JP2018128088A - Joint and method for connecting pipe to the joint - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a joint capable of easily connecting to a pipe. A joint A includes a joint main body 10, an insert 20, and a tightening ring 30. The joint body has a body portion 11, a flange portion 12, a holding hole portion 14, and a sleeve portion 15. The sleeve portion can be plastically deformed by receiving a pressing force in the radial inward direction at the pressed portion 15a. A pressing portion 32 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the tightening ring 30, and the pressing portion has an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the pressed portion. The insert and the tightening ring are assembled to the joint body 10. The insertion end portion 21 of the insert is fitted into the holding hole portion of the joint body in a tightly fitted state, and a storage space 40 for the refrigerant pipe P is formed between the insert and the sleeve portion. The tightening ring is fitted to the outer periphery of the pressed portion in a tightened state with the pressed portion located on the tip end side of the sleeve portion from the pressed portion. [Selection diagram] Fig. 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a joint connected to an end of a pipe and a method for connecting a pipe to the joint.

  Conventionally, the main material of the refrigerant pipe that connects the indoor unit and the outdoor unit of the air conditioner and exchanges the refrigerant is copper, and the refrigerant pipe is connected by a mechanical joint, welding, brazing or the like. The welding and brazing operations require a great deal of labor and skill. In addition, since welding and brazing use fire, there is a risk of fire occurrence, and at construction sites, both new construction and existing repair work are gradually being used. Furthermore, in recent years, aluminum, which is cheaper than copper, has been used for the refrigerant pipe. Aluminum has a melting temperature close to that of the brazing material and the base metal, and welding equipment is limited at a construction site. Under a restricted environment, aluminum is not suitable for welding and brazing. Therefore, the demand for mechanical joints as connecting means for refrigerant pipes is increasing.

The mechanical joint of Patent Document 1 below is a joint connected to an end of a refrigerant pipe (pipe), and includes a tubular joint body, a tubular insert, and a clamping ring, which are separate from each other. ing.
The joint body has a barrel portion provided at an intermediate portion, a tool-hanging flange portion projecting radially outward from the barrel portion, and a cylindrical sleeve portion extending in the axial direction from the barrel portion. Yes. The sleeve portion has an annular pressed portion that protrudes radially outward. The tightening ring has an equal inner diameter over substantially the entire length, and the inner diameter is smaller than the outer diameter of the pressed portion of the sleeve portion and slightly larger than the outer diameter of the distal end portion of the sleeve portion.

In the joint of Patent Document 1, the joint body, the insert, and the tightening ring are stored in a separated state. Connection work between the joint and the refrigerant pipe will be described.
With the insert inserted into the end of the refrigerant pipe, the end of the refrigerant pipe is passed through the fastening ring and inserted into the sleeve portion of the joint body.
Next, the clamping ring is moved to the outer periphery of the sleeve portion.
Next, a pair of engaging portions of the clamping tool are put on the front end surface of the tightening ring and the flange portion of the joint body, and these engaging portions are brought close to each other to push the tightening ring toward the flange portion. As a result, the inner peripheral surface of the tightening ring presses the pressed portion of the sleeve portion radially inward, and plastically deforms the sleeve portion. As a result, the end of the refrigerant tube is coupled between the sleeve portion and the insert.

Special table 2014-504353 gazette

  In the joint, since the joint body, the insert, and the tightening ring are separated before the pipe is connected to the joint, the above-described work procedure is required, and the connection work is complicated. In addition, when connecting the refrigerant pipe, there is a possibility that poor coupling of the refrigerant pipe due to forgetting to insert, and poor clamping due to tightening with the clamping ring reversed.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a joint according to the present invention is a joint connected to an end of a pipe, and includes a tubular joint body, a tubular insert, and a tightening ring. Is a barrel portion provided in the intermediate portion, a flange portion for tool hook projecting radially outward from the barrel portion, a holding hole portion formed on the inner periphery of the barrel portion, and an axis line from the barrel portion A cylindrical sleeve portion extending in a direction, and the sleeve portion has an annular pressed portion protruding in a radially outward direction, the inner diameter of which is larger than the inner diameter of the holding hole portion. Can be plastically deformed by receiving a pressing force in the radially inward direction, and an annular pressing portion is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the clamping ring, and the pressing portion is a pressed portion of the sleeve portion. Has an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of
In a state before the pipe is connected, the insert and the tightening ring are assembled to the joint body, and the insertion end portion on the back side of the insert is in a state of being fitted into the holding hole of the joint body. An annular receiving space for inserting the end of the pipe is formed between the insert and the sleeve portion of the joint body, and the pressing ring has the pressing portion as the sleeve. In a state of being positioned closer to the distal end side of the sleeve portion than the pressed portion of the portion, the sleeve portion is fitted to the outer periphery of the pressed portion of the sleeve portion in an interference fit state.

According to the above configuration, since the joint body, the insert, and the tightening ring are assembled in advance before connecting the pipe, the insert is attached to the pipe in advance or the pipe is passed through the tightening ring before the joint is connected to the pipe. Or moving the tightening ring to the outer periphery of the sleeve, just insert the pipe into the accommodation space between the insert and the sleeve, and tighten the tightening ring and the flange with a tool. Since it is good, connection work can be performed easily. Further, when connecting the joint and the pipe, it is possible to prevent a construction error such as forgetting to attach the insert or wrong direction of the tightening ring, and it is possible to eliminate the occurrence of poor connection.
Further, since the insert and the tightening ring are assembled to the joint body by an interference fit, the configuration can be simplified.

Preferably, in the state before the interference fit, the outer diameter of the insertion end portion of the insert is formed larger than the inner diameter of the holding hole portion of the joint body, and the insertion end portion of the insert is press-fitted into the holding hole portion. Is inserted.
Preferably, in the state before the interference fit, the outer diameter of the pressed portion of the sleeve portion is formed larger than the inner diameter of the end portion on the sleeve portion side of the clamping ring, and the pressed portion of the sleeve portion is The clamping ring is inserted into one end of the clamping ring in a press-fitted state.

Preferably, an annular sub-pressing portion is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the tightening ring on the side opposite to the pressed portion of the sleeve portion as viewed from the pressing portion, and the sub-pressing portion is the sleeve portion. The tip portion has an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter, and is separated from the tip portion in the axial direction of the sleeve portion.
According to the above configuration, when the tightening ring is tightened toward the flange portion using a tool, in addition to the pressing portion of the tightening ring pressing the sleeve portion, the sub-pressing portion reduces the diameter of the distal end portion of the sleeve portion. Since the end portion of the pipe is brought into close contact between the tip portion of the sleeve portion and the insert by being pressed inward in the direction, the coupling strength of the pipe can be increased.

Preferably, a passage hole portion adjacent to the holding hole portion is formed on the inner side of the body portion of the joint body on the back side of the holding hole portion, and the passage hole portion is formed in the holding hole portion. It has an inner diameter equal to the inner diameter of the inserted insert.
According to the above configuration, the passage hole of the joint body and the inner periphery of the insert are connected without any step, so that no pressure loss occurs in the fluid flowing in the joint.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method of connecting a pipe to the joint, the step of inserting an end of the pipe into an accommodation space between a sleeve portion of the joint body and the insert, and the tightening A pair of engaging portions of the tool are put on the front end surface of the ring and the flange portion, and the engaging portions are brought close to each other, thereby moving the tightening ring toward the flange portion, and thereby the tightening ring. The pressed portion of the sleeve portion is pressed radially inward by the pressing portion to plastically deform the sleeve portion radially inward, and the end portion of the pipe is in close contact between the sleeve portion and the insert. And a step of combining with each other.
According to the said structure, a pipe and a coupling can be connected easily.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to easily connect a pipe and a joint and eliminate connection failure.

It is sectional drawing which decomposes | disassembles and shows the coupling which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention to a coupling main body, an insert, and a clamping ring. It is a fragmentary sectional view of the joint concerning the embodiment. It is a fragmentary sectional view showing a state just before inserting a refrigerant pipe in a joint in a connection process of a joint and a refrigerant pipe in the embodiment. It is a fragmentary sectional view showing the state where the end of a refrigerant pipe was inserted in a joint in the connection process. In the same connection process, it is a fragmentary sectional view showing the state where the end of the refrigerant pipe was combined with the joint by tightening the tightening ring toward the flange with a clamping tool.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The joint A of this embodiment is used for connecting the refrigerant pipes in the refrigerant pipe connecting the indoor unit and the outdoor unit of the air conditioner.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the joint A includes a joint body 10, an insert 20, and a tightening ring 30.
The joint body 10 is made of metal (in this embodiment, made of aluminum) and is formed in a tubular shape, and one side and the other side are symmetrical when viewed from the center in the axial direction.

The joint body 10 includes an axially central barrel portion 11, an annular tool-hanging flange portion 12 projecting radially outward from both ends of the trunk portion 11, and a passage formed in the central portion of the trunk portion 11. It has a hole 13 and a holding hole 14 formed at both ends of the body 11 and continuing adjacent to the passage hole 13. The inner diameter D ₁ of the holding hole 14 is larger than the inner diameter of the passage hole 13.

  The joint body 10 further includes a cylindrical sleeve portion 15 extending coaxially from both ends of the body portion 11. The sleeve portion 15 is formed to be thinner than the body portion 11 and can be plastically deformed by receiving a pressing force in the radially inward direction.

The sleeve portion 15 has the same inner diameter over the entire length, and the inner diameter is larger than the inner diameter D ₁ of the holding hole portion 14.
The outer surface of the sleeve portion 15 is tapered toward the tip except for the intermediate portion. An annular pressed portion 15a bulging radially outward is formed at the intermediate portion of the sleeve. The outer diameter of the pressed portion 15a is gently increased toward the distal end of the sleeve 10, the end 15b is formed into a maximum diameter D _2.

  The insert 20 is made of metal (in this embodiment, made of aluminum) and is formed in a tubular shape. As shown in FIG. 2, the insert 20 has an insertion end portion 21, a positioning flange portion 22, and a support cylinder portion 23 in order from the back end side to the tip end side in an assembled state to be described later. .

A outer diameter D ₃ of the insertion end portion 21 is constant over substantially the entire length slightly larger than the inner diameter D ₁ of the holding hole portion 14 of the joint body 10. However, the back end of the insertion end 21 has a tapered taper.

  The positioning flange portion 22 protrudes radially outward from the insertion end portion 21 and has an annular shape. The outer diameter of the support cylinder portion 23 is smaller than the inner diameter of the sleeve portion 15. The inner diameter of the insert 20 is constant over the entire length and is equal to the inner diameter of the passage hole portion 13 of the body portion 11 of the joint body 10.

The tightening ring 30 is made of metal (in this embodiment, made of aluminum) and has an axial dimension shorter than that of the sleeve portion 15. The tightening ring 30 has an assembly hole portion 31, a pressing portion 32, and a sub pressing portion 33 in order in a direction away from the body portion 11 of the joint body 10.
The inner diameter _{D 4} of the assembling hole 31 is constant over substantially the entire length slightly smaller than the outer diameter _{D 2} of the end 15b of the pressed portion 15a.

  The pressing portion 32 includes a first portion 32 a that is continuous with the assembly hole portion 31 and a second portion 32 b that is separated from the assembly hole portion 31. The inner diameter of the first portion 32a decreases as the distance from the assembly hole 31 increases. The inner diameter of the second portion 32b is constant. The minimum inner diameter of the pressing portion 32 (that is, the inner diameter of the second portion 32b) is smaller than the minimum outer diameter of the pressed portion 15a of the joint body 10 (the outer diameter of the end 15c near the tool hooking flange portion 12).

  The sub-pressing portion 33 has a first portion 33 a adjacent to the pressing portion 32 and a second portion 33 b separated from the pressing portion 32. As the first portion 33a moves away from the pressing portion 32, the inner diameter decreases. The second portion 33b has a constant inner diameter. The minimum inner diameter of the sub-pressing portion 33 (that is, the inner diameter of the second portion 33b) is smaller than the minimum outer diameter of the distal end portion of the sleeve portion 15, and is the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the refrigerant pipe P connected to the joint A. large.

  As will be described later, molybdenum disulfide, which is a solid lubricant, is used on the inner peripheral surface of the tightening ring 30 as a lubricant for moving the tightening ring 30 on the sleeve portion 15 toward the flange portion 12. It is coated.

The joint A is assembled in advance at the factory as shown in FIG. Details will be described below.
First, the insert 20 is assembled to the joint body 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the insertion end portion 21 of the insert 20 is directed toward the joint body 10, and the respective axes of the joint body 10 and the insert 20 are made to coincide. The tapered tip of the insertion end portion 21 is inserted into the holding hole portion 14 of the joint body 10, and the joint body 10 and the insert 20 are pressed together in the axial direction. When a certain force or more is applied, as shown in FIG. 2, the connecting tube portion 21 b of the insertion end portion 21 is pushed into the holding hole portion 14, and the positioning flange portion 22 is connected to the inner periphery of the trunk portion 11 and the sleeve portion. It hits an annular step between 15 inner circumferences. In this way, the insert 20 is assembled to the joint body 10 by the insertion end 21 being inserted into the holding hole 14 in a press-fitted state (tightened).

  In the assembled state, an accommodation space 40 is formed between the support tube portion 23 of the insert 20 and the sleeve portion 15 of the joint body 10. The passage hole 13 of the joint body 10 and the inner periphery of the insert 20 are connected without any step. As a result, no pressure loss is caused in the refrigerant flowing in the joint A. The distal end of the support cylinder portion 23 protrudes from the distal end of the sleeve portion 15.

Subsequently, the fastening ring 30 is assembled to the joint body 10. The assembly hole portion 31 of the tightening ring 30 is directed toward the joint body 10, and the distal end portion of the sleeve portion 15 of the joint body 10 is inserted into the tightening ring 30. The joint body 10 and the fastening ring 30 are pressed against each other in the axial direction in a state where the respective axes of the joint body 10 and the fastening ring 30 are aligned. When a force exceeding a certain level is applied, the pressed portion 15a of the sleeve portion 15 is pushed into the assembly hole portion 31 of the tightening ring 30 as shown in FIG. That is, the sleeve portion 15 is inserted into the tightening ring 30 in a press-fit state, whereby the tightening ring 30 is assembled to the joint body 10 by an interference fit.
In the assembled state, the pressing portion 32 of the tightening ring 30 is located on the distal end side with respect to the pressed portion 15 a of the sleeve portion 15.

An aluminum refrigerant pipe P (pipe) is connected to the joint A assembled in advance as described above at the construction site. This connection operation will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 3, a marking M is attached to the end portion of the refrigerant pipe P at a position away from the tip by a predetermined distance. The marking M has an L-shape having a mark portion Ma extending in the circumferential direction and a mark portion Mb extending in the axial direction from one end of the mark portion Ma in the direction opposite to the tip. Further, an adhesive G is applied to the end of the refrigerant pipe P between the position where the marking M is formed and the tip.

As shown in FIG. 4, the end portion of the refrigerant pipe P is inserted into the accommodation space 40, and the front end surface of the refrigerant pipe P is abutted against the positioning flange portion 22 of the insert 20. It can be confirmed that the refrigerant pipe P has been inserted to the set depth by this contact. Further, since the mark portion Mb of the marking M is hidden in the fastening ring 30, insertion of the set depth can be confirmed.
The adhesive G applied to the outer peripheral surface of the end portion of the refrigerant pipe P fills minute scratches on the outer peripheral surface and ensures a sealed state with the sleeve portion 15 of the joint body 10.

  Next, the pair of jaw portions 51 and 52 (engagement portions) of the clamping tool 50 are hung on the front end surface of the tightening ring 30 and the tool hooking flange portion 12 so as to hold them. The pinching tool 50 is a tool for relatively approaching a pair of jaw portions 51 and 52 facing each other while maintaining a parallel state.

  When the clamping ring 30 is moved toward the tool hooking flange portion 12 by the clamping tool 50, the first portion 32a having the taper of the pressing portion 32 of the clamping ring 30 causes the pressed portion 15a of the sleeve portion 15 to be pressed. By pressing inward in the radial direction, the sleeve portion 15 is plastically deformed inward in the radial direction.

  Due to the plastic deformation in the radially inward direction of the sleeve portion 15, the end portion of the refrigerant pipe P in the accommodation space 40 and the support cylinder portion 23 of the insert 20 are also plastically deformed. As a result, the refrigerant pipe P is firmly coupled to the sleeve portion 15 and the insert 20.

  When the tightening ring 30 is further moved, the end of the refrigerant pipe P is formed by the first portion 33a having a taper of the sub-pressing portion 33 of the tightening ring 30 pressing the distal end portion of the sleeve portion 15 radially inward. The part is pressed against the support cylinder part 23. Thereby, the coupling | bonding with the refrigerant | coolant pipe | tube P, the sleeve part 15, and the insert 20 becomes still stronger.

  When the clamping ring 30 is moved close to the tool hooking flange portion 12, the second portion 32b of the pressing portion 32 reaches the pressed portion 15a of the sleeve portion 15, and the second portion 33b of the auxiliary pressing portion 33 is the sleeve portion. 15 is reached, and the pressing state to the sleeve portion 15 is maintained.

  The connection work of the pipe P to the joint A is completed as described above. When this connection is completed, the mark portion Ma of the marking M is exposed from the tip of the sleeve portion 15. Thereby, the completion of the connection work can be confirmed, and it can be reconfirmed that the refrigerant pipe P is connected to the joint A to the set depth.

  In the connected state, the distal end portion of the sleeve portion 15 protrudes from the distal end of the fastening ring 30 and tries to return slightly to the original diameter due to elasticity. As a result, the distal end portion of the sleeve portion 15 functions to prevent the fastening ring 30 from coming off.

  If a lubricant is applied to the inner peripheral surface of the fastening ring 30, the clamping tool 50 can move the fastening ring 30 with a smaller force when moving the fastening ring 30, and the sleeve. Generation | occurrence | production of the abnormal deformation | transformation in the part 15, the outer periphery scraping, etc. is suppressed.

  In the joint A of this embodiment, since the insert 20 and the fastening ring 30 are assembled in advance to the joint body 10, the joint A and the refrigerant pipe P can be easily connected. Further, it is possible to prevent a connection failure due to a construction mistake such as forgetting to attach the insert 20 or an error in the arrangement direction of the tightening ring 30.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, In the range which does not deviate from the summary, various modifications can be employ | adopted.
The fitting between the insertion end of the insert and the holding hole of the joint body and the fitting of the fastening ring and the outer periphery of the sleeve portion of the joint body are not limited to the interference fit of the above embodiment, but other interference fits. There may be.
In the said embodiment, although the press part and the sub press part were formed in the inner periphery of a clamping ring, you may provide only a press part.
In the above embodiment, the same pipe connection structure is provided at both ends of the joint of the straight pipe, but a connection structure such as a screw for connecting to an air conditioner or the like may be provided on one side, and different diameters may be provided at both ends. These pipes may be connected.
The joint may be replaced with a straight pipe, a curved pipe, a branch pipe, or the like.
In the above embodiment, the joint body, the insert, the fastening ring, and the refrigerant pipe are all made of the same metal, but they may be made of different metals. In that case, in order to prevent different metal contact corrosion, a member in contact with a different metal may be coated with an insulator.
The application target is not limited to the joint for connecting the refrigerant pipe of the air conditioner, but can also be applied to the joint for connecting the refrigerant pipe of other equipment such as a refrigeration equipment, and the joint for connecting other pipes. .

  The present invention can be widely used as a joint connected to an end of a pipe.

A Joint P Refrigerant tube (pipe)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Joint body 11 Body part 12 Tooling flange part 13 Passage hole part 14 Holding hole part 15 Sleeve part 15a Pressed part 20 Insert 21 Insertion end part 30 Clamping ring 31 Assembly hole part (Sleeve part side of clamping ring) End)
32 Pressing part 33 Sub pressing part 40 Storage space 50 Clamping tool (tool)
51,52 Chin part (engagement part)

Claims (6)

A joint connected to the end of the pipe, comprising a tubular joint body, a tubular insert, and a clamping ring;
The joint main body includes a barrel portion provided at an intermediate portion, a flange portion for tool hook projecting radially outward from the barrel portion, a holding hole portion formed on an inner periphery of the barrel portion, and the barrel A cylindrical sleeve portion extending in the axial direction from the portion,
The sleeve portion has an annular pressed portion whose inner diameter is larger than the inner diameter of the holding hole portion and protrudes radially outward, and is plasticized by receiving a pressing force in the radially inward direction at the pressed portion. Is deformable,
An annular pressing portion is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the tightening ring, and the pressing portion has an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the pressed portion of the sleeve portion,
In the state before connection of the pipe, the insert and the clamping ring are assembled to the joint body,
In order to insert the end portion of the pipe between the insert and the sleeve portion of the joint body, the insertion end portion on the back side of the insert is fitted into the holding hole portion of the joint body in a tight-fitting state. An annular storage space is formed,
The tightening ring is fitted into the outer periphery of the pressed portion of the sleeve portion in a tight-fitting state with the pressing portion positioned on the distal end side of the sleeve portion from the pressed portion of the sleeve portion. A joint characterized by   In the state before the interference fit, the outer diameter of the insertion end of the insert is formed larger than the inner diameter of the holding hole of the joint body, and the insertion end of the insert is inserted into the holding hole in a press-fit state. The joint according to claim 1, wherein:   In the state before the interference fit, the outer diameter of the pressed portion of the sleeve portion is formed larger than the inner diameter of the end portion on the sleeve portion side of the clamping ring, and the pressed portion of the sleeve portion is The joint according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the joint is inserted into one end of the ring in a press-fitted state.   An annular sub-pressing portion is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the clamping ring on the side opposite to the pressed portion of the sleeve portion as viewed from the pressing portion, and the sub-pressing portion is a tip portion of the sleeve portion. The joint according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the joint has an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the sleeve part and is separated from the tip part in the axial direction of the sleeve part.   A passage hole adjacent to the holding hole is formed on the inner periphery of the body portion of the joint body on the back side of the holding hole, and the passage hole is fitted into the holding hole. The joint according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the joint has an inner diameter equal to the inner diameter of the insert. A method for connecting a pipe to the joint according to claim 1,
Inserting the end portion of the pipe into the accommodating space between the sleeve portion of the joint body and the insert;
A pair of engaging portions of the tool are hung on the front end surface of the tightening ring and the flange portion, and the engaging portions are brought close to each other, thereby moving the tightening ring toward the flange portion, and thereby the tightening portion. The pressed part of the sleeve part is pressed radially inward by the pressing part of the attached ring to plastically deform the sleeve part radially inward, and the end of the pipe is interposed between the sleeve part and the insert. Bonding in close contact with
A method of connecting a pipe to a joint, comprising:

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