WO2004104468A1

WO2004104468A1 - Pipe connector and apparatus for manufacturing the same and method for manufacturing the same

Info

Publication number: WO2004104468A1
Application number: PCT/KR2004/000142
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sang Jin Lee; Nam Hyung Kim
Original assignee: P & F Co., Ltd
Priority date: 2003-05-20
Filing date: 2004-01-28
Publication date: 2004-12-02
Also published as: KR20040099720A

Abstract

Disclosed are a pipe connector, with uniformly melts pipes to be connected by means of stable thermal conduction, prevents the electrical connection of a heating member and the carbonization of the pipes, and stably connects the pipes without disconnection generated due to short circuit of the heating member, and an apparatus and a method for manufacturing the pipe connector. The pipe connector includes a synthetic resin conduit made by rolling a member made of synthetic resin in a spiral shape so that upper and lower protrusions are continuously overlapped, a heating member having a spiral shape buried between overlapped portions of the upper and lower protrusions and provided with both ends extended to the outside of the synthetic resin conduit, and connection terminals connected to the ends of the heating element.

Description

PIPE CONNECTOR AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAMEANDMETHODFORMANUFACTURINGTHE SAME

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a pipe connector for connecting pipes including a water supply pipe, a sewage pipe and a gas pipe, and an apparatus and a method for manufacturing the pipe connector.

Background Art

Generally, a pipe connector for connecting neighboring pipes, such as water supply pipes or sewage pipes, is a socket type, or is obtained by rolling a synthetic resin sheet in a cylindrical shape and fusing the rolled sheet to neighboring pipes.

Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 1992-171392 discloses an injection molding method of a socket by first forming a strand of an insulated wire to an injection molding core so that the diameter of the socket coincides with that of a synthetic resin conduit. However, since the large diameter of the socket requires a high capacity molding machine, the above injection molding method is disadvantageous in that the injection molding machine is expensive and the insulated wire-formed core is exchanged with a new one according to sizes of pipes to be connected.

Further, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-0288133 discloses a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a fusion sheet for a resin conduit. Here, the fusion sheet is simply formed by passing a resin plate through a pair of forming rollers using a perforated net obtained by perforating a metal plate, thereby being stably fused to the resin conduit. When the perforated net obtained by perforating the metal plate is stretched, it is difficult to uniformly maintain the thickness of the perforated net. Further, since the forming rollers press the perforated net onto the resin plate under the condition that the resin plate is not melted by the forming rollers when the resin plate and the perforated net pass through the forming rollers heated to 200 ^°C and provided with uneven surfaces so as to form the thermal fusion sheet, the perforated net can be partially connected.

In case that the resin plate made of polymer passes through a pair of the forming rollers and is fixed to the perforated net made of metal, the resin plate is easily separated from the perforated net and the separated portion of the resin plate easily carbonizes the resin conduit to be connected due to the difference of heat generation rates of resistors when power is supplied. _*

Further, since one end of the fusion sheet is overlapped with the other end of the fusion sheet when the fusion sheet formed by the above forming method is rolled in a cylindrical shape onto the external circumference at contact portions of neighboring pipes, there is a gap between the external circumference of the resin pipe and the fusion sheet, thereby easily carbonizing a portion of the resin pipe corresponding to the gap and reducing water tightness. Disclosure of the Invention

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a pipe connector, which uniformly melts pipes to be connected by means of stable thermal conduction, prevents the electrical connection of a heating member and the carbonization of the pipes, and stably connects the pipes without disconnection generated due to a short circuit of the heating member.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for manufacturing a pipe connector, in which a heating member is uniformly buried between internal and external circumferences of a synthetic resin conduit without any short circuit, has a simple structure, and is simply used.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a pipe connector, which reduces time and costs taken to form the pipe connector. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of a pipe connector comprising: a synthetic resin conduit made by rolling a member made of synthetic resin in a spiral shape so that upper and lower protrusions are continuously overlapped; a heating member having a spiral shape buried between overlapped portions of the upper and lower protrusions and provided with both ends extended to the outside of the synthetic resin conduit; and connection terminals connected to the ends of the heating element.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for manufacturing a pipe connector, comprising: an extruder for extruding synthetic resin by melting so that upper and lower protrusion are formed on the synthetic resin; a drum for guiding the extruded synthetic resin so that the upper and lower protrusions are rolled in a hollow shape; driving rollers rotatably installed on the drum for rolling the upper and lower protrusions in a spiral direction of the drum so that the upper and lower protrusions are continuously overlapped in the spiral direction of the drum; a roll onto which a heating member is wound so that the heating member is wound between the continuously overlapped upper and lower protrusions, and a press roller for pressing the continuously overlapped upper and lower protrusions.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, tiiere is provided a method for manufacturing a pipe connector comprising the steps of: (a) extruding a synthetic resin sheet provided with upper and lower protrusions directed to opposite directions by melting synthetic resin, rolling the synthetic resin sheet so that the upper and lower protrusions are overlapped in a spiral direction, and buried a heating member between overlapped portions of the upper and lower protrusions; (b) cutting a synthetic resin conduit provided with the heating member, obtained by step (a), into pieces having a designated size; and (c) connecting connection terminals to both ends of the heating element after step (b).

Brief Description of the Drawings The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a pipe connector in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the embodiment of the pipe connector in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a schematic side view of one embodiment of an apparatus for manufacturing a pipe connector in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 4 is a front view of the embodiment of the apparatus for manufacturing the pipe connector in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of Fig. 3 taken along the line A-A; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of an extrusion hole of an extruder of the apparatus for manufacturing the pipe connector in accordance with the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Now, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the annexed drawings. In the following description made in conjunction with the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the same parts in the embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals even though they are depicted in different drawings, and detailed descriptions thereof will be thus omitted because it is considered to be unnecessary. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a pipe connector in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the embodiment of the pipe connector in accordance with the present invention.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the pipe connector in accordance with the present invention comprises a synthetic resin conduit 10 having a hollow formed therein so that pipes 1 and 2 to be connected are inserted into the synthetic resin conduit 10 made by rolling a member made of synthetic resin in a spiral shape so that upper and lower protrusions 4 and 8 are continuously overlapped, and a heating member 20 having a spiral shape buried between the upper and lower protrusions 4 and 8 and provided with both ends 20a and

20b extended to the outside of the synthetic resin conduit 10, and connection terminals 32 and 34 connected to the ends 20a and 20b of the heating element 20. t...

The synthetic resin conduit 10 is obtained by continuously connecting members, having cross-sections provided with the upper and lower protrusions 4 and 8, in a longitudinal direction.

The upper protrusions 4 are overlapped with the longitudinally adjacent lower protrusions 8, and the lower protrusions 8 are overlapped with the longitudinally adjacent upper protrusions 4. The upper protrusion 4 has a thickness larger than that of Abe lower protrusion 8, so that the spiral heating member 20 is close to the inner circumference of the synthetic resin conduit 10.

The connection terminals 32 and 34 are anode and cathode terminals for supplying power to the spiral heating member 20. Hereinafter, operation of the pipe connector of the present invention will be described in detail.

First, when the pipes 1 and 2 to be connected are inserted into the synthetic resin conduit 10 and power is supplied to the synthetic resin conduit 10 through the anode and cathode terminals 32 and 34, the spiral heating member 20 is heated in a space between the internal and external circumferences of the synthetic resin conduit 10, thus heating the synthetic resin conduit 10 and the pipes 1 and 2.

Here, since the spiral heating member 20 is buried between the internal and external circumferences of the synthetic resin conduit 10, the synthetic resin conduit 10 and the pipes 1 and 2 are uniformly heated under the condition that the spiral heating member 20 has a uniform resistance value.

When the temperatures of the synthetic resin conduit 10 and the pipes 1 and 2 reach melting points thereof, the synthetic resin conduit 10 and the pipes 1 and 2 are gradually melted and fused. After a designated time elapses, the molten resin of the synthetic resin conduit 10 is hardened and the synthetic resin conduit 10 and the pipes 1 and 2 are integrally fixed.

Fig. 3 is a schematic side view of one embodiment of an apparatus for manufacturing a pipe connector in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the embodiment of the apparatus for manufacturing the pipe connector in accordance with the present invention.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the apparatus for manufacturing the pipe connector in accordance with the present invention comprises an extruder 50 for extruding synthetic resin by melting so that upper and lower protrusion are formed on the synthetic resin, a drum 60 for guiding the extruded synthetic resin so that the upper and lower protrusions are rolled in a hollow shape, driving rollers 70 rotatably installed on the drum 60 for rolling the upper and lower protrusions in a spiral direction of the drum 60 so that the upper and lower protrusions are continuously overlapped in the spiral direction of the drum 60, a roll 90 onto which the heating member 20 is wound so that the heating member 20 is wound between the continuously overlapped upper and lower protrusions, and a press roller 100 for pressing the continuously overlapped upper and lower protrusions.

The extruder 50 includes an inlet 51 for putting a raw material of plastic such as pellet (hereinafter, referred to as a 'synthetic resin') thereinto, a cylinder 52 in which the synthetic resin is extruded, a heater (not shown) for heating and melting the synthetic resin, and an extrusion pipe 54 provided with an extrusion hole for extruding the molten synthetic resin.

The end of the extrusion pipe 54 provided with the extrusion hole is disposed at the upper part of the circumference of the drum 60 so that the extruded upper and lower protrusion are dropped onto the external circumference of the drum 60. As shown in Fig. 6, the extrusion hole 53 has a cross-section of a two- stepped shape so that the upper protrusion has a thickness larger than that of the lower protrusion.

The drum 60 is connected to a fixed shaft 61 disposed at a central area thereof. The driving rollers 70 are disposed in a longitudinal direction of the drum 60, and spaced from each other in a circumferential direction of the drum 60. Further, the driving rollers 70 are partially protruded from the external circumference of the drum 60. The driving roller 70 is provided with a runner 72 having a spiral shape formed on an external surface thereof so that the upper and lower protrusions are moved in a spiral direction by the runner 72.

The apparatus for manufacturing the pipe connector further comprises roller-driving means 73 for rotating the driving roller 70. As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the roller-driving means 73 includes a roller-driving motor 75 provided with a driving shaft 74, a driving chain gear 76 installed at the driving shaft 74, a driven shaft 77 installed at the driving roller 70, a driven chain gear 78 installed at the driven shaft 77, and a chain 79 wound onto the driving chain gear 76 and the driven chain gear 78. _l; The heating member 20 is wound onto the external circumference of the roll 90, and the roll 90 is connected to a roll-driving motor 92. Thereby, when the upper and lower protrusions are rolled, the roll 90 can allow the heating member 20 to be introduced into a space between the upper and lower protrusions, and be rotatably supported and be rotated by the heating member 20 provided with one end fixed to the space between the upper and lower protrusions.

Preferably, the press roller 100 is disposed at the outside of the circumference of the drum 60, is spaced from the drum or the driving roller 70 by a designated interval, and is close to a rear end of the extrusion hole 53 of the extruder 50 in the rolling direction of the upper and lower protrusions.

The press roller 100 has a cylindrical shape, and is rotatably supported by a roller supporter 102.

The apparatus for manufacturing the pipe connector further comprises guide rollers 106 rotatably installed on the drum 60 for guiding the efficient rolling of the upper and lower protrusions by means of the driving roller 70.

Preferably, each of the guide rollers 106 is interposed between the plural driving rollers 70, and the guide rollers 106 are prepared in a plural number.

The apparatus for manufacturing the pipe connector further comprises cooling nozzles 110 for cooling the upper and lower protrusions wound onto the drum 60.

The cooling nozzles 110 are disposed at the outside of the circumference of the drum 60, and spray cooling water to the drum 60.

Preferably, the cooling nozzles 110 are positioned at the rear end of the press roller 100 in the rolling direction of the upper and lower protrusions so that the heating member sprays the cooling water after the press roller 100 presses the upper and lower protrusions. The apparatus for manufacturing the pipe connector further comprises a guide 120 for guiding the winding of the upper and lower protrusions, which are spirally rolled by the driving rollers 70.

Preferably, the guide 120 is installed at the outside of the circumference of the drum 60, one surface of the guide 120, being opposite to the drum 60, is curved, and the guide 120 is disposed between the extrusion hole 53 of the extruder 50 and the press roller 100 in the rolling direction of the upper and lower protrusions.

The apparatus for manufacturing the pipe connector further comprises a cutter 130 for cutting the synthetic resin conduit rolled in a cylindrical shape by the drum 60.

The cutter 130 includes a cutting drum 131 having an outer diameter slightly smaller than an inner diameter of the synthetic resin conduit wound onto the drum 60 so that the cutting drum 131 is inserted into the synthetic resin conduit, and a blade 132 for cutting the synthetic resin conduit mounted on the cutting drum 131 into pieces having designated lengths.

Here, non-described reference numeral 140 denotes a main body, onto which the fixed shaft 61 of the drum 60, the roller-driving motor 75, the roll 90, the roll-driving motor 92, the roller supporter 102, the cooling nozzle 110 and the guide 120 are fixed, non-described reference numeral 142 denotes a main body controller for controlling the roller-driving motor 76, the cooling nozzle 110 and the roll-driving means 92, non-described reference numeral 150 denotes an extruder supporter for supporting the extruder 50, and non- described reference numeral 152 denotes a controller for controlling the extruder 50.

Hereinafter, operation of the apparatus for manufacturing the pipe connector of the present invention and a method for manufacturing the same will be described in detail.

First, when a raw material of plastics such as pellets (hereinafter, referred to as a 'synthetic resin') is supplied to the inlet 51 of the extruder 50 and the extruder controller 152 is manipulated, the extruder 50 melts the synthetic resin, and then extrudes the synthetic resin through the extrusion pipe 54. Here, the synthetic resin, which was extruded through the extrusion pipe 54, has a cross-section of a two-stepped shape provided with upper and lower protrusions, and is positioned at the external circumference of the drum

60 or the driving roller 70.

When the main body controller 42 is manipulated together with the manipulation of the extruder controller 152, the roller-driving motor 75 is operated to rotate the driving rollers 70 and the roll-driving motor 92 is operated to supply the heating member 20.

The upper and lower protrusions drop to the external circumferences of the drum 60 or the driving rollers 70 are pushed by the runners 72 oC the rollers 70, thereby being rolled in the spiral direction of the drum 60. Then, the upper and lower protrusions are rounded by the guide 120, and rolled onto the drum 60 one or two rounds.

Here, the upper and lower protrusions are efficiently rolled by the guide 120 of the guide roller 106. In the upper and lower protrusions rolled onto the drum 60 one or two rounds, the lower protrusions are overlapped with the upper protrusions of the continuously connected protrusions extruded from the extruder 50.

Here, the heating member 20 is buried between the lower protrusions of the synthetic resin, which is rolled onto the drum 60 one or two rounds, and the upper protrusions of the newly connected synthetic resin.

The continuously connected upper and lower protrusions of the synthetic resin, in which the heating member 20 is buried, are continuously rolled spirally onto the circumference of the drum 60 by means of the operation of the driving roller 70, pass through a gap between the press roller

100 or the drum 60 or driving rollers 70, thereby being strongly attached to each other and continuously rolled spirally onto the circumference of the drum 60.

The main body controller 142 operates the cooling nozzle 110 as well as the roller-driving motor 76 and the roll-driving motor 92, and the cooling nozzle 100, which sprays the cooling water or air onto the upper and lower protrusions attached to the press roller 100 so as to solidify the upper and lower protrusions.

The above solidified upper and lower protrusions constitute a synthetic resin conduit 10 having a cylindrical shape, and is separated from the drum 60 in the longitudinal direction.

Thereafter, the synthetic resin conduit 10 and the heating member 20 are cut by the cutter 130 into pieces having a designated length, and connection terminals 32 and 34 for supplying power are connected to both ends of the heating member 20.

Industrial Applicability

As apparent from the above description, the present invention provides a pipe connector, and an apparatus and a method for manufacturing the pipe connector, which have several advantages, as follows.

First, the pipe connector of the present invention uniformly melts pipes through stable thermal conduction in case that the pipes are thermally fused for connection, prevents the connection of a heating member and carbonization, and allows the pipes to be stably connected without generating a short circuit of the heating member.

Second, the apparatus for manufacturing the pipe connector of the present invention comprises an extruder for extruding synthetic resin by melting so that upper and lower protrusions are formed on the synthetic resin, a drum for guiding the extruded synthetic resin so that the upper and lower protrusions are rolled in a hollow shape, driving rollers rotatably installed on the drum for rolling the upper and lower protrusions in a spiral direction of the drum so that the upper and lower protrusions are continuously overlapped in the spiral direction of the drum, a roll onto which the heating member is wound so that the heating member is woundi between the continuously overlapped upper and lower protrusions, and a press roller for pressing the continuously overlapped upper and lower protrusions, thereby allowing the heating member to be uniformly buried between internal and external circumferences of a synthetic resin conduit without generating connection therebetween, having a simple structure for burying the heating element and being simply used.

Third, the apparatus for manufacturing the pipe connector of the present invention extrudes synthetic resin by melting the resin, so that upper and lower protrusions are formed on the resin, spirally rolls the upper and lower protrusions, and winds the heating element between the protrusions of the rolled synthetic resin, thereby reducing time and costs taken in forming the pipe connector.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible,, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

Claims:

1. A pipe connector comprising: a synthetic resin conduit made by rolling a member made of synthetic resin in a spiral shape so that upper and lower protrusions are continuously overlapped in a spiral direction; a heating member having a spiral shape buried between overlapped portions of the upper and lower protrusions and provided with both ends extended to the outside of the synthetic resin conduit; and connection terminals connected to the ends of the heating element.

^■ I ) 2. The pipe connector as set forth in claim 1, wherein the synthetic resin has a cross-section of a two-stepped shape provided with the upper and lower protrusions.

3. The pipe connector as set forth in claim 1, wherein the upper protrusion has a thickness larger than that of the lower protrusion.

4. An apparatus for manufacturing a pipe connector, comprising: an extruder for extruding synthetic resin by melting so that upper and lower protrusion are formed on the synthetic resin; a drum for guiding the extruded synthetic resin so that the upper and lower protrusions are rolled in a hollow shape; driving rollers rotatably installed on the drum for rolling the upper and lower protrusions in a spiral direction of the drum so that the upper and lower protrusions are continuously overlapped in the spiral direction of the drum; a roll onto which a heating member is wound so that the heating member is wound between the continuously overlapped upper and lower protrusions, and a press roller for pressing the continuously overlapped upper and lower protrusions.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the extruder is provided with an extrusion hole having a two-stepped shape for extruding the synthetic resin therethrough.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein a runner having a spiral shape is formed on an external surface of each of the driving rollers.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4, further comprising: a roller-driving motor provided with a driving shaft; a driving chain gear installed at the driving shaft; a driven shaft installed at the driving roller; a driven chain gear installed at the driven shaft; and a chain wound onto the driving chain gear and the driven chain gear.

8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4, further comprising guide rollers rotatably installed on the drum for guiding the rolling of the upper and lower protrusions by means of the driving roller.

9. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4, further comprising cooling nozzles for cooling the upper and lower protrusions wound onto the drum.

10. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4, further comprising a guide for guiding the winding of the upper and lower protrusions, spirally rolled by the driving rollers.

11. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4, further comprising a cutter for cutting the synthetic resin conduit rolled in a cylindrical shape by the drum.

12. A method for manufacturing a pipe connector comprising the steps of:

(a) extruding a synthetic resin sheet provided with upper and lower protrusions directed to opposite directions by melting synthetic resin, rolling the synthetic resin sheet so that the upper and lower protrusions are overlapped in a spiral direction, and burying a heating member between overlapped portions of the upper and lower protrusions;

(b) cutting a synthetic resin conduit provided with the heating member, obtained by step (a), into pieces having a designated size; and (c) connecting connection terminals to both ends of the heating element after step (b).