JP6546740B2 - Plug body - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a plug, in particular a plug which makes it possible to clean the space between the socket and the sleeve of the fitting.

  A pipe joint capable of connecting a socket to which one pipe is connected and a plug to which the other pipe is connected by a one-touch lock mechanism as a means by which fluid pipes can be easily connected and disconnected. It has been known. In this locking mechanism, the connection between the socket and the plug is maintained by engaging the locking ball provided in the socket with the groove provided in the plug. The locking ball is biased towards the inside of the socket by a sleeve slidably mounted around the socket to engage the groove of the plug inserted in the socket.

  The socket of the above-mentioned pipe joint has a space between the socket and the sleeve, in which space a spring for pushing the sleeve is accommodated. Liquid passing through the fluid lines may remain in the space within the sleeve when disconnecting the socket and the plug. In particular, when the remaining liquid is toxic to the human body, the remaining liquid may leak from the sleeve when the socket separated from the plug is transported and used elsewhere, which is very dangerous. . Therefore, although it is necessary to clean the inside of the sleeve, a cleaning mechanism as disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1 is known as one for cleaning the inside of the sleeve.

  The cleaning mechanism has a housing provided in the socket and an ejection hole provided in the socket. The cleaning solution is sent to the space between the socket and the sleeve via the housing, and the cleaning solution sent to the space is spouted to the inside of the socket through the spout hole provided in the socket.

JP 2001-355778

  The socket of the pipe joint having the cleaning mechanism as described above is complicated in structure, expensive in manufacturing cost, and can not be attached to a socket of a commercially available pipe joint. An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning mechanism which is simple in structure, can be easily attached to a socket of a commercially available pipe joint, and can easily clean the inside of the sleeve of the socket.

  The present inventors can easily attach to the socket of a commercially available pipe joint by using a plug inserted and used in the opening of the socket of the pipe joint under intensive investigation, and further, the operability In view of obtaining a good cleaning mechanism, and as a result of repeated studies, a plug which can realize the cleaning by providing a flow path which enables cleaning of the space between the socket of the pipe joint and the sleeve It came to complete the invention of

That is, the present invention relates to the following.
[1] A plug inserted into an opening of a socket for a pipe joint having a sleeve and a lock ball, the engaging groove provided on the outer peripheral surface of the plug being engaged with the lock ball of the socket At least one first opening provided on the engagement groove, at least one second opening provided in the plug body, and connecting the first opening and the second opening The plug including at least one flow path.
[2] The plug according to [1], wherein the engagement groove is annularly provided on the outer peripheral surface of the plug.
[3] The plug according to [1] or [2], further including a flange provided on the outer peripheral surface of the plug.
[4] The plug according to any one of [1] to [3], further including at least one O-ring provided on the plug.

[5] The plug according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein at least two O-rings are provided with an engagement groove interposed therebetween.
[6] The device according to any one of [1] to [5], further including a small-diameter portion having an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the plug provided on the tip side of the engagement groove of the plug. Plug body.
[7] A method for cleaning a space between a socket and a sleeve of a pipe joint having a sleeve and a lock ball, wherein a plug through which a flow path that can be aligned with the lock ball of the socket penetrates the opening of the socket And c. Inserting into the space, and delivering gas to the space through the flow path of the plug.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a plug which can be easily attached to a commercially available socket of a pipe joint and the inside of the sleeve of the socket can be cleaned.
The plug of the present invention has a flow passage that can be aligned with the lock ball of the socket, and fluid can be sent to the lock ball portion through the flow passage. The fluid delivered to the lock ball portion passes through the gap between the lock ball and the ball receiving hole for receiving the lock ball, and reaches the space between the socket and the sleeve. Therefore, it is possible to easily remove and clean the residue in the sleeve simply by mounting the plug body of the present invention in a socket separated from the plug and injecting or sucking air. This avoids the trouble of transporting the socket disconnected from the plug and using it elsewhere.

It is a side view showing roughly the stopper concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the stopper of FIG. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the state which attached the stopper of FIG. 1 to the socket of a pipe joint. FIG. 4A is a side view showing a plug according to a first modification, FIG. 4B is a side view showing a plug according to a second modification, and FIG. 4C is a plug according to the third modification FIG. FIG. 5 is a side view schematically showing a plug according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the plug of FIG. FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the plug of FIG. 5 attached to a socket of a pipe joint.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the plug according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings of the present application, the sizes of the respective members are appropriately emphasized in order to facilitate the description, and the illustrated members do not indicate actual sizes.

First Embodiment
FIG. 1 is a side view schematically showing a plug according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the plug 1 has an upper surface 12 and a peripheral wall 11 depending from the upper surface 12, and an annular engaging groove 13 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 11. A first opening 14 is provided on the engagement groove 13. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the plug of FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the plug 1 is provided with a first opening 14 and a flow passage 16, and the first opening 14 communicates with the second opening 15 via the flow passage 16. There is.

  FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the plug of FIG. 1 attached to a socket of a pipe joint. The plug 1 can be removably attached to the socket 3. The plug 1 is configured as a plug that can be inserted into the opening 32 of the socket body 31. By inserting the plug body 1 into the opening 32 of the socket main body 31, the flow into the opening 32 of the socket main body 31 and into the conduit 38 connected to the opening 32 can be suppressed. The socket body 31 is provided with a lock ball 33 for engaging the socket 3 with a plug (not shown). The engagement groove 13 provided on the peripheral wall 11 of the plug 1 engages with the lock ball 33. This positions the plug 1 relative to the socket 3 and limits the relative movement between the plug 1 and the socket 3. At the same time, positioning of the first opening 14 on the engagement groove 13 with respect to the lock ball 33 is also performed.

  A tube (not shown) is connected to the second opening 15 of the plug 1 and a fluid is sent from the tube to the second opening 15. The fluid sent to the second opening 15 can be sent to the first opening 14 via the flow path 16. The fluid sent to the first opening 14 can be sent to the ball receiving hole 35 for receiving the lock ball 33 through the engagement groove 13 provided in the peripheral wall 11 of the plug 1. Thus, the engagement groove 13 also serves as a fluid flow path. The socket body 31 is provided with a sleeve 34 that slides on the outer periphery of the socket body 31 and biases the lock ball 33 to the inside of the socket body 31.

  The fluid sent to the ball receiving hole 35 passes through the ball receiving hole 35, is sent to the space 37 between the socket body 31 and the sleeve 34, and is stored in the space 37 and the space 37 (see FIG. Not shown) can be washed. Thus, the plug 1 of the present invention can be easily attached to the socket 3 of the pipe joint, and the flow path passing through the plug 1, that is, the second opening 15, the flow path 16, the first opening Since the alignment between the flow path including the ball 14 and the engagement groove 13 and the ball receiving hole 35 can be reliably performed, the inside of the socket 3 connected to the ball receiving hole 35 can be effectively cleaned.

  The length of the plug 1 is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 50 to 90 mm, preferably 64 to 65 mm. The outer diameter of the plug 1 is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 20 to 40 mm, preferably 36 to 38 mm. The width of the engagement groove is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 3.0 to 10.0 mm, preferably 6.5 to 7.5 mm. The depth of the engagement groove is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 1.0 to 4.0 mm, preferably 1.5 to 2.0 mm.

  The material which comprises the stopper 1 is not specifically limited, A metal material and a resin material can be applied. Examples of the metal material include stainless steel, brass, elastic alloy, shape memory alloy, iron, titanium, hastelloy alloy, zinc alloy and the like. Moreover, as a resin material, ethylene resin, a fluorine resin, polyolefin, a polystyrene, a polyvinyl chloride, a polypropylene etc., or these mixtures are mentioned, for example.

  In addition, the stopper 1 is not limited to said embodiment, It is possible to take various modifications. For example, the plug 1 is not limited to the shape shown in the above embodiment and may be designed freely. That is, the plug 1 can be freely designed so that the fluid sent through the flow path of the plug 1 can be reliably sent to the ball receiving hole 35 of the socket body 31. The engagement grooves 13 are not limited to those provided in an annular shape on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 11. For example, a conical shape, a truncated cone shape, or a triangular shape provided in accordance with the number and positions of the ball receiving holes 35 of the socket body 31. It may be a pyramid, a square pyramid, a polygon pyramid, a cylinder, a triangular prism, a square prism, a polygonal casting, a hemisphere, or a tapered hole. Moreover, the cross-sectional shape of the engagement groove 13 is not particularly limited, but may be an arc shape, a semicircular shape, a tapered shape, a concave shape, a trapezoidal shape, or a triangular shape.

  The number of the first openings 14, the second openings 15 and the channels 16 may be one or more, and the number of the first openings 14 and the number of the second openings 15 may be different. The relationship may be a one-to-many, many-to-one or many-to-many relationship. The external shape of the plug 1 is not particularly limited as long as it can be inserted into the socket of a pipe joint, but it may be, for example, conical, truncated cone, triangular pyramid, square pyramid, or polygonal pyramid. It is possible to form a pyramidal shape, a cylindrical shape, a triangular prismatic shape, a quadrangular prismatic shape, a prismatic shape such as a polygonal casting shape, or a shape combining these.

  Hereinafter, other modifications will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4C. In addition, in the following description, about the same part as the structure of the plug 1 which concerns on a 1st embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  For example, like the plug 1 according to the first modification shown in FIG. 4A, the plug 17 may be provided with a flange 17 on the proximal side of the engagement groove 13 of the plug 1. In this case, the flange 17 can be brought into close contact with the proximal end of the opening 32 of the socket body 31, and the fluid sent to the second opening 15 of the plug 1 flows in the proximal direction of the socket 3. It can be suppressed. Further, the plug 1 is formed to be long so that the upper surface 12 of the plug 1 blocks the opening of the conduit 38 of the socket main body 31 like the plug 1 according to the second modification shown in FIG. 4B. May be In this case, the upper surface 12 of the plug 1 can be brought into close contact with the proximal end of the conduit 38 of the socket body 31, and the fluid sent to the second opening 15 of the plug 1 is directed toward the distal end of the socket 3. It can suppress flowing.

  In addition, like the plug 1 according to the third modification shown in FIG. 4C, the plug 1 has a tip end side and a base than the engagement groove 13 of the plug 1 so as to sandwich the engagement groove 13 of the plug 1. One O ring 18 may be provided on each end side. In this case, the two O-rings 18 can be brought into close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the socket body 31, and the fluid sent to the second opening 15 of the plug 1 is in the proximal and distal directions of the socket 3. It can suppress flowing. Furthermore, at least one O-ring 18 is provided at a suitable location of the plug 1 such as the upper surface 12 of the plug 1, the first opening 14, the second opening 15, the flow path 16, and the flange 17. Good.

Second Embodiment
Next, a plug 1A according to a second embodiment will be described. In addition, in the following description, about the structure which has the same structure or function as the plug | stopper 1 which concerns on a 1st embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 5 is a side view schematically showing a plug according to a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the plug 1A has an upper surface 12 and a cylindrical peripheral wall 11 depending from the upper surface 12, and an annular engaging groove 13 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 11. A first opening 14 is provided on the engagement groove 13. One O-ring 18 is provided on the proximal side of the engagement groove 13 of the plug 1A. A small diameter portion 19 and a positioning portion 20 having an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the plug 1A are provided on the tip end side of the engagement groove 13 of the plug 1A. A draft 21 is provided on the tip side of the small-diameter portion 19.

  A small diameter portion 22 having an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the plug body 1A is provided on the proximal side of the engagement groove 13 of the plug body 1A, and a flange on the proximal end side of the small diameter portion 22. 23 are provided. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the plug of FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the plug 1A is provided with a first opening 14 and a flow passage 16, and the first opening 14 communicates with the second opening 15 via the flow passage 16. There is. A screwing groove 24 is provided in the vicinity of the second opening 15 of the flow passage 16. A recess 25 is provided on the upper surface 12 of the plug 1A.

  FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the plug of FIG. 5 attached to a socket of a pipe joint. The plug 1A can be removably attached to the socket 3A. The plug 1A is configured as a plug that can be inserted into the opening 32 of the socket body 31. The engagement groove 13 provided in the peripheral wall 11 of the plug 1A engages with the lock ball 33 of the socket 3A. Thereby, positioning of the plug 1A with respect to the socket 3A is performed, and relative movement between the plug 1A and the socket 3A is limited.

  A tube is connected to the second opening 15 of the stopper 1A, and fluid is sent from the tube. The screwing groove 24 provided in the vicinity of the second opening 15 of the flow passage 16 facilitates inserting and fixing the tube in the plug 1A. The fluid sent to the second opening 15 passes through the flow path 16, the first opening 14, the engagement groove 13, the ball receiving hole 35, and is sent to the space 37 between the socket body 31 and the sleeve 34. , The space 37 can be cleaned.

  The small diameter portion 19 of the plug 1A can be inserted into the small diameter portion 39 provided at the opening 32 of the socket body 31 and having an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the opening 32. The draft 21 provided on the tip side of the small diameter portion 19 facilitates removal of the plug 1A from the opening 32 of the socket body 31. The outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 19 is in close contact with the O-ring 40 provided in the small diameter portion 39 of the opening 32 of the socket main body 31, and the fluid sent to the first opening 14 of the plug 1A is It is possible to suppress the flow in the tip direction of the socket 3A.

  The upper surface 12 of the plug 1A blocks the opening of the conduit 38 of the socket body 31. On the other hand, in the recess 25 provided on the upper surface 12 of the plug 1A, the valve 41 for opening and closing the pipe 38 provided on the pipe 38 of the socket main body 31 is accommodated. 12 does not open valve 41 by inadvertently pushing valve 41. Since the positioning portion 20 of the plug 1A is engaged with the vertical portion 42 existing between the opening 32 of the socket main body 31 and the small diameter portion 39 of the opening 32, positioning of the plug 1A with respect to the socket 3A is This can be done more reliably, and at the same time, the relative movement between the plug 1A and the socket 3A can be more reliably limited.

  The small diameter portion 22 provided on the proximal side of the engagement groove 13 of the plug 1A facilitates the user to hold the plug 1A, and the flange 23 allows the user to remove the plug 1A. Make it easy. Thus, even in the plug 1A according to the second embodiment, the same effect as the plug 1 according to the first embodiment can be obtained.

Next, the method of cleaning the space between the socket and sleeve of the pipe joint having a sleeve and a lock ball of the present invention will be described based on a preferred embodiment.
The method of the present invention
Inserting into the opening of the socket a plug through which a flow passage that can be aligned with the lock ball of the socket passes (inserting step);
Delivering the gas to the space via the flow path of the plug (delivery step).

  The method of the invention can be applied to any fitting socket. The plug is not particularly limited as long as it is within the scope of the present invention, but in the present embodiment, the plug 1 described above is used.

  First, in the first step (insertion step) of the present embodiment, the plug 1 through which the flow path which can be aligned with the lock ball 33 of the socket main body 31 as shown in FIG. Insert into the opening 32 of the socket body 31 of the pipe joint. In this step, the plug 1 is attached to the socket main body 31 by a simple method of inserting the plug 1 through which the flow path which can be aligned with the lock ball 33 of the socket main body 31 penetrates the opening 32 of the socket main body 31 Thus, alignment between the flow path and the lock ball 33 can be performed. In the next step (delivery step), gas is delivered to the space 37 between the socket body 31 of the fitting and the sleeve 34 via the flow path of the plug 1. In this step, foreign matter such as fluid remaining in the space 37 can be removed by delivering gas to the space 37 between the socket body 31 and the sleeve 34. Thus, the space between the socket of the pipe joint and the sleeve can be easily cleaned.

  The method of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the method of the present invention may include the step of rotating the sleeve 34 of the socket body 31 of the fitting after the delivery step described above. In this step, by rotating the sleeve 34, the pressure spray contact surface to the space 37 and the lock ball 33 changes, and foreign matter in the space 37 can be easily removed.

  Also, before the above-described delivery step, the step of delivering a liquid to the space 37 via the flow path of the plug 1 may be included. In this step, the space 37 can be cleaned by delivering a liquid such as a cleaning liquid to the space 37 of the socket 3. Then, since the cleaning liquid remaining in the space 37 can be removed in the next delivery step, the space 37 can be cleaned more reliably. Furthermore, the method of the present invention may include the step of applying a negative pressure to the flow path of the plug 1 to suction the foreign matter present in the space 37.

  As mentioned above, although the present invention was described about a suitable embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1A ... Plug body 3, 3A ... Socket 11 ... Peripheral wall 31 ... Socket main body 12 ... Top surface 32 ... Opening part 13 ... Engagement groove 33 ... Lock ball 14 ... 1st opening 34 ... Sleeve 15 ... 2nd opening 35 ... Ball receiving hole 16 ... Flow path 36 ... Compression spring 17 ... Flange 37 ... Space 18 ... O-ring 38 ... Pipe line 19 ... Small diameter portion 39 ... Small diameter portion 20 ... Positioning portion 40 ... O ring 21 ... Extraction slope 41: Valve 22: small diameter portion 42: vertical portion 23: flange
24 ... screwing groove
25 ... recessed part

Claims (7)

A plug inserted into an opening of a fitting socket having a sleeve and a lock ball, the plug comprising:
An engagement groove provided on an outer peripheral surface of the plug, which is engaged with a lock ball of the socket;
At least one first opening provided on the engagement groove,
At least one second opening provided in the plug, and
At least one flow path connecting the first opening and the second opening;
Said plug body.   The plug according to claim 1, wherein the engagement groove is annularly provided on the outer peripheral surface of the plug.   The plug according to claim 1, further comprising a flange provided on an outer peripheral surface of the plug.   The plug according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising at least one O-ring provided on the plug.   The plug according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least two O-rings are provided across the engagement groove.   The plug according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a small-diameter portion provided on the tip end side of the engagement groove of the plug having an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the plug. A method of cleaning a space between a socket and a sleeve of a pipe joint having a sleeve and a lock ball, wherein the plug according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is inserted into an opening of the socket. Engaging the locking groove with the locking ball , and delivering gas to the space through the flow path of the plug.