JPH0811993B2 - Pipe fitting and connection device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pipe joint and a pipe joint automatic connecting device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a pipe joint and a connection device that have a mechanism for mechanically holding the fluid pressure so as not to separate when the fluid pressure acts, and that can clean the seal portion while being connected. Further, the present invention relates to a joint having a structure capable of achieving hermeticity and position retention even at a plurality of positions, and a connection device having the joint.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Many Iwayu quick fluid couplings (quick couplings) are commercially available. These connections are made by pushing in the connecting joints between the male and female pipes, but prevent the joints from trying to separate from each other even if the pushing force disappears when fluid pressure is applied. In order to protect the joint, a mechanism for holding the mutual positions of the joints by mechanical means (so-called locking mechanism) is added. There are various kinds of such mechanical position holding mechanisms, and a representative example thereof is a ball lock mechanism. The structure of a conventional connection joint having this mechanism is shown in FIG. It is composed of a male pipe tip portion 2 having one groove portion (recess) 1 and a female pipe tip portion 4 in which a ball 3 is fitted in the groove portion 1 of the male pipe tip portion 2 to provide mechanical retention. In the female pipe tip portion 4, through holes 5 are provided in several places evenly around the tip portion of the female pipe wall, and steel balls 3, for example, are movably fitted into the through holes 5. A sleeve 6 for pressing the ball and a spring 7 for restoring the sleeve 6 are formed on the outside thereof. Reference numeral 8 indicates a female pipe, and 9 indicates a male pipe. A stopper 10 for preventing the sleeve from falling off is provided at the tip of the female pipe (various types such as a half ring, a snap ring, and a spring wire are used for this). 20 indicates the center line of the tube.

Further, an O-ring 11 is provided on a part of the inner wall of the tip portion of the female tube for fluid sealing.
The operation (in the case of manual operation) of this type of connection joint will be described. At the time of connection, first, the sleeve 6 is pulled in the direction of the arrow r, the fixation of the ball 3 is released, and the ball is made movable to insert the male pipe 9 or the female pipe 8. After inserting the male pipe 9, the sleeve 6 is moved in the direction opposite to the arrow r and returned to the original position. A spring 7 is built in so as to automatically return when the sleeve 6 is released. As shown in FIG. 2, in this state, the sleeve 6 presses the ball 3 and is locked without being disengaged even when the fluid internal pressure acts. A locking mechanism is required to prevent this, as they tend to pull apart when the fluid pressure is applied.

The connection joint having such a structure has a simple structure, is easy to operate, and can be used at high pressure and high temperature, and is therefore used in a wide variety of fields. further,
Such a connecting joint can be performed not only by manual operation but also by automatic operation, and is widely used in automatic joint connecting devices. That is, the same operation as manual operation can be realized by providing both the drive device for operating the sleeve and the drive device for inserting and connecting the male pipe or the female pipe. A pneumatic cylinder is a typical example of these driving devices. If there is no lock mechanism, it is necessary to keep this pushing drive force, that is, the air pressure, for a long time, but if air is lost, they will try to separate from each other, which will lead to a washout accident.

[0005]

However, such a conventional connection joint cannot always sufficiently meet the following requirements. The demand for automation of the production site is not only in the assembly industry but also in the food and beverage manufacturing industries, and the automation of the system is required, and accordingly, the automatic joint connecting device is required. . on the other hand,
In the same industry, most of the time, it is often a batch production system. For example, when product brands are switched, for example, when the allotment production for the day is finished, the equipment is washed to prepare for the next day's production. Is being done.

[0006] In the production of foods and beverages, contamination due to bacterial growth of remnants that have entered gaps during the production process is extremely disliked. This is, of course, because spoilage may get mixed into the product, but if bacterial outbreak occurs, it is difficult to stop it, or if it is found, the treatment should be taken. This is because the work is difficult because it covers a wide area. For this reason, the cleaning work is frequently performed, and one of the subjects to be examined when automating the apparatus or system is the automation of cleaning. Therefore,
In the food and beverage manufacturing industry, when automating connection joints, what is particularly required for the joints is how to clean and keep the gasket (typically an O-ring) of the connection seal part clean. That's what it means. It is desired to develop a structure and an operation method that enable this.

Such cleaning work is as simple as possible,
It is desired that the cleaning be carried out promptly immediately after the transfer of the product is completed without bringing the apparatus to a separately provided cleaning station. A so-called cleaning-in-place (hereinafter referred to as CIP) method in which cleaning is performed while being mounted on the spot is preferable. The piping line is often cleaned by a so-called line CIP method in which a cleaning liquid is poured into the piping after the product has been poured. At that time, a joint connection with a structure that allows the O-ring seal part to be cleaned on the spot A device is preferred. On the other hand, the conventional quick coupling described above does not allow the O-ring to be cleaned on the spot while the line is still connected due to its structure. Since it cannot be washed in the field, it was insufficient for automated washing.

As described above, the joint of the ball lock mechanism having the conventional structure has only the function of connecting and sealing and does not consider cleaning.
There was a problem when cleaning was automated by the P method. As the demand for devices that automatically connect joints increases, so does the need for connecting joints that enable mechanical retention. In such a case, the mechanical holding mechanism is provided, and the automatic operation of the mechanism is easy, and the cleaning of the O-ring as the seal portion and the seal contact surface is automatically performed by the CIP method. There is a strong demand for the development of a connection joint with a structure that allows it. To solve the above problems, the present invention uses a ball lock that has a simple mechanism for mechanical holding and is easy to operate, and yet, the O-ring and the contact surface can be easily and automatically cleaned by the CIP method. An object of the present invention is to provide a connection joint that can be performed and a connection system thereof.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a tip portion is fitted in a female tube having a tip portion made of a concentric double tube and a space between the double tubes. A male pipe to be inserted and connected, and a first sealing means near the distal end and a rear portion of the female pipe at the outer peripheral portion of the inner pipe at the tip of the female pipe to seal the gap with the male pipe. The second sealing means is provided, and when the male pipe is completely inserted into the female pipe, the first of both
Step fixing means, second of both with the male pipe slightly pulled out
A step fixing means is provided, and the first sealing means functions with respect to the first step fixing means. When the second step fixing means holds the step fixing means, the front first sealing means is opened and the rear second sealing means is opened. (EN) A pipe joint characterized in that it is adapted to work.

[0010]

The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments. 1 and 2 are cross-sectional views of a pipe joint according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a completely connected state (at the time of product distribution), and FIG. 2 shows a state in which a male pipe is slightly pulled out (at the time of cleaning). ) Is shown. FIG. 3 is an overall explanatory view of a completely disconnected state and a connecting device of the pipe joint at that time. The same reference numerals in the drawings indicate the same things. In FIG. 1, 12 is a female tube, 13 is a male tube,
20 indicates the center line of the tube. In the main body portion of the female pipe 12 having a concentric double pipe structure, the outer peripheral surface of the inner pipe 14 has O
The ring is provided in two stages. Lower O in the figure
The ring is the primary seal 15, which seals the product fluid 16, and the upper O-ring is the secondary seal 1.
7 is for sealing the cleaning liquid described later. The male pipe 13 is provided with two groove portions 18, 19 on the surface opposite to the sealing surface. The entire male pipe portion has a connection portion 21 on the side opposite to the grooved side so that it can be connected to another pipe, and is connected to the pipe 27. The sanitary clamp 22 is used for connection with the pipe, for example, but screwing, a flange joint or the like may be used.

The female pipe 12 has a double pipe structure, and the male pipe 13 is fitted in a gap portion 24 between the inner pipe 14 and the outer pipe 23 to form a joint. Female tube 12
In this case, the portion fitted into the male pipe 13 has a concentric double pipe structure, but the root portions thereof are united and designed to be connectable with the pipe. In the figure, reference numeral 25 indicates a connection portion with the female side pipe 26, and 28 indicates a sanitary clamp.
Although a sanitary clamp joint is used in the example of the drawing, various means can be used for the connection portion of the male pipe or the female pipe with the pipe. It may be a screw joint or a flange joint. It can also be completely welded. Through holes 29 are provided at even intervals on the outer peripheral surface of the distal end portion of the outer pipe 23 of the double pipe of the female pipe 12.
A ball 30, typified by a steel ball, is attached to the so as to be freely movable. In addition, a sleeve 31 is placed outside the ball.
Is provided so as to prevent the ball from falling off and to provide an appropriate holding force. A spring 32 for automatic return is provided inside the sleeve. Also, to prevent the sleeve 31 from falling off,
At the tip of the outer tube of the female tube, a pressing metal fitting 33 for preventing the sleeve from falling is provided (a C-ring or a simple spring wire is wound). Further, a drive device (typically an air cylinder, not shown) is attached to the sleeve for performing operations such as pulling the sleeve.
As described above, a primary seal is provided in the lower portion and a secondary seal is provided in the upper portion on the outer peripheral portion of the inner pipe of the female pipe, using the connection joint in the vertical direction.

Next, the operation will be described. FIG. 1 shows the state when the product 16 is poured. With the primary seal 15,
Airtightness with respect to the first fluid (for example, food or beverage as a product) is realized. The cleaning liquid is circulated after the first fluid is circulated. This will be described with reference to FIG. First, prior to flowing the cleaning liquid 34, first, a sleeve driving device (not shown) is operated to pull the sleeve to release the fixation of the locking ball 30, and then a male pipe driving device (not shown) is used. The position of the tube 13 is slightly changed (in the example shown in the figure, the position is changed to the lower groove). there,
Such position movement is performed. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the position is thus moved. In this way, the ball 30 is fitted into the upper groove portion 19 from the lower groove portion 18 and brought into the locked state, so that the holding force can be generated. As a result, the O-ring of the primary seal that seals the product food or beverage is separated from the contact surface. After this, since the line cleaning liquid 34 is flown, the gasket is exposed to the liquid and cleaning is performed. Even at this position (cleaning position), it is difficult for the cleaning liquid to leak to the outside, so the secondary seal 17 is provided to realize the sealing property against the cleaning liquid. The material used for the sealing O-ring is appropriately selected from grades suitable for food production. Of course, the positions of the two-stage seal and the two grooves are appropriately dimensioned so that the above-mentioned operations and functions can be realized. Inner surface of piping by line CIP,
When the cleaning of the primary seal O-ring and the contact surface is completed, the male pipe 13 is pulled out in the direction of the arrow s and separated from the female pipe 12. When connecting the female pipe 12 and the male pipe 13, as in the case of manual operation, pull the sleeve by the drive device,
Release the ball lock and insert the male tube.
After insertion, the sleeve is replaced and mechanically held. One example thereof will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 3 is an overall schematic view of an apparatus for automatically performing a connecting operation of a connecting joint. In the figure, 35 is the female tube side, 3
6 is the male tube side, which has been described above. 3 in the figure
Reference numeral 7 denotes a drive device for inserting a male pipe and changing the position of the male pipe. It is typically an air cylinder, but is not limited to this. Further, reference numeral 38 in the drawing is a sleeve driving device on the female tube side, and the sleeve needs to be moved when the fixation of the fixation means (ball 30) is released or fixed again. Drive device for Further, although a centering is required when connecting and connecting both pipes, a positioning mechanism for that purpose is provided, and as a typical example, the guide pin 39 and the guide hole block 40 are provided.
Is used in combination. Reference numeral 41 is a guide pin pedestal, and 42 is a guide hole block pedestal. It should be noted that a drive mechanism that operates as described above to cause a change in the positional relationship between the male pipe and the female pipe and that has a control function for aligning with the accuracy required for ball locking is provided. It can also be used. Such precision adjustment itself is
It can be performed with an accuracy of ± 0.5 mm and even with an accuracy of ± 0.1 mm using recent automated element technology.

FIG. 4 shows an example in which a partition valve is provided on each side of the male pipe and the female pipe of the pipe joint of the present invention, which is used for the purpose of blocking the outflow of the product, the cleaning liquid and the like. In general, a butterfly valve of a sanitary specification, a ball valve, a single-seat sanitary valve, or a double-seat valve divided into upper and lower parts can be used as the partition valve, but the butterfly valve 43 is used in the figure. These are used in a wide field of the food industry, can be easily disassembled and washed, and by combining these with the connection joint, a joint system with a sluice valve can be easily washed.
In the figure, 44 is an actuator, 45 is a mandrel, 46 is packing, and 47 is a butterfly disc. By repeating this opening / closing operation using the sluice valve, a higher cleaning effect is obtained, and at the same time, the passage is blocked before moving to the cleaning position or before the connection joint is completely disconnected. Since the sluice valve is closed at the time of disconnection, it can function as a line main valve. Various means can be used for connecting the valve and the connection joint. It may be a screw joint, a flange joint, or a sanitary clamp joint often used in the food industry. However, it must have the same shape as the connection joint.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of another example of the pipe joint of the present invention, which is for dealing with the case where the cleaning effect is not sufficient by simply exposing the gasket and the contact surface to the cleaning liquid as described above. It is a thing. In the figure, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. This example shows 1 in the wash position
The cleaning liquid 50 is directly sprayed on the next seal. For this purpose, a blowout port 51 is provided at a position facing the primary seal 15 of the male pipe in the cleaning position, and an elongated passage 52 is provided in the thick portion of the male pipe.
The cleaning liquid 50 is sprayed from the outlet 51 toward the primary seal 15 at the cleaning position so that the cleaning liquid 50 flows between them. This opening is located at a substantially intermediate position between the primary seal and the secondary seal when the female pipe and the male pipe are connected. In this way, the cleaning effect of the primary seal can be enhanced by spraying the cleaning liquid 50 onto the primary seal 15 at the same time when the cleaning liquid 34 flows through the line. The contact surface is sufficiently cleaned by increasing the flow rate of the line. Generally, it is said that the cleaning method has a sufficient cleaning effect when the flow velocity in the pipe is 1.5 m / sec or more in the method which is often used. Depending on the material of the O-ring used for the primary seal and the secondary seal, it can withstand high temperatures, so that it can be sterilized by blowing high-temperature steam, for example.

Further, a modified embodiment of the pipe joint of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In these,
The same reference numerals as those in FIG. 6 indicate the same components. FIG. 7 shows a case in which the contact surface is brought as close as possible to the inside of the pipe to a position close to the flow passage side of the cleaning liquid in order to enhance the cleaning effect on the primary seal contact surface. In this case, it is preferable that the base 53 of the male pipe is formed to project inward. On the other hand, the tip 54 of the inner tube 14 of the female tube
Is thin. In FIG. 8, the primary seal 15 is provided at the end edge of the tip of the female inner tube. In this case, since a liquid pool is formed on the contact surface of the primary seal, the contact surface of the male pipe is formed as a smooth curved surface 55 as shown in FIG. 9 to prevent this.
It is good to do. The primary seal having such a structure serves as a surface pressure seal and does not slide during insertion, so that it may be preferable in terms of the life of the seal. The above description has been made in the case where the driving device provided on the female tube side is used to drive the sleeve, but the female tube side sleeve 31 may be driven separately by the driving device provided on the male tube side. Conceivable.
That is, as shown in FIG. 10, a flange 56 is provided on the female tube side sleeve 31, and a rod 58 protruding from a drive cylinder 57, which is separately provided on the male tube side, pushes the flange 56 to move the sleeve. Can be done.

FIG. 11 shows an example in which the cleaning liquid outlet 51 shown in FIG. 6 is used not only for cleaning the primary seal but also for detecting the leakage of the product liquid from the primary seal. . A thin tube is provided in connection with the outlet, and the leaked product flows into the thin tube so that the leak can be detected by, for example, a conductivity meter. As shown in the drawing, during product transfer, the line 60 is connected to the leak detection from the primary seal during product connection, and when the product transfer is completed, the valve 61 is switched to feed the cleaning liquid from the supply line 62 and the primary seal 15 It is an example figure at the time of using for spraying on. In order to prevent the product and the cleaning liquid from being mixed in the switching valve, it is preferable to use a double lock system type valve. FIG. 12 shows a structure in which the seal contact surface and the lock groove portion are separated from each other in FIG. 1. Groove portions 63 and 64 are provided in the female pipe outer pipe 23, and the male pipe is also separated from the inner pipe 65 and the outer pipe 66. A sleeve 31 is provided on the male outer tube 66 as a double tube structure. FIG.
Is an example of a pipe connection joint in which the secondary seal 17 is provided on the outer surface of the inner pipe of the female pipe and the primary seal 67 is provided on the inner side of the male pipe.
According to this example, the male pipe side is lowered and the primary seal is exposed to the cleaning liquid. If necessary, a small opening for cleaning can be provided in the male pipe to spray the cleaning liquid and it can be used for leak detection as in the above case.

[0018]

The present invention solves the drawbacks of the conventional pipe joints, which will be summarized below. In a connection joint using a ball lock mechanism, which is one of simple mechanical holding mechanisms, it is possible to clean the sealing means (O-ring) and the contact surface, which were not possible in the past. The seal can be cleaned without disconnecting the pipe joint. That is, since the CIP method can be used, it is suitable for automation. Since the cleaning liquid can be jetted to the primary seal according to the required degree of cleaning, the cleaning effect can be enhanced. Cleaning of the primary seal and detection of product leakage from the primary seal can be done by one means. If necessary, high-temperature steam can be jetted instead of the cleaning liquid, so that a sterilizing effect can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a pipe joint of the present invention,
Indicates the state of product distribution.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the pipe joint of the present invention,
The state at the time of washing is shown.

FIG. 3 is an overall explanatory view of a pipe joint connection device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a connected state of the pipe joint of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional connection joint.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of another example of the pipe joint of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of another example of the pipe joint of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of another example of the pipe joint of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of another example of the pipe joint of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of another example of the pipe joint of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of another example of the pipe joint of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of another example of the pipe joint of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of another example of the pipe joint of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 12 Female pipe 13 Male pipe 14 Female pipe inner pipe 15 Primary seal 16 Product 17 Secondary seal 18, 19 Groove 20 Pipe center line 21 Connection part 22 Sanitary clamp 23 Female pipe outer pipe 24 Void part 25 Connection part 26 Female Side piping 27 Male side piping 28 Sanitary clamp 29 Through hole 30 Ball 31 Sleeve 32 Spring 33 Holding fitting 34 Cleaning solution 35 Female pipe side 36 Male pipe side 37 Male pipe drive device 38 Female pipe sleeve drive device 39 Guide pin 40 Guide hole block 50 Cleaning liquid 51 Blow-out port 52 Passage

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A female pipe having a concentric double pipe at its tip,
A male pipe having a distal end portion fitted and coupled in a space between the double pipes, the outer peripheral portion of the inner pipe at the distal end portion of the female pipe,
In order to seal the gap with the male pipe, first place near the tip.
Sealing means, second sealing means behind the sealing means, first stage fixing means for both when the male tube is completely inserted into the female tube, second stage fixing for both when the male tube is slightly pulled out Means are respectively provided so that the first sealing means functions with respect to the first-stage holding means, and when the second-stage holding means holds the second sealing means, the first sealing means on the front side is opened and the second sealing means on the rear side works. A pipe joint characterized in that 2. A sleeve provided outside the outer tube of the female tube as a first-stage and second-stage holding means is movably fitted in a plurality of through holes provided at the tip of the outer tube of the female tube. The pipe joint according to claim 1, wherein a ball fitted in the groove of the male pipe is pressed to thereby hold the female pipe and the male pipe in a predetermined positional relationship and prevent the male pipe from coming off. 3. The pipe joint according to claim 2, wherein a spring is provided inside the sleeve to perform automatic return. 4. The pipe according to claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the distal end portion of the male pipe has a height difference and contacts the first sealing means or the second sealing means at a position higher than the height difference. Fittings. 5. A cleaning liquid outlet is provided on the male pipe portion side at a position corresponding to a substantially intermediate point between the first sealing means and the second sealing means, and a flow path communicating with the outlet is provided in the wall of the male pipe portion. The pipe joint according to claim 1, wherein the pipe joint is provided. 6. The pipe joint according to claim 5, wherein leakage is detected through an outlet. 7. A female pipe having a concentric double pipe at its tip,
A first pipe means for sealing a gap between the male pipe and a male pipe having a distal end portion fitted and coupled in a space between the double pipes, the male pipe being located inside the male pipe and closer to the base portion than the distal end. The second sealing means is provided outside the inner pipe of the female pipe at the position of the tip of the female pipe, and when the male pipe is completely inserted into the female pipe
Step fixing means, second of both with the male pipe slightly pulled out
A step-securing means is provided so that the first sealing means works on the first-stage fixing means, and when the second-stage holding means holds the step, the front first sealing means is opened and the rear second sealing means works. A pipe joint characterized in that 8. A pipe joint connecting device comprising the pipe joint according to claim 1, and a drive device for connecting, aligning, separating or operating a sleeve of the joint. . 9. The connection device according to claim 7, wherein the drive of the sleeve is performed by a drive device provided on the female pipe side. 10. The connecting device according to claim 7, wherein the driving of the sleeve is performed by a driving device provided on the male pipe side. 11. A pipe connection joint characterized in that a partition valve is provided on each pipe side of the female pipe and the male pipe of the pipe joint according to claim 1.