KR101972964B1 - Assembly for connecting pipes - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a connection assembly formed to connect two pipes. The assembly, which connects first and second pipes each including first and second flanges facing each other and extended in a radial direction, comprises: a gasket interposed between the first and second flanges to seal a connection part between the first and second pipes, and including a ring-shaped body and first and second surfaces formed on the body and each touching the first and second flanges; a pair of holders placed on surfaces facing the surfaces touching the gasket of the first and second flanges; a clamp combined with the pair of holders, and formed to press the holders to attach the gasket to the first and second flanges; and a reinforcement structure placed on one of the first and second surfaces of the gasket, and reinforcing the sealing of the gasket. The reinforcement structure comprises ribs extended while repetitively intersecting with a predetermined circumference on the first or second surface of the gasket at every predetermined interval.

Description

[0001] ASSEMBLY FOR CONNECTING PIPES [0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a piping system for transferring fluids, and more particularly, to an assembly for connecting pipes used for transferring fluids in a piping system.

In general, piping equipment can be used to transfer fluids. More specifically, in order to supply or discharge a fluid, which is a gas or a liquid, to a desired location or device, the piping arrangement may consist of pipes and associated devices such as pumps, valves, etc. provided on the pipes . For example, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus uses various kinds of reaction gases to form a thin film on a wafer, and a piping facility can be applied to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus to supply the reaction gas to the reaction chamber.

Such a piping arrangement may be composed of a plurality of pipes connected to each other, and thus may have an arrangement suitable for a place or apparatus to be installed. It is primarily required that the connections of these pipes are tightly sealed, which is important for stable fluid transfer without leakage. It is also important that the pipes are easily separated in case of defects and breakage. Therefore, the connection method or the connection structure of the pipes needs to consider such sealing and maintenance first. Especially, when the piping system transports toxic reaction gas in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus mentioned above, sealing and maintenance of the pipes may be more important.

Basically, a permanent connection using welding or the like can be used for connecting the pipes. However, this permanent coupling can securely and hermetically connect the pipes at low cost, but does not allow the pipes to be easily separated for maintenance. On the other hand, the pipes may be detachably connected to each other using an assembly of various coupling parts. However, this detachable coupling is advantageous for maintenance of the piping system, but does not provide higher hermeticity and durability than permanent coupling.

Therefore, in the piping system, a connection structure or a method is required which can connect the pipes more easily and detachably and at the same time more reliably seal the pipes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a connection assembly which can easily connect the pipes so as to be separated and surely sealed.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an assembly for connecting first and second pipes each including first and second flanges facing each other and extending in a radial direction, The first and second flanges being disposed between the first and second flanges to seal the connection of the first and second pipes and having a ring shaped body and first and second flanges formed on the body, A gasket configured to have two surfaces; A pair of holders configured to be disposed on surfaces opposing surfaces of the first and second flanges that contact the gasket; A clamp coupled to the pair of holders, the clamp configured to urge the first and second flanges and the gasket to contact each other; And a reinforcing structure disposed on either one of the first and second surfaces of the gasket and configured to enhance sealing by the gasket, A pipe connecting assembly composed of ribs extending while crossing the circumference repeatedly at predetermined intervals can be provided.

The rib includes: a first rib formed to be curved radially outward of the casket; And a second rib formed to be curved radially inward of the gasket. More specifically, the first rib and the second rib may be formed separately from each other, and the rib may further include a gap interposed between the first rib and the second rib.

The reinforcing structure may further include an anchor member embedded in the body of the rib and configured to pierce into a member disposed on the periphery thereof when pressure is externally applied thereto. Wherein the anchor member comprises: a first anchor member configured to pierce into the body of the gasket by an external pressure; And a second anchor member configured to pierce from one of the first and second ribs to another one of the first and second ribs adjacent to the first and second ribs by an external pressure.

Still further, the gasket may include a restraint mechanism disposed adjacent the reinforcement structure and configured to restrain the crack to prevent cracks generated in the gasket from growing.

The connecting assembly according to the present invention may include a reinforcing structure provided in addition to the gasket to seal the connected pipes. Thus, the connection assembly of the present invention can provide more enhanced sealing to the pipes by this reinforcing structure. In addition, the reinforcing structure is structurally stable and compact, so that the connecting assembly of the present invention can also increase the strength of the gasket while providing enhanced tightness even at low production costs using this reinforcing structure.

Further, the connection assembly of the present invention can easily connect and seal the pipes using a holder and a clamp which can be fastened and detached from each other. Therefore, the connection assembly of the present invention can easily separate the pie through easy separation of the holder and the clamp

The effects obtained in the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and additional effects not mentioned can be clearly understood from the following description together with the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view showing a connection assembly according to the present invention in combination with pipes;
Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a connection assembly of the present invention shown with pipes to be joined.
Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the " A " portion of Figure 1 showing the connection assembly associated with the pipes.
4 is a plan view showing a gasket of a connection assembly according to the present invention.
5 is a partially enlarged view of the portion " B " in Fig.
6 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.
7A is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of Fig. 5 showing the reinforcing structure to which the anchor member is applied. Fig.
7B is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in Fig. 5 showing the reinforcing structure to which the anchor member is applied.
8 is an enlarged plan view showing the anchor member shown in Fig.
Fig. 9 is a plan view showing a modified example of the anchor member of Fig. 8;
Fig. 10A is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of Fig. 5 showing a reinforcing structure to which the anchor member of Fig. 9 is applied. Fig.
FIG. 10B is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 5 showing a reinforcing structure to which the anchor member of FIG. 9 is applied.
11 is a partially enlarged view showing a modification of the restraint mechanism shown in Fig.
12 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the DD line of FIG.

Embodiments of a pipe connecting assembly according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the following description of the embodiments of the present invention, detailed description of related arts will be omitted if it is determined that the gist of the disclosed embodiments may be blurred. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. Should be understood to include.

The same or similar elements are denoted by the same reference numerals regardless of the reference numerals, and redundant explanations thereof will be omitted. In addition, for convenience of explanation, the size and shape of each constituent member shown may be exaggerated or reduced.

Terms including ordinals, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited to these terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this specification, the terms " comprising, " " comprising, " or " having ", when used in this specification, designate the presence of stated features, integers, But do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts, or combinations thereof.

The embodiments described herein relate to an assembly configured to connect pipes in a piping installation. However, the principles and construction of these embodiments can be applied substantially the same for the connection and sealing of members other than pipes.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a connection assembly according to the present invention in combination with pipes, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a connection assembly of the present invention shown with pipes to be joined. Figure 3 is also a partial cross-sectional view of the " A " portion of Figure 1 showing the connection assembly associated with the pipes. Referring to these drawings, a pipe connecting assembly according to the present invention will be described next.

First, referring to FIG. 1, a pipe connecting assembly (hereinafter referred to as " connecting assembly ") according to the present invention is basically a pipe connecting structure between two first and second pipes 10 and 20, Which are connected to each other. The first and second pipes 10, 20 may be arranged so that their ends face each other for interconnecting. As shown in FIG. 2, the first and second pipes 10 and 20 have first and second flanges 11 and 21, respectively, formed at opposite ends thereof, ). More specifically, the first flange 11 extends a predetermined length in the radial direction from the end of the first pipe 10 and has a first surface 11a facing the second flange 21, And a second surface 11b opposite to the first surface 11a. Similarly, the second flange 21 also extends a predetermined length in the radial direction from the end of the second pipe 20 and has a first surface 21a facing the first flange 11 and a second surface 21b facing the first surface 21a And a second surface 21b opposite to the second surface 21b. In practice, the connection assembly of the present invention is provided on the first and second flanges 11, 12 to join the flanges 11, 12 to form the first and second pipes 10, Can be connected. The connecting assembly of the present invention is thus defined as including flanges 11 and 21 associated with a gasket 100, a holder 200 and a clamp 300 to be described below for coupling pipes 10 and 20 . Furthermore, the present invention can also encompass an assembly, i.e., a piping assembly, that also includes such a connection assembly 100-300 and the pipes 10,20 connected thereto.

For connection of such pipes 10 and 20, the connection assembly of the present invention may first include a gasket 100. The gasket 100 is interposed between the first and second flanges 11 and 21 so that the connection portions of the first and second pipes 10 and 20, that is, the first and second flanges 11 and 21 As shown in Fig. Exactly, the gasket 100 fills the gap between the first and second pipes 10, 20 (or the first and second flanges 11, 21) and is thus configured to seal this gap . The gasket 100 may have a shape corresponding to the shape of the flanges 11 and 21, that is, a ring-shaped body. In addition, the gasket 100 may be configured to contact the flanges 11, 21, respectively, for sealing. Furthermore, the gasket 100 can be made of a resilient material, so that it can be pressed against the flanges 11, 21 to provide a seal while being deformed between the flanges 11, 21. More specifically, the gasket 100 or its body has a first surface 100a that faces and contacts a first flange 11, precisely its first surface 11a, and a second surface 100a, And may include a second flange 21, a second surface 100b that contacts precisely its first surface 21a. The first and second pipes 10, 20 can be sealed by the close contact between the first and second surfaces 100a, 100b and the first and second flanges 11, 21.

On the other hand, the gasket 100 may not uniformly contact the flanges 11 and 21 due to various factors, so that the first and second pipes 10 and 20 may not be surely sealed. For example, the gasket 100 and the flanges 11 and 21 may not uniformly contact the surfaces of the gasket 100 or the flanges 11 and 21 due to the difference in accuracy during manufacture. A gap may be generated between them by deformation and breakage. For this reason, the gasket 100 may include a reinforcing structure 110 provided on either the first and second surfaces 100a, 100b thereof, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the reinforcing structure 110 provided on the first surface 100a by way of example and in the following, the reinforcing structure 110 is described with reference to these examples of Figures 2 and 3. [

The reinforcing structure 110 may be formed of a member that is formed on the first surface 100a of the gasket 100 and protrudes therefrom to have a predetermined length (or height) and a predetermined width. In addition, the reinforcing structure 110 may be formed continuously along the circumferential direction of the gasket 100 or the first surface 100a thereof, as shown. The reinforcing structure 110 may be made of an elastically deformable material like the body of the gasket 100. Thus, when the gasket 100 is disposed between the flanges 11 and 21, the reinforcing structure 110 is provided with an opposing flange, that is, the first flange 11, unlike other portions of the first surface 100a. So that stable sealing can be basically ensured. When the first surface 100a and the first flange 11 are in close contact with each other, the reinforcing structure 110 can further enhance the sealing of the pipes 10, 20 or the flanges 11, have. Further, the reinforcing structure 110 may partially increase the thickness of the gasket 100, thereby increasing the overall strength and rigidity of the gasket 100. More detailed features of such a stiffening structure 110 are described in more detail below with reference to additional figures.

Referring again to FIGS. 2 and 3, the gasket 100 may include a cover 120 provided on one of its first and second surfaces 100a, 100b. Figures 2 and 3 illustrate, by way of example, the cover 120 provided on the second surface 100b opposite the stiffening structure 110 and this cover 120 is shown in detail in Figures 4 and 6. In the following, the cover 120 will be described with reference to the examples of FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 6, but the cover 120 of the same structure is not limited to the second surface 100b, May also be provided with the reinforcing structure 100. Further, a combination of the reinforcing structure 110 and the cover 120 may be provided on both the first and second surfaces 100a and 100b.

The cover 120 is provided at the radial end of the body of the gasket 100 as shown and may be configured to enclose an adjacent flange, that is, the second flange 21 in the drawing. The cover 120 may be formed of a plurality of members spaced apart from each other at a predetermined distance in the radial direction of the body of the cask 100, and on the other hand, at the radial end of the gasket 100, And may consist of a single member continuously extending along the circumferential direction. More specifically, the cover 120 extends from the radial end of the gasket 100 body to an adjacent flange, that is, a first rib (not shown) extending parallel to the central axis of the gasket 100 toward the second flange 21 ribs 121 as shown in FIG. The cover 120 may also include a second rib 122 extending radially inwardly of the gasket 100 from the end of the first rib 121. The first rib 121 of the cover 120 is configured to cover a radial end portion of the second flange 21 and the second rib 122 is configured to cover the radial end portion of the second flange 21 contacting the gasket 100. [ 1 surface 21a opposite to the first surface 21b. Thus, the cover 120 may be configured to entirely enclose the second flange 21 with the body of the gasket 100. The cover 120 may be made of an elastically deformable material like the gasket 100. Accordingly, the cover 120 is deformed when it is put on the second flange 21, and by pulling the body of the gasket 100 toward the second flange 21 by the generated restoring force, And can be brought into close contact with the second flange 21. For this reason, the gasket 100 can more tightly seal the pipes 10 and 20 by the cover 120. [ The cover 120 may also wrap the second flange 20 so that the gasket 100 is securely coupled to the second flange, i.e., the second pipe 20, without being detached therefrom.

On the other hand, when the cover 120 is worn on the second flange 21, it needs to be largely deformed. However, when the cover 120 has a continuous body, i.e., a continuous first and second ribs 121 and 122, it may be difficult to deform as such. For this reason, the cover 120 may include a cutout 120a, as shown in FIG. More specifically, the cutout 120a may be formed in the second rib 122, which occupies most of the cover 120 and is in wide contact with the flange 21. The cutout 120a may extend radially inward from the connection portion of the second rib 122 with the first rib 121 to the end of the second rib 122. [ At least one such cutout 120a may be formed in the cover 120 and is preferably arranged to face the pair of oppositely disposed, The cutouts 120a may be provided in the cover 120. [ Also, if necessary, a plurality of cutouts 120a may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in order to facilitate deformation of the cover 120. [ This cutout 120a actually divides the cover 120 into a plurality of portions so that the cover 120 can be easily deformed greatly and can be covered by the flange 120. [ Further, the cutout 120a may extend beyond the second rib 122 to the first rib 121, which may allow the cover 120 to be deformed more easily, have.

In addition, the connection assembly of the present invention may include a holder 200 mounted to the first and second pipes 10, 20. The holder 200 is a member configured to uniformly press the flanges 11 and 21 and the gasket 100 therebetween. The holder 200 may be composed of a plurality of divided members but may consist of a single member continuously formed to uniformly contact the flanges 11 and 21 for uniform pressurization. More specifically, the holder 200 may include a ring-shaped body having an inner diameter equal to or greater than the outer diameter of the pipes 10, 20, as best seen in Figures 1 and 2, 20 on the outer circumferential surface. The holder 200 may be disposed on the flanges 11 and 21 to press the flanges 11 and 21 and the gasket 100. Such a holder 200 may be disposed only on one of the flanges 11 and 21 but may be provided on the flanges 11 and 21 to press both flanges 11 and 21 to achieve uniform sealing by the gasket 100 And a pair of holders 200 disposed on the first and second support members 11 and 21, respectively. In this case, the pair of holders 200 are formed on the surface opposite to the surfaces (i.e., the first surfaces 11a, 21a) that contact the gasket 100 of the first and second flanges 11, (I.e., the second surfaces 11b, 21b) and may cover these surfaces 11b, 21b. Thus, the flanges 11, 21 and the gasket 100 are disposed between the pair of holders 200 and can be uniformly pressed by these holders 200.

Each holder 200 may also include a recess 210 configured to engage a clamp 300, described below. The recess 210 is disposed on a surface or portion opposite to the surface or portion of the holder 200 facing the flanges 11 and 21 of the holder 200 and may extend continuously along the circumferential direction of the holder 200 . The recess 210 may receive a portion of the clamp 300 so that the clamp 300 is not detached from the holder 200 and is stably coupled thereto. In addition, any one of the pair of holders 200 may include a seat 220 configured to receive a cover 120 of a gasket 100 disposed adjacent thereto. As described above, since the cover 120 is disposed on the second flange 21, the seat portion 220 is formed in the holder 200 disposed on the second flange 21, and more precisely, Can be formed on the surface of the holder 200 that contacts the second flange 21. The seat portion 220 is configured to have a shape corresponding to the cover 120 and may be formed continuously along the circumferential direction of the holder 200 so as to accommodate the cover 120 as a whole. Accordingly, the seat portion 220 can prevent the excessive pressure by the holder 120 from being applied to the cover 120 by accommodating the entire cover 120, thereby preventing the cover 120 from being damaged have.

In addition, the connection assembly of the present invention may include a clamp 300 mounted on the holder 200. The clamp 300 may extend in parallel to the central axis of the pipes 10, 20 and be coupled with both of the pair of holders 200. That is, the clamp 300 can be engaged with the holders 200 while being disposed on the outer peripheral portions of the gasket 100, the flanges 11, 21 and the holders 200. 1 to 3, the clamp 300 includes a first block 310 and a second block 320 disposed adjacent the first block 310 . Also, the first and second blocks 310 and 320 may be connected to each other by fastening members 330 passing through them, for example, bolts. Any one of the first and second blocks 310 and 320 may be screwed to the fastening member 330 so that the other one of the first and second blocks 310 and 320 Or move away from it. Thus, when the fastening member 330 is rotated in either direction, any one of the first and second blocks 310, 320 threadedly coupled thereto, e.g., the second block 320, Can be moved. In this state, the clamp 300 may be disposed on the outer peripheries of the gasket 100, the flanges 11, 21 and the holders 200. Thereafter, when the fastening member 330 is rotated in the other direction, the second block 320 can be moved toward the first block 310. By moving the second block 320, the clamp 300 can tighten the outermost holders 200 while reducing the distance between the first and second blocks 310 and 320. Accordingly, the clamp 300 can press the flanges 11 and 21 uniformly by pressing the holders 200. [ Also, the gasket 100 can be tightly attached to the flanges 11 and 21 while being deformed by such pressing, and can seal the pipes 10 and 20. The connection assembly may include a plurality of clamps 300 coupled to the holders 200, as shown, so as to perform such pressurization uniformly. In addition, the clamp 300 can be simply released from the holder 200 through the process reverse to that described above, so that the pipes 10, 20 can also be easily separated for maintenance.

More specifically, the clamp 300 may include protrusions 311 and 321 formed at the ends of the first and second blocks 310 and 320, respectively. These protrusions 311 and 321 are inserted into the recesses 210 of the holders 200, respectively, and can be configured to engage therewith. Therefore, the clamp 300 can press the holders 200 stably without separating from the holders 200. [ The clamp 300 may also include a rib 312 formed in the first block 310 and a recess 322 formed in the second block 320 and configured to receive the rib 312 . The combination of the ribs 312 and the recesses 322 allows the first and second blocks 310 and 320 to be aligned with each other while the holder 200 is tightened and can stably press the holders 200 . Furthermore, each holder 200 may have an inclined surface 211 formed adjacent to its inner periphery, as shown in Fig. The inclined surface 211 may be disposed to be connected to the recess 210. The ends of the first and second blocks 310 and 320 engaged with the holder 200 and more precisely the protrusions 311 and 321 can be guided to the recess 210 by the inclined surface 211, And pressurization can be performed.

Following the construction of the individual components of the connection assembly described above, the detailed construction of the reinforcement structure 110 of the gasket 100 with reference to the associated drawings is described in detail below. In this regard, Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the gasket of the connection assembly according to the invention, and Fig. 5 is a partial enlarged view of the " B " 6 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of Fig. 4. Fig.

4 and 5, the reinforcing structure 110 may comprise a rib 111 provided on either surface of the gasket 100, for example, on the first surface 100a. The rib 111 may be an elongated member protruding from the first surface 100a while having a predetermined height (or thickness) and a predetermined width. The ribs 111 may be integrally formed with the body of the gasket 100, and may be separately formed and attached to the body of the gasket 100. The ribs 111 may be made of elastically deformable material like the body of the gasket 100.

More specifically, the ribs 111 may be configured to extend while circumferentially intersecting a circumference S on the first surface 100a repeatedly at predetermined intervals. This circumference S may correspond to any of the lines described on the surface of the gasket 100, i. E. The first surface 100a, so as to have the same distance from the center of the gasket 100, . Also, the ribs 111 can cross the circumference S uniformly at the same intervals as shown. Practically, by this configuration, the ribs 111 can be arranged, for example, in a wave shape. Thus, by such an intersecting arrangement, the ribs 111 can form a closed structure by using fewer members in a wider area of the gasket 100. For this reason, the ribs 111 can basically achieve a reinforced seal at the same time as having a compact and stable structure.

Further, the inner circumference or inner circumference of the gasket 100 is adjacent to the hollow portion where the fluid is actually to be conveyed in the pipes 10, 20, so that stable sealing compared to other portions of the gasket 100 may be preferentially required . For this reason, the reinforcing structure 110, i.e., the ribs 111, may be disposed adjacent the inner periphery of the gasket 100, as shown in FIG. That is, the ribs 111 can be configured to repeatedly cross the circumferential surface S (exactly on the first surface 100a) of its surface adjacent the inner periphery of the gasket 100. On the other hand, 111 may be arranged on the center of the width W of the gasket 100, more precisely the first surface 100a of the gasket 100. In this case, the circumference S may be arranged on the gasket 100, The rib 111 may correspond to a widthwise or radial centerline of the rib 100a and the rib 111 may be configured to repeatedly cross such a centerline S. Such ribs 111 may be arranged on the centerline S 0.0 > 100, < / RTI >

The reinforcing structure 110 of the ribs 111 protrudes from the first surface 100a at a predetermined length or height and extends along the circumferential direction of the gasket 100 or the first surface 100a thereof . Therefore, when the gasket 100 is disposed between and closely attached to the flanges 11 and 21, the reinforcing structure 110 can always be brought into close contact with the facing flange 11, i.e., the first flange 11, Sealing can be ensured. Further, since the reinforcing structure 110 has a stable and compact structure as described above, it is possible to enhance the strength of the gasket 100 itself while achieving efficient sealing.

The structure of the rib 111 will be described in more detail. The rib 111 may include a first rib 112 formed to curved outwardly in the radial direction of the gasket 100. In addition, the rib 111 may include a second rib 113 formed to be curved radially inward of the gasket 100. That is, the first ribs 112 are formed to be convex outwardly of the gasket 100, that is, away from the center thereof, and the second ribs 113 are convexly formed inside the gasket 100, that is, . The first and second ribs 112 and 113 may have a curved or convex configuration as described above with respect to the circumference or the center line S and may also be disposed around the circumference S. [ More specifically, the first rib 112 may be disposed radially outward of the circumference S, and the second rib 113 may be disposed radially inward of the circumference S. [ In addition, the first and second ribs 112 and 113 may be alternately disposed around the circumference S in turn. The ends of the first and second ribs 112 and 113 which are alternately disposed may be connected to each other. For example, the end of the first rib 112 is connected to the end of the adjacent second rib 113, and the end of the second rib 113 is connected to the end of another adjacent first rib 112 Can be connected.

On the other hand, since the ribs 111 are pressed by the flanges 11 and 21 during actual use, they are greatly deformed and, more precisely, are expanded between the flanges 11 and 21 by pressing. If the ribs 111 are formed of only one continuous member without any discontinuous portions, this expansion can be relatively constrained by its continuous body. As a result, the rib 111 having a continuous body may be subject to breakage such as cutting or rupture by pressing and thereby expanding, which may not provide enhanced sealing as intended. For this reason, the reinforcing structure 110, i. E. The ribs 111, may preferably be made of separate members, as shown. That is, the ribs 111 may include first and second ribs 112 and 113 separated from each other. More specifically, the rib 111 may further include a gap 114 interposed between the ends of the first and second ribs 112 and 113 adjacent to each other, as best shown in FIG. By this gap 114, the first and second ribs 112 and 113 are substantially separated from each other, so that the rib 111 can have a discontinuous body. Therefore, when the ribs 111 are pressed, the ribs 111 can be deformed or inflated without being restrained by the gap 114, i.e., the internal clearance. For this reason, the ribs 111 can be deformed while maintaining the intended shape, i.e., the wave shape, generally without cutting or rupturing, and more enhanced sealing can be stably achieved. The gap 114 corresponds to the circumferential center line of the rib 111 so that the gap 114 can be disposed on the circumference S for a balanced deformation of the rib 111 as described above. More preferably, the gap 114 may extend along the circumference S.

On the other hand, the reinforcing structure 110, that is, the ribs 111, can be severely deformed under a large pressure exerted by the flanges 11 and 21 or other harsh environments generated during use. Therefore, there is a possibility that the rib 111 is broken or peeled due to such severe deformation. For this reason, the reinforcing structure 110 may include anchor members 130 and 130a to secure the ribs 111 more rigidly to the gasket 100 under harsh operating conditions.

FIG. 7A is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 5 showing a reinforcing structure to which an anchor member is applied, and FIG. 7B is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of FIG. 5 showing a reinforcing structure to which an anchor member is applied. Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view of the anchor member shown in Fig. 7, and Fig. 9 is a plan view showing a modified example of the anchor member of Fig. Fig. 10A is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line BB of Fig. 5 showing a reinforcing structure to which the anchor member of Fig. 9 is applied, and Fig. 10B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of Fig. 5 showing a reinforcing structure to which the anchor member of Fig. Fig. The anchor member will be described in more detail with reference to these drawings.

7A and 7B, the anchor members 130 and 130a may be embedded in the body of the reinforcing structure, more precisely the ribs 111 and 112 and 113. [ These anchor members 130 and 130a may be located only in the body of the rib 111 before being subjected to pressure by the adjacent flange, the first flange 11 in the drawing. However, when pressure is externally applied to the rib 111, that is, when the flange 11 presses the rib 111, it can be pushed by the generated pressure and moved out of the body of the rib 111. [ More specifically, when the ribs 111 are pressed, the ribs 111 are deformed and expand in other directions except for the pressing direction, A relative pressure can be applied to the anchor members 130 and 130a. Finally, the moved anchor members 130 and 130a protrude outward from the body of the ribs 111, as indicated by the dotted lines in FIGS. 7A and 7B, to the adjacent members, that is, the gasket 110 or other adjacent ribs (112,113). ≪ / RTI > 8, the anchor members 130 and 130a include an elongated body having a rod shape similar to a pile and a pointed end E formed on the body so that the anchor member 130 and 130a can be easily inserted into the gasket 110 . This end E can be oriented towards a portion of the adjacent gasket 110 or ribs 112, 113 for digging. Further, the anchor members 130 and 130a can be disposed in the body of the rib 111 in parallel to the pressing direction so as to be smoothly moved by the applied pressure. The anchor members 130 and 130a are moved by the applied pressure to firmly connect or fix the ribs 111 to the gasket 110 or to securely connect or fix the first and second ribs 112 and 113 to each other . For this reason, the anchor members 130 and 130a prevent breakage or separation of the ribs 111, thereby enabling reliable sealing by the ribs 111. [

More specifically, the anchor member may include a first anchor member 130 configured to pierce into the body of the gasket 100 by external pressure. The anchor member may include a second anchor member 130a configured to pierce from one of the first and second ribs 112 and 113 to another one of the first and second ribs 112 and 113 adjacent to the first and second ribs 112 and 113, . ≪ / RTI > The first anchor member 130 may be disposed at a portion of the rib 111 that is in contact with the first surface 100a, generally the center of the rib 111, as shown in FIG. 7A, May be inserted directly into the body of the gasket 100 through the first surface 100a. 7b, the second anchor member 130a may be disposed at the other end of one of the first and second ribs 112 and 113, which are adjacent to each other, between the first and second ribs 112 and 113 And may be disposed adjacent to one end. The second anchor member 130a passes through the gap 114 from the end of one of the first and second ribs 112 and 113 by the pressure applied to the other one of the first and second ribs 112 and 113 Can be inserted directly into the end.

In addition, the first and second anchor members 130 and 130a may have a deformed shape for a more rigid connection as shown in FIG. Referring to Fig. 9, the anchor members 130, 130a may include two separate blades 1a, 1b disposed at the ends of their bodies. More specifically, the ends of the blades 1a and 1b may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. Further, for this separation, the ends of the blades 1a and 1b may include inclined surfaces 1c that are opposite to each other, i.e., extend or slant in opposite directions. 9, when the anchor members 130 and 130a according to the modified example of FIG. 9 are moved and inserted into the body or ribs 112 and 113 of the adjacent gasket 100, the gap between the blades 1a and 1b spaced from each other A part of the body or the ribs 112 and 113 of the gasket 100 is relatively inserted so that the blades 1a and 1b are moved in opposite directions to each other as shown in Figs. 9 (b), 10 (a) . ≪ / RTI > The blades 1a and 1b thus opened can act as a greater resistance in the body and ribs 112 and 113 of the gasket 100. The ribs 111 can be more firmly coupled to the gasket 100 by the deformed anchor members 130 and 130a and for the same reason the first and second The ribs 112 and 113 may also be more rigidly coupled together.

On the other hand, the pressure applied by the adjacent flanges 11 and 12 during use can cause stress to the gasket 100, and fatigue can be generated if the stress is applied for a long time. Also, such fatigue can cause a crack in the gasket 100, and the generated crack can continuously grow in a severe use environment in which pressure is applied. As a result, the grown cracks can cause breakage of the gasket 100, and the broken gasket 100 can not provide the seal as intended. For this reason, the gasket 100 may include a constraining mechanism 140 configured to prevent the growth of cracks generated therein, and with reference to the associated drawings, the constraining mechanism 140 will be described in more detail below.

Fig. 5 is a partially enlarged view of a portion " B " in Fig. 4, and Fig. 11 is a partially enlarged view showing a modification of the restraint mechanism shown in Fig. 12 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line D-D in Fig.

In general, the stress is concentrated at a site where the cross section changes abruptly, and cracks (C) can easily occur at such sites. As described above, since the reinforcing structure 110 protrudes from the surface of the gasket 100, the first surface 100a in the drawing as a whole, there is a high possibility that a crack C is generated from the reinforcing structure 110 . Thus, basically, the constraining mechanism 140 can be disposed adjacent to the reinforcing structure 110. Further, a portion of the gasket 100 existing outside the reinforcing structure 110 is not provided with a structure for reinforcing the strength. The crack C may be generated and grown from the outer periphery of the reinforcing structure 110, that is, from the inner periphery of the first rib 112 and the inner rib of the reinforcing structure 110, that is, the second rib 113. Thus, the constraining mechanism 140 may be a portion of the gasket 100 that is external to the reinforcing structure 110, or more precisely, the outer periphery of the reinforcing structure 110 (i.e., the first rib 112) and / or the reinforcing structure 110 (I.e., the second rib 113). 5, 11, and 12 illustrate a constraining mechanism 140 that is disposed adjacent to an outer periphery of the reinforcing structure 110 as an example.

The restraint mechanism 140 may basically be a notch formed to have a predetermined depth. Such a notch can cause a sharp cross-section change and form a strong stress field around the periphery, and the growth of the surrounding cracks (C) can be prevented by this stress field. More specifically, as discussed above, since the crack C is likely to generate and grow in the radial direction from the outer periphery of the reinforcing structure 110, that is, from the outer periphery of the first rib 112, The constraining mechanism 140 may include a first notch 141 that extends radially from the outer periphery of the reinforcing structure 110, i.e., the outer periphery of the first rib 112. In addition, to effectively restrain the crack C, the restraint mechanism 140 may include a pair of first notches 141 spaced apart from one another and arranged side by side. Due to the spaced apart arrangement of these pair of notches 141 described above, the stress fields formed therebetween can overlap and become stronger. Therefore, due to the above-described arrangement, the pair of first notches 141 can more effectively restrain the crack C from growing using the enhanced stress field. In addition, if the first notch 141 is extended excessively, the area where the cross section of the gasket 100 is reduced is increased, so that the strength of the gasket 110 may be lowered. Thus, the constraining mechanism 140 may include a plurality of small, non-continuous second notches 142 as compared to the first notch 141. As shown by way of example, the second notches 142 may have a generally circular shape or cross-section. The second notches 142 may be disposed on a longitudinal extension or centerline F of the first notch 141 to be spaced from the first notch 141, A continuous stress field for restraining the crack C can be formed along the radial direction of the gasket 100 in conjunction with the first notch 141. Also, the second notches 142 may be alternately arranged on the center lines F of the pair of first notches 141, and such arrangement may be formed by using the same number of second notches 142 It may be advantageous to form a stress field in a wide area. That is, the second notches 142 may be alternately arranged in a zigzag manner on the center lines F of the pair of first notches 141. The constraining mechanism 140 basically includes a pair of first notches 141 and a second notch 142 disposed on the center line F thereof for the purpose of restraining the crack C As a functional set. Although only one set of the first and second notches 141 and 142 is shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of such sets may be disposed at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of the gasket 100. 5, it is also possible to arrange the restraint mechanism 140 of the same configuration in the inner periphery of the reinforcing structure 110. The restraining mechanism 140 may be disposed on the outer periphery of the reinforcing structure 110, .

11 and 12, the constraining mechanism 140 further includes a filler 143 disposed within the first notch 141 for more effective restraint of the crack C, can do. The filler 143 may be configured to substantially fill the space within the first notch 141. [ The filler 143 may be made of a material that can be elastically deformed in the same manner as the body of the gasket 100 disposed at the periphery of the gasket 100 and may be made of a material having a higher strain rate than the body of the gasket 100 . Therefore, when the gasket 100 is pressed and deformed by the adjacent flanges 11 and 21, the filler 143 can be deformed more greatly than the gasket 100, i.e., the body thereof. Accordingly, the filler 143 can additionally apply a pressure relative to the gasket 100 body around the first notch 141, as indicated by the arrows in Figs. 11 and 12. This additional pressure can be applied to the crack C formed in the gasket 100 body and can more effectively restrain the crack C to prevent the crack C from growing. This filler 143 may be equally applied to the second notch 142 and may have the same effect as described above with reference to the first notch 141. [ 12, the fillers 143 may be formed to extend from the first and second notches 141, 143 and protrude from the gasket 100, or precisely, the first surface 100a thereof . The protrusions of these fillers 143 have a configuration similar to the reinforcing structure 110 described above so that the strength of the gasket 100 and the sealing by the gasket 100 are additionally provided to the reinforcing structure 110 Can play a role of strengthening.

The foregoing detailed description should not be construed in any way as limiting and should be considered illustrative. The scope of the present invention should be determined by rational interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the scope of equivalents of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention.

100: gasket 200: holder
300: clamp 110: reinforced structure
111: rib 112: first rib
113: second rib 114: clearance

Claims (6)

An assembly for connecting first and second pipes each comprising first and second flanges facing each other and extending in a radial direction,
A first and a second flange formed on the body and in contact with the first and second flanges, respectively, the first and second flanges being disposed between the first and second flanges to seal the connection of the first and second pipes, A gasket configured to have second surfaces;
A pair of holders configured to be disposed on surfaces opposing surfaces of the first and second flanges that contact the gasket;
A clamp coupled to the pair of holders, the clamp configured to urge the first and second flanges and the gasket to contact each other; And
A reinforcing structure disposed on any one of the first and second surfaces of the gasket and configured to enhance sealing by the gasket,
The reinforcing structure includes ribs extending repeatedly crossing predetermined circumferences at predetermined intervals on the first or second surface of the gasket, and ribs embedded in the body of the ribs and disposed around the ribs when pressure is externally applied thereto And an anchor member configured to pierce the member,
Said ribs comprising:
A first rib formed to be curved outwardly in the radial direction of the gasket; And
And a second rib formed to bend radially inward of the gasket,
The anchor member includes:
A first anchor member configured to pierce into the body of the gasket by external pressure; And
And a second anchor member configured to pierce from one of the first and second ribs to another one of the first and second ribs adjacent to the first and second ribs by external pressure. delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first rib and the second rib are formed separately from each other, and the rib further comprises a gap interposed between the first rib and the second rib. delete delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the gasket is disposed adjacent the reinforcing structure and includes a constraining mechanism configured to restrain the crack to prevent cracks generated in the gasket from growing.

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