JP7469809B2 - Pipe sealing fixture - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a pipe sealing tool that is attached to a pipe opening in a tank to seal the opening when inspecting underground tanks or pipes for leaks.

Conventionally, when inspecting underground tanks installed at places like gas stations for leaks, the tank is sealed before the inspection is carried out. For this reason, ventilation openings and other openings on the tank must be sealed with lids. Furthermore, when conducting an internal pressure inspection, a jig is also connected to remove or pump air from inside the tank. Pressure gauges and other devices used for inspection are also attached to the open piping.

In such an inspection, for example, a pipe sealing jig disclosed in Patent Document 1 is used as a jig for sealing a pipe opening. This pipe sealing jig includes a bolt with a through hole in the longitudinal direction, an elastic body formed in a cylindrical shape so that it can be inserted into the bolt, and washers inserted into the bolt and attached to both ends of the elastic body. On one side of the washer, a bearing that receives a force in the thrust direction and a tightening nut that screws onto the bolt and tightens the elastic body via the bearing are provided, and a pipe joint that is connected to the through hole of the bolt and is formed so that it can be connected, and a socket coupler that is connected to the other opening of the pipe joint and has a valve inside. The method of using this pipe sealing jig is to insert the pipe sealing jig into the pipe so that the outer periphery of the elastic body is inscribed inside the inside of the pipe. Then, the tightening nut is rotated in the tightening direction by a wrench or the like. Then, the elastic body is pressed by the movement of the nut, and the outer periphery expands, and the expanded outer periphery of the elastic body comes into close contact with the inner wall of the pipe, sealing the pipe.

JP 2007-183102 A

In the case of the above-mentioned background art, when attaching to a pipe member, a tool such as a wrench is required to rotate the tightening nut, which makes the work cumbersome. In particular, when working at a high place using a ladder or the like, carrying a wrench and tightening the nut with the wrench is dangerous and makes the work difficult.

This invention was made in consideration of the problems in the background art described above, and aims to provide a pipe sealing fixture that can be easily attached to the opening of a pipe member and can reliably seal it.

The present invention relates to a piping sealing jig having a main body having a pair of end faces and an outer surface continuous with the pair of end faces, a mounting recess formed in a central portion of the end faces for fitting onto an end of a pipe member to close an opening of the pipe member , the mounting recess being cylindrical in a short axial direction perpendicular to the end faces, a parallel female thread formed on an inner peripheral surface of the mounting recess at a position close to the end faces, and a large-diameter portion continuing from the parallel female thread at a position deeper than the parallel female thread and having a diameter larger than the inner diameter of the parallel female thread, the large-diameter portion of the mounting recess is provided with a gasket that presses the end of the pipe member against the large -diameter portion in the axial direction to close the opening, the main body having an insertion hole penetrating the outer surface between the mounting recess and an end face opposite the end face on which the mounting recess is provided, a rod-shaped handle being slidably inserted into the insertion hole, the length of the handle is longer than the insertion hole and protrudes from the outer surface of the main body, and both ends of the handle are provided with flange portions to prevent them from coming off.

The pipe member is provided with a tapered male thread, and the parallel female thread of the piping sealing jig is screwed into the tapered male thread of the pipe member to attach it.

A cushioning material is provided between the flange portion of the handle and the main body. The cushioning material is made of soft rubber and is provided on the handle to cushion the collision between the flange portion and the outer surface of the main body when the handle slides.

The mounting recesses may be provided on the pair of end faces of the main body, each of the mounting recesses being of a different size, the bottoms of the pair of mounting recesses may be spaced apart from each other, and the insertion hole may be provided between the bottoms.

The mounting recess is provided on one end face of the main body, and a through hole is provided on the other end face for connecting to another member such as a pressure gauge, the through hole is connected to the bottom of the mounting recess, and the packing may have a through hole at a position opposite the through hole that connects to the mounting recess.

The piping sealing tool of the present invention can be easily attached to the opening of a pipe member and can reliably seal it. This allows it to be easily attached to the opening of a pipe to block inspection hatches or ventilation openings in an underground tank or to measure internal pressure, and can be used for inspection, etc.

1 is a perspective view of a pipe sealing jig according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a pipe sealing jig according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a pipe sealing jig according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a bottom view of a body and a packing of a pipe sealing jig according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the present invention, in which a pipe sealing jig 10 has a metal body 12, which is made of aluminum, for example, and whose surface is blackened by black anodizing. The body 12 is cylindrical, and has a pair of parallel circular end faces 12a, 12b, and a cylindrical outer surface 12c. For example, the diameter is 60 mm, and the height is 55 mm.

A mounting recess 14 is formed in the center of one end face 12a, into which the end 1a of the pipe member 1 is fitted to close the recess. The mounting recess 14 is a cylinder that is relatively short in the axial direction and has an axis perpendicular to the end face 12a. The bottom 14a, which is the deepest part of the mounting recess 14, is located at a shallow position less than half the axial length of the main body 12. A parallel female thread 16 is formed in the inner surface of the mounting recess 14, in a range of about half the depth near the end face 12a. Here, the parallel female thread is a female thread with the same inner diameter up to the tip. A large diameter portion 18 with a diameter larger than the inner diameter of the parallel female thread 16 is formed in the remaining depth range of the inner surface, deeper than the parallel female thread 16 and continuing to the bottom 14a.

A gasket 20 is placed in the bottom 14a of the mounting recess 14. The gasket 20 is circular with a thickness approximately equal to the depth of the large diameter portion 18, and is a flexible, hard elastic body made of, for example, nitrile rubber. Its diameter is larger than the parallel female thread 16 when it fits into the large diameter portion 18, so that it will not come loose.

The mounting recess 22 is formed in the center of the end face 12b opposite to the end face 12a, and is cylindrical with a diameter larger than that of the mounting recess 14 and is of a different size from the mounting recess 14. The mounting recess 22 has a length in the axial direction that is approximately the same as that of the mounting recess 14, and the bottom 22a of the mounting recess 22 is located at a shallow position less than half the axial length of the main body 12. A parallel female thread 24 is formed in the inner surface of the mounting recess 22 in a range of approximately half the depth near the end face 12b. A large diameter portion 26 having a diameter larger than the inner diameter of the parallel female thread 24 is formed in the remaining depth range of the inner surface that is deeper than the parallel female thread 24 and continues to the bottom 22a.

A gasket 28 is placed in the bottom 22a of the mounting recess 22. The gasket 28 is circular with a thickness approximately the same as the depth of the large diameter portion 26, and is a flexible, hard elastic body made of, for example, nitrile rubber. Its diameter is larger than that of the parallel female thread 24 so that it will not come loose when fitted into the large diameter portion 26.

At the center of the main body 12, between the bottom 14a of the mounting recess 14 and the bottom 22a of the mounting recess 22, an insertion hole 30 is provided penetrating the outer surface 12c in the diameter direction. A rod-shaped handle 32 is slidably inserted into the insertion hole 30. The length of the handle 32 is about 2 to 4 times the diameter of the main body 12, for example, 165 mm, which is 3 times the diameter of the main body 12, and flanges 34 are provided at both ends of the handle 32 to prevent it from coming off. A ring-shaped cushioning material 35 is inserted into the handle 32. The cushioning material 35 is made of soft rubber and is provided in moderate contact with the handle 32 to prevent the flanges 34 from colliding with the outer surface 12c of the main body 12 when the handle 32 slides. The handle 32 can rotate the main body 12 around its axis by gripping the part protruding from the insertion hole 30.

A tapered male thread 1b is formed on the outer periphery of the end 1a of the pipe member 1. Here, a tapered male thread is a male thread with a taper that narrows toward the tip, and is relatively often used in parts that require watertightness and airtightness. The parallel female threads 16, 24 of the main body 12 are formed to a size that allows a relatively large amount of play and allows for loose screwing with the tapered male thread 1b of the pipe member 1. For example, the mounting recess 14 is for closing a pipe member with a general outer diameter of 32 mm, and the mounting recess 22 is for closing a pipe member with an outer diameter of 40 mm, so that one pipe sealing jig 10 can selectively close a 32 mm pipe member or a 40 mm pipe member. The diameter of the pipe to be targeted may be 50 mm in addition to 32 mm and 40 mm, or any other size. The size of the packings 20, 28 is set appropriately according to the size of the mounting recess, and can be replaced if damaged during use.

Next, a method of using the pipe sealing tool 10 of this embodiment will be described. For example, when sealing the end 1a of the pipe member 1 of the pipe connected to a storage tank or the like, the end 1a of the pipe member 1 is fitted into the mounting recess 22, the handle 32 protruding from the main body 12 is grasped, the main body 12 is rotated around the axis, and the parallel female thread 24 is screwed into the tapered male thread 1b of the pipe member 1 to attach it. The number of rotations of the main body 12 is, for example, about three times. The handle 32 can slide inside the insertion hole 30, and it is preferable to protrude it long in a direction that is easy to grasp. Since the parallel female thread 24 is formed loosely relative to the tapered male thread 1b and has a large play, the end 1a of the pipe member 1 penetrates deeply and is pressed against the packing 28 with strong force in the axial direction, which is reliably sealed and relatively easy to tighten. The sealing pressure can be set to, for example, ±30 kPa or more. During the operation, the end faces 12a, 12b of the main body 12 are selected according to the size of the pipe member 1, the pipe member 1 is attached to one of the mounting recesses 14, 22, sealed, and various inspections of the piping are performed. When the inspection is completed and the pipe member is no longer needed, the handle 32 is rotated in the opposite direction to release the tapered male thread 1b of the pipe member 1 from the parallel female thread 24, and the pipe member 1 is removed.

According to the piping sealing tool 10 of this embodiment, it can be easily attached to the opening of the pipe member 1 and can reliably seal it. When blocking the inspection hatch or ventilation hole provided in the underground tank or measuring the internal pressure, it can be easily attached to the pipe opening and inspection can be performed. Installation is simple, just by holding the handle 32 and rotating the main body 12, and no tools are required. The handle 32 has flanges 34 on both ends , so it will not fall out of the insertion hole 30. In addition, since the cushioning material 35 is inserted and attached between the flanges 34 and the main body 12, the flanges 34 do not collide with the main body 12 and can be rotated lightly, so that it can be easily tightened, the work is easy, and it can be easily attached in a sealed state. Moreover, the piping sealing tool 10 alone can be used for two sizes of pipe members 1, so that the number of piping sealing tools 10 corresponding to the diameter of the pipe can be reduced.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Note that the same members as those in the above embodiment are given the same reference numerals and will not be described. The pipe sealing jig 36 of this embodiment has a metal body 12, which is made of aluminum, for example, and has a black anodized surface. The body 12 is cylindrical and has a pair of parallel circular end faces 12a, 12b, and an outer surface 12c formed by a curved surface.

At the center of the end face 12b, a mounting recess 22 is formed to fit and close the end 1a of the pipe member 1. A parallel female thread 24 and a large diameter portion 26 are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting recess 22, and a packing 38 is inserted into the bottom 22a. The packing 38 is a ring-shaped member having a thickness approximately equal to the depth of the large diameter portion 26 and a circular through hole 40 formed in the center, and is a flexible hard elastic body, for example, made of nitrile rubber. The outer diameter is a size that fits into the large diameter portion 18 and is larger than the parallel female thread 16 so that it will not come off. The diameter of the through hole 40 is smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe member 1, and the packing 38 abuts against the end 1a of the pipe member 1, and the through hole 40 is connected to a first insertion hole 42 and a second insertion hole 46 described later, and the first insertion hole 42 and the second insertion hole 46 are connected to the mounting recess 22.

An insertion hole 30 is provided in the center of the main body 12, between the end face 12a and the bottom 22a of the mounting recess 22. A rod-shaped handle 32 is inserted into the insertion hole 30. Flanges 34 are provided on both ends of the handle 32 to prevent it from falling off, and a ring-shaped cushioning material 35 is inserted into the handle 32.

The end face 12a is provided with a first through hole 42 that communicates with the bottom 22a of the mounting recess 22. The first through hole 42 is cylindrical and perpendicular to the end face 12a, and is provided at a position that does not communicate with the through hole 30, avoiding the center of the end face 12a. A female screw 44 is formed in the inner peripheral surface of the first through hole 42 in a range of about one-third of the depth close to the end face 12a. The inner diameter of the female screw 44 is slightly larger than the other inner diameters of the first through hole 42. The end face 12a is provided with a second through hole 46 that is parallel to the insertion direction of the first through hole 42 and communicates with the bottom 22a of the mounting recess 22, on the diameter where the first through hole 42 is located. The second through hole 46 is provided at a position that does not communicate with the through hole 30, avoiding the center of the end face 12a, and is located on the opposite side of the first through hole 42 across the through hole 30. A female thread 48 is formed on the inner surface of the second insertion hole 46, approximately one-third of the way down, close to the end face 12a.

The male thread of the valve 52, which has a lever 50 that can be opened and closed, is screwed into the female thread 44 and attached to the first insertion hole 42. A plug coupler 54 is screwed and attached to the pipe connection port of the valve 52 on the opposite side to the first insertion hole 42. The male thread of the L-shaped pipe joint 56 is screwed into the female thread 48 and attached to the second insertion hole 46. A socket coupler 58 is screwed and attached to the pipe connection port of the L-shaped pipe joint 56 on the opposite side to the second insertion hole 46. The valve 52 and the L-shaped pipe joint 56 communicate with the mounting recess 22, i.e., communicate with the end face 12b of the main body 12, because the first insertion hole 42 and the second insertion hole 46 communicate with the through hole 40 of the packing 38.

The parallel female thread 24 of the main body 12 is formed to a size that can be loosely screwed into the tapered male thread 1b of the pipe member 1. For example, it is intended to close a pipe member 1 having an outer diameter of 40 mm or 50 mm, but other sizes are also acceptable. The female threads 44 and 48 are appropriately set to match the valve 52 or L-shaped pipe joint 56 to be attached.

Next, the method of using the pipe sealing jig 36 of this embodiment will be described. First, with the valve 52 and L-shaped pipe joint 56 attached to the main body 12, the end 1a of the pipe member 1 is inserted into the mounting recess 22, the handle 32 protruding from the main body 12 is grasped, the main body 12 is rotated around the axis, and the parallel female thread 24 is screwed into the tapered male thread 1b of the pipe member 1 to attach it. Then, a hose extending from a compressor or vacuum pump (not shown) is connected to the plug coupler 54. A pressure gauge (not shown) is connected to the socket coupler 58. This makes it possible to measure the pressure inside the tank. When the inspection is completed and it is no longer necessary, the handle 32 is rotated in the opposite direction to release the screwing between the tapered male thread 1b of the pipe member 1 and the parallel female thread 24, and the jig is removed. The procedure may be other than that described above. For example, the main body 12 may be attached to the pipe member 1 before attaching the valve 52 and the L-shaped pipe joint 56 to the main body 12, and then the valve 52 and the L-shaped pipe joint 56 may be attached.

The pipe sealing jig 36 of this embodiment has the same effect as the above embodiment. The valve 52 and L-shaped pipe joint 56 can be securely and airtightly attached to the pipe member 1.

The pipe sealing jig of this invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and the shape, size, and material of each component can be changed as appropriate. The main body may be cylindrical or prismatic, and it is sufficient that a mounting recess is formed into which the end of the ring component can be fitted. Also, the pipe component may be connected to other components other than the valve and L-shaped pipe joint.

Reference Signs List 1 Pipe member 1a End 1b Tapered male thread 10 Pipe sealing jig 12 Body 12a, 12b End surface 12c Outer surface 14, 22 Mounting recess 14a, 22a Bottom 16, 24 Parallel female thread 18, 26 Large diameter portion 20, 28, 38 Gasket 30 Insertion hole 32 Handle 34 Flange portion 35 Cushioning material 40 Through hole 42 First insertion hole 46 Second insertion hole

Claims (5)

a body having a pair of end faces and an outer surface continuous with the pair of end faces, and a mounting recess is formed in a central portion of the end faces to fit over an end of a pipe member and close an opening of the pipe member ;
the mounting recess is a short cylinder in an axial direction perpendicular to the end face, a parallel female thread is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the mounting recess at a position close to the end face, and a large diameter portion is formed continuous with the parallel female thread at a position deeper than the parallel female thread and having a diameter larger than an inner diameter of the parallel female thread,
a packing is provided in the large diameter portion of the mounting recess, the end portion of the pipe member is pressed against the packing in the axial direction to close the opening ,
The main body is provided with an insertion hole penetrating the outer surface between the mounting recess and an end face opposite to the end face on which the mounting recess is provided, a rod-shaped handle is slidably inserted into the insertion hole, the length of the handle is longer than the insertion hole and protrudes from the outer surface of the main body, and flanges are provided on both ends of the handle to prevent it from coming off,
A piping sealing jig characterized in that a tapered male thread is provided at the end of the pipe member, the parallel female thread of the mounting recess is screwed into the tapered male thread and the gasket is pressed against the end of the pipe member in the axial direction to close the opening . a body having a pair of end faces and an outer surface continuous with the pair of end faces, and a mounting recess is formed in a central portion of the end faces to fit over an end of a pipe member and close an opening of the pipe member;
the mounting recess is a short cylinder in an axial direction perpendicular to the end face, a parallel female thread is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the mounting recess at a position close to the end face, and a large diameter portion is formed continuous with the parallel female thread at a position deeper than the parallel female thread and having a diameter larger than an inner diameter of the parallel female thread,
a packing is provided in the large diameter portion of the mounting recess, the end portion of the pipe member is pressed against the packing in the axial direction to close the opening,
A piping sealing jig characterized in that the pair of end surfaces of the main body are each provided with mounting recesses of different sizes, the bottoms of the pair of mounting recesses are spaced apart from each other, an insertion hole is provided between the bottoms, a rod-shaped handle is slidably inserted into the insertion hole, the length of the handle is longer than the insertion hole and protrudes from the outer surface of the main body, and flange portions are provided on both ends of the handle to prevent it from coming loose . a body having a pair of end faces and an outer surface continuous with the pair of end faces, and a mounting recess is formed in a central portion of the end faces to fit over an end of a pipe member and close an opening of the pipe member;
the mounting recess is a short cylinder in an axial direction perpendicular to the end face, a parallel female thread is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the mounting recess at a position close to the end face, and a large diameter portion is formed continuous with the parallel female thread at a position deeper than the parallel female thread and having a diameter larger than an inner diameter of the parallel female thread,
a packing is provided in the large diameter portion of the mounting recess, the end portion of the pipe member is pressed against the packing in the axial direction to close the opening,
The mounting recess is provided on one end surface of the main body, and an insertion hole is provided on the other end surface thereof for connection to another member, the insertion hole being connected to a bottom of the mounting recess, and a through hole is formed in the packing at a position opposite to the insertion hole and connected to the mounting recess,
A piping sealing jig characterized in that the main body has an insertion hole penetrating the outer surface between the mounting recess and the end face opposite the end face on which the mounting recess is provided, a rod-shaped handle is slidably inserted into the insertion hole, the length of the handle is longer than the insertion hole and protrudes from the outer surface of the main body, and flange portions are provided on both ends of the handle to prevent it from coming loose . 4. A piping sealing jig as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the end of the pipe member is provided with a tapered male thread, the parallel female thread of the mounting recess is screwed into the tapered male thread, and the gasket is pressed against the end of the pipe member in the axial direction to close the opening. 4. The pipe sealing jig according to claim 1, wherein a cushioning material is provided between the flange portion of the handle and the main body.

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