on the most downstream side. The pipe expansion type pipe joints 42a and 42b are attached to the downstream pipe ends (downstream end portions) of the pipe elements 18, respectively, to form the second intermediate unit 62. As shown in FIG. Also in the second step, for example, on the floor, expandable pipe joints can be connected to the upstream and downstream ends of the first intermediate unit 61 .

Next, a third step is performed in step S33. In the third step, as described above, the upstream and downstream ends of the second intermediate unit are connected to other piping elements by means of the expandable pipe joints to form a building piping system. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the upstream and downstream ends of the second intermediate unit 62 formed in the second step are knitted through the expandable pipe joints 42a and 42b, for example, by the eleventh method. They are connected to piping elements 19a and 19b, respectively, which constitute a fluid flow path in a building or the like in which a building piping system is installed. In the third step, it is necessary to connect the second intermediate unit 62 to other piping elements 19a and 19b arranged on the ceiling of the building or the like. At this time, the work of fastening the fastening members (for example, a combination of a bolt and a nut, etc.) constituting the tube expansion type pipe joints 42a and 42b is performed by an electric rotary tool such as a hand drill or an impact wrench. These electric rotary tools are relatively lightweight and can be easily fastened with one hand. Therefore, since the second intermediate unit 62 can be easily and quickly connected to the other piping elements 19a and 19b, there is less risk of fatigue of the operator compared to crimping.

<effect>
As described above, in the construction steps included in the eleventh method, in the first step several piping elements are connected by press-type pipe joints to form the first intermediate unit, and in the second step the first intermediate unit A second intermediate unit is formed by attaching expandable pipe joints to the upstream and downstream ends of the pipe, respectively, and in a third step, the second intermediate unit is connected to other piping elements via the expandable pipe joints. A building piping system is organized.

Thus, in a first step, for example, the piping element can be placed on the floor to form a first intermediate unit. Therefore, as described above, there is no need to carry out the crimping process while lifting a very heavy crimping tool toward the ceiling. Also in the second step, for example, on the floor, the expandable pipe joints can be connected to the upstream and downstream ends of the first intermediate unit. On the other hand, in the third step, although it is necessary to connect the second intermediate unit to other piping elements arranged on the ceiling of the building or the like, the fastening member constituting the expandable pipe joint is, for example, a hand drill or an impact It can be fastened with a relatively lightweight electric rotating tool such as a wrench. Therefore, according to the eleventh method, it is possible to reduce the burden on the worker in forming the first intermediate unit and the second intermediate unit and installing the second intermediate unit in the building, as compared with the conventional construction work. Therefore, there is little risk of fatigue of the operator.

<<Twelfth Embodiment>>
Hereinafter, a method for constructing a construction piping system according to the twelfth embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "twelfth method") will be described.

As described above, at least one of the plurality of piping elements that make up the fourth system and the fifth system can each be provided with the above-described first mark and RF tag. At least one of a plurality of piping elements constituting a building piping system organized by the building piping system construction method (the method of the invention) according to the present invention also has such a first mark and an RF tag, respectively. be prepared.

In addition, prior to carrying out various inspections in the inspection process described above, transporting from the manufacturing site to the construction site, and final installation in a building or the like in which the building piping system organized by the method of the present invention is installed, For the purpose of forming an intermediate unit composed of elements, etc., the parts constituting the mechanical pipe joint may be temporarily assembled in advance. Furthermore, the purpose is to reduce damage to the parts that make up the building piping system in the transfer process described above and/or damage to the parts that make up the system and/or the building in which the system is installed in the construction process. Alternatively, the system may be pre-installed with a curing member.

<Constitution>
Therefore, the twelfth method is any one of the sixth to eleventh methods described above, and is a construction method for a construction piping system characterized by further including an outfitting step. The outfitting process is a process of performing one or more operations selected from the group consisting of the first to fourth operations listed below at some time before the construction process and/or the construction process.

First work: Temporarily assembling the parts that make up the mechanical pipe joint.
Second operation: Mutual insertion allowance and/or mutual indexing necessary for connection between the piping element and the mechanical pipe joint is applied to the outer peripheral surface of at least one piping element and/or the mechanical pipe joint connected to the piping element. The operation of displaying the first mark, which is the mark corresponding to the .
Third work: Attaching an RF tag capable of writing and reading electronic data corresponding to at least one selected from the group consisting of identification information of individual piping elements, construction position information, construction procedure information and construction history information The work of writing electronic data.
Fourth work: the work of attaching the curing member to the construction piping system.

The details of the first mark and the RF tag are the same as those already described in the explanations of the fourth system and the fifth system, so explanations thereof are omitted here. A concrete example of the curing member is, for example, an elastic material that is attached to the opening of a mechanical pipe joint that is temporarily assembled for the purpose of reducing damage to the parts that make up the construction piping system in the transfer process described above. The cap etc. which consist of can be mentioned. By attaching such a curing member not only to the mechanical pipe joint but also to the opening of the piping element, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the interior of the mechanical pipe joint and the piping element. In addition, as a specific example of a curing member attached to a building piping system for the purpose of reducing damage to the parts constituting the building piping system and/or the building in which the building piping system is installed in the construction process can include, for example, a cover having cushioning properties.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of each step in the twelfth method. As illustrated in FIG. 10, the flow of steps from step S10 to step S30 in the twelfth method is the same as in any one of the sixth to eleventh methods described above. However, in the twelfth method, the rigging process shown in step S40 is executed at some point before the construction process and/or the construction process executed in step S30. different from That is, in the twelfth method, as illustrated in FIG. 10, during the manufacturing process, between the manufacturing process and the inspection process, during the inspection process, between the inspection process and the transfer process, during the transfer process, and during the transfer process. It is executed at any stage between the process and the construction process and in the middle of the construction process (see the dashed arrows shown in the figure).

By performing the first work, for example, in addition to inspection as a single piping element, in a state temporarily assembled with upstream and / or downstream piping elements that will be connected by construction work, mutual position The fitting, connection strength, liquid-tightness or air-tightness, workability of connection by a pipe joint, etc. can also be inspected in the inspection process. Also, by performing the above first operation prior to transportation from the manufacturing site to the construction site and final installation in a building or the like where the construction piping system is installed, an intermediate unit consisting of several piping elements is formed. may also be used to increase the efficiency of transport operations and/or final installation operations.

Further, by performing the second work, for example, in the work of connecting the piping element and the mechanical pipe joint, the worker recognizes the first mark, and the operator can properly connect the piping element and the mechanical pipe joint. The required insertion allowance and/or indexing amount can be easily and reliably achieved.

Furthermore, by performing the third work, for example, a reader / writer corresponding to the RF tag reads the identification information and construction position information of each piping element, and the arrangement, posture, construction order, etc. of each piping element This makes it easier to correctly organize a piping system that accurately reflects the intended design. Furthermore, the reader/writer reads the identification information and construction procedure information of each piping element, and the worker can surely grasp the appropriate connection processing force for each work at the construction site, and the mechanical type pipe joint and the piping element. It is possible to facilitate the work of liquid-tight or air-tight connection. In addition, the identification information and construction history information of each piping element are read by a reader/writer, and inspection or maintenance at the completion of construction of the piping system for construction can be performed without complicating construction work and maintenance work and increasing labor. It is possible to achieve efficiency improvement and accuracy improvement of work such as.

In addition, in the transportation (transfer process) of piping elements, etc. from the manufacturing site such as a factory to the construction site, the piping elements, etc. stored in a predetermined delivery container (e.g., container, etc.) are transported according to the progress of the construction situation.・It is desirable to supply, and it is desirable to store (in order) the piping elements etc. in the delivery container according to the order of construction work and/or the position of each piping element. According to this, it is possible to prevent the confusion of workers at the construction site and contribute to the achievement of smooth construction work. Furthermore, a just-in-time production/supply system such as that standardized in the automobile industry may be adopted. RF tags are very useful tools in various checking operations in such a highly efficient construction process.

Utilization of RF tags in the process of connecting piping elements and the like transported from the manufacturing site (factory) at the construction site as described above to form a building piping system will be described in detail below.

First, after each piping element is manufactured in a factory or the like as a manufacturing site, an RF tag is attached before shipment, and electronic data corresponding to various information is stored (written) in the RF tag by a reader/writer. Specific examples of the information include the following (a) to (c).

(a) Individual identification information such as the identification number, dimensions and name of the piping element.
(b) Information such as the position (address) and installation attitude of the piping element, construction order, layout order, etc. at the time of construction at the construction site.
(c) Information on construction procedures, such as the magnitude and speed of the force (connection processing force) to be applied to the piping element when crimping.

When the piping element transported from the manufacturing site to the construction site in the transfer process is unloaded from the delivery container, the piping can be identified by reading the information stored in the RF tag with a handy type reader/writer or scanner, for example. A worker and/or a supervisor can easily recognize information such as the identity of elements, layout during construction, construction order and construction procedure, and can share this information electronically. Reading and/or rewriting of RF tags by a reader/writer, scanner, or the like can be performed individually for each RF tag, or can be performed collectively for a plurality of RF tags existing within a predetermined range. It is possible.

Then, a plurality of piping elements arranged (for example, suspended and supported) in proper positions are connected to each other by, for example, a caulking tool or an electric rotary tool. At this time, the worker and / or supervisor, based on the information stored in the RF tag, in accordance with a predetermined construction order, placed in a predetermined position and posture (hanging), a predetermined processing tool allows individual piping elements to be connected to form a building piping system.

At this time, if these tools are also equipped with a reader/writer and are electrically connected and linked to the control system of the tools, the construction (crimping) status and the progress of the construction process can be monitored by the RF of each piping element. You can write to tags in real time. That is, in addition to the above (a) to (c), as further information, (d) connection work (for example, caulking, etc.) implementation status (for example, connection processing force, etc.) and progress of the construction process, etc. of construction history information can be added to the RF tag. Therefore, it is possible to easily and collectively refer to the construction history when inspecting the building piping system at the completion of construction or performing maintenance after a certain period of time has passed since the construction. From such a point of view, it is preferable that the RF tag is mounted near the mechanical pipe joint and at a position that does not hinder the construction work.

The electronic data corresponding to the implementation status of the connection work included in the information (d) stored in the RF tag may include, for example, electronic data indicating changes in the current value of the machining tool. Further, as the electronic data corresponding to the degree of progress of the construction process, for example, electronic data indicating the arrival position of the crimping tool in the piping system for construction can be cited.

Furthermore, by storing the three-dimensional positional information in the RF tag, it is possible to grasp the information on the three-dimensional positional coordinates and posture of each piping element (the RF tag attached to it). Therefore, by reading the electronic data corresponding to the information with a handy scanner or the like and calculating it with a host computer or the like, it is possible to determine the fluid path (flow path alignment) of the entire building piping system and the accurate position of each piping element. Also, deviation from the desired position can be accurately grasped. As a result, it is also possible to create a piping construction (result) drawing based on these electronic data. If necessary, this information can be linked with, for example, BIM (Building Information Modeling) or incorporated into a block chain to ensure traceability.

In addition, by performing the fourth work, for example, damage to the parts that make up the building piping system in the transfer process and / or damage to the parts that make up the building piping system and / or the building piping system in the construction process It is possible to reduce damage to buildings etc.

<effect>
As described above, according to the method for constructing a construction piping system according to the present invention (method of the present invention), the enlarged diameter portion and the annular bulging portion can be efficiently and accurately formed on the pipe end of the piping element at the manufacturing site. In addition, the construction work at the construction site can be greatly reduced. In a construction method (a twelfth method) for a construction piping system according to the twelfth embodiment of the present invention, an outfitting process, which is a step of performing one or more operations selected from the group consisting of the first to fourth operations described above, The process may be performed at any time during and/or prior to the construction process. As a result, various effects as described in detail above for each of the first to fourth operations are achieved, and the efficiency and accuracy of the construction work at the construction site are greatly improved, and the construction piping at the completion of construction is improved. It is possible to improve the efficiency and accuracy of work such as system inspection or maintenance after completion of construction.

For the purpose of illustrating the present invention, several embodiments having particular configurations and preferred aspects thereof have been described, at times with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to these It should not be construed as being limited to the exemplary embodiments and preferred aspects of, and modifications can be made as appropriate within the scope of the claims and the matters described in the specification. Not even.

1 Piping system 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19a, 19b Piping element 16b Annular expansion Protruding part 16e... Expanded diameter part 16i, 17i, 17o... Line segment (first mark) 21... First pipe 22... Second pipe 23... Welding part 24... Upstream side of piping element 13 30...RF tag 41...press type pipe joint 41c...hatched portion (crimped portion) 42a, 42b...tube expansion type pipe joint 51...first mark 61...first intermediate unit 62... Second intermediate unit 101A Housing type pipe joint 110 Sealing member 120 First casing 131S Second segment 131P Peripheral portion 131R Rim 131F Flange 210D Annular protruding portion , 211... Piping elements, a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n... Connections, A... Most upstream end of piping system 1, B, C , (d), (e), (f), (g), (c), (i) .

Claims (10)

A building piping system composed of a plurality of piping elements,
At least one of the plurality of piping elements has an enlarged diameter portion integrally formed over a certain range at the pipe end, and the enlarged diameter portion extends radially outward over the entire circumference. A part of the mechanical pipe joint or a part of the connection structure between the mechanical pipe joint and the other piping element is constituted by integrally forming the annular bulging portion, which is the portion that bulges toward It has a first tube end which is a tube end,
At least one of the mechanical type pipe joints is a press type pipe joint composed of the enlarged diameter portion, the annular bulging portion, and an annular sealing member provided inside the annular bulging portion. There is
In the piping element including the press-type pipe joint, at least one pipe end other than the first pipe end has a straight pipe shape,
A pipe end having a straight tubular shape of an adjacent pipe element is fitted into the expanded diameter portion of the press-type pipe joint and fixed by caulking.
A construction piping system characterized by: A building piping system according to claim 1, comprising:
At least some of the plurality of piping elements are connected to form a flow path extending two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally,
A construction piping system characterized by: A construction piping system according to claim 1 or claim 2,
All of the piping except for the piping element arranged on the most upstream side of the piping system for construction among the plurality of piping elements and the piping element arranged on the most downstream side of the piping system for construction. The enlarged-diameter portion and the annular bulging portion forming the press-type pipe joint are uniformly formed only on the upstream pipe end or only on the downstream pipe end of the element,
A pipe end having a straight tubular shape of an adjacent pipe element is fitted into the expanded diameter portion of the press-type pipe joint and fixed by caulking.
A construction piping system characterized by: The construction piping system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The outer peripheral surface of at least one of the piping element and the mechanical pipe joint connected to the piping element corresponds to a mutual insertion allowance and/or mutual indexing required for connecting the piping element and the mechanical pipe joint. The first mark, which is a sign to do, is displayed,
A construction piping system characterized by: A construction method for a construction piping system according to claim 1,
At a manufacturing site, an annular bulge, which is a portion that bulges outward in the radial direction along the entire circumference, is located at a position a predetermined distance away from at least one pipe end of the piping element that constitutes the construction piping system. a manufacturing process that includes integrally forming the protrusion;
a transfer step of transferring the piping element and the mechanical pipe joint from the manufacturing site to a construction site of the construction piping system;
a construction step of connecting the plurality of piping elements transferred in the transfer step to each other by the mechanical pipe joints at the construction site to organize the construction piping system;
including
In the connection structure between the mechanical pipe joint and the piping element constructed in the construction step, the pipe end of the pipe element formed with the annular bulge portion constitutes a part of the mechanical pipe joint. is doing,
A construction method for a construction piping system, characterized by: A construction method for a construction piping system according to claim 5,
In the construction step, connecting at least a portion of the plurality of piping elements so as to form a channel extending two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally;
A construction method for a construction piping system, characterized by: A construction method for a construction piping system according to claim 5 or claim 6,
The piping element that is arranged on the most upstream side of the building piping system and the piping element that is arranged on the most downstream side of the building piping system among the plurality of piping elements that constitute the building piping system. The annular bulging portion is uniformly formed only at the upstream pipe end or only the downstream pipe end in all the other piping elements except for
A construction method for a construction piping system, characterized by: A construction method for a construction piping system according to any one of claims 5 to 7,
At least one of the mechanical pipe joints comprises:
an enlarged diameter portion integrally formed over a certain range at one pipe end of the piping element;
the annular bulging portion integrally formed with the enlarged diameter portion;
an annular seal member provided inside the annular bulging portion;
It is a press type pipe joint constructed by
In the construction step, the pipe end not formed with the annular bulging portion of the second element, which is the piping element different from the first element, which is the piping element constituting the press-type pipe joint, is the first element. By reducing the diameter of at least a part of the annular bulging portion and the enlarged diameter portion of the first element in a state where the first element is inserted into the enlarged diameter portion of the first element, the first element and the second element are connected to each other. Fasten with a press type pipe joint,
A construction method for a construction piping system, characterized by: A construction method for a construction piping system according to any one of claims 5 to 8,
Regarding the plurality of piping elements manufactured in the manufacturing process, the dimensional accuracy and mechanical strength of each piping element and the connection strength and liquid tightness or airtightness of the plurality of piping elements connected to each other by the mechanical type pipe joint an inspection process for inspecting for one or more qualities selected from the group consisting of
further comprising
In the transferring step, only the piping elements and the mechanical pipe joints whose quality satisfies a predetermined standard among the plurality of the piping elements and the mechanical pipe joints inspected in the inspection step are transported to the construction site of the construction piping system. to transport
A construction method for a construction piping system, characterized by: A construction method for a construction piping system according to any one of claims 5 to 9,
At any time prior to the construction step and/or the construction step,
Temporarily assembling the parts constituting the mechanical pipe joint, and connecting the pipe element and the mechanical pipe joint to the outer peripheral surface of at least one of the pipe elements and the mechanical pipe joint connected to the pipe element. One or more work selected from the group consisting of the work of displaying the first mark, which is a mark corresponding to the mutual insertion allowance and / or mutual indexing required for the construction, and the work of attaching the curing member to the construction piping system further comprising an outfitting step of performing
A construction method for a construction piping system, characterized by:

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