JPH0811994B2 - 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 connecting device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a pipe joint and a connecting device which have a mechanism for mechanically holding the fluid pressure so as not to separate when the fluid pressure acts, and which can wash the seal portion by shifting the coupling position of the joint. Further, the present invention relates to a joint and a connecting device having a structure capable of achieving sealing performance and position retention even at a plurality of positions.

[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 at several places evenly around the tip of the female pipe wall, and for example, steel balls 3 are movably fitted into the through holes 5. ing. 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 coming off is provided at the tip of the male pipe 9 (this includes a half ring, a snap ring,
Various things such as spring wires are used). Two
0 is the centerline 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. This locking mechanism is required to prevent this as they tend to pull apart when the internal fluid pressure acts.

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 which is a simple mechanism for mechanical holding and also has a simple operation, and the O-ring and the contact surface can be easily and automatically cleaned by the CIP method. An object is to provide a connection joint and its connection system.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is a pipe joint for connecting a male pipe and a female pipe, and the first sealing means is located closer to the tip of the male pipe. ,
A second sealing means is provided at the rear side of the female tube, and further, the first-stage fixing means of both when the male tube is completely inserted into the female tube, and the second-stage fixing means of both of them when the male tube is slightly pulled out. The first sealing means is provided for the first-stage holding means, and when the second-stage holding means holds the first sealing means, the front first sealing means is opened and the rear second sealing means works. A characteristic pipe joint is provided.

[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 connecting device having a pipe joint. The same reference numerals in the drawings indicate the same things. In FIG. 1, 1
2 indicates a female tube, 13 indicates a male tube, and 14 indicates a center line of the tube. There are two grooves 15, 1 on the outer peripheral surface of the main body of the male pipe.
6 is provided, and the O-rings are provided in two stages below it. The lower O-ring in the drawing is a primary seal 17 for sealing a fluid 18 as a product, and the upper O-ring is a secondary seal 19 for sealing a cleaning liquid described later. . The entire male pipe portion is connected to the side where the groove is provided so that it can be connected to other pipes.
And is connected to the pipe 21. 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 is provided with a groove portion 23 between the primary seal and the secondary seal. By moving the female pipe in the vertical direction, the groove portion and the primary seal are made to face each other so that they are in the same position. The contact between the seal and the female tube can be removed to enable cleaning as described later. In the figure, 24 is the female side pipe 2.
A connection part with 5, and 26 shows 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 27 are provided at the distal end of the female pipe 12 at even intervals on the outer peripheral surface, and balls 28 typified by steel balls are mounted in the through holes 27 so as to be movable. Further, a sleeve 29 is provided outside the ball, so that the ball 2
It is set and provided so as to prevent the falling off of 8 and to generate an appropriate holding force. Inside the sleeve 29, a spring 30 for automatic return is provided. Further, in order to prevent the sleeve 29 from falling off, a retaining metal fitting 31 for preventing the sleeve from falling off is provided at the tip of the female tube (a C-ring or a simple spring wire is wound). Further, a driving device (typically an air cylinder, not shown) is attached to the sleeve to perform operations such as pulling the sleeve. As described above, a primary seal is provided on the lower portion and a secondary seal is provided on the upper portion of the outer peripheral portion of the lower half of the male pipe, in which the connecting joint is used in the vertical direction.

Next, the operation will be described. FIG. 1 shows the state when the product 18 is poured. With the primary seal 17,
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 32, first, a sleeve driving device (not shown) is operated to pull the sleeve 29,
The fixation of the locking ball 28 is released, and then the position of the female tube 12 is slightly changed (the position is changed to the lower side in the example of the figure) by a female tube driving device (not shown). Such position movement is performed on the spot. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the position is thus moved. In this way, the ball 28 can be transferred from the upper groove portion 15 to the lower groove portion 16 and fitted therein, and the sleeve can be returned to the original state and brought into the locked state to generate the holding force. As a result, the O-ring of the primary seal that seals the product food or beverage is separated from the contact surface. After doing this, the line cleaning liquid 3
Since 2 is flowed, the gasket will be exposed to the liquid and will be cleaned. Even at this position (cleaning position), it is difficult for the cleaning liquid to leak to the outside, so the secondary seal 19 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 two-stage seals and the positions of the two grooves are appropriately dimensioned so that the above-mentioned operations and functions can be realized. Line C
When the cleaning of the inner surface of the pipe, the primary seal O-ring, and the contact surface by the IP is completed, the female pipe 12 is pulled out in the direction of the arrow s and separated from the male pipe 13. When connecting the female pipe and the male pipe, as in the case of the manual operation, the sleeve is pulled by the driving device to once release the ball lock, and then the female pipe is inserted. 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, 33 is the female tube side, 3
Reference numeral 4 denotes a male pipe side, each of which has been described above. Reference numeral 35 in the drawing denotes a drive device for fitting the female pipe with the male pipe to change the position of the female pipe. It is typically an air cylinder, but is not limited to this. Further, reference numeral 36 in the figure denotes a sleeve driving device on the female tube side, and it is necessary to move the sleeve when releasing the fixation of the above-mentioned fixation means (ball 28 and groove portions 15 and 16) or re-fixation. There is a drive for that. Further, although a centering is required when connecting and connecting both pipes, it has a positioning mechanism for that purpose, and as a typical example, a combination of a guide pin 37 and a guide hole block 38 is used. 39 is a guide pin pedestal and 40 is a guide hole block pedestal. In addition, operating as described above,
It is also possible to use a drive mechanism that causes a change in the positional relationship between the female pipes and that has a control function for aligning the balls with the accuracy required for ball locking. Such precision adjustment itself can be performed with an accuracy of ± 0.5 mm and further with an accuracy of ± 0.1 mm by 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. Generally, 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 a butterfly valve 41 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, 42 is an actuator, 43 is a mandrel, 44 is packing, and 45 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 blow-out port 51 is provided at a position facing the primary seal 17 of the male pipe in the cleaning position, and an elongated passage 52 is provided in the thick-walled portion of the female pipe.
The cleaning liquid 50 is sprayed from the outlet 51 toward the primary seal 17 in 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. With this configuration, the cleaning effect of the primary seal can be enhanced by spraying the cleaning solution 50 onto the primary seal 17 at the same time when the cleaning solution 32 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 modification 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 portion 53 of the female tube is formed to project inward. On the other hand, the tip 54 of the male pipe is made thinner. In FIG. 8, the primary seal 17 is provided at the end edge portion of the tip of the male pipe. In this case, since a liquid collecting portion is formed on the contact surface of the primary seal, it is preferable to make the contact surface of the female pipe a smooth curved surface 55 as shown in FIG. 9 to prevent this. The primary seal having such a structure serves as a surface pressure seal and does not slide during insertion, and thus may be preferable in terms of the life of the seal.

FIG. 10 shows that the cleaning liquid ejection port 51 as shown in FIG. 6 is not used only for cleaning the primary seal.
This is an example used to detect leakage of product liquid from the next seal. This can be achieved by providing a thin tube connected to the outlet and allowing the leaked product to flow into it and be detected by, for example, a conductivity meter.
More specifically, as shown in the figure, 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 so that the cleaning liquid supply line 62 sends the primary It is used for spraying on the seal 17. 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. In FIG. 11, the primary seal 63 is provided on the female pipe side. In this case, in the cleaning position, the female pipe is lowered, the O-ring and the contact surface are exposed to the flow of the cleaning liquid, and cleaning is performed. FIG. 12 shows a structure in which the pipe joint of FIG. 6 is horizontally used and a cleaning liquid outlet and a passage are provided. FIG.
2A shows the product connection, and FIG. 12B shows the cleaning work. Thus, the leakage from the primary seal can be detected, and the residual liquid remaining inside can be discharged to the outside of the system as shown in FIG. 12C before the complete separation.
That is, in FIG. 12B, the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the peripheral holes toward the primary seal. FIG. 12 (C)
Is intended to drain the residual cleaning liquid through the hole after the cleaning is completed.

[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 part can be washed simply by shifting the position 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,
The state at the time of combination is shown.

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 showing a state in which the connecting device of the present invention is used in a horizontal shape. (A) shows the product during distribution, (B) shows the cleaning work, and (C) shows the residual liquid discharge.

[Explanation of symbols]

 12 Female pipe 13 Male pipe 15 Groove part 16 Groove part 17 Primary seal 18 Product 19 Secondary seal 20 Connection part 21 Male pipe side piping 22 Sanitary clamp 23 Groove part 24 Connection part 25 Female pipe side piping 26 Sanitary clamp 27 Through hole 28 Ball 29 Sleeve 30 Spring 31 Holding metal fitting 32 Cleaning liquid 33 Female pipe side 34 Male pipe side 35 Female pipe drive device 36 Female pipe sleeve drive device 37 Guide pin 38 Guide hole block 50 Cleaning liquid 51 Blowout port 52 Passage

Claims (10)

3 [Claims] 1. A pipe joint for connecting a male pipe and a female pipe, wherein a first seal means is provided near a tip of the male pipe and a second seal means is provided behind the male pipe, and the male pipe is provided as a female pipe. The first-stage holding means for both when fully inserted and the second-stage holding means for both when the male pipe is slightly pulled out are provided, respectively.
Piping characterized in that the first sealing means acts on the step fixing means, and when the second step fixing means holds the first fixing means, the front first sealing means is opened and the rear second sealing means works. Fittings. 2. A sleeve provided on the outer side of the female pipe as the first and second stage holding means is movably fitted into a plurality of through holes provided at the tip of the female pipe and is inserted into a groove of the male pipe. 2. The pipe joint according to claim 1, wherein a fitted ball 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 female pipe has a level difference and is in contact with the first sealing means or the second sealing means at a position higher than the level difference. Fittings. 5. A cleaning solution outlet is provided on the side of the three female tubes 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 with a female tube wall. The pipe joint according to claim 1, wherein the pipe joint is provided inside. 6. The pipe joint according to claim 5, wherein leakage is detected through a blowout port. 7. A pipe joint for connecting a male pipe and a female pipe, wherein first sealing means for sealing a gap between the male pipe and the male pipe is provided on the inner side of the female pipe and on the base side from the distal end, and the position of the distal end from the first sealing means. The second sealing means is provided on the outside of the male pipe, and when the male pipe is completely fitted and inserted into the female pipe, the first stage fixing means of both, and the second stage of both of them when the male pipe is slightly pulled out. Providing a holding means, the first sealing means functions with respect to the first-stage holding means, and when holding by the second-stage holding means, 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. A pipe connecting joint, characterized in that a partition valve is provided on each of the female pipe side and the male pipe side of the pipe joint according to claim 1.