JP7519806B2 - Fitting cover - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a joint cover that covers a joint that connects pipes together.

2. Description of the Related Art Joints that connect pipes for water supply and the like are sometimes buried underground. In recent years, joints made of synthetic resin have become commercially available.
However, if synthetic resin joints are buried underground, there is a possibility that the joints will corrode over the long term.
Also, a cover for covering a joint that connects pipes has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
The cover disclosed in Patent Document 1 protects the joint by inserting the joint into a cylindrical protective tube and attaching waterproofing members made of rubber to both sides of the tube.

JP 2015-55352 A

However, in Patent Document 1, the joint is covered by a protective tube and two rubber waterproofing members attached to both sides of the protective tube, and there are many types of parts to cover the joint, making the cover structure complex.

Taking the above into consideration, the present invention aims to provide a joint cover with a simple structure.

The invention described in claim 1 is a tubular joint cover which covers a joint that connects pipes to each other by inserting the joint inside, and is formed of an elastic synthetic resin, and at the longitudinal end side, a plurality of inner circumferential portions having different inner diameters are arranged in the longitudinal direction so that the inner diameter gradually becomes smaller toward the tip side, and an annular groove for inserting a diameter-reducing member is formed on the outer circumferential surface of an outer circumferential portion formed radially outward of each of the plurality of inner circumferential portions, and the inside is sealed by reducing the diameter of both longitudinal end portions of the cover through which the pipes are inserted with the diameter -reducing member and bringing the inner circumferential surface into close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the pipe.

In the joint cover described in claim 1, a joint for connecting pipes is inserted inside the cylindrical joint cover, and both longitudinal end portions of the cover are reduced in diameter by a diameter reducing member, so that the inner peripheral surface is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the pipe to seal the inside. In other words, the joint cover is reduced in diameter to seal the space between the joint cover and the pipe.
Therefore, for example, when a resin joint is buried in the ground, corrosion of the joint due to the influence of moisture and other components in the soil can be suppressed.
Furthermore, the interior of the joint cover can be sealed simply by reducing the diameter of both longitudinal end portions of the cover with the diameter reducing members, eliminating the need for separate sealing members and simplifying the structure.

Since the joint cover according to claim 1 is provided with a plurality of inner peripheral portions having different diameters, the inner peripheral portion corresponding to the outer diameter of the pipe to be inserted into the joint cover, for example, a portion having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the pipe and closest to the outer diameter of the pipe, can be reduced in diameter to minimize the amount of diameter reduction of the joint cover and bring the inner peripheral surface of the joint cover into close contact with the outer peripheral portion of the pipe. In this case, the portion of the joint cover where the inner peripheral portion having a diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the pipe is formed is a portion where it is difficult to insert the pipe, so it is removed in advance before inserting the pipe.

Therefore, according to the joint cover of claim 1 , by reducing the diameter of the portion where the inner periphery corresponding to the diameter of the pipe is formed, the amount of diameter reduction can be minimized and the inside of the cover can be sealed. Note that, if the diameter of the joint cover is reduced at the portion where the inner periphery is formed with a diameter larger than necessary for the pipe, the amount of diameter reduction becomes large, making the diameter reduction work complicated, and it may become difficult to bring the inner periphery of the joint cover into close contact with the outer periphery of the pipe.
In the joint cover according to the first aspect, the annular groove provided on the outer peripheral surface serves as a guide for the location where the diameter reducing member is attached to reduce the diameter.

In a second aspect of the present invention, in the joint cover according to the first aspect , a reinforcing layer made of a material having superior durability to the synthetic resin is provided on an inner peripheral surface that contacts the pipe.

The joint cover described in claim 2 has a reinforcing layer made of a material that is more durable than the synthetic resin that constitutes the joint cover on its inner surface that comes into contact with the piping, and therefore can maintain its sealing performance for a long period of time.

In a third aspect of the present invention, in the joint cover according to the first or second aspect , an outer peripheral surface of the joint cover is covered with an anticorrosive tape.

In the joint cover according to the third aspect , the outer peripheral surface is covered with anticorrosive tape, so that the durability of the joint cover itself can be improved.

As described above, the present invention has the excellent effect of providing a joint cover with a simple structure.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a piping structure to which a joint cover according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied. 1 is a perspective view showing a piping structure to which a joint cover according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied; 1A is a perspective view showing a cable tie, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing a joint cover with an end fastened with a cable tie. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a joint cover according to a modified example. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a piping structure to which a joint cover according to a second embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a piping structure to which a joint cover according to a third embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[First embodiment]
A piping structure to which a joint cover 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIG.

(Overall configuration of piping structure)
The piping structure of this embodiment, as an example, is configured to include an HIVP pipe (impact resistant rigid polyvinyl chloride pipe) 12S to which clean water is supplied from a water supply facility or the like, a plastic pipe 14S that supplies the supplied clean water to a building such as a house, a fitting 16S that connects the HIVP pipe 12S and the plastic pipe 14S, and a fitting cover 10 that protects the fitting 16S, and these are buried in the ground (soil 18).

In this embodiment, the resin pipe 14S is made of polybutene (PB) as an example, but may be made of other synthetic resins.

In this embodiment, as an example, the diameter of the HIVP tube 12S is "13A" and the diameter of the resin tube 14S is "13J".

The HIVP pipe 12S is connected to one side (right side of the drawing) of the fitting 16S via a socket 18S, and the plastic pipe 14S is connected to the other side (left side of the drawing).

In the piping structure of this embodiment, the resin pipe 14S is covered with a corrugated sheath tube 20, but the sheath tube 20 can be provided as needed and is not required.

The fitting 16S and socket 18S used in the piping structure of this embodiment are well-known and made of synthetic resin, and the structure of the fitting 16S and socket 18S will not be described here.

(Coupling cover)
The joint cover 10 is made of elastic soft synthetic resin and is formed into a cylindrical shape, and is formed to a length sufficient to cover the joint 16S, a portion of the resin pipe 14S protruding from the joint 16S, and the socket 18S of the HIVP pipe 12S protruding from the joint 16S.

As shown in FIG. 2, the joint cover 10 of this embodiment is made by gluing two split pieces 10S, which are split along the axis, facing each other, but it may also be formed into a cylindrical shape without being split.

This joint cover 10 is made of a material that is softer than the material that forms the joint 16S, the material that forms the HIVP pipe 12S, and the material that forms the resin pipe 14S. "Soft" here means that the joint cover 10 has a hardness (in other words, compressive rigidity) that allows the diameter of the joint cover 10 to be reduced when the joint cover 10 is tightened with the cable tie 22 described below.

The joint cover 10 of this embodiment is formed, for example, from a cross-linked polyethylene foam material. The expansion ratio of the cross-linked polyethylene foam material is preferably 10 to 40 times, for example, but the expansion ratio can be changed appropriately as necessary. The expansion ratio of the cross-linked polyethylene foam material may be less than 10 times or more than 40 times.

The joint cover 10 may be made of a type of synthetic resin material other than cross-linked polyethylene, so long as it is resistant to corrosion when buried in the ground and is not likely to adversely affect the material forming the joint 16S, the HIVP pipe 12S, and the material forming the resin pipe 14S. Note that, although the cross-linked polyethylene forming the joint cover 10 in this embodiment is foamed, the synthetic resin material forming the joint cover 10 may be foamed as necessary, or may not be foamed.

As an example of the material for forming the joint cover 10, polystyrene foam (preferably soft foam) or the like can be used. Furthermore, when using a material that may affect the material of the joint 16S, it is preferable to provide another material that does not affect the material of the joint 16S at the location in contact with the joint 16S. Assuming that another material is provided at the location in contact with the joint 16S, elastomer foam can also be used as the material for forming the joint cover 10.
The material constituting the joint cover 10 is preferably one that does not adversely affect the resin material constituting the joint 16S.

As shown in FIG. 1, the inner periphery of the joint cover 10 of this embodiment is formed with, from the right side of the drawing, a first inner periphery 24, a second inner periphery 26 having a larger diameter than the first inner periphery 24, a third inner periphery 28 having a larger diameter than the second inner periphery 26, and a fourth inner periphery 30 having a larger diameter than the third inner periphery 28.

The first inner peripheral portion 24 is formed with an inner diameter that allows the socket 18S connected to the small-diameter (for example, a diameter of 13A) HIVP tube 12S to be inserted therein.
The first inner peripheral portion 24 is formed with an inner diameter that allows the socket 18S connected to the small-diameter (for example, a diameter of 13A) HIVP tube 12S to be inserted therein.

The second inner circumference 26 is formed with an inner diameter that allows the insertion of a socket 18L connected to a large-diameter (for example, a diameter of 20A) HIVP tube 12L, which will be described later.

The third inner circumference 28 is formed with an inner diameter that allows the insertion of fittings 16S of different sizes, fitting 16M described below, and fitting 16L described below.

The fourth inner circumference 30 is formed to have an inner diameter into which the sheath tube 20 is inserted.

The joint cover 10 of this embodiment has a substantially constant thickness along the longitudinal direction. Therefore, on the outer periphery side of the joint cover 10, a first outer periphery 32 is formed radially outward of the first inner periphery 24, a second outer periphery 34 having a larger diameter than the first outer periphery 32 is formed radially outward of the second inner periphery 26, a third outer periphery 36 having a larger diameter than the second outer periphery 34 is formed radially outward of the third inner periphery 28, and a fourth outer periphery 38 having a larger diameter than the third outer periphery 36 is formed radially outward of the fourth inner periphery 30.

There are no particular limitations on the thickness of the joint cover 10, but it is preferable for it to be within the range of 5 to 20 mm.

The first outer periphery 32 has an annular groove 40 for attaching the cable tie 22 described below, the second outer periphery 34 has an annular groove 42 for attaching the cable tie 22, and the fourth outer periphery 38 has an annular groove 44 for attaching the cable tie 22. The cable tie 22 is also called a cable tie, and examples of the cable tie include Insulock (a product name of Hemalantite Co., Ltd.) and Tie Wrap (a registered trademark of ABB Co., Ltd.). Instead of the cable tie 22, a metal wire with excellent corrosion resistance, such as a stainless steel wire, may be used.

(Action, Effect)
Next, the operation and effects of the joint cover 10 of this embodiment will be described.
First, an example of a procedure for attaching the joint cover 10 will be described below.

(1) Insert the HIVP pipe 12S from the first inner circumference 24 side of the joint cover 10, and expose a portion of the tip side of the HIVP pipe 12S from the opposite side of the joint cover 10.

(2) Glue the socket 18S to the tip of the HIVP tube 12S.

(3) The socket 18S attached to the tip of the HIVP pipe 12S is connected to one side of the fitting 16S, and the tip of the plastic pipe 14S is connected to the other side of the fitting 16S.

(4) Shift the fitting cover 10 to position the fitting 16S at the back of the third inner circumference 28, and insert the sheath tube 20 into the fourth inner circumference 30 (see Figure 1).

(5) As shown in Figures 3(A) and (B), the cable tie 22 is inserted into the annular groove 44 of the fourth outer periphery 38 to form the cable tie 22 into a ring shape and reduce its diameter. This reduces the diameter of the fourth outer periphery 38, and the inner surface of the fourth inner periphery 30 is pressed against the outer surface of the sheath tube 20 to make intimate contact, thereby sealing off water and the like from entering the cover between the sheath tube 20 and the joint cover 10.

(6) The cable tie 22 is inserted into the annular groove 40 of the first outer periphery 32 to reduce the diameter of the cable tie 22 into a ring shape. This reduces the diameter of the first outer periphery 32, and the inner periphery of the first inner periphery 24 is pressed against and tightly attached to the outer periphery of the socket 18S attached to the tip of the HIVP pipe 12S, thereby preventing water from entering the cover from between the socket 18S attached to the tip of the HIVP pipe 12S and the joint cover 10.

(7) As a result of the above, the joint 16S is arranged in a sealed state inside the joint cover 10. Therefore, even if the joint portion connected with the joint cover 10 is buried in the ground, the joint 16S can be protected from moisture, components in the soil, and other factors.

If necessary, as shown by the dotted line in Figure 3, anticorrosive tape 46 made of synthetic resin or the like may be tightly wrapped around the outer periphery of the joint cover 10 to protect the joint cover 10 from contact with the soil. This can improve the durability of the joint cover 10 itself.

Although the joint cover 10 of the present embodiment is made of a single synthetic resin material, it may be made of a plurality of different types of synthetic resin materials.
For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a reinforcing layer 48 made of a soft material having better durability than cross-linked polyethylene foam may be provided on the inner circumference of the joint cover 10 (particularly the portion where the tightening force of the cable tie 22 acts; at least the portion on the inner circumference side of the annular grooves 40, 42, 44, and its surroundings (for example, the same inner circumference portion such as the inner circumference portion of the first inner circumference portion 24 as shown in FIG. 4; and also the same for the inner circumference portions of the second inner circumference portion 26 and the fourth inner circumference portion 30 which perform watertightness, although not shown in FIG. 4).
The durability here means, for example, the property of being resistant to loss of elasticity (in other words, being resistant to plastic deformation) and having excellent weather resistance. As an example of the material constituting the reinforcing layer 48, Moran (a registered trademark of Bridgestone Corporation) can be used, but other materials may also be used.

Second Embodiment
Next, a piping structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 5. The same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

Figure 5 shows a piping structure in which a plastic pipe 14M with a diameter of 16J is connected to an HIVP pipe 12L with a diameter of 20A. The fitting 16M of this embodiment can connect a plastic pipe 14M with a diameter of 16J to a socket 18L attached to an HIVP pipe 12L with a diameter of 20A.

In this embodiment, a portion of the joint cover 10, specifically, the portion where the first inner periphery 24 is formed, is removed. The portion where the first inner periphery 24 is formed can be removed by cutting the cut line CL (two-dot chain line portion) shown in FIG. 1, i.e., the boundary portion between the first inner periphery 24 and the second inner periphery 26, with a cutter or the like. Note that, in order to make the cut location easy to see, it is preferable to provide the outer circumferential surface of the joint cover 10 with an annular groove, an annular rib, or an annular line printed or the like to indicate the cut location.

In this embodiment, the second outer periphery 36 is reduced in diameter by a cable tie 22 inserted into the annular groove 42 of the second outer periphery 34. This causes the inner periphery of the second inner periphery 26 to be pressed against the outer periphery of the socket 18L and brought into close contact with it, and the joint 16M is placed in a sealed state inside the joint cover 10, protecting the joint 16M in the same way as in the first embodiment.

In this way, the joint cover 10 of this embodiment has a first inner circumferential portion 24 and a second inner circumferential portion 26 with different inner diameters, so it can be adapted to HIVP pipes 12S and 12L with different calibers.

[Third embodiment]
Next, a piping structure according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Note that the same components as those in the above-described embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

Figure 6 shows a piping structure in which a plastic pipe 14L with a diameter of 20J is connected to an HIVP pipe 12L with a diameter of 20A. The fitting 16L of this embodiment can connect a plastic pipe 14L with a diameter of 20J to a socket 18L attached to an HIVP pipe 12L with a diameter of 20A.

In the joint cover 10 of this embodiment, as in the second embodiment, the second inner peripheral portion 26 is reduced in diameter by a cable tie 22 inserted into the annular groove 42 of the second outer peripheral portion 34, and the inner peripheral surface of the second inner peripheral portion 26 is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the socket 18L to make tight contact. This places the joint 16L in a sealed state inside the joint cover 10, and the joint 16L can be protected in the same manner as in the previously described embodiment.

[Other embodiments]
The above describes one embodiment of the joint cover 10 of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the above, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention without departing from its spirit.

In the above embodiment of the joint cover 10, two inner circumferential portions (first inner circumferential portion 24 and second inner circumferential portion 26) with different inner diameters are provided on the insertion side of the HIVP pipe, but the present invention is not limited to this, and only one of the first inner circumferential portion 24 and the second inner circumferential portion 26 may be provided, or three or more inner circumferential portions with different inner diameters may be provided.

In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the joint cover 10 is attached to the joints 16S, 16M, and 16L that are buried in the ground, but it goes without saying that the joint cover 10 may also be attached to the joints 16S, 16M, and 16L that are not buried in the ground.

In the above embodiment, the pipes connected by the joints 16S, M, and L were made of resin, but the pipes connected by the joints 16S, M, and L may be made of metal.

In addition, in the joint cover 10 of the above embodiment, the first inner periphery 24, the second inner periphery 26, and the fourth inner periphery 30 are parts that adhere closely to the outer periphery of the pipe to stop water (prevent water from entering the inside from the outside), so they can also be called water stopping parts.

In the above embodiment of the joint cover 10, annular grooves 40, 42, and 44 are formed at the locations where the cable tie 22 is fastened, but the annular grooves 40, 42, and 44 can be provided as needed and are not required.

10...Coupling cover, 12S...HIVP pipe, 12L...HIVP pipe, 14S...Resin pipe, 14M...Resin pipe, 14L...Resin pipe, 16S...Coupling, 16M...Coupling, 16L...Coupling, 22...Bundle (diameter reducing member), 24...First inner circumference, 26...Second inner circumference, 40...Annular groove, 42...Annular groove, 44...Annular groove, 46...Corrosion prevention tape, 48...Reinforcing layer

Claims (3)

A cylindrical joint cover that is inserted into a joint that connects pipes to each other to cover the joint,
It is made of synthetic resin having elasticity,
At the end side in the longitudinal direction, a plurality of inner peripheral portions having different inner diameters are arranged in the longitudinal direction so that the inner diameter gradually decreases toward the tip side,
An annular groove into which a diameter reducing member is inserted is formed on an outer peripheral surface of an outer peripheral portion formed radially outward of each of the plurality of inner peripheral portions,
The inside is sealed by reducing the diameter of both ends of the cover in the longitudinal direction through which the piping is inserted by the reducing member and bringing the inner circumferential surface into close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the piping .
Cover for fitting. A reinforcing layer made of a material having superior durability to the synthetic resin is provided on the inner peripheral surface in contact with the pipe.
The joint cover according to claim 1. The outer surface is covered with anti-corrosion tape.
The joint cover according to claim 1 or 2 .