JP7814752B2 - pipe fittings - Google Patents

Description

Article 30, paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies September 15, 2022 to December 27, 2022 The applicant distributes the catalog to business partners.

The present invention relates to a pipe connector that connects and secures corrugated pipes to through holes formed in structures buried underground.

Corrugated rigid synthetic resin pipes (hereinafter referred to as corrugated pipes or FEP pipes (Flexible Electric Pipes)) are used as pipes that can be buried underground with communication cables, power supply cables, etc. inserted inside.

For example, as shown in Figure 14, a handhole 1a has multiple through-holes 2 for inserting corrugated pipe material into the portion buried in the ground. Conventionally, pipe connectors have been used to connect and secure the corrugated pipe material to the wall surrounding the through-holes 2 of the handhole 1a (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Also, at construction sites, as shown in Figure 15, underground beam construction is carried out, in which reinforcing bars 3 are inserted between the foundations of a building and solidified with concrete. During underground beam construction, pipe materials such as rigid polyvinyl chloride pipes or gas pipes are installed in a direction that intersects with the longitudinal direction of the underground beams 1b, thereby securing sleeves before pouring concrete between the wooden frames. Concrete is then poured between the wooden frames to form through-holes 2 in the underground beams 1b.

Conventionally, when connecting and securing a corrugated pipe material 5 to a through-hole 2 in an underground beam 1b, a waterproof cast iron pipe 100 such as the one shown in Figure 16 has been used, and a dissimilar joint 102 has been used to connect the waterproof cast iron pipe 100 to the corrugated pipe material 5. In contrast, the applicant has proposed a pipe connector for the underground beam 1b that does not use a dissimilar joint 102, does not require skilled techniques for waterproofing, and can be installed in a short time.

As shown in Figure 17, the conventional pipe connector 210 clamps the wall surrounding a through-hole 2 formed in structures 1a and 1b buried underground between a locking body 211 and a mouth body 221, connecting and fixing a corrugated pipe 5. In Figure 17, the right side of the page is the outside (underground) of the structures 1a and 1b, and the left side is the interior of the structures 1a and 1b. The corrugated pipe 5 has spirally formed irregularities on its inner and outer surfaces.

The locking body 211 has a cylindrical outer tube portion 212 that is threaded onto the outer periphery of the corrugated pipe material 5. When the locking body 211 is rotated, it moves in the axial direction of the corrugated pipe material 5. The mouse body 221 has a cylindrical inner tube portion 222 that is inserted into the corrugated pipe material 5 from the tip side. As a result, the mouse body 221 is threaded onto the inner periphery of the corrugated pipe material 5, preventing the corrugated pipe material 5 from slipping out of the pipe.

After attaching the mouse body 221 to the tip of the corrugated tubing 5, tightening the locking body 211 toward the mouse body 221 clamps the wall surrounding the through-hole 2 between the flange portion 213 of the locking body 211 and the inner flange portion 223 of the mouse body 221, and the corrugated tubing 5 is connected and fixed to the through-hole 2.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-90884

For example, at an underground beam construction site, as shown in Figure 18, underground beams 1ba and 1bb may be adjacent to each other with a certain distance between them, and a corrugated pipe 5 may be passed through a through-hole 2 in underground beam 1ba and then connected and fixed to the through-hole 2 in underground beam 1bb. When using this type of connection, conventional pipe connectors 210 use locking bodies 211 (locking bodies 211a and 211b) to clamp the wall surrounding the through-hole 2 in underground beam 1ba through which the corrugated pipe 5 passes, thereby securing the corrugated pipe 5.

However, after the applicant conducted an investigation and interviews with on-site personnel, it was discovered that with the conventional method of securing the corrugated pipe material 5 between the locking bodies 211, the locking bodies 211a and 211b had to be rotated and moved a considerable distance from the tip of the corrugated pipe material 5 to a position where they could clamp the underground beam 1ba, which lengthened the time required to screw the outer tube portion 212 onto the outer circumference of the corrugated pipe material 5, resulting in a significant amount of effort and time being required to completely secure the corrugated pipe material 5.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to create a pipe connector that reduces the labor required by the worker and significantly shortens the work time, even when corrugated pipe material that passes through a through-hole in a structure buried underground is clamped and secured between locking bodies that screw onto the outer periphery of the corrugated pipe material.

The pipe connector of the present invention connects and secures a corrugated pipe, which has spirally formed irregularities on at least its outer surface, to a through-hole formed in a structure buried underground by using two locking bodies to clamp the structure surrounding the through-hole.

The locking body comprises an outer cylindrical portion that screws onto the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tubing, a flange portion formed at the tip of the outer cylindrical portion, an engagement portion formed inside the outer cylindrical portion that screws onto the spiral recesses and protrusions on the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tubing, and a packing portion attached to the flange. In this invention, the locking body is made up of multiple separable partial locking bodies, which are attached to the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated tubing in an interlocked state and screwed together.

In the present invention, the multiple partial locking bodies may be configured to consist of a first partial locking body and a second partial locking body. In this case, the size of one of the partial locking bodies may be larger than the size of the other partial locking body. It is also preferable that the outer cylindrical portion of the first block body and the outer cylindrical portion of the second block body are divided circumferentially.

The present invention may also employ a configuration with a two-layer region in which the first partial locking body and the second partial locking body overlap one another so that one is on the outside and the other is on the inside in the radial direction of the outer tube portion when the first partial locking body and the second partial locking body are fitted together.

In the present invention, the two-layer region may be provided with a locking portion that prevents the first and second partial locking bodies from rotating in a direction that separates them.

The present invention may also employ a configuration in which a notch is provided in the flange portion of the first partial locking body to increase flexibility.

The present invention may also employ a configuration in which a belt is provided to bind the peripheries of multiple partial locking bodies that are fitted together, and the partial locking bodies are provided with insertion portions through which the belt can be passed.

In the present invention, the corrugated pipe material may have spirally formed irregularities on its inner surface, and may further include a mouth body having an inner cylindrical portion that screws onto the inner surface of the corrugated pipe material, an inner flange portion formed at the tip of the inner cylindrical portion, a second engaging portion formed on the outside of the inner cylindrical portion that screws onto the spiral irregularities on the inner surface of the corrugated pipe material, and a second packing portion attached to the inner flange portion.

In the present invention, the locking body consists of multiple separable partial locking bodies, which are fitted together, attached to the outer surface of the corrugated pipe material, and screwed together.

With this invention, even when securing a corrugated pipe by sandwiching it between locking bodies, the worker can simply fit multiple partial locking bodies into the desired position on the corrugated pipe, attaching the locking bodies, and then begin tightening by screwing them together from that installation position.

This invention eliminates the need to rotate and move the locking body from the tip of the corrugated pipe to the position where it will clamp the structure, reducing the amount of work required by the worker and significantly shortening the work time.

FIG. 1 shows a state in which a corrugated pipe material is inserted into a through-hole formed in a structure buried underground, and then the partial locking body of the pipe material connector of the embodiment is fitted and attached in a position that sandwiches the through-hole. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the outer cylindrical portion of the locking body has been completely tightened from the state shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the locking body of the pipe connector of the embodiment, seen from the front, top, and left side, with the first partial locking body and the second partial locking body fitted together. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the locking body of the pipe connector of the embodiment, seen from the back, top, and left side, with the first partial locking body and the second partial locking body fitted together. FIG. 5 is a view of the locking body of the pipe connector of the embodiment, viewed from the rear, with the first partial locking body and the second partial locking body separated. FIG. 6 is a view of the locking body of the pipe connector of the embodiment, viewed from the rear, with the first partial locking body and the second partial locking body fitted together. FIG. 7 is a front view of the locking body of the pipe connector of the embodiment, with the first partial locking body and the second partial locking body fitted together. FIG. 8 is a plan view of the locking body of the pipe connector of the embodiment, with the first partial locking body and the second partial locking body fitted together. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the area circled in FIG. 11(a) to 11(d) are diagrams illustrating the procedure for wrapping the winding locking material around the corrugated pipe material, inserting it into the through-hole, engaging the first partial locking body with the second partial locking body, and passing a belt through the insertion portion to secure it. Regarding the pipe connector of the first modified embodiment, Figure 12(a) is a diagram showing the state in which caulking material is injected from an injection port provided in the intended injection portion, and Figure 12(b) is a side view of the state in which caulking material has been filled between the wrapping fastening material and the locking body. 13(a) is a front view of the mouse body of the pipe connector used in the second modified example of the embodiment, and FIG. 13(b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the mouse body. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a hand hole in which a plurality of through holes are formed, as viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 15 is a perspective view of an underground beam in which a plurality of through holes are formed, viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a conventional pipe connection structure using a waterproof cast iron pipe and a dissimilar joint. Figure 17 shows the configuration of a conventional pipe connector, viewed from the side, in which a locking body is screwed onto the outer peripheral surface of a corrugated pipe, the tip of the corrugated pipe is inserted into a through-hole in a structure, and the mouth body is screwed onto the inner peripheral surface of the corrugated pipe. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a connection configuration using a conventional pipe connector in a location where two underground beams are adjacent to each other with a certain distance between them.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments are merely examples of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

As shown in Figure 1, the pipe connector 10 of this embodiment uses two locking bodies 11 to connect and secure a corrugated pipe 5, which has spirally formed irregularities on its inner and outer peripheral surfaces, to a through-hole 2 formed in an underground beam 1b. In this embodiment, the locking body 11 consists of two partial locking bodies: a first partial locking body 11a and a second partial locking body 11b. The first partial locking body 11a and the second partial locking body 11b are fitted together, attached to the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated pipe 5, and screwed together.

The pipe connector 10 can be suitably used in locations where underground beams 1ba and 1bb are adjacent to each other with a certain distance between them, as shown in Figure 18, and where it is required to pass the corrugated pipe 5 through the through-hole 2 in the underground beam 1ba and then connect it to the through-hole 2 in the underground beam 1bb. Using the pipe connector 10, the first partial locking body 11a and the second partial locking body 11b are fitted into positions that sandwich the through-hole 2, and then tightened, allowing the corrugated pipe 5 to be quickly fixed to the wall surrounding the through-hole 2 in the underground beam 1ba. Below, we will explain the underground beam 1b and the corrugated pipe 5, and then the configuration of the locking body 11.

[About underground beams]
The underground beam 1b is a reinforced concrete beam formed by underground beam construction. In FIG. 1, the corrugated pipe material 5 is surrounded by soil and buried underground. The width of the underground beam 1b is, for example, 50 cm to 2 m, but may exceed 2 m depending on the building. A linear through-hole 2 is provided in the underground beam 1b. The through-hole 2 is formed by inserting a pipe material such as a PVC pipe between the wooden frames before pouring concrete during underground beam construction.

[About corrugated pipes]
In this embodiment, a moderately flexible FEP pipe is used as the corrugated pipe 5. The outer diameter of the corrugated pipe 5 is smaller than the inner diameter of the through-hole 2. Regular spiral irregularities are formed on both the outer and inner peripheral surfaces of the corrugated pipe 5. Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, an outer peripheral spiral irregularity 6a is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated pipe 5, and an inner peripheral spiral irregularity 6b is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the corrugated pipe 5, each in a spiral shape.

The corrugated tubing 5 is made of a soft or hard resin with appropriate flexibility, and various materials such as polyethylene, polycarbonate, ABS, and polypropylene can be used. Various cables are inserted inside the corrugated tubing 5, such as communication cables carrying optical or electrical signals, and power supply cables for transmitting power.

[Lock body configuration]
As shown in FIGS. 3 to 8, the locking body 11 includes an outer cylinder portion 12 consisting of a first partial outer cylinder portion 12a and a second partial outer cylinder portion 12b, a flange portion 13 consisting of a first partial flange portion 13a and a second partial flange portion 13b, a packing portion 15 consisting of a first partial packing portion 15a and a second partial packing portion 15b, and a crushable packing portion 16 consisting of a first partial crushable packing portion 16a and a second partial crushable packing portion 16b.

All of these components can be separated. That is, when the locking body 11 is separated into the first partial locking body 11b and the second partial locking body 11b, each component is also separated into a first part and a second part. Furthermore, when the first partial locking body 11b and the second partial locking body 11b are mated, the first part and the second part become a continuous, integrated component.

The outer tube portion 12 is a cylindrical member when the first and second outer tube portions 12a and 12b are fitted together. The inner diameter of the outer tube portion 12 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the corrugated pipe material 5.

The flange portion 13 is a disc-shaped member that extends outward from the entire circumference of the tip of the outer tube portion 12. An annular packing portion 15 is bonded to the tip surface of the flange portion 13 with an adhesive or the like. Recesses 13aa are provided on both diametrical ends of the flange portion 13, which can be engaged with a jig such as a screwdriver. The worker engages the tip of a jig with each of the two recesses 13aa and rotates each jig clockwise to rotate the flange portion 13 and tighten the locking body 11.

The packing portion 15 is a cushioning and flexible material, such as urethane, with closed-cell air bubbles inside. In this embodiment, urethane foam is used. The packing portion 15 has the function of preventing water penetration. Specifically, the packing portion 15, together with the flange portion 13 and the crushable packing portion 16, seals the surface of the underground beam 1 around the through-hole 2, preventing water from penetrating between the underground beam 1b and the packing portion 15.

The collapsible packing portion 16 is a component that easily collapses when pressure is applied. The collapsible packing portion 16 is 5 mm thick, but when the locking body 11 is tightened and the packing is crushed between the flange portion 13 and the wall surrounding the through-hole 2 in the underground beam 1b, its thickness becomes, for example, 1 to 2 mm or less. In this embodiment, the cells in the collapsible packing portion 16 are interconnected, that is, open cells. Furthermore, the collapsible packing portion 16 in this embodiment has a color that is easily visible at the work site. An example of an easily visible color is yellow, but any color, such as red, blue, or green, may be used.

To thread the outer tubular portion 12 onto the outer periphery of the corrugated tubing 5, an engagement portion 14a is provided on the inner surface of the outer tubular portion 12 (see Figures 2 and 6). In this embodiment, a pair of engagement portions 14a protrude toward the center at opposing positions on the inner circumferential surface of the outer tubular portion 12. This ensures stable threading of the locking body 11 onto the corrugated tubing 5.

A number of fins 17 extending longitudinally are formed at regular intervals around the periphery of the locking body 11. The fins 17 include a first partial fin 17a located on the first partial locking body 11a and a second partial fin 17b located on the second partial locking body 11b. The tip of each fin 17 is connected to the flange 12. This allows the fins 17 to increase the strength of the locking body 11. The fins 17 also function as a non-slip surface when the operator rotates the locking body 11.

The outer tube portion 12, flange portion 13, and fin portion 17 are formed from a hard material such as resin, specifically hard polyethylene, polycarbonate, ABS, polypropylene, or other hard materials.

As described above, the locking body 11 of this embodiment comprises an outer tubular portion 12 that screws onto the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated pipe material 5, a flange portion 13 formed at the tip end of the outer tubular portion 12, an engagement portion 14 formed on the inside of the outer tubular portion 12 that screws onto the outer peripheral spiral irregularities 6a on the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated pipe material 5, and a packing portion 15 attached to the flange portion 12.

In this embodiment, the locking body 11 consists of a first partial locking body 11a and a second partial locking body 11b, with the first partial outer cylindrical portion 12a and the second partial outer cylindrical portion 12b being divided in the circumferential direction of the outer cylindrical portion 12. Similarly, the first partial flange portion 13a and the second partial flange portion 13b are also divided in the circumferential direction of the flange portion 13, and the first partial packing portion 15a and the second partial packing portion 15b, and the first partial crushable packing portion 16a and the second partial crushable packing portion 16b are also divided in the circumferential direction of the packing portion 15 and the crushable packing portion 16, respectively. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the first partial locking body 11a is larger in size than the second partial locking body 11b.

Specifically, as shown in Figure 7, the second partial locking body 11b has a central angle X of 100° relative to the center P of the second partial outer cylinder portion 12b of the second partial packing portion 15b, which is approximately sector-shaped. On the other hand, the first partial locking body 11a has a central angle Y of 260° relative to the center P of the first partial outer cylinder portion 12a of the first partial packing portion 15a, which is approximately sector-shaped. As shown in Figure 6, when comparing the sizes of the second partial flange portion 13b and the first partial flange portion 13a, the central angles are 100° for the former and 260° for the latter, which is the same relationship as the packing portion 15, and there is a significant difference of more than 2.5 times.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, the locking body 11 of this embodiment has a two-layer region 21 in which the first partial locking body 11a and the second partial locking body 11b overlap with one side on the outside and the other on the inside in the radial direction of the outer tube portion 12 when the first partial locking body 11a and the second partial locking body 11b are fitted together. Note that the radial direction of the outer tube portion is the direction indicated by arrow R in FIG. 10.

Specifically, as shown in Figures 5 and 9, in the second partial locking body 11b, the second partial outer cylinder portion 12b is thin near the tip and recessed toward the inner periphery, reducing its thickness to half. Meanwhile, as shown in Figure 9, the first partial locking body 11a also has a portion of the first partial outer cylinder portion 12a where the outer periphery is recessed, reducing its thickness to half. Thus, in this embodiment, when the first partial locking body 11a and the second partial locking body 11b are mated, a two-layer region 21 is provided in which the first partial outer cylinder portion 12a is on the inside and the second partial outer cylinder portion 12b is on the outside in the radial direction of the outer cylinder portion 12, and the first partial locking body 11a and the second partial outer cylinder portion 12b are fitted together so that they overlap. As shown in Figure 9, the two-layer region 21 is provided so that the central angle Z with respect to the center of the outer cylinder portion 12 is within a range of, for example, 60° to 100°.

As shown in Figure 10, the two-layer region 21 is provided with locking portions 22a and 22b that prevent the first partial locking body 11a and the second partial locking body 11b from rotating in a direction that separates them. Specifically, the locking portions 22a and 22b are configured so that a locking hole 22a provided at the start position of the two-layer region 21 of the first partial outer tube portion 12a engages with a protrusion 22b provided at the tip of the two-layer region 21 of the second partial outer tube portion 12b.

In this embodiment, a notch 24 is provided in the first flange portion 13a of the first partial locking body 11a to increase flexibility. Specifically, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, the notch 24 is a combination of a slit 24a of a required width extending radially in the first flange portion 13 and a circular hole 24b provided toward the radial center.

As shown in Figure 11(d), the pipe connector 10 of this embodiment includes a belt 40 for binding the peripheries of multiple partial locking bodies (in this embodiment, the first partial locking body 11a and the second partial locking body 11b) that are fitted together. As shown in Figure 4, the first partial outer tube portion 12a of the first partial locking body 11a has two loop-shaped insertion portions 23 for passing the belt 40 through.

[Effects of this embodiment]
In this embodiment, the locking body 11 is made up of a separable first partial locking body 11a and a second partial locking body 11b, and the multiple partial locking bodies are fitted together, attached to the outer circumferential surface of the corrugated pipe material 5, and screwed together. The locking body 11 has a structure that can be separated into two in the circumferential direction of the outer tubular portion 12 and the flange portion 13. As a result, in this embodiment, even when the corrugated pipe material 5 is passed through the through-holes 2 formed in the structures 1a and 1b to be buried underground and the locking bodies 11 that are screwed onto the outer periphery of the corrugated pipe material 5 are fixed facing each other, the worker can attach the locking body 11 simply by fitting the first partial locking body 11a and the second partial locking body 11b together, and can start tightening by screwing from the attached position.

This embodiment eliminates the need to rotate and move the locking body 11 from the tip of the corrugated pipe 5 to the position where it clamps the underground beam 1a, reducing the amount of work required by the worker and significantly shortening the work time.

When the locking body 11 is divided into a first partial locking body 11a and a second partial locking body 11b, the sizes of the partial locking bodies may be the same. However, in this embodiment, the first partial locking body 11a is larger than the second partial locking body 11b. If the partial locking bodies were the same size (each with a central angle of 180°), installing one partial locking body first would be unstable and could fall, as shown in Figure 11(b). In contrast, in this embodiment, the first partial locking body 11a has a first partial outer cylinder portion 12a that is sufficiently large (with a central angle of 260°). Therefore, as shown in Figure 11(b), the first partial locking body 11a installed first is in contact with the corrugated pipe 5 over a wide area, providing stability and facilitating engagement with the second partial locking body 11b.

When the first partial locking body 11a and the second partial locking body 11b are fitted together, the thickness of each outer tube portion 12 may be constant and the ends of each outer tube portion 12 may be fitted together. However, in this embodiment, when the first partial locking body 11a and the second partial locking body 11b are fitted together, a two-layer region 21 is provided in which the first partial locking body 11a and the second partial locking body 11b overlap so that one side is on the outside and the other is on the inside in the radial direction of the outer tube portion 12.

If the ends of the first and second partial outer tube portions 12a and 12b were to be fitted together, the fitting area would be weak, posing a risk of breakage during on-site tightening. In contrast, in this embodiment, there is a two-layer region 21 where the first and second partial locking bodies 11a and 11b overlap, and the first and second partial locking bodies 11a and 11b are in contact over a wide area of the two-layer region 21. This increases the strength of the fitting area, reducing the risk of breakage.

In addition, in this embodiment, the two-layer region 21 is provided with locking portions 22a and 22b that prevent the first and second partial outer cylinder portions 12a and 12b from rotating in a direction that would separate them. This makes it difficult for the first and second partial locking bodies 11a and 11b to separate, firmly maintaining the mated state.

As described above, the first partial locking body 11a in this embodiment is made of hard resin and is large in size. Therefore, when attaching it to the corrugated pipe material 5 at the work site, a considerable force is required to expand the first partial outer tube portion 12a. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first partial flange portion 13a of the first partial locking body 11a is provided with a notch portion 24 to increase flexibility. This makes the first partial flange portion 13a more flexible, which in turn makes it easier to expand the first partial outer tube portion 12a and attach the first partial locking body 11a to the corrugated pipe material 5.

The locking body 11 is provided with engaging portions 22a and 22b, so that the first partial locking body 11a and the second partial locking body 11b do not easily separate. However, to further securely maintain the mated state, this embodiment is provided with a belt 40 that ties the first partial locking body 11a and the second partial locking body 11b together when they are mated, as shown in Figure 11(d). At the work site, tightening work is performed while they are tied together with the belt 40. The first partial outer cylinder portion 12a of the first partial locking body 11a has two insertion portions 23 through which the belt 40 can pass. This makes tying the belt 40 easier and prevents the worker from misaligning the tying position of the belt 40.

[Effects of other configurations]
The material and thickness of the crushable packing portion 16 are determined so that when the locking body 11 is further screwed in and properly tightened, the thickness of the crushable packing portion 16 is compressed to 1 to 2 mm or less. In addition to the thickness of the crushable packing portion 16 being compressed to 1 to 2 mm or less, the peripheral edge of the crushable packing portion 16 is covered by the peripheral edge of the first packing portion 15, the outer diameter of which has expanded slightly due to the tightening pressure. Therefore, to the worker, the yellow line on the side of the crushable packing portion 16 that was present before tightening was completed appears to gradually become thinner and eventually disappear.

This allows the worker to use the disappearance of the yellow line on the crushable packing portion 16 as a sign that the locking body 11 has been tightened, allowing the worker to tighten the locking body 11 properly.

[First Modification of the Present Embodiment]
The pipe connection structure of this modified example uses the above-mentioned pipe connector 10, a wrapping fastening material 41 of the required length that can be wrapped around and fastened to the outer periphery of the corrugated pipe 5, and a caulking material 43 to connect and fix the corrugated pipe 5 to the through hole 2 formed in the underground beam 1, while also improving watertightness. In this modified example, a soft urethane foam material is used as the wrapping fastening material 41.

In this modified example, as shown in FIG. 11(a), the corrugated pipe material 5 is inserted into the through-hole 2, and the wrapping locking material 41 is wrapped around the outer surface of the corrugated pipe material 5 to secure it. The wrapping locking material 41 can be simply wrapped around the corrugated pipe material 5 to secure it in the desired position, or it can be tied off if necessary. Next, as shown in FIG. 11(b), the corrugated pipe material 5 with the wrapping locking material 41 wrapped around it is inserted into the through-hole 2, and the first partial locking body 11a is attached to the corrugated pipe material 5. Then, as shown in FIG. 11(c), the second partial locking body 11b is fitted. Then, as shown in FIG. 11(d), the outer peripheries of the first partial locking body 11a and the second partial locking body 11b are tied together with a belt 40.

As shown in Figure 6, the second flange portion 13b has a small circular intended injection port portion 18b marked on it. The worker uses a drill to form an injection port along the intended injection port portion 18b, and then, as shown in Figure 12(a), injects caulking material 43 into the injection port using an injection tool 42. At this time, in this modified example, the wrapped locking material 41 is fixed in place, wrapped around the outer surface of the corrugated pipe material 5 at the required position inside the through hole 2. Therefore, the wrapped locking material 41 can act as a wall (partition) inside the through hole 2.

In this modified example, as shown in Figure 12(b), the caulking material 43 can be filled only in the space between the wrapping locking material 41 and the locking body 11. This makes it possible to fill the caulking material 43 more efficiently and in a shorter time than when the caulking material 43 is filled throughout the entire through-hole 2.

[Second Modification of the Present Embodiment]
In this modified example, as shown in Figures 13(a) and 13(b), the pipe connector 10 further includes a mouth body 31 having an inner cylindrical portion 32 that screws into the inner spiral irregularities 6b provided on the inner surface of the corrugated pipe material 5, an inner flange portion 33 formed on the tip side of the inner cylindrical portion 32, a second engaging portion 34 formed on the outside of the inner cylindrical portion 32 and that screws into the inner spiral irregularities 6b provided on the inner surface of the corrugated pipe material 5, and a second gasket portion 35 attached to the inner flange portion 33.

The inner tube portion 32 and inner flange portion 33 are formed from a hard or slightly flexible material such as resin, specifically polyethylene, polycarbonate, ABS, or polypropylene. The inner tube portion 32 has an opening 32a in its center. The inner tube portion 32 is a cylindrical member with an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the corrugated tubing 5. The inner tube portion 32 is inserted into the corrugated tubing 5 from the tip side and is screwed onto the inner surface of the tip of the corrugated tubing 5.

The inner flange portion 33 is a disc-shaped member that extends outward from the entire circumference of the tip of the inner cylindrical portion 32. An annular second packing portion 35 is bonded to the surface of the inner flange portion 33 opposite the tip surface with an adhesive or the like.

The second packing portion 35 has an annular shape, more specifically, a circular ring shape. The second packing portion 35 is a cushioning and flexible material, such as urethane, with closed-cell foam inside. In this modified example, urethane foam with the same physical properties as the packing portion 15 described above is used. The second packing portion 35 has the function of preventing water penetration. Specifically, the second packing portion 35, together with the inner flange portion 33, seals the surface of the underground beam 1 around the through-hole 2, preventing water from penetrating between it and the underground beam 1.

A second engagement portion 34 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 32. In this modified example, a continuous spiral second engagement portion 34 protrudes from the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 32. The mouse body 31 is inserted into the corrugated tubing 5 from the tip side, and the second engagement portion 24 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 32 can rotate while threading into the inner spiral irregularities 6b of the corrugated tubing 5.

As shown in Figure 18, this modified example is suitable for use when underground beams 1ba and 1bb are adjacent to each other with a certain distance between them, and the corrugated pipe material 5 is passed through the through hole 2 of underground beam 1ba before being connected to the through hole 2 of underground beam 1bb. The mouse body 31 of this modified example can be used in combination with the first partial locking body 11a and second partial locking body 11b of the above-mentioned embodiment.

[Other Modifications]
In the above-described embodiment, the lock body 11 is not limited to a configuration that can be separated into two partial lock bodies, but may be a configuration that can be separated into three or more partial lock bodies.

In the above-described embodiment, a continuous spiral engagement portion 14 may be formed on the inner circumferential surface of the outer tubular portion 12 of the locking body 11. Also, three or more engagement portions 14 may be formed on the inner circumferential surface of the outer tubular portion 12.

In the above-described embodiment, the flange portion 13 may have a partially cut-out shape, or may have any shape, such as an ellipse or a polygon. It may also extend obliquely rather than perpendicularly to the outer tube portion 11.

The present invention can be used for pipe connectors that connect and secure corrugated pipes to through holes formed in structures buried underground.

1b Structure (underground beam)
2 Through hole 5 Corrugated pipe material (FEP pipe)
6a Outer peripheral spiral unevenness 10 Pipe connector 11 Locking body 11a First partial locking body 11b Second partial locking body 12 Outer cylindrical portion 12a First partial outer cylindrical portion 12b Second partial outer cylindrical portion 13 Flange portion 13a First partial flange portion 13b Second partial flange portion 14a Engagement portion 15 Packing portion 15a First partial packing portion 15b Second partial packing portion 16 Crushable packing portion 16a First partial crushable packing portion 16b Second partial crushable packing portion 17 Fin portion 17a First partial fin portion 17b Second partial fin portion 18b Injection portion 21 Two-layer region 22a Locking hole (locking portion)
22b Protrusion (locking part)
23 Insertion portion 24a Slit (notch portion)
24b Hole (notch)
40 Belt

Claims (4)

A pipe connector that connects and fixes a corrugated pipe having irregularities formed in a spiral shape at least on its outer circumferential surface to a through hole formed in a structure buried underground by clamping the structure around the through hole using two locking bodies,
the locking body includes an outer tubular portion that screws onto the outer circumferential surface side of the corrugated pipe material, a flange portion formed on the tip side of the outer tubular portion, an engaging portion that is formed inside the outer tubular portion and screws onto the spiral concave and convex on the outer circumferential surface side of the corrugated pipe material, and a packing portion attached to the flange portion,
The locking body is composed of a plurality of separable partial locking bodies, and the plurality of partial locking bodies are fitted to each other and attached to the outer peripheral surface of the corrugated pipe material and screwed together.
the plurality of partial locking bodies are composed of a first partial locking body and a second partial locking body, and the first partial locking body is larger in size than the second partial locking body;
A pipe connector in which a notch for increasing flexibility is provided in the flange portion of the first partial locking body. A pipe connector as described in claim 1, wherein the first partial locking body and the second partial locking body have a two-layer region where they overlap so that one is on the outside and the other is on the inside in the radial direction of the outer cylindrical portion when the first partial locking body and the second partial locking body are fitted together. A pipe connector as described in claim 2, wherein the two-layer region is provided with a locking portion that prevents the first partial locking body and the second partial locking body from rotating in a direction that separates them. A pipe connector according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a belt that binds the peripheries of the multiple partial locking bodies when they are fitted together, and the partial locking bodies are provided with an insertion portion through which the belt passes.