JP4402498B2 - Pipe fitting - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a quick connector type pipe joint suitable for connecting pipes of, for example, an automobile radiator, a heater unit, a fuel supply system, and the like, and more particularly to a pipe joint having a checker that can confirm that the pipe joint is normally connected.

  For example, quick connector type pipe joints are used for connecting pipes such as automobile radiators, heater units, and fuel supply systems. These pipe joints generally have a substantially tubular socket attached to one pipe end, a substantially tubular plug attached to the other pipe end and inserted into the socket, and prevents the plug from being removed from the socket. And a stopper.

  In the pipe joint as described above, whether or not the plug is normally connected to the socket is determined by the click feeling or the appearance that the operator feels when inserting the plug, but may not be securely connected due to a work mistake or the like. . In particular, in an automobile assembly line or the like, work time is limited, and such work mistakes are likely to occur. Therefore, a means for confirming whether the plug is normally connected to the socket is desired.

In Patent Document 1 below, an annular clip having a locking claw is fitted into a clip fitting portion of a connector provided with a locking hole, and the clip is inserted into a locking claw protruding from the locking hole to the pipe insertion portion. A structure for checking the assembled state of the pipe and the connector by interposing a checker when assembling the pipe to the connector by locking the stopper of the pipe, the clip having the hook insertion portion, and the hook A clip fitting part having a window part and a checker provided with a hook part are mainly used, and the checker is a checker in which the hook part inserted and engaged with the hook insertion part and the hook window part can be rotated in the body radial direction of the connector. The leg portion for holding the hook portion inserted into the hook window portion is formed on the both sides of the hook portion so as to be detachable from the outer periphery of the body. The clip is rotated radially outward by retaining the pipe inserted into the connector, and the hook portion of the checker is rotated outward by rotating the hook portion of the checker outward. There is disclosed a pipe assembly state confirmation structure for a connector, characterized in that the engagement with the portion is released. In the embodiment, after the engagement between the hook portion of the checker and the hook window portion of the connector is released, the checker is pulled out perpendicularly to the axial direction of the pipe, and the checker is removed. Deletion is described.
JP-A-11-280974

  However, since the checker used in the invention of Patent Document 1 is pulled out perpendicular to the axial direction of the pipe, a large space is required perpendicular to the axial direction. In addition, since the checker is attached, it is bulky for the weight, and the number of pieces that can be carried is reduced, so that the carrying cost increases.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a pipe joint that can confirm whether or not a plug has been normally connected to a socket, can pull out a checker even in a small space, and is not bulky during transportation.

  In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention includes a substantially tubular socket attached to one end of a tube, a substantially tubular plug attached to the other end of the tube, and inserted into the socket. In a pipe joint comprising a stopper that prevents the socket from coming off, and a checker that is attached to the socket and can be pulled out when the socket and the plug are connected, the checker includes a knob portion and the knob. A pair of elastic claws extending in parallel from the portion, and the socket is provided with a latching portion for inserting and latching the pair of elastic claws in the axial direction. When being inserted into the socket, a locking release portion is provided which is inserted into the locking portion from a direction opposite to the pair of elastic claw portions to release the locking of the pair of elastic claw portions. Features There is provided a pipe joint.

  According to the above invention, by inserting the elastic claw portion of the checker into the locking portion of the socket, the elastic claw portion is deformed from the initial shape and comes into contact with the locking portion, and is engaged by the elastic return force of the elastic claw portion. Since it is locked to the stopper, the checker can be securely attached to the socket. Then, when the plug unlocking part is aligned with the socket locking part and the plug is inserted in the axial direction, the unlocking part comes into contact with the elastic claw part, deforms it, and the plug is completely connected to the socket. For the first time, the elastic claw portion comes out of the locking portion, and the locked state between the checker and the locking portion of the socket is released. Therefore, the checker can be pulled out from the locking portion of the socket in the axial direction.

  On the other hand, when the plug is not completely connected to the socket, the elastic claw portion is still locked to the locking portion. Therefore, even if the checker is pulled out from the locking portion of the socket, it is pulled out. I can't. Therefore, after the checker is mounted on the locking part of the socket, whether or not the plug is normally connected to the socket can be easily confirmed based on whether or not the checker can be pulled out from the locking part.

  In addition, the locking portion and the locking release portion are formed along the axial direction, and the checker attached to the locking portion is pulled out in the axial direction, so that a large space perpendicular to the axial direction is unnecessary, It can also be used in places where the space for arranging pipe joints is small. Further, since the checker is inserted in the axial direction, a compact pipe joint can be obtained without being bulky, and a large number of parts can be transported at a work site or the like at a time, so that the transport cost can be reduced.

  Furthermore, since the lock release portion of the plug is inserted and fitted into the lock portion of the socket, the plug can be positioned and stopped.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the locking portion formed in the socket is provided with a tapered locking groove that gradually expands along the insertion direction of the checker. The pair of elastic claws extends to the outside and extends, and provides a pipe joint in which the claws are formed on the outer side of the tip.

  According to the invention, the locking portion is provided with the tapered locking groove that gradually expands along the checker insertion direction. That is, since the locking groove has a shape narrowed in the direction in which the checker is pulled out, the frictional force is applied to the movement in the pulling direction, and the locked state between the locking portion and the elastic claw portion is released. In this case, it is possible to prevent the elastic claw portion from suddenly jumping out of the locking portion.

  Furthermore, since the elastic claw has a shape that spreads outward, the claw at the tip of the elastic claw is in contact with the inside of the tapered locking groove, and the edge of the locking groove on the expanded side Therefore, it is possible to prevent the checker from coming off due to external force or vibration by attaching the checker to the locking portion of the socket without rattling.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, the claw portions of the pair of elastic claw portions have an outer surface tapered, and the locking release portion is in contact with the tapered surface of the claw portion. A pipe joint having a letter-shaped groove is provided.

  According to the above invention, when the unlocking portion is pushed, the V-shaped groove portion comes into contact with the tapered surface of the claw portion, and the claw portion is narrowed along the V-shaped groove portion. Is disengaged from the locking groove, so that the engagement can be released.

  In addition, the claw part has a tapered outer surface and the unlocking part has a V-shaped groove, so that the tapered part of the claw smoothly contacts the V-shaped groove when the plug is inserted. The elastic claw portion can be reliably removed from the locking portion.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, the socket includes a pipe joint in which a protrusion inserted between a pair of elastic claws of the checker is formed. It is to provide.

  According to the above invention, since the protrusion is inserted between the pair of elastic claws, and the valley-shaped portion of the elastic claw comes into contact with the protrusion, the elastic claw does not wobble and is stably locked. The checker is less likely to come off due to external force or vibration.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first or fourth aspect of the invention, the pair of elastic claw portions of the checker has a claw portion protruding inward at a tip thereof, and the locking portion of the socket is The present invention provides a pipe joint having a protrusion inserted between a pair of elastic claws and locked by the claw.

  According to the above invention, by pushing the checker into the locking portion, the claw portion that protrudes inward at the tip of the elastic claw portion locks the locking portion so as to sandwich the locking portion from the outside. The rattling with the locking portion can be suppressed, and the checker can be stably attached to the plug.

  Further, unlike the second invention, there is no need to provide a tapered locking groove, and the elastic claw portion does not need to be formed with high precision so that a gap is not generated as much as possible. Can be reduced. Furthermore, the shape of the unlocking portion corresponding to the elastic claw portion is not V-shaped as in the second aspect of the invention, and can be simple, so that molding is easy.

  A sixth aspect of the present invention provides the pipe joint according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the knob portion of the checker is formed obliquely with respect to the elastic claw portion. .

  According to the above invention, since the knob portion is formed obliquely with respect to the elastic claw portion, the clearance with the pipe joint is increased, the knob portion can be easily gripped with fingers and the like, and when the checker is inserted, Workability when pulling out is improved.

  According to the pipe joint of the present invention, the checker has a pair of elastic claw portions, and the elastic claw portions are engaged with the engagement portions provided on the socket so that the checker is mounted on the socket. In addition, since the plug connected to the socket is provided with an unlocking portion for releasing the locking state between the elastic claw portion and the locking portion, the plug is inserted into the socket in the axial direction. When the plug is completely connected to the elastic claw portion, the elastic claw portion is detached from the locking portion. Therefore, it is possible to easily confirm whether or not the plug is normally connected to the socket by whether the checker is pulled out from the locking portion after the checker is mounted on the locking portion of the plug.

  In addition, the locking portion and the locking release portion are formed along the axial direction, and the checker attached to the locking portion is pulled out in the axial direction, so that a large space perpendicular to the axial direction is unnecessary, It can also be used in places where the space for arranging pipe joints is small. Further, since the checker is inserted in the axial direction, a compact pipe joint can be obtained without being bulky, and a large number of parts can be transported to the work site at a time, so that the transportation cost can be reduced.

  Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1-6, one Embodiment of the pipe joint of this invention is described. As shown in FIG. 1, the pipe joint 10 includes a socket 20, a plug 30 inserted into the socket 20, a stopper 50 that prevents the plug 30 from being detached, and the socket 20. When the plug 30 is connected, it is mainly composed of a checker 40 that can be pulled out.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the socket 20 includes a tubular main body 21, and has a locking portion 25 protruding on the outer periphery of the main body 21. One end of the main body 21 is connected to another pipe such as a hose or a tube, and the plug 30 is inserted from the insertion port 22 at the other end. The socket 20 may be a bent tube as well as a straight tube as shown in FIG.

  Slits 23 into which the stoppers 50 are inserted are formed on both side surfaces of the main body 21 on the side of the insertion port 22 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axial direction. As will be described later, the stopper 50 is inserted into the slit 23 to prevent the plug 30 from coming off. Further, stopper projections 24 are provided at both ends of the main body 21 on the side of the insertion port 22, and both end portions 52 come into contact with each other when the stopper 50 is mounted.

  Moreover, the latching | locking part 25 has both the side wall 25a which stands | starts up from the surrounding wall of the main-body part 21, and the outer wall 25b which connects the outer-diameter side edge part of this both-sides wall 25a, and when it sees to an axial direction The shape bulges into a U-shape. The end of the locking portion 25 on the insertion port 22 side has a U-shaped opening, into which a locking releasing portion 34 described later of the plug 30 is inserted.

  A locking groove 25 c is provided at the end of the locking portion 25 opposite to the insertion port 22. As shown in FIG. 5, the locking groove 25 c has a tapered shape that gradually spreads along the axial direction from the wall surface on the opposite side of the insertion port 22.

  Further, a protrusion 26 that protrudes from the peripheral wall of the main body 21 is formed at a position close to the end of the locking portion 25 opposite to the insertion port 22. The protrusion 26 is inserted between a pair of elastic claws 43 and 43 of the checker 40, which will be described later, and is sandwiched between the elastic claws 43 and 43 to contribute to stabilizing the checker 40. In this embodiment, in order to increase the contact area with the branch portion when the elastic claw portions 43 and 43 come into contact with the valley-like branch portion, the protrusion 26 has a cylindrical shape.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the checker 40 attached to the locking portion 25 includes an annular knob portion 41, a shaft portion 42 extending from one portion of the knob portion 40 in the outer diameter direction, and the shaft portion. It has a pair of elastic claw portions 43 and 43 that are divided into two forks from 42 and are spread out in a letter C shape. The knob 41 is formed obliquely at an angle of θ = 20 to 50 degrees with respect to the plane defined by the elastic claws 43. For this reason, when the checker 40 is attached to the locking portion 25, the knob portion 41 rises obliquely from the main body portion 21, so that it is easy to grip with fingers or the like.

  Further, claw portions 44, 44 projecting outward are formed at the tips of the elastic claw portions 43, 43. The outer surfaces of the claw portions 44, 44 have a tapered portion 44a that is tapered toward the knob portion. The claw portions 44, 44 are locked to the inner edge portion of the locking groove 25c of the locking portion 25 by a locking wall portion 44b provided substantially perpendicular to the elastic claw portions 43, 43. It has become.

  That is, when the pair of elastic claw portions 43 of the checker 40 are inserted into the locking grooves 25c provided in the locking portion 25 from the claw portion 44 side, the pair of elastic claw portions 43 are bent inward and engaged. When the claw portion 44 passes through the opening of the stop groove 25c and comes out of the inner edge portion of the locking groove 25c, the elastic claw portion 43 is elastically restored and engages with the inner edge portion of the locking groove 25c. In this way, the checker 40 is attached to the locking portion 25 of the socket 20.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the plug 30 is a substantially tubular member, and at one tip end, a tip portion 31 that is inserted into the insertion port 22 of the socket 20 and has a diameter reduced toward the tip end direction is provided. An annular protrusion 32 is formed at a predetermined distance from the portion 31 in the axial direction. The surface of the annular protrusion 32 in the insertion direction has a tapered shape that gradually decreases in diameter in the insertion direction. An annular groove 33 that is substantially perpendicular to the axial direction is provided adjacent to the annular protrusion 32. The other tube to be connected is connected to the opposite side of the tip 31. Such a plug 30 may be a pipe formed directly on a device to be connected by piping, for example, a heater unit, a radiator, or the like.

  At a predetermined position in the circumferential direction of the annular protrusion 32, an unlocking portion 34 protruding in the outer diameter direction is provided. The unlocking portion 34 is formed with a groove portion 34a that is substantially V-shaped when viewed from the outer peripheral side along the radial direction. This locking release portion 34 is formed with a width that can be inserted into the opening on the insertion port 22 side of the locking portion 25, and engages the elastic claw portion 43 with the locking portion 25 in a manner to be described later. Remove and play the role of releasing the locked state.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the stopper 50 is bent in a mountain shape at the upper center, and both side portions 51 are bent in a gate shape so as to be inserted into the slits 23 of the socket 20 and extend substantially in parallel. Yes. Further, both end portions 52 of the stopper 50 are bent forward so that the both end portions 52 come into contact with the stopper projections 24 of the socket 20.

  Next, the dimensional relationship between the above components will be described. Let A be the distance from the top of the unlocking portion 34 shown in FIG. Further, as shown in FIG. 3A, the distance from the tip of the claw portion 44 of the checker 40 to the locking wall portion 44b is B. Further, as shown in FIG. 2 (c), it is preferable that the relationship of the following formula (1) is satisfied, where C is the distance from the inner end of the locking groove 25c to the slit 23.

  0.2 mm ≦ C−A ≦ B (1)

Next, the effect | action of this pipe joint 10 is demonstrated using FIG.5 and FIG.6.
As shown in FIG. 6A, the checker 40 is attached to the locking portion 25 of the socket 20. Further, both side portions 51 of the stopper 50 are fitted into the slits 23 of the socket 20, and further pushed downward to engage both end portions 52 with the stopper projections 24 provided on the socket 20. This order may be reversed, and the plug 30 is inserted into the socket 20. The operation of the locking part 25 and the locking release part 34 at this time is shown in FIG. First, the lock release portion 34 is aligned with the lock portion 25, and the plug 30 is inserted in the axial direction in this state. Then, as shown in FIG. 5A, the V-shaped groove portion 34 a comes into contact with the tapered portion 44 a of the claw portion 44. When the plug 30 is further pushed in, the gap between the claw portions 44 is gradually narrowed along the shape of the V-shaped groove 34a, and can pass through the locking groove 25c from the inside to the outside. . Then, when the plug 30 is completely pushed and the plug 30 is normally connected to the socket 20, the elastic claw portion 43 can be extracted from the locking portion 25 (see FIG. 5B).

  On the other hand, the connection operation between the plug 30 and the socket 20 is as follows. That is, when the plug 30 is pushed into the socket 20, the annular protrusion 32 of the plug 30 comes into contact with both side portions 51 of the stopper 50, and the stopper 50 is pushed and spread. When the plug 30 is further pushed in, both side portions 51 of the stopper 50 get over the annular protrusion 32 of the plug 30 and are fitted into the annular groove portion 33 of the plug 30, so that the plug 30 is prevented from being detached from the socket 20. Connection is complete.

  When the connection between the plug 30 and the socket 20 is completed as described above, the checker 40 can be removed from the locking portion 25 as shown in FIG. By pulling out, it can be confirmed that the plug 30 is normally connected to the socket 20.

  On the other hand, when the plug 30 is not completely connected to the socket 20, the locking wall portion 44b of the claw portion 44 of the elastic claw portion 43 is engaged with the inner end edge of the locking groove 25c. Even if the checker 40 is pulled out of the locking portion 25 of the socket 20, it cannot be pulled out, and it can be known that the connection between the socket 20 and the plug 30 is not completed. In this case, since the operator is alerted to push the plug 30 into the socket 20 again, the socket 20 and the plug 30 can be reliably connected.

  As described above, whether or not the plug 30 is normally connected to the socket 20 can be easily and easily determined by whether or not the checker 40 can be pulled out from the locking portion 25 after the checker 40 is attached to the locking portion 25 of the plug 30. It can be confirmed reliably.

  Further, the locking portion 25 of the socket 20 and the locking releasing portion 34 of the plug 30 are formed along the axial direction. Therefore, since the checker 40 attached to the locking portion 25 is pulled out in the axial direction, a large space is unnecessary in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. For this reason, it can be used suitably also in the place where it is used for piping of a radiator etc., and the arrangement space of the pipe joint 10 cannot take much, for example. Furthermore, since the checker 40 is inserted in the axial direction, the pipe joint 10 can be obtained which is not bulky and compact compared to the checker disclosed in Patent Document 1. Therefore, even when packed and transported in a packing case or the like, many can be packed and the transport cost can be reduced.

  7 and 8 show another embodiment of the pipe joint according to the present invention. It should be noted that substantially the same parts as those in the embodiment shown in FIGS.

  The locking portion 27 of the pipe joint 10a has both side walls 27a that rise in the outer diameter direction from the peripheral wall of the main body portion 21, and outer walls 27b that connect the outer diameter side ends of the both side walls 27a in the axial direction. It looks like a U shape when seen. In addition, a protrusion 27 c that protrudes from the peripheral surface of the main body portion 21 to the outer diameter side is formed at the opening portion of the locking portion 27 opposite to the insertion port 22. The projection 27 c is formed such that about half of the projection 27 c protrudes to the outside of the locking portion 27 and the other half is positioned in the locking portion 27. In addition, both side walls of the protrusion 27 c have a tapered shape that gradually narrows along the insertion direction of the checker 40.

  On the other hand, the checker 40a is divided into an annular knob portion 41, a shaft portion 42 extending from one portion of the knob portion 40 in the outer diameter direction, and a bifurcated portion from the shaft portion 42, as in the above embodiment. It has a pair of elastic claw parts 45 and 45. In this case, the elastic claw portions 45 and 45 are formed so as to narrow the distance from each other toward the distal end, and claw portions 46 and 46 projecting inward are formed at the distal ends. A tapered portion 46 a that is tapered toward the tip is formed on the inner side surfaces of the claw portions 46, 46.

  In the plug 30, an unlocking portion 35 is formed so as to protrude perpendicularly to the axial direction on the annular protrusion 32, and a convex portion 35 a is formed along the insertion direction of the plug 30.

  This pipe joint 10a acts as follows. First, the checker 40 is pushed into the locking portion 27. Then, the nail | claw part 46 is pushed and expanded along the outer wall of the protrusion 27c. When the claw portion 46 gets over the protrusion 27c by further pressing, the claw portion 46 is locked to the wall portion of the protrusion 27c on the insertion port 22 side. Along with this, the elastic claw portion 45 is locked with the protrusion 27c interposed therebetween.

  Subsequently, the plug 30 is connected to the socket 20. First, when the locking release portion 35 is aligned with the locking portion 27 and the plug 30 is inserted in the axial direction in this state, the convex portion 35a comes into contact with the claw portion 44 as shown in FIG. . When the plug 30 is further pushed in, the convex portion 35a comes into contact with the tapered portion 46a of the claw portion 46, and the claw portion 46 is gradually expanded along the shape of the convex portion 35a. Along with this, the elastic claw portion 45 is gradually separated from both side walls of the protrusion 27c, and when the plug 30 is completely pushed in and the connection between the plug 30 and the socket 20 is completed, the elastic claw portion 45 and the claw portion 46 are moved. Since it comes off from the protrusion 27c, the checker 40 can be pulled out (see FIG. 8B). Thus, also in this embodiment, after the plug 30 is pushed into the socket 20, it can be easily confirmed whether or not the plug 30 is normally connected to the socket 20 by whether or not the checker 40 is pulled out.

  The present invention is suitable, for example, as a quick connector type pipe fitting suitable for pipe connection of a radiator, a heater unit, a fuel supply system, etc., particularly as a pipe fitting having a checker that can confirm that the pipe fitting has been normally connected. Available to:

It is a disassembled perspective view which shows one Embodiment of the pipe joint by this invention. The socket of the same pipe joint is shown, (a) is a right side view, (b) is a front view, and (c) is a cross-sectional view along the line XX. The checker of the pipe joint is shown, (a) is a front view, (b) is a right side view. The plug of the said pipe joint is shown, (a) is a right view, (b) is a front view, (c) is sectional drawing along the YY arrow line. The operation | movement of the checker at the time of pipe connection by the same pipe joint is shown, (a) is sectional drawing immediately after plug insertion, b) is sectional drawing after completion | finish of plug insertion. The state where a pipe is connected by the pipe joint is shown, (a) is a perspective view showing a preparation stage before connection, and (b) is a perspective view showing a state when the connection is completed. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows other embodiment of the pipe joint by this invention. The operation | movement of the checker at the time of pipe connection by other embodiment of the pipe joint by this invention is shown, (a) is sectional drawing immediately after plug insertion, b) is sectional drawing after completion | finish of plug insertion.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10, 10a Pipe joint 20 Socket 25 Locking part 25c Locking groove 26 Projection part 27 Locking part 27c Projection part 30 Plug 34 Lock release part 34a Groove part 40 Checker 41 Knob part 43 Elastic claw part 44 Claw part 50 Stopper

Claims (6)

A substantially tubular socket attached to one end of the tube, a substantially tubular plug attached to the other end of the tube and inserted into the socket, a stopper for preventing the plug from coming off from the socket, and a socket attached to the socket. In the pipe joint provided with a checker that can be pulled out when the socket and the plug are connected,
The checker has a knob part and a pair of elastic claw parts extending in parallel from the knob part, and the socket has a locking part for inserting and locking the pair of elastic claw parts in the axial direction. The plug is inserted into the socket and inserted into the locking portion from a direction opposite to the pair of elastic claw portions to release the locking of the pair of elastic claw portions. A pipe joint characterized in that a stop release part is provided.   The locking portion formed in the socket is provided with a tapered locking groove that gradually expands in the insertion direction of the checker, and the pair of elastic claw portions of the checker extends outward and extends. The pipe joint according to claim 1, wherein a claw portion is formed outside the tip portion.   3. The pipe joint according to claim 2, wherein the claw portions of the pair of elastic claw portions have a tapered outer surface, and the locking release portion has a V-shaped groove portion that contacts the tapered surface of the claw portion.   The pipe joint according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the socket is formed with a protrusion that is inserted between a pair of elastic claws of the checker.   The pair of elastic claw portions of the checker have claw portions projecting inwardly at the tips thereof, and the locking portion of the socket is inserted between the pair of elastic claw portions so that the claw portion is locked. The pipe joint according to claim 1, wherein the pipe joint has a protruding portion.   The pipe joint according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the knob portion of the checker is formed obliquely with respect to the elastic claw portion.

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