JP4236157B2 - Pressure welding joint and water meter unit using the same - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a joint capable of watertight pressure-connecting the projecting side connection port of the movable receiving portion to a water meter or the like to be connected by adjusting the amount of protrusion from the joint body of the movable receiving portion, The present invention relates to a water meter unit using a pressure-welded joint, and relates to a structure that can easily and quickly connect and replace even in a small space by adopting a ratchet mechanism as a protruding amount adjusting mechanism of a movable receiving portion.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, a so-called water meter unit is known in which a pair of joints are held in series at a fixed distance to form a unit, and a water meter (water meter) is attached between the joints. In other words, water works are completed after a water flow test is performed after the pipe is completed, and then a water meter is installed and finished. According to the water meter unit, first, a straight pipe is installed between the joints to perform the water flow test. After that, the straight pipe can be replaced with a water meter. At this time, both ends of the straight pipe and the water meter may be connected to each joint by a cap nut, but in that case, it is always necessary to tighten the cap nut at both ends, and the replacement operation is troublesome. This is a common problem for regular replacement work of water meters.
[0003]
Thus, as a means for simplifying the replacement and replacement of the water meter, a water meter unit employing a pressure joint on one side is provided (see, for example, Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3). The press-fit joint shown here has a configuration in which a movable receiving portion is provided on the joint body so that the protrusion amount can be adjusted. More specifically, with the movable receiving portion partially protruding, the nut is inserted into the main body while restricting rotation, and the nut is screwed into the protruding portion of the movable receiving portion while restricting movement in the axial direction. It consists of a structure, and the rotational motion of a nut is converted into the expansion-contraction motion of the axial direction of a movable receiving part by the said structure. That is, if the other joint position is fixed, the protruding amount of the movable receiving portion is adjusted only by turning the nut on the pressure welding joint side, and as a result, the distance between both joints is adjusted. And, if the protruding amount of the movable receiving part is reduced, the distance between the joints is increased, and a straight pipe or a water meter can be installed or removed. Conversely, if the protruding amount of the movable receiving part is increased, the distance between the joints is reduced, A water meter or the like can be clamped and fixed in a state of being pressed between the joints.
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-9-67840 [Patent Document 2]
JP-A-9-13439 [Patent Document 3]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-3985
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The nut of the pressure joint disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document has a configuration in which a plurality of projecting pieces are provided in the shape of an impeller on the outer periphery, and the nut can be hand-tightened by using the projecting pieces as a hook of a finger. It has become. However, in the nut having this configuration, the entire nut is enlarged by the projecting piece, and the working space is narrowed. In addition, when tightening the nut by hand, it is not possible to turn many at once, so it is necessary to pick it up a little and then to repeat it several times. This is not only bad for workability but also difficult to work in a small space. Also accompanies. Furthermore, when tightening by hand, the torque is also small, so the nut may loosen over time due to vibration or the like.
[0006]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a pressure-welding joint capable of easily and surely working even in a narrow work space, and a water meter unit using the same. It is to be.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above-described object, in the present invention, a ratchet gear provided with a movable receiving portion provided with a male screw on the outer periphery, a female screw engaged with the male screw on the inner periphery, and a plurality of feed teeth on the outer periphery. And a plunger provided with a feed claw that elastically engages with the feed dog and rotates the ratchet gear only in one direction, and restricts the rotation of the movable receiver while making the movable receiver in the axial direction. A means of constructing a joint body and a pressure-welded joint that are accommodated in a stretchable manner was used. The plunger has a feed claw that engages the feed dog only in one direction and rotates the ratchet gear. The plunger is always urged in the engagement direction by a spring or the like, but acts in the opposite direction (reverse) Operation) and the urging force, the feed claw retreats so as to slip away from the feed dog and engages with another feed dog. By repeating this operation, the ratchet gear is intermittently rotated in one direction, but the engagement direction of the plunger with respect to the ratchet gear is selectively reversible so that the ratchet gear can be rotated in both forward and reverse directions. It is preferable to be able to rotate. Also in the present invention, the ratchet gear is restricted from moving in the axial direction, and its rotational movement is converted into the expansion and contraction movement in the axial direction of the movable receiving portion, as in the case of the conventional pressure welding joint. That is, if the ratchet gear is rotated by the plunger, the protruding amount of the movable receiving portion is adjusted, and the movable receiving portion can be pressed against the connection target or separated from the connection target.
[0008]
Any resilient support structure for the plunger may be used, but a cover is preferably provided around the ratchet gear, and a sleeve for slidably receiving the plunger is preferably provided on the cover. According to this configuration, the cover sleeve can function as a rotation operation lever of the ratchet gear. The plunger uses means for accommodating the sleeve in the sleeve so that the engagement direction of the feed claw with respect to the feed dog can be selectively reversed. Further, if the end portion of the plunger is extended so as to protrude from the sleeve, the plunger can be directly operated, and the reversing operation is facilitated.
[0009]
Moreover, it is preferable that a packing such as an O-ring is pressed between the movable receiving portion and the ratchet gear. This is because the packing can adjust the engagement force between the ratchet gear and the plunger to perform more reliable rotation operation and reverse operation.
[0010]
Furthermore, by providing a cap that covers at least the sleeve so as to be detachable from the cover, dust and foreign matter are prevented from entering the sleeve, and the protruding end of the plunger is covered to protect the plunger, Unauthorized operation by a third party can be prevented.
[0011]
Further, in the present invention, a water meter unit is configured by providing another pair of joints with the pressure-welded joint by any of the means described above, and the water meter can be sandwiched between the pair of joints in a replaceable manner. .
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows the entire water meter unit of the present invention, wherein 10 is a pressure-welded joint, 11 is the other joint, 12 is a water stop valve connected to the other joint, The joint 11 is unitized by a connecting bar 13 at a constant interval. In order to attach the water meter M to the unit, first, one end of the water meter M is inserted into the other joint 11, and then the other end of the water meter M is placed on the jaw portion 14 of the pressure welding joint 10. Then, the water pressure meter 10 is clamped by the joints 10 and 11 by operating the pressure welding joint 10 side.
[0013]
Here, the other joint 11 is provided with a connection port 16 having a diameter into which an end of the water meter M is inserted, and an annular watertight seal 17 is provided at the connection port 16. Has the following structure. As shown in FIG. 2, the press-contact joint 10 includes a joint body 1 to which the connecting bar 13 is attached, a movable receiving part 2 that is partially inserted into the joint body 1, and a movable receiving part 2. An externally fitted gear-shaped ratchet gear 3, a cover 4 fitted around the ratchet gear 3, and a sleeve 4a of the cover 4 are slidably inserted into the ratchet gear 3 side by a spring 5a. It consists of a biased plunger 5.
[0014]
3 and 4, the detailed structure of each part will be described. The movable receiving part 2 has a slit 2a formed at the rear end thereof, and a boss 1a provided in the joint body 1 is engaged with the slit 2a. By combining, the joint body 1 can be expanded and contracted in the axial direction while being restricted in rotation. A male screw 2 b is provided on the outer periphery of the front end of the movable receiving portion 2 that protrudes from the joint body 1. The above-described jaw portion 14 is provided integrally with the movable receiving portion 2. Further, the inner diameter of the front end of the movable receiving portion 2 is provided with an annular watertight seal 2c as a connection port in the same manner as the other joint 11. Reference numeral 6 denotes a check valve built in the movable receiving portion 2. That is, in the case of this embodiment, the pressure welding joint 10 is located on the downstream side, and prevents adverse effects on the water meter M due to backflow.
[0015]
The ratchet gear 3 is provided with a female screw 3a that is threadedly engaged with the male screw 2b of the movable receiving portion 2 on the inner periphery of the ratchet gear 3, and the rear end thereof is brought into contact with the flange 1b of the joint body 1. Axial movement is restricted. Further, feed teeth 3b are provided on the outer periphery at equal intervals (see particularly FIG. 4). In this embodiment, an ant tenon-like feed dog 3b expanded in the outer peripheral direction is shown.
[0016]
The cover 4 is provided with a sleeve 4a in an annular portion wound around the ratchet gear 3. At the rear of the sleeve 4a, as shown in FIG. 2, there is an insertion port 4b for a rod-like tool such as a screwdriver. Is provided.
[0017]
The plunger 5 is formed with a feed claw 5b engageable with the feed dog 3b of the ratchet gear 3 at the tip (lower end). In this embodiment, the engagement side shape is a vertical surface 5c, and the opposite is a taper. A feeding claw 5b having a surface 5d is shown. Further, the rear end (upper end) of the plunger 5 is extended to a length protruding from the sleeve 4a of the cover 4, and a reverse key 5e is provided at a right angle. The reversing key 5e is fitted into an axial groove 4c formed above the sleeve 4a of the cover 4. That is, the plunger 5 is removably inserted into the sleeve 4a. At this time, by changing the fitting direction of the reversing key 5e with respect to the groove 4c, the engagement direction of the feed claw 5b with respect to the feed dog 3b is changed to the normal direction shown in FIG. And the reverse direction shown in FIG. 3 are selectively switched.
[0018]
Next, the operation principle of the water meter unit having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. Now, assuming that the feed claw 5b of the plunger 5 is in the forward rotation engagement state shown in FIG. 4 with respect to the feed dog 3b of the ratchet gear 3, the plunger 5 is directly or directly the sleeve 4a of the cover 4 or If the rod-shaped tool inserted into the insertion port 4b of the sleeve 4a is used as an operation lever and rotated in the forward rotation direction of the arrow, the ratchet gear 3 rotates in the same direction (FIG. 5A). When the ratchet gear 3 rotates, the movable receiving portion 2 moves in the axial direction in a non-rotating state due to the screw action, and the amount of protrusion from the joint body 1 increases. Next, the reverse operation is performed by operating the plunger 5 or the like in the reverse direction. At this time, the taper surface 5d of the feed claw 5b acts on the next feed dog 3b of the ratchet gear 3, and the urging force of the spring 5a. Against this, the plunger 5 slides up the sleeve 4a and lifts up, and passes over the next feed dog 5b (FIG. 5B). Thereafter, the feed claw 5b engages its vertical surface 5c with the next feed dog 5b, returns to the same state as in FIG. 4, and enables the next forward rotation (FIG. 5C). By repeating the rotation and reverse operation of the plunger 5 in this manner, the ratchet gear 3 is intermittently rotated, and the protruding amount of the movable receiving portion 2 is gradually increased, so that the water meter M is pressed between the other joints 11. It is pinched. In addition, although the operation | work point which makes the movable receiving part 2 protrude gradually was demonstrated as an attachment process of the water meter M here, removal of the water meter M switches the plunger 5 to the reverse direction shown in FIG. Only the rotation direction and the reverse operation direction are reversed, and the operating principle is not different from that described here.
[0019]
Subsequently, another structure of the present embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, an O-ring 7 is press-fitted between the movable receiving portion 2 and the ratchet gear 3 as shown in FIG. The O-ring 7 keeps the engagement force between the ratchet gear 3 and the plunger 5 constant at all times due to its cushioning properties, and further ensures the engagement rotation operation and reverse operation of the plunger 5. In particular, when the assembly accuracy of the plunger 5 is poor or the plunger 5 does not slide smoothly in the sleeve 4a due to aging, the frictional force between the taper surface 5d and the feed dog 3b is increased during the reverse operation. Although it is conceivable that the ratchet gear 3 is reversely rotated without being released, the O-ring 7 is compressed so as to absorb this, so that the reverse operation can be performed with good and certainty. The O-ring 7 may be another packing.
[0020]
By the way, it is stipulated by law that the water meter M should be replaced periodically. Otherwise, unauthorized handling by a third party must be prevented. Therefore, in this embodiment, the cover 4 is provided with a cap 8 as shown in FIG. The cap 8 covers at least the sleeve 4a and prevents the plunger 5 from being reversed. Further, the cap 8 prevents foreign matter from entering the sleeve 4a, and further protects the protruding end of the plunger 5. More preferably, a known water theft prevention technique such as locking the cap 8 is adopted so that only the person concerned can remove the cap 8.
[0021]
In this embodiment, the water meter unit is mainly referred to as the water meter unit M. However, it goes without saying that the straight pipe connection during the water flow test is performed in the same manner. Moreover, the application example of the pressure welding joint 10 is not limited to the water meter unit paired with other joints, and can be used alone.
[0022]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the pressure-welded joint of the present invention employs a ratchet device as an expansion / contraction mechanism for the movable receiving portion, so that pipe connection or disconnection can be performed in a short time even in a narrow space. Further, since the plunger is slidably accommodated in the sleeve, the engagement / disengagement operation of the plunger with respect to the ratchet gear becomes smooth, and the plunger is accommodated in the sleeve so as to be reversible, so that the movable receiving portion can be expanded and contracted. Easy to switch. Further, by projecting the plunger from the sleeve, the plunger can directly function as an operation lever, and an insertion / removal operation for reversing the engagement direction can be easily performed. Furthermore, in the case where an O-ring is press-fitted between the movable receiving portion and the ratchet gear, the engagement force between the plunger and the ratchet gear is kept constant due to the cushioning property, and the ratchet gear is not prepared especially during reverse operation. Can prevent co-rotation. The cover cap covers the plunger to prevent unauthorized handling by anyone other than those involved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway side view of a water meter unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view in which a part of a pressure welding joint in the unit is cut away (forward rotation engagement).
FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view in which a part of the pressure welding joint is cut away (reverse engagement).
4 is an end view taken along the line AA in which the movable receiving portion and the check valve in FIG. 2 are omitted (forward rotation engagement).
Fig. 5 Transition diagram showing the principle of operation of the same pressure welded joint.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Pressure welding joint 11 Other joint 1 Joint main body 2 Movable receiving part 3 Ratchet gear 3b Feed dog 4 Cover 4a Sleeve 5 Plunger 5b Feeding claw 7 Pressing O-ring 8 Cap

Claims (7)

A movable receiving portion provided with a male screw on the outer periphery, a female screw threadedly engaged with the male screw on the inner periphery, and a ratchet gear provided with a plurality of feed dogs on the outer periphery, and a resilient engagement with the feed teeth And a plunger provided with a feed claw for rotating the ratchet gear only in one direction, and a joint main body that accommodates the movable receiving portion so as to extend and contract in the axial direction while restricting the rotation of the movable receiving portion. Characteristic pressure welded joint. The pressure-welded joint according to claim 1, wherein a cover is provided around the ratchet gear, and a sleeve for slidably receiving the plunger is provided on the cover. The press-fit joint according to claim 2, wherein the plunger is accommodated in the sleeve so that the direction of engagement of the feed pawl with the feed dog can be selectively reversed. The press-fit joint according to claim 2 or 3, wherein an end of the plunger extends so as to protrude from the sleeve. The press-fit joint according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a packing is press-fitted between the movable receiving portion and the ratchet gear. The press-fit joint according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a cap for covering at least the sleeve is detachably attached to the cover. 7. A water meter unit comprising: the pressure welding joint according to claim 1; and another pair of joints, wherein a water meter is sandwiched between the pair of joints.

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