JP4792592B2 - Bellows telescopic device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a bellows expansion / contraction device, and more particularly, to a bellows expansion / contraction device capable of performing connection and separation operations in a short time.

  In high energy accelerator facilities for elementary particles such as synchrotrons, beam vacuum is generally reduced by connecting a large number of vacuum ducts to bring the particle trajectory into a vacuum state. However, electromagnets and vacuum ducts are activated due to losses caused by beam halos, and as a result, radiation exposure of workers is a problem particularly in time-consuming work such as connection and separation of vacuum ducts.

  Conventionally, as a method for connecting vacuum ducts, a special duct called a bellows duct that can be expanded and contracted is used, and the connection between the ducts is performed by adjusting the distance between the faces using a mechanism using bolts and nuts called tie rods. It was. However, in this method, since it is necessary to finely adjust a plurality of tie rods manually, there is a problem that it takes time to join and separate.

Accordingly, there is a demand for automated or semi-automated pipe connection, and in view of such circumstances, the present inventors have been able to connect and disconnect pipes from remote locations as shown in Patent Document 1 below. A seal tightening device (pipe connecting device) was developed.
JP 2005-1104056 A

  The conventional pipe connecting apparatus as described above has a problem that the structure is complicated, the entire apparatus becomes large, and the price becomes expensive. The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, use a chain clamp device suitable for use in an environment where the radioactivity level is low and people can approach for a short time, and the structure It is an object of the present invention to provide a bellows expansion / contraction device that is simple and can quickly connect / disconnect tubes.

  The bellows expansion and contraction device of the present invention includes a cylindrical bellows that expands and contracts, a first tube with a flange that is airtightly connected to one end of the bellows, and a flanged first that is airtightly connected to the other end of the bellows. Two tubes, a clamp device that fixes the first tube and the second tube at a predetermined axial distance, and the first tube and the second tube even when the bellows expands and contracts. The main feature is that a guide device is provided that regulates the relative position between the first tube and the second tube so that the axes coincide with each other.

  In the above bellows expansion and contraction device, a plurality of the clamping devices are arranged evenly around the first tube and the second tube in an axial symmetry, and the guide device is arranged in the axial symmetry with the first tube. Another feature is that a plurality of the pipes are equally arranged around the second pipe.

In the bellows expansion and contraction device described above, the clamp device is also characterized in that the position is fixed at the extended position and the contracted position.
Further, the above-described bellows expansion / contraction device is characterized in that the clamp device is provided with a mechanism for adjusting the length of the extending / contracting shaft and has a predetermined length of play.

According to the bellows expansion / contraction device of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained by employing an expansion / contraction mechanism having a lock function using a toggle clamp and a guide mechanism.
(1) Since the bellows telescopic device can be fixed at the extended position only by a very simple operation of lever rotation, the chain clamp device can be easily attached / separated, and the time required for connecting and disconnecting the vacuum duct can be greatly reduced. It becomes possible.
(2) Compared with the conventional apparatus, the structure is simple and it can be manufactured at low cost.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the bellows expansion and contraction device of the present invention. Moreover, FIG. 3 is a front view which shows the structure of the bellows expansion-contraction apparatus of this invention. The flanges 10 and 16 at the end of each tube to be connected are opposed by a predetermined distance. The bellows expansion and contraction device according to the present invention can be broadly divided into a bellows 13 that expands and contracts, and first and second tubes 12 and 14 having predetermined lengths that are airtightly connected to both ends of the bellows 13, respectively. It consists of flanges 11 and 15 connected to the opposite side to the bellows 13.

  The bellows 13, the pipes 12 and 14, and the flanges 11 and 15 are made of metal such as stainless steel, and are hermetically connected by welding, for example. The bellows 13 is a well-known stretchable part in which a large number of thin metal hollow circular members are stacked and the outer periphery and the inner periphery are alternately welded.

  The bellows expansion and contraction device of the present invention is further provided with two toggle clamp devices that are evenly arranged around the tubes 12 and 14 in an axially symmetric position with respect to the tubes in order to make the bellows rest in the extended or contracted position. 23, and four guide devices 22 that are evenly arranged at axially symmetrical positions around the tubes 12 and 14 so that the axes of the left and right tubes 12 and 14 do not shift when extended. Yes.

  The guide tube 22 of the guide device is a hollow tube, and is fixed to the support plate 20 fixed to the side surface of one tube 12 of the bellows expansion / contraction device by welding together with the support block 21 by welding. A tubular sleeve 31 is fixed to the second support plates 30 and 40 fixed to the side surface of the other tube 14 of the bellows expansion / contraction device by welding. The inner diameter of the sleeve 31 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the guide tube 22 so that the guide tube 22 can slide in the sleeve 31.

  When the bellows expansion and contraction device of the present invention is expanded and contracted by the four guide devices 22, the relative positions of the tubes are restricted, and the axes of the left and right tubes 12 and 14 are not displaced, so an excessive force is applied to the bellows 13. In the connection / separation operation, for example, the chain clamp device can be easily attached, and the operation time can be shortened.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the two toggle clamp devices 23 are attached to a support block 21 fixed to the same support plate 20 as the two opposing guide devices 22. The toggle clamp device 23 is configured to expand and contract the shaft 24 that slides in the through hole of the clamp device main body 23 by rotating the lever 26, and locks (fixes) the shaft 24 in a contracted position and an extended position. Is configured to do.

  A screw hole is provided at the tip of the shaft 24, and a deformation bolt 27 is fitted into the screw hole and is fixed by a lock nut 28. Accordingly, by loosening the lock nut 28 and rotating the deformation bolt 27, the position (projection amount) of the deformation bolt 27 can be adjusted.

  The head 29 of the deformable bolt 27 has a constricted shape at the central portion in the axial direction, and the constricted portion is fixed to the side surface of the other tube 14 of the bellows expansion / contraction device by welding. It is fitted with 30 holes (actually a U-shaped notch). A predetermined play is provided in the axial direction of the deformation bolt 27 between the constriction and the hole (notch). This play is necessary for the following reasons.

  That is, even if the position of the deformation bolt 27 is adjusted appropriately, the bellows 13 is forced to contract in the extended position, so that the play between the shafts of the toggle clamp device 23 causes a gap between the flange 15 and the flange 16. There is a slight gap. When the chain clamp device (18) is tightened in this state, the bellows 13 is further extended and this gap is eliminated. However, if there is no play, an excessive force is applied to the toggle clamp device 23, and there is a risk of deformation or damage. is there.

  The bellows expansion and contraction device of the present invention can be connected / separated from both flanges by chain clamp devices 17 and 18 at both ends. Hereinafter, for example, an example in which the flange 10 on the left side of FIG. 1 and the bellows expansion / contraction device are connected by the chain clamp device 17 and then the right flanges 15 and 16 are connected / separated will be described.

  First, the bellows telescopic device of the present invention is locked in a contracted state. That is, the lever 26 of the toggle clamp device is in the state shown in FIG. Next, the bellows expansion / contraction device is inserted into a position to be connected, and the left flange 10 and the bellows expansion / contraction device are connected by the chain clamp device 17.

  FIG. 5 is a front view showing the configuration of the chain clamp device 17 (18) at the time of release. The chain clamp device 17 has a configuration in which a plurality of clamp units 61 are connected in a row by a shaft 63 and a connecting plate 62. Each connecting plate 62 is rotatable with respect to the clamp unit 61.

  A rod-shaped spring member that is slidably engaged with the clamp unit and elastically deforms is disposed in the tapered groove that engages with the flanges 10 and 11 of the pipes inside each of the plurality of clamp units 61. It is engaged with each clamp unit 61 by the pin.

  The upper and lower portions are connected not by the connecting plate 62 but by connecting bolts 64 and 65 that connect the clamp units 61 to each other. Further, the rod-shaped spring member is cut off at the lower connecting portion, and the chain clamp device 17 can be opened by removing the connecting bolt 65.

  When the chain clamp device 17 is tightened, the connecting portion where the rod-shaped spring member is cut is opened as shown in FIG. 5, and the ends of the pipe are covered with the flanges 10 and 11 by pulling both ends outward. Next, the connecting bolt 65 is fitted into a cylindrical nut engaged with the opposing chain unit and tightened.

  Since the cylindrical nut is engaged with the clamp unit so as not to rotate, and the tip of the connecting bolt 65 is processed into a conical shape, the connecting bolt 65 is inserted into the hole of the opposing clamp unit and rotated. Can be easily tightened. Finally, the connecting bolts 64 and 65 are tightened with an equal torque so that the intervals between the connecting portions at a plurality of locations are equal. By the above operation, the state shown in FIG. 1 is obtained.

  Next, the right flanges 15 and 16 are connected. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration when the bellows expansion / contraction device of the present invention is extended. First, two levers 26 of the toggle clamp device are simultaneously rotated to the position shown in FIG. The toggle clamp device is locked in this position and is fixed even when the hand is released.

  By this operation, the head 29 of the deformed bolt presses the second support plate 30 and the bellows 13 expands and approaches to a position where the right flanges 15 and 16 are almost in contact with each other. It is assumed that an O-ring is mounted in the flange in advance. Next, the flange 16 and the flange 15 of the bellows expansion / contraction device are connected by a chain clamp device 18.

  In the case of separation, the chain clamp device on the side to be separated is separated, and then the two levers 26 of the toggle clamp device are simultaneously rotated to contract the bellows expansion / contraction device. The bellows expansion and contraction device of the present invention can quickly connect / separate pipes with the above-described configuration.

  FIG. 4 is a front view showing another configuration example of the bellows expansion and contraction device of the present invention. In the configuration of the first embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, a space is required around the bellows telescopic device in order to rotate the lever 26, but there may be no such space. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the levers 26 and 56 can be rotated even when the periphery of the bellows telescopic device is narrow by rotating the attaching direction of the toggle clamp devices 23 and 55 by 90 degrees.

  In the example shown in FIG. 4, the example in which the mounting direction of the toggle clamp devices 23 and 55 is rotated in the same direction is disclosed. However, for example, the lower toggle clamp device 55 is mounted on the surface 57 on the opposite side of the support block. Also good. Further, in this case, for example, a member for connecting the two levers 26 and 56 may be provided so that the lever is attached to the central portion so that the two toggle clamp devices 23 and 55 can be operated simultaneously with one lever.

  As mentioned above, although the Example was disclosed, the following modifications are also considered to the bellows expansion-contraction apparatus of this invention. In the embodiment, an example in which four guide devices and two toggle clamp devices are mounted is disclosed, but the number of guide devices may be an arbitrary number of two or more, for example. Further, although the number of toggle clamp devices depends on the performance of the guide device, the present invention can be implemented by one or three or more.

The guide device may be a simple sliding mechanism, or a linear guide using a ball bearing may be used.
In the embodiment, the structure in which both ends of the bellows expansion / contraction device are connected by the chain clamp device is disclosed. However, for example, when one end may remain connected, the one or both ends of the bellows expansion / contraction device are fastened with bolts and nuts. A conventional flange may be used.

The bellows expansion and contraction device of the present invention is not limited to a particle accelerator, and can be applied to any device that needs to connect / disconnect pipes.

Further, the present invention is not limited to an accelerator facility, and can be applied to any piping connection system using a bellows duct.

It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the bellows expansion-contraction apparatus of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure at the time of extending the bellows expansion-contraction apparatus of this invention. It is a front view which shows the structure of the bellows expansion-contraction apparatus of this invention. It is a front view which shows the other structural example of the bellows expansion-contraction apparatus of this invention. It is a front view which shows the structure of the chain clamp apparatus at the time of releasing.

Explanation of symbols

10, 11, 15, 16 ... flange 12 ... first tube 13 ... bellows 14 ... second tube 17 ... chain clamp device 20 ... support plate 21 ... support block 22 ... guide device (guide tube)
23 ... Toggle clamp device 24 ... Shaft 26 ... Lever 27 ... Deformation bolt 28 ... Lock nut 30 ... Second support plate

Claims (1)

A cylindrical bellows that expands and contracts;
A flanged first tube hermetically connected to one end of the bellows;
A second tube with a flange connected hermetically to the other end of the bellows;
Two shafts are arranged symmetrically around the first tube and the second tube, and by rotating a lever, a shaft that slides parallel to the shaft of the tube expands and contracts, and the shaft extends. A mechanism for adjusting an axial distance between the first tube and the second tube at a position and a contracted position, and adjusting a length of the shaft that expands and contracts, and the shaft and the second tube; A clamping device provided with a predetermined length of play at a fitting position with the tube ;
A plurality of the first tube and the second tube are arranged symmetrically around the first tube and the second tube so that the axes of the first tube and the second tube coincide even when the bellows expands and contracts. A bellows expansion and contraction device, comprising: a guide device that regulates a relative position between the first tube and the second tube.

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