WO2009115724A2

WO2009115724A2 - Captive seal for banjo connector, and assembly including such banjo connector and such seal

Info

Publication number: WO2009115724A2
Application number: PCT/FR2009/050343
Authority: WO
Inventors: Guillaume Trebern
Original assignee: Renault S.A.S.
Priority date: 2008-03-20
Filing date: 2009-03-03
Publication date: 2009-09-24
Also published as: FR2928986A1; EP2260226A2; WO2009115724A3; FR2928986B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a seal (30) for a banjo connector (10) that comprises a sealing washer (31) and at least two plastically deformable tabs (32, 34) extending from said sealing washer towards the outside thereof, including a first bent tab turned towards the second tab.

Description

IMPREGNABLE JOINT FOR BANJO FITTING AND ASSEMBLY HAVING BANJO FITTING AND SAME

TECHNICAL FIELD TO WHICH THE INVENTION RELATES The present invention generally relates to the sealed connection of a fluid line with a casing of an internal combustion engine.

It relates more particularly to a banjo fitting seal having a sealing washer. It also relates to an assembly comprising a banjo fitting provided with a sleeve and a tubular part which enters transversely in this sleeve, and such a seal whose sealing washer is applied against an end face of the sleeve. muff.

The invention finds a particularly advantageous application in the sealed connection of a casing of a turbocharger with a duct in which circulates a lubricant for the turbocharger.

BACKGROUND

A banjo connector of the aforementioned type is an element that allows to connect a flexible or rigid pipe with the inside of a housing provided for this purpose with a threaded bore.

In the position of use, the tubular part of the banjo fitting is connected to the pipe, for example by means of a clamping collar, while the sleeve is attached to the housing by means of a hollow screw engaged in the sleeve and screwed into the threaded bore of the housing. In this way, the fluid from the pipe can enter the tubular part of the banjo fitting and then into the housing via the inside of the hollow screw.

The sleeve therefore has a first end face intended to be pressed against the housing, and a second end face against which the head of the hollow screw rests. Two seals are generally interposed between the hollow screw and the sleeve on the one hand, and between the sleeve and the casing on the other hand, in order to avoid any leakage of fluid.

To facilitate the mounting of the banjo fitting on the housing, it is known to secure the banjo fitting the seal to interpose between the housing and the sleeve. For this purpose, this seal is usually crimped directly onto one of the end faces of the sleeve. The major disadvantage of this method is that the crimping operation is expensive.

In addition, when screwing the hollow screw in the housing, the seal naturally deforms to take the form of the sleeve and the housing to properly perform its sealing function. This deformation is such that the seal can be used only once. A further disadvantage of this method is that the banjo fitting can only be used once and then discarded.

Finally, due to assembly inaccuracies, the crimping of a seal is achieved by applying a mechanical force on the seal which varies from one banjo connector to the other.

If this crimping force is too low or if the seal is misplaced before the crimping operation, it is possible that the crimping is inefficient and the seal disengages from the sleeve. If this effort is too important, the seal is hardened and has too much hardness. As a result, the predicted tightening torque of the hollow screw in the casing is no longer sufficient to crush the seal, so that the seal does not properly perform its sealing function.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION In order to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of the state of the art, the present invention proposes a new seal provided with means for temporarily hanging on a banjo fitting.

More particularly, it is proposed according to the invention a seal for a banjo fitting comprising a sealing washer and at least two arms, plastically deformable, which extend from said sealing washer towards the outside of that This includes a first angled arm facing the second arm.

According to the invention there is also provided an assembly as defined in the introduction, comprising such a seal whose arms rise on the same side projecting from the plane of the sealing washer, so that the first bent arm and the second arm are placed on either side of the tubular portion of the banjo fitting and the first bent arm is wound against this tubular portion. Thus, thanks to the invention, the seal can be mounted and removed from the banjo fitting by folding or unfolding its two arms, so that they enclose the tubular part of the banjo fitting or they deviate .

Once mounted on the banjo fitting, the two arms secure the seal to the banjo fitting, so that these two elements can be delivered together and mounted together on the housing, without risk of loss of the seal . Note also that the realization of such a seal is inexpensive.

According to a first advantageous characteristic of the seal according to the invention, it comprises a third plastically deformable arm which extends outwardly from an angular sector of said sealing washer opposite the delimited angular sector. by the first bent arm and the second arm.

If the gasket and the banjo fitting are delivered with the hollow screw fixing the banjo fitting on the housing, this hollow screw passes through the sealing washer, which prevents the arms, and therefore the entire seal, slide along the tubular part of the banjo fitting.

However, if the seal and the banjo fitting are delivered without this hollow screw, the third arm advantageously ensures the maintenance of the seal on the banjo, so that its sealing washer remains positioned next to one of the end faces of the sleeve.

Other advantageous and non-limiting characteristics of the seal according to the invention are the following:

the third arm is diametrically opposed to the second arm; the first bent arm and the second arm delimit an angular sector of said sealing washer less than 150 degrees;

the second arm is rectilinear;

the second arm extends along a radius of the sealing washer;

- The first bent arm has, on the one hand, a rectilinear junction portion which connects tangentially to said sealing washer and, on the other hand, an end portion bent to the second arm;

the joining part and the end part of the first bent arm form an angle of between 80 and 100 degrees;

the first bent arm has a zone of lesser resistance; - The seal is made of a single piece of copper. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT The following description, with reference to the appended drawings, given by way of non-limiting example, will make it clear what the invention consists of and how it can be achieved. In the accompanying drawings:

- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an assembly comprising a banjo fitting, a seal according to the invention and a hollow screw for fixing this assembly to a housing;

- Figure 2 is a flat view of the seal of Figure 1, in an undeformed state; and

- Figure 3 is a sectional view of the assembly of Figure 1.

In general, an internal combustion engine (here not shown) conventionally comprises an engine block provided with an oil sump, a turbocharger provided with a protective casing, and a coolant reservoir. The internal combustion engine also usually comprises a cooling line which originates in the coolant reservoir and which is connected to the turbocharger guard to cool the various components of the turbocharger. It also has a line of lubrication that starts in the oil sump and is also connected to the turbocharger guard to lubricate the different parts of this turbocharger.

FIGS. 1 and 3 show a banjo connector 10 which can be advantageously used in order to connect not only the cooling line with the turbocharger protective casing and / or the coolant reservoir, but also in order to connect the lubrication line with the oil sump and / or with the turbocharger protective housing.

This banjo fitting can of course also be used to connect other housings with other fluid lines. Here we consider the case where it connects the cooling line with the housing 50 protection of the turbocharger. This housing 50 is for this purpose provided with a threaded bore 51 (see Figure 3).

The banjo fitting 10 conventionally comprises a sleeve 12 and a tubular part 11 which enters transversely into the sleeve 12. The tubular portion 1 1 extends along a longitudinal axis A2 and has a circular section of outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the line of the cooling line. Its free end is fitted into this pipe and is fixed thereto by crimping or screwing or by means of a clamping collar.

The sleeve 12 has a tube shape of main axis A1 perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A2, and a height slightly greater than the outer diameter of the tubular portion 1 1. It has two end faces 13, 14 planes and parallel. The outside diameter of the sleeve 12 is here approximately equal to twice the diameter of the tubular portion 1 1. The sleeve 12 comprises an inner conduit 15 whose diameter is greater than the inside diameter of the tubular portion 1 January.

The banjo fitting is equipped with a hollow screw 20 which passes through its sleeve 12 and which is screwed into the threaded bore 51 of the casing 50. This hollow screw 20 conventionally comprises a threaded rod 22 and a screw head 21 which bears on a first end face 14 of the sleeve 12.

The threaded rod 22 has, at the height of the tubular portion 1 1 of the banjo fitting 10, a peripheral groove 24. It is further pierced by a longitudinal duct 23 opening on its free end, towards the inside of the casing 50, and than a transverse through duct which passes through the longitudinal duct 23 and which opens into the peripheral groove 24 of the threaded rod 22.

Thus, whatever the angular position of the hollow screw 20 relative to the banjo fitting 10, the peripheral groove 24 allows the circulation of the cooling liquid from the tubular portion 1 1 of the banjo fitting 10 towards the inside of the casing 50, via the through ducts 24 and longitudinal 23 of the hollow screw 20.

The banjo connector 10 is further equipped with two seals 30, 40 respectively disposed on the two end faces 13, 14 of the sleeve 12. These two seals 30, 40 each comprise a sealing washer 31 , 41 circular thin (here equal to 1 millimeter), the inner peripheral edge 31 has a diameter D1 (see Figure 2) equal to the diameter of the inner conduit 15 of the sleeve 12 (here equal to 14.5 millimeters), and whose outer peripheral edge 31 B has a diameter D2 less than the outer diameter of the sleeve 12 (here equal to 18 millimeters).

Before it is mounted on the banjo fitting, the seal 30 to be interposed between the first end face 14 of the sleeve 12 and the head 21 of the hollow screw 20 is threaded onto the hollow screw 20, which ensures its holding by compared to the sleeve 12.

Now consider the seal 30 interposed between the second end face 13 of the sleeve 12 and the housing 50.

According to a particularly advantageous characteristic of the invention, this seal 30 comprises at least two plastically deformable arms 32, 34 which extend from said sealing washer 31 towards the outside thereof, including a first angled arm 34 facing the second arm 32.

These two arms are described as plastically deformable in that they are adapted to be bent at right angles without breaking and to remain in a deformed position.

These first and second arms 32, 34 extend from the outer peripheral edge 31 B of the sealing washer 31 and together define a first angular sector S1 of said sealing washer 31 which is less than 150 degrees, here equal at 120 degrees.

Advantageously, the seal 30 further comprises a third arm 33 which extends outwardly of the sealing washer 31, from a second angular sector S2 of its outer peripheral edge 31B, opposite the first angular sector S1. Before mounting the seal 30 on the banjo fitting 10, the three arms 32, 33, 34 of this seal 30 extend in the plane of the sealing washer 31. They have here thicknesses and widths equal to the thickness and width of the sealing washer 31.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first bent arm 34 has, on the one hand, a rectilinear joining portion 35 which is connected tangentially to the outer peripheral edge 31 B of the sealing washer 31, and on the other hand an end portion 36 bent towards the second arm 32.

The end portion 36 forms a bend, of inner radius of curvature approximately equal to the outer diameter of the tubular portion 1 1 of the banjo fitting 10, which extends on a straight portion of short length. This part straight form with the joining portion 35 an angle preferably between 80 and 100 degrees, here equal to 90 degrees.

The joining portion 35 of the first arm 34 also has a zone of weakness 35A, here formed by a narrowing of the section of the arm.

The second and third arms 33 form rectilinear tabs of lengths at least equal to half the height of the sleeve 12. Preferably, the third arm 33 may have a length greater than the height of the sleeve 12. These second and third arm 33 extend along radii of the sealing washer 31, here diametrically opposite.

Preferably, the seal 30 is made of a single piece of copper.

When assembling the seal 30 with the banjo fitting 10, the sealing washer 31 is applied against the second end face 13 of the sleeve 12, through the hollow screw 20 (if the latter is already in place on the banjo fitting 10).

The first bent arm 34 is then folded to protrude outside the plane of the sealing washer 31, orthogonally to the latter, towards the head 21 of the hollow screw 20. This folding is achieved by plastically deforming the first arm bent 34, at its zone of weakness 35A. With this area, the bend of the first bent arm 34 is at the desired location, and can be performed manually without the aid of any tool.

A rotational movement about the longitudinal axis A1 is then printed to the seal 1, so that the end portion 36 of its first bent arm 34 wraps around the tubular portion 1 1 of the banjo fitting 10 , and applies against it.

Finally, the second and third arms 32, 33 are folded against the outer face of the sleeve 12 of the banjo connector 10. In this way, the first bent arm 34 and the second arm 32 are placed on either side of the tubular portion 1 1 of the banjo fitting 10 so that they frame it.

The function of the third arm 33 is to maintain the sealing washer 31 in the axis of the longitudinal duct 15 of the sleeve 12, if the hollow screw 20 is not yet engaged in the sleeve 12. Consequently, the banjo fitting 10 and the seal 30 form an integral and independent assembly 1, which in particular avoids any loss of the seal before and during assembly of the banjo fitting 10 on the casing 50.

During the assembly of the banjo fitting 10 with the seal 30, the latter does not undergo any particular hardening, so that the subsequent screwing of the hollow screw 20 in the housing 50 serves to deform the sealing washer 31 in such a way that it correctly ensures its sealing function.

Furthermore, during disassembly of the banjo connection 10 relative to the housing 50, the fixing of the seal 30 on the banjo fitting 10 by the three arms 32, 33, 34 allows the disassembly of this seal relative to the banjo fitting.

For this purpose, the three arms 32, 33, 34 of the seal are unfolded to their initial position in the plane of the sealing washer 31, so that the latter can be removed from the second end face 13 As a result, this used seal can be scrapped and replaced with a new seal, so that the banjo fitting is again usable.

Claims

1. Seal (30) for a banjo connector (10) comprising a sealing washer (31) and at least two arms (32, 34), plastically deformable, which, in unfolded position in the plane of the washer sealing (31), extend from said sealing washer (31) outwardly thereof, including a first bent arm (34) facing the second arm (32).

2. Seal (30) according to the preceding claim, which comprises a third arm (33) which is plastically deformable and extends outwards from an angular sector (S2) of said sealing washer ( 31) opposite to the angular sector (S1) delimited by the first bent arm (34) and the second arm (32).

3. Seal (30) according to the preceding claim, wherein the third arm (33) is diametrically opposed to the second arm (32).

4. Seal (30) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first bent arm (34) and the second arm (32) define an angular sector (S1) of said sealing washer (31) lower at 150 degrees.

5. Seal (30) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second arm (32) is rectilinear.

6. Seal (30) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second arm (32) extends along a radius of the sealing washer (31).

7. Seal (30) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first bent arm (34) has, on the one hand, a junction portion (35) rectilinear which is connected tangentially to said washer sealing (31), and on the other hand, an end portion (36) bent towards the second arm (32).

8. Seal (30) according to the preceding claim, wherein the joining portion (35) and the end portion (36) of the first bent arm (34) form an angle of between 80 and 100 degrees.

9. Seal (30) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first bent arm (34) has a zone of least resistance (35A).

10. Seal (30) according to one of the preceding claims, made of a single piece of copper.

1 1. Assembly (1) comprising a banjo connector (10) provided with a sleeve (12) and a tubular part (1 1) which transversely enters this sleeve (12), characterized in that it comprises a seal (30) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sealing washer (31) bears against an end face (13) of the sleeve (12) and whose arms (32, 33, 34) rise on the same side protruding from the plane of the sealing washer (31), so that the first bent arm (34) and the second arm (32) are placed on both sides of the tubular part (1 1) of the banjo fitting (10) and that the first bent arm (34) is wound against this tubular part (1 1).