JPS6329156B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a pipe joint, and more particularly, it is suitable for use with flexible pipes made of nylon, polyurethane, etc., and is particularly suitable for smooth insertion and locking of pipes.
It is reliable and prevents damage to the locking body inside the pipe fitting.
This invention relates to a pipe joint that eliminates the risk of deformation.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, various structures have been developed as pipe joints for connecting flexible pipes for transferring fluid.

This type of pipe joint has a plurality of pieces, for example, 4 pieces, which are arranged on the inner wall of the joint body at equal intervals in the circumferential direction so as to narrow toward the back from the insertion end of the pipe. When inserting a tube, the tips of the locking claws are pushed apart by the tube end to allow insertion of the tube, and when the tube is moved in the direction of removal, the tube is held back by frictional force etc. It is designed to be embedded into the outer wall of the building to prevent it from falling out.

In addition, when the tube is removed, a release means such as a release ring is separately provided to push the tip of the locking claw apart and forcibly release it from the outside wall of the tube.

The structure of the lock claw of a conventional pipe joint like this is
Since the locking pawl itself requires a certain degree of rigidity, the locking pawl itself is made relatively thick to ensure the necessary rigidity, and the tip of the pawl is made to have a good grip on the outer wall of the pipe. Focusing only on the shape,
For example, it was formed into a sharp blade shape.

However, when formed as described above, the lock pawl itself has rigidity and lacks elasticity, so once the blade of the lock pawl slips on the outer wall of the pipe, the lock pawl cannot easily follow the movement of the pipe. The problem is that the binding is extremely poor. The above disadvantages are particularly noticeable when the tube is made of a relatively hard material. In order for the lock pawl to easily follow the movement of the pipe, the lock pawl itself needs to be formed thin, but it lacks rigidity.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the inventor punched out a flat elastic body such as phosphor bronze in an annular shape, as shown in FIG. He proposed a locking body in which notches 1 and 2 were formed alternately and filed a patent application (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 81293/1983).

As shown in FIG. 2, this locking body 3 is fitted and held in a groove 6 provided in the guide ring 5 of the joint body 4, and has a notch 2 formed in the outer wall of the pipe 7 to be inserted. The inner diameter end edge of No. 3 is made to bite into it. Reference numeral 8 denotes an elastic sleeve, which abuts the inner diameter edge portion from inside to supplement the elasticity of the inner diameter edge portion. Reference numeral 9 denotes a release ring which, when pushed in in the axial direction when the tube is removed, spreads out the inner diameter edge of the locking body 3, allowing the tube 7 to be removed.

Since the locking body 3 has a ring shape connected in a zigzag pattern, when the tube 7 is inserted and the inner diameter edge is pushed apart, the reaction force of twisting near the inner diameter edge in the tube insertion direction, etc. A strong spring characteristic unique to the ring-like shape is created. Therefore, even if the locking body 3 itself is formed into a thin wall, strong spring properties can be obtained in combination with the replenishment of elasticity from the elastic sleeve 8. Moreover, this spring force is different from conventional rigid ones, and is a so-called strong spring force, so it easily follows the outer wall of the tube even if it moves slightly in the direction of withdrawal after the tube is inserted. However, it embeds into the outer wall of the pipe and effectively prevents it from coming out, and once it is embeded into the outer wall of the pipe, it does not generate any more digging force than necessary, and it does not cause problems such as embedding marks on the outer wall of the pipe due to aging. It has the advantage of being free.

However, since the above-mentioned locking body 3 is formed into a flat plate shape as a whole, it has been found that there are the following difficulties. That is, as the tube 7 is pushed in, the inner diameter edge of the locking body 3 is pushed out using the outer diameter edge as a fulcrum, but this deformation occurs because the locking body 3 is flat. This will cover the entire area. To explain in more detail, when the inner diameter edge is pushed wider by the insertion of the tube, the notch 2 on the inner diameter edge tends to widen due to the tensile force acting on the zigzag connection, and conversely, the outer diameter edge The notch 1 of is narrowed. As a result, when the inner diameter edge is pushed out, the outer diameter of the outer diameter edge becomes smaller, and when the tube 7 is pushed in, the fulcrum of the outer diameter edge in the groove 6 shifts as shown by the broken line in Figure 3. , the angle of inclination of the inner diameter edge to the outer wall of the tube 7 becomes gentler than the set value, and the attachment of the inner diameter edge to the outer wall of the tube 7 becomes worse accordingly.
In some cases, there is a possibility that the outer diameter edge may come off from the groove 6.

Problems also arise when the tube 7 is removed by the release ring 9. That is, when the locking body 3 is embedded in the outer wall of the tube 7 at the above-mentioned misaligned position, the locking body 3 is deeper than the set position and is deformed and tilted to a greater extent than the set position, and is embedded in the outer wall of the pipe 7. In order to release the engagement of the locking body 3 with the release ring 9, it is necessary to push the release ring 9 further inward than the set position. If there is a limit to this, the problem arises that it cannot be removed. Furthermore, at the time of removal, it is necessary to further deform the locking body 3, which has been deformed more than the setting as described above, to release the biting, so that the above deformation exceeds the elastic limit of the locking body 3. , a situation may occur in which it becomes impossible to reuse.

Also, when the locking body 3 is wedged into the outer wall of the tube 7 at the position where the locking body 3 returns from the above-mentioned deviated position to the normal position in the groove 6 due to its elastic force, the tube 7 is pushed back in the withdrawal direction when returning. Because it will get stuck,
The tube 7 may not be fixed at the predetermined insertion position, causing fluid leakage, and if the release ring 9 is pushed in during removal, the tube 7 may be inserted slightly to the initial insertion position while being embedded in the locking body 3. Since the release ring 9 tries to push out the inner diameter edge of the locking body 3,
The situation is exactly the same as in the above case, and the same difficulties as above occur.

In this way, when the tube 7 is inserted into the locking body 3, it opens uniformly outward, and when the tube 7 is pulled in the withdrawal direction, it smoothly rises and moves largely in the axial direction, and the tube 7 It is desirable for the locking body 3 to be sufficiently embedded in the locking body 3 and to open widely outward when the locking body 3 is released from the biting. The rigidity of the locking body is lost, the tip of the locking body rises in the axial direction, and it is made of an elastic member, so even if the tube is inserted with a slight deviation from the axial direction, the locking body will not move. This results in a contradiction in that the tube collides violently with only a portion of the tube, causing the locking body to be damaged, deformed, or dislodged from its fixed position. Moreover, since a clearance is required between the tube and the release ring 9, it is difficult to avoid inserting the tube from an oblique direction.
The method of preserving the pipe itself is to wind it into a coil and cut it for immediate use, so the pipe itself has strong curls and tends to be inserted diagonally into pipe joints. Therefore, if the pushed-in tube collides with and presses only a portion of the locking pawl of the locking body, there is a great danger that the locking pawl itself will bend beyond its elastic limit and will not return to its original shape.

The present invention relates to improvements in the above points, and its purpose is to ensure smooth insertion and locking of tubes.
The purpose is to provide a pipe joint that is reliable and can prevent damage and deformation of the locking body inside the pipe joint, and its characteristics are that the pipe fitted in the joint body and inserted into the joint body cannot be pulled out. A locking body that prevents movement in the direction by the locking end biting into the outer wall surface of the pipe, and the locking end biting into the front pipe by pressing the locking end of the locking body at the moving position. In the pipe joint, a release ring is supported on the joint body so as to be movable at least within a predetermined range in the axial direction of the joint body, and a stopper is installed on the outer periphery of the locking end to prevent excessive release of the tip of the locking end. It is located in a surrounding area.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 10 denotes a nearly cylindrical joint body, and inside this there is a first step 1 from the tube insertion end side.
A first step, a second step 12, and a third step 13 are formed, and the inner diameter is successively reduced by each step. 14 is the flange 15 on the first step 11.
It is a substantially cylindrical guide ring fixed within the joint body 10 for joining, and a regulating step 16 is provided on its axially central inner wall, and an annular groove 17 is provided around its inner end. The whole thing is made of brass. The inner diameter of the joint body 10 is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the nylon or polyurethane tube 18 to be inserted due to the second step 12,
The third step 13 positions the insertion tip of the tube 18 to be inserted.

Reference numeral 19 denotes an elastic sleeve, which is made of an elastic member such as rubber and molded into a substantially cylindrical shape. An annular escape groove 20 is formed in the left end edge of the elastic sleeve 19. Reference numeral 21 denotes a sealing portion consisting of protrusions arranged in parallel on the outer circumferential surface of the elastic sleeve 19.

22 is a locking body, which is made by punching a thin (about 0.2 mm), flat plate-like elastic material such as phosphor bronze into an annular shape, and has an inner diameter edge and an outer diameter edge. A large number of radial cuts 23, 24 are alternately formed from each of the radial cuts 23, 24.

The locking body 22 is loosely fitted into the annular groove 17 at its outer diameter edge, and its inner diameter edge sinks into the outer wall of the inserted tube 18 to prevent the tube 18 from slipping out. The outer peripheral edge of the locking body 22 on the side where the locking body 24 is formed is connected to the tube 18 over a predetermined width.
It is bent in the insertion direction and has a dogleg shape in cross section, and its outer diameter edge is in contact with the corresponding corner of the annular groove 17 or the wall surface of the annular groove 17 on the corner side. It's summery. 17a is a locking body 22
The stopper constitutes a main part of the present invention,
A tapered ring shape is formed by narrowing the tip of the guide ring 14, and the annular groove 1
7 is formed at its root.

25 is a substantially cylindrical release ring (fourth
), the enlarged diameter step 26 comes into contact with the regulating step 16 of the guide ring 14, while the guide ring 1
It is fitted and supported by the guide ring 14 so that its axial movement range is restricted by the collar portion 27 coming into contact with the tube insertion end of the tube 4 . The outer circumferential surface of the release ring 25 is formed in a tapered shape such that the diameter decreases from the diameter-enlarging step 26 toward the tip, and the inner diameter edge of the locking body 22 is pushed toward the elastic sleeve 19 at the tip. ing. As a result, the inner diameter edge of the locking body 22 is deformed into a conical shape, and the inner diameter edge is positioned so as to slightly protrude inward from the outer wall surface of the tube 18 into which it is inserted.

In the above configuration, when the tube 18 is inserted into the joint body 10 from the direction of the release ring 25, the tube 18 separates the inner diameter edge of the locking body 22 from the tube outer wall surface while resisting the elastic force of the inner diameter edge. The tube 18 is inserted into a predetermined position where the distal end of the tube 18 comes into contact with the third step 13.

When the pipe 18 is inserted into the pipe joint with the above configuration from an oblique direction with respect to the axial direction of the pipe joint, the distal end of the pipe 18 comes into contact with the locking body 22, and then the locking body 22 is warped, and then The outer peripheral side near the tip of the locking body 22 abuts against the stopper 17a, and is supported by the stopper in a pillow-like manner, and is supported by the high rigidity of the stopper 17a.
Since the direction of movement of the tube 18 inserted along the tapered surface of a is changed, the tube 18 is guided toward the center, which is the axial direction of the pipe joint, without having to reinsert the tube 18, and the tube can be inserted smoothly. Complete. This prevents the tip of the locking body from excessively warping beyond its elastic limit, and the locking body is completely prevented from being damaged, deformed, or pulled out.

Figure 8 shows the stopper 17a and the guide ring 14.
This is an example of a stopper 17a formed separately from the stopper 17a, in which a tapered cone 32 supported by a cylindrical support ring 30 and formed of a highly rigid metal functions as the stopper. In this way, the stopper 17a and the guide ring 14 can be configured separately, but by configuring them as one body, the following effects can be achieved. That is, the tip of the guide ring 14 is cut from the inside to make it thinner, and the locking body 22 is placed within the step formed by this.
The groove 17 that holds the locking body 22 and the stopper 17a are formed by narrowing the thin part at the tip of the guide ring into a tapered cone shape.
Not only can this be molded at the same time, but also the stopper 17a prevents the locking body 22 from popping out from the guide ring 14, which simplifies the assembly work when assembling the pipe joint. When forming a taper cone by narrowing down the tip of the guide ring 14, it is difficult to narrow down the entire guide ring 14 uniformly, so it will have a slightly wavy shape compared to a complete taper cone, but this degree of deformation is not suitable for functioning as a stopper. There is no problem at all and it can withstand use even though it has an inner flange shape.

In this way, according to the present invention, damage to the lock claw of the locking body can be prevented by simply installing a stopper.
There is no fear of deformation or pulling out, and since the stopper guides the tube, it can be used even with strongly curled tubes.The tube is inserted smoothly and reliably, so it is always locked under certain conditions. Reliable pipe connections can be made even with pipe fittings installed in positions that are difficult to insert. Furthermore, when the guide ring and the stopper are integrated, the pipe joint can be easily assembled.

Although the present invention has been variously explained above with reference to preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and it goes without saying that many modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a conventional locking body, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the structure of a conventional pipe joint incorporating this locking body, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of this pipe joint. FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the pipe joint according to the present invention, and FIG.
Figures a and b are front views and sectional views of the locking body, Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of operation, Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of the locking body, and Figure 8 is a guide for the stopper. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a stopper formed separately from a ring. 1, 2... Notch, 3... Locking body, 4... Joint body, 5... Guide ring, 6... Concave groove, 7...
...Pipe, 8...Elastic sleeve, 9...Release ring, 10...Joint body, 11...First step, 12
...Second step, 13...Third step, 14...Guide ring, 15...Flame, 16...Regulation step, 1
7... Annular groove, 17a... Stopper, 18...
Pipe, 19... Elastic sleeve, 20... Relief groove,
21... Seal portion, 22... Locking body, 23, 24
... Notch, 25 ... Release ring, 26 ... Diameter expansion step, 27 ... Flange, 30 ... Support ring, 32 ...
...Tapered cone.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A locking body that is fitted into a joint body and prevents movement of the tube inserted into the joint body in the withdrawal direction by having its locking end embedded in the outer wall surface of the tube. and a release ring supported movably within a predetermined range at least in the axial direction of the joint body in order to press the locking end of the locking body in the moving position and control the locking end biting into the pipe. 1. A pipe joint comprising: a stopper provided near the outer periphery of the locking end for preventing excessive release of the tip of the locking end. 2. The pipe joint according to claim 1, wherein the stopper has a tapered ring shape. 3. The pipe joint according to claim 1, wherein the stopper is a stopper formed by constricting the tip of a guide ring that holds the locking body into a tapered ring shape.