JP4947706B2 - Pipe fitting - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a pipe joint for connecting a connecting pipe such as a thin-walled steel pipe by a one-touch operation without performing pipe end processing.

  As a pipe for water supply or hot water supply, a thin steel pipe excellent in corrosion resistance represented by a stainless steel pipe is frequently used. As a pipe joint for connecting this stainless steel pipe, conventionally, an end portion of a connection pipe is processed (pipe end processing) and the end portion is inserted into the pipe joint.

  However, a device that eliminates the man-hours required for pipe end processing, for example, a pipe joint that is connected by a one-touch method using a connection pipe that is not subjected to pipe end processing, is also in practical use (see Patent Document 1). In this pipe joint, an O-ring is fitted into two circumferential grooves provided on the inner surface of the large-diameter portion of the base body (female body), a coil spring at the edge of the large-diameter portion, and a press having a right-angled edge on the inner surface An inner collar made of a synthetic resin into which members are fitted is arranged, and has a structure in which these are covered with an outer collar having a tapered portion. According to this pipe joint, when the connecting pipe is inserted from the tip of the inner collar, the pressing member is pushed to the tip side of the inner collar, but the outer surface of the pressing member is pressed by the tapered surface of the outer collar, Since the right-angled edge of each bites into the connecting pipe, the coupling between the pipe joint and the connecting pipe is maintained. When a pulling force acts on the connecting tube in this coupled state, the pressing member is pressed against the tapered portion side of the outer collar by the elastic force of the coil spring, and the edge of the pressing member presses the connecting tube by the tapered portion, Pulling of the connecting pipe is prevented. By pressing the tip of the inner collar inward from this coupled state, the pressing member is released from contact with the outer collar, and the connecting tube can be pulled out. That is, according to this pipe joint, it is said that the coupling | bonding and disengagement can be made freely irrespective of the kind and material of a pipe | tube.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a joint body having a seal groove in which a seal member (O-ring) is mounted on an inner surface of an opening for inserting a pipe to be connected, and a retaining piece for mounting on a circumference. A retaining piece holder that is provided with a plurality of notches and that can be moved slightly in the direction of the joint body, a retaining piece that is mounted so as to contact the outer peripheral surface of the pipe to be connected, and a retaining piece holder that is attached to the retaining piece holder. A pipe joint has been proposed that includes a retaining piece presser that is fitted and presses the retaining piece in the direction of the pipe core, and a tapered outer pipe that has a tapered portion on the inner surface that is reduced in diameter from the joint body side toward the pipe passage hole. Yes. According to this pipe joint, it is supposed that it does not come off from the pipe joint by simply inserting the pipe into the joint body without using any tools. In addition, the configuration of the retaining piece presser and the tapered outer tube eliminates the need for a coil spring (see Patent Document 1) for pressing the retaining piece, and the length of the pipe joint can be shortened by the amount of the coil spring. It is said that.

Japanese Patent No. 3678515 (page 4-5, FIG. 1) Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-105269 (page 4-7, FIG. 1)

  The pipe joints described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are common in that the pipe can be connected by one-touch operation without performing pipe end processing, but the pipe is completely inserted (to the back of the joint body). In order to confirm this, it is necessary to apply a marking indicating a predetermined insertion length (necessary for ensuring sealing performance) to the pipe end. That is, when a pipe is inserted into the joint and the tip of the pipe passes through the pressing member (a retaining member), a state where the joint and the pipe are apparently connected appears. However, when the water is passed in such a temporary connection state, the O-ring is not in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the pipe, and thus water leakage occurs. Therefore, before inserting the pipe into the pipe joint, mark the pipe end (outer peripheral surface) with a marker at a predetermined position and insert the pipe to that position, so that the O-ring is securely attached to the outer peripheral surface of the pipe. It is made to adhere to prevent water leakage. However, in piping provided with a large number of connecting portions (joint portions), if all the pipes are marked, there is a problem of increasing the number of piping work steps. Also, it is predicted that the marking operation will be forgotten, and a normal connection state is not always obtained at all connection portions.

  Further, the pipe joints shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2 also have a problem different from the above. That is, since the pipe end contacts the O-ring while the pipe is inserted into the joint body, if there is a burr or the like at the pipe end, the O-ring may be damaged and the sealing performance may be reduced.

  Therefore, the objective of this invention is providing the pipe joint which can reduce a piping work man-hour compared with the past.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a pipe joint in which damage to the seal member is prevented during insertion of the pipe.

In order to achieve the above object, a pipe joint of the present invention includes a joint body having a receiving port into which a connection pipe is inserted from one end side, and an inner part of the joint body when the connection pipe is inserted by a predetermined length. A seal member that is compressed on a peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface of the connection pipe; and a protective sleeve that is pushed into a position away from the seal member at a tip of the connection pipe when the connection pipe is inserted by a predetermined length. , and a insertion confirmation member which is movably supported toward the connecting pipe to said joint body, said protective sleeve, those having a holding portion for receiving the distal end portion when the insertion verifier member is pushed is there.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the insertion confirmation member is attached to the joint body via a seal member.

Further, the present invention in these pipe joint, together with the insertion verifier member has a tip formed on the tapered toward the protective sleeve, the holding portion and characterized in that an annular groove to receive the tip portion To do .

Moreover, in this invention, it is preferable that the said insertion confirmation member has a coloring part concealed with the said coupling main body, when the front-end | tip part is pushed in the said holding | maintenance part.

In the present invention, a retaining member having an edge portion that is pressed against the connection pipe when the connection pipe is inserted by a predetermined length is attached to the receiving port, and the connection pipe is connected to the joint body. It is preferable to have an elastic member that urges the seal member through the retaining member when inserted by a predetermined length.

  According to the pipe joint of the present invention, when the connecting pipe is inserted, the tip end of the pipe digs into the inner peripheral surface of the end portion of the protective sleeve, and in the process, the retaining member is locked to the joint body, and then the pipe is moved to a predetermined position ( When the protective sleeve is inserted up to the position where the protective sleeve abuts the joint body), the holding portion of the protective sleeve comes to a position facing the tip of the insertion confirmation member. When the insertion confirmation member is pressed, the tip enters the holding portion and the insertion confirmation member A part of the tube is concealed by the joint body, and it can be visually confirmed that the tube is completely inserted.

  In particular, if a mark (for example, a colored portion with a different hue from other parts) is provided in the middle of the insertion confirmation member (the position where it enters the joint body when pushed into the end), it is concealed by the joint body. The completion of insertion can be confirmed visually.

  Furthermore, since the protective sleeve is present inside the seal member, the tip of the tube is prevented from coming into direct contact with the seal member, thereby preventing the seal member from being damaged.

  Further, by providing an edge portion that bites into the connecting pipe on the inner peripheral surface of the retaining member, a high pulling-inhibiting force can be obtained regardless of the one-touch operation of simply inserting the connecting pipe into the pipe joint.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a pipe joint according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view thereof, FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a joint body, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the pipe is inserted halfway, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the connection pipe is inserted all the way into the joint body.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pipe joint 1 seals the socket-shaped joint body 2, the insertion confirmation member 3 mounted from the outer peripheral side, the connection pipe (not shown), and the joint body 2. A seal member 4, a protective sleeve 5 attached to the inner diameter side of the seal member 4, a retaining member 8 provided on one end side of the joint body 2 and held by the inner collar 7, the inner collar 7 and the seal member 4, And a compression coil spring 6 interposed therebetween.

The detail of each part which comprises the pipe joint 1 is as follows.
The joint body 2 has a receiving port 21 (length L1) whose diameter is expanded from one end to the back side, and an intermediate portion 22 (length L2) adjacent to the receiving port 21 and having a step formed in the middle. And an annular projecting portion 23 formed on the terminal end side, and a male screw portion 24 formed on the other end side for joining with a mating member (not shown). The protrusion 23 has a through hole 230 that extends from the outer peripheral side of the joint body 2 to the inner peripheral side thereof, and the insertion confirmation member 3 is inserted therein.

3 and 4 together, the details of the insertion confirmation member and the through hole in which it is mounted will be described.
The insertion confirmation member 3 includes a push button 31 mounted in the through hole 230, a stop ring 32 (see FIG. 1) and a retaining ring 33 fitted in the middle thereof. The push button 31 includes a head 310, an identification portion 312 formed below the partition groove 311, a circumferential groove 313 in which the stop ring 32 is fitted, and a retaining ring 33 (for example, a C-shaped washer). ), A small-diameter portion 315, and an inverted frustoconical tip portion 316 (see FIG. 4). The stop ring 32 is a ring-shaped member formed by rolling a wire such as spring steel into a C shape so that the diameter can be increased or decreased. When the diameter is reduced, the stop ring 32 can be completely accommodated in the circumferential groove 313. The identification portion 312 enters the through-hole 230 (hidden by the protrusion 23) when the push button 31 is pushed to the end within a predetermined range (a portion having a height h). For example, it is colored in a hue (for example, red) different from black.

The through hole 230 faces the inside of the joint body 2 and the locking groove 231 in which the stop ring 32 fitted in the circumferential groove 313 of the push button 31 is locked and the push button 31 is pushed to the end. A stop groove 232 to which the stop ring 32 is sometimes locked, a step 233 on which at least a seal member 34 in contact with the tip 316 (tapered surface) of the push button 31 is mounted, a small diameter portion 315 of the push button 31 A small hole 234 through which the tip 316 passes (see FIG. 3). The locking groove 231 is formed with a tapered portion that decreases in diameter toward the inside of the joint body 2.
When the push button 31 is mounted in the through hole 230, the push button 31 is locked to the locking groove 231 by the stop ring 32 having an enlarged diameter and is held in the joint body 2 at that position (see FIG. 1).

  The seal member 4 is mounted on the back side of the intermediate portion 22, and when the connection pipe is inserted normally (by a predetermined length), the outer peripheral face of the connection pipe 10 and the inner peripheral face (intermediate face of the joint body 2) The inner joint body 2 is provided so as to be in close contact with the inner peripheral side of the portion 22.

  The protective sleeve 5 is a cylindrical member made of plastic, for example, and includes a guide portion 51 that first contacts the insertion confirmation member 3 and a holding portion having an inverted trapezoidal cross section into which the distal end portion 316 of the insertion confirmation member 3 enters. 52 (annular groove) and an end that passes through the seal member 4 and is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the joint body 2 (the back side of the intermediate portion 22) when the connecting pipe is inserted normally (by a predetermined length). Part 53.

  The compression coil spring 6 is positioned at the intermediate portion 22 of the joint body 2, one end is positioned on the outer periphery of the protective sleeve 5 via the spring seat 60, and the other end is locked to the end portion (stepped portion) of the inner collar 7. Thus, when the connection pipe is normally inserted (by a predetermined length), the seal member 4 is provided to be urged (compressed) in the same direction as the insertion direction of the connection pipe.

  The retaining member 8 is a member having a plurality of edge portions 81 and 82 on the inner peripheral surface and having a cross section formed in an arc shape (curved outward), and the edge portion protrudes from the inner peripheral surface of the inner collar 7. As described above, a plurality of pieces are attached along the circumferential direction (for example, at equal angular intervals). The inner collar 7 is supported by a C-shaped retaining ring 9 whose outer peripheral surface on one end side is locked to the joint body 2, and as shown in FIG. Retained inside.

  The construction procedure of piping by the pipe joint 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the pipe joint 1 shown in FIG. 1 is prepared in which all parts including the insertion confirmation member 3 (see FIG. 4) are incorporated in the joint body 2 (see FIG. 3). Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the connecting pipe 10 (for example, SUS304 steel pipe) that does not process the pipe end is inserted from the receiving port 21 of the joint body 1. In the process of inserting the connecting pipe, the connecting pipe 10 passes through the retaining member 8 and the tip of the connecting pipe 10 enters the end portion 53 of the protective sleeve 5, so that the protective sleeve 5 is moved from the initial position (see FIG. 1) to the paper surface. The seal member 4 contacts the tapered surface of the holding portion 52. Due to this contact, a response that the connecting pipe 10 has been inserted is transmitted to the operator. However, even if the push button 31 is pushed in this state, the end surface of the tip portion 316 abuts on the outer peripheral surface of the guide portion 51 of the protective sleeve 5, so that a part of the identification portion 31 of the push button 31 passes through the through hole 23. The identification part 31 can be visually recognized from the outside. Further, when the push button 31 is released in this state, the seal member 34 is not completely moved onto the small diameter portion 315, and the restoring force of the seal member 34 acts on the tip portion (taper portion) 316. The push button 31 returns to the original state (see FIG. 1). Thereby, it can judge visually from the exterior more reliably that insertion of the connecting pipe 10 is not completed. When the connecting pipe 10 is inserted into the joint main body 2, the edge of the retaining member 8 abuts on the outer peripheral portion of the connecting pipe 10, moves along the inner surface (taper) of the receiving port 21, and the retaining member 8. Since the end portion of the coil moves to the intermediate portion 22, the compression coil spring 6 is compressed.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the connecting pipe 10 is inserted to the end, and the end surface of the protective sleeve 5 is abutted against the inner surface of the joint body 2. When the push button 31 is pressed in this state, the movement of the push button 31 is allowed and the distal end portion 316 is pushed into the holding portion 52 of the protective sleeve 5. At this time, the push button 31 moves while the stop ring 32 is reduced in diameter by the taper portion of the locking groove 231 and completely fits in the circumferential groove 313, and the stop ring 32 is expanded in diameter by the restoring force and the outer peripheral portion thereof. Moves until it is locked in the locking groove 232. The small diameter portion 315 is completely inserted into the inner diameter side of the seal member 34 and seals the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 315 and the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 230. In this state, since the identification part 312 of the push button 31 is concealed by the protrusion 23, it can be visually determined that the insertion of the connecting pipe 10 has been completed.

  According to the pipe joint according to the present embodiment, in the state where the insertion of the connecting pipe is completed, the connecting pipe 10 enters the inner diameter side of the seal member 4, and the seal member 4 is connected to the joint body 2 (inside the intermediate portion 22. The peripheral surface) and the connecting pipe 10 are compressed, so that no fluid leaks. In addition, the sealing member 4 is maintained in a compressed state by the restoring force of the compression coil spring 6, and the connecting pipe 10 is restrained by the edge portions 81 and 82 of the retaining member 8, so that a pulling force acts on the connecting pipe 10. Even if it does not come out of the pipe joint 1. That is, according to the present embodiment, the connection work can be performed by a substantial one-touch operation such as inserting the connection pipe to the back of the pipe joint. Moreover, according to this Embodiment, it can be confirmed visually from the exterior whether the connection was completed. Therefore, according to the pipe joint of the present invention, the pipe end marking work can be omitted.

  Also, before inserting the connecting pipe into the pipe joint, after cutting the connecting pipe to a predetermined length, a chamfering process of the pipe end is performed to remove the burr at the pipe end, but the burr still remains at the pipe end. There is also. Even in such a case, the seal member 4 does not come into direct contact with the end of the connecting pipe, so that the seal member is prevented from being damaged, and good sealing performance can be maintained over a long period of time.

  In the pipe joint of the present invention, the material constituting each part may be appropriately set according to the use of the joint, the type of connection pipe, and the like. For example, a hot water supply / hot water supply pipe using a connection pipe made of austenitic stainless steel (SUS304) In this case, the joint body may be formed of a metal material having corrosion resistance such as stainless cast steel (SCS material). The stop ring, retaining ring, and compression coil spring may be formed of a corrosion-resistant metal material such as austenitic stainless steel (SUS304 or the like). In particular, the retaining member 8 is preferably formed of a material harder than the connecting pipe, for example, martensitic stainless steel (SUS420) when the connecting pipe is austenitic stainless steel (SUS304).

  Parts other than those described above do not require so much mechanical strength and can be formed of non-metallic materials such as polymer materials. The push button can be formed of a special engineering plastic such as PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) having excellent heat resistance. As the sealing member, an O-ring made of an elastic body, for example, an olefin rubber can be used, and an O-ring formed of EPDM, which is a terpolymer of ethylene, propylene, and a diene monomer for crosslinking, which is particularly excellent in heat resistance. Is preferably used. The protective sleeve can be formed of a general-purpose engineering plastic such as polyolefin.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made. For example, the joint main body may be divided in the middle of the intermediate portion, and the receiving side may be a nut portion. Further, the connecting pipe to be connected is not limited to metal, and may be made of resin. Of course, the present invention can be applied to pipe joints of other shapes (for example, elbow shape).

It is sectional drawing of the pipe joint concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of a pipe joint concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is sectional drawing of the coupling main body which comprises the pipe coupling of FIG. It is the front view which fractured | ruptured some insertion confirmation members built in the coupling main body of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the state in which the connection pipe was inserted to the middle of the pipe joint of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the state in which the connection pipe was inserted to the back of the pipe joint of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1: Pipe fitting,
2: Joint body, 21: Receptor, 22: Intermediate part, 23: Projection part, 230: Through hole,
231, 232: locking groove, 233: stepped portion, 24: male screw portion,
3: Insertion confirmation member, 31: Push button, 310: Head, 311: Partition groove, 312: Identification part,
313, 314: circumferential groove, 315: small diameter part, 316: tip part,
32: Stop ring, 33: Retaining ring, 34: Seal member,
4: seal member, 5: protective sleeve, 51: guide portion, 52: holding portion, 53: end portion,
6: compression coil spring, 60: spring seat,
7: Inside color,
8: retaining member, 81: edge portion, 9: retaining ring,
10: Connecting pipe,

Claims (3)

A joint main body having a receiving port into which a connection pipe is inserted from one end side, and a seal member that is compressed on the inner peripheral surface of the joint main body and the outer peripheral surface of the connection pipe when the connection pipe is inserted by a predetermined length. A protective sleeve that is pushed into a position away from the seal member at the tip of the connection pipe when the connection pipe is inserted by a predetermined length, and is supported by the joint body so as to be movable toward the inner peripheral side. An insertion confirmation member, and the protective sleeve is a pipe joint having a holding portion that receives the tip when the insertion confirmation member is pushed ,
The said insertion confirmation member has the front-end | tip part tapered toward the said protection sleeve, And the said holding | maintenance part is an annular groove which receives the said front-end | tip part, The pipe joint characterized by the above-mentioned . 2. The pipe joint according to claim 1 , wherein the insertion confirmation member has a colored portion that is concealed by the joint body when a distal end portion thereof is pushed into the holding portion. A retaining member having an edge portion pressed against the connection pipe when the connection pipe is inserted for a predetermined length is attached to the receptacle, and the connection pipe is inserted into the joint body for a predetermined length. 3. The pipe joint according to claim 1 , further comprising an elastic member that urges the seal member through the retaining member when being done.

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