JP7695854B2 - Air conditioning seals - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a sealing member used to ensure airtightness in air conditioning equipment that regulates temperature, humidity, and ventilation in buildings, and in particular to an air conditioning sealing member that seals between connecting pipes in air conditioning components such as air conditioning ducts and air conditioning chambers.

As a connection structure between two air conditioning components such as air conditioning ducts and air conditioning chambers in a building's air conditioning equipment, it is known to provide a connection pipe at each end of the air conditioning components and fit these two connection pipes together to form a double pipe (see Patent Documents 1 and 2, etc.). An annular seal member is provided in the annular gap between the two connection pipes. The seal member in Patent Document 1 has pleats at one end and the center in the axial direction of a cylindrical base. The base is attached to the outer periphery of the inner connection pipe. Each pleat rises from the outer periphery of the base radially outward at an angle toward the other end in the axial direction, bends midway, and extends straight outward in the radial direction.

The outer connecting pipe is fitted onto the outer periphery of the inner connecting pipe from the outside of one end in the axial direction, and a seal member is interposed between these connecting pipes. When fitting the outer connecting pipe, the pleats are tilted forward in the fitting direction of the outer connecting pipe. The rising part of the pleats is inclined forward in the fitting direction, so it easily falls. This reduces the resistance from the seal member during the fitting operation.

Utility Model Registration No. 3012027 JP 2019-011944 A (FIGS. 4 and 5)

When the sealing member of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 is attached to the inner connecting pipe, the orientation may be mistaken and the installation direction may be reversed. In that case, when fitting the outer connecting pipe into the inner connecting pipe, the rising part of the pleats must be tilted in the opposite direction to the inclination direction, making it difficult to fit them together. If an attempt is made to forcibly fit them together, the entire sealing member may be pushed and displaced, causing it to come off the inner connecting pipe. In addition, airtightness may be affected.
In view of the above circumstances, the present invention has an object to prevent any problems in the operation of connecting pipes and airtightness even if an air conditioning seal member is attached in the reverse direction.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an annular air-conditioning seal member that provides an air-tight seal between a first connecting pipe in an air-conditioning system and a second connecting pipe that is fitted around an outer periphery of the first connecting pipe, the annular air-conditioning seal member comprising:
The flange has a cylindrical base attached to the outer periphery of the first connecting pipe, and three or more annular pleat portions protruding radially outward from the base and spaced apart from each other in the axial direction, and among these pleat portions, the pleat portions at both ends in the axial direction are characterized in that their deformation resistance inward in the axial direction is lower than their deformation resistance outward in the axial direction.

According to this seal member, even if the first connecting pipe is attached in the opposite direction to the first connecting pipe, when the second connecting pipe is fitted to the outer periphery, the pleat portion that first comes into contact with the second connecting pipe is deformed so as to collapse forward in the fitting direction (inward in the axial direction) with low resistance. Therefore, the second connecting pipe can be easily and reliably fitted to about the middle of the axial direction of the seal member.
In order for the second connecting pipe to get over the last pleat in the fitting direction, the pleat must be tilted to the high resistance side (outward in the axial direction, forward in the fitting direction); however, at this stage, the sealing member up to about the middle in the axial direction is sandwiched between the second connecting pipe and the first connecting pipe, so there is little risk of the sealing member coming off even if the second connecting pipe is pushed in hard.
As a result, regardless of the orientation of the seal member, or even if the seal member is attached in the opposite direction, the second connecting pipe can be securely fitted without hindrance with the seal member sandwiched around the outer periphery of the first connecting pipe.
Furthermore, regardless of the direction in which the seal member is attached, or even if the seal member is attached in the opposite direction, airtightness between the first connecting pipe and the second connecting pipe can be ensured. In particular, since the seal member has three or more pleats, airtightness can be improved compared to when there are only two pleats (such as in the above-mentioned Patent Documents 1 and 2).

It is preferable that the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the circumferential direction is symmetrical with respect to a center line perpendicular to the axial direction. This can reliably mitigate or eliminate differences in ease of fitting the second connecting pipe and airtightness that occur depending on the orientation of the sealing member.

It is preferable that the pleats at both ends in the axial direction include inclined rising portions that are inclined in a direction approaching each other from the base portion. This makes it possible to easily tilt the pleats that are first encountered when fitting the second connecting pipe forward in the fitting direction along the axial direction, regardless of the orientation of the sealing member, and makes it easier to fit the second connecting pipe. In addition, even if the second connecting pipe is pushed in strongly to get over the last pleat in the fitting direction, the risk of the sealing member coming off can be reduced.

According to the present invention, regardless of the installation direction of the air conditioning seal member, or even if the seal member is installed in the opposite direction, the second connection pipe can be fitted smoothly onto the outer periphery of the first connection pipe via the seal member, and airtightness between the first and second connection pipes can be ensured.

FIG. 1 is a plan cross-sectional view showing a connection structure for air conditioning equipment according to one embodiment of the present invention in a pre-connected state. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the annular air-conditioning seal member in the connection structure, taken along a cross section perpendicular to the circumferential direction. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the connection structure in the state before the connection, taken along line III-III in FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the connection structure in a state where the second connection pipe is fitted into the air-conditioning seal member until it abuts against the air-conditioning seal member. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the connection structure in a state where the second connection pipe is fitted into the air-conditioning seal member up to the middle portion thereof. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the connection structure in a connected state.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in Fig. 1, an air conditioning system 1 is provided in a building. The building may be a detached house, an apartment building, a commercial building, or a factory. The air conditioning system 1 includes, as air conditioning members, an air conditioning chamber 2 (first air conditioning member) for distribution and an air conditioning duct 3 (second air conditioning member) made of a flexible duct. These air conditioning members 2 and 3 are connected via a connection structure 4. The connection structure 4 includes a first connection pipe 10 provided on the peripheral wall of the air conditioning chamber 2 and a second connection pipe 20 provided at the tip of the air conditioning duct 3.

As shown in FIG. 6, the connection structure 4 in the connected state has a double-pipe structure in which the second connection pipe 20 is fitted around the outer periphery of the first connection pipe 10. An annular gap 4d is defined between the inner and outer connection pipes 10, 20. The annular gap 4d is airtightly sealed by an annular air-conditioning seal member 30. An annular accommodation recess 15 for the seal member 30 is formed in the first connection pipe 10 so as to be recessed from the outer periphery.

The material of the seal member 30 is an elastic material that is difficult for gas to pass through, such as synthetic rubber, elastomer, synthetic resin, or the like.
As shown in Fig. 2, the seal member 30 has a base 31 and three pleated portions 32, 32, and 33. The base 31 is formed in a relatively thick cylindrical shape. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the base 31 is attached to the outer periphery of the first connecting pipe 10 by being received in the seal receiving recess 15. Both end faces 31e of the base 31 in the axial direction are rounded so that the cross section has an arc shape.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the three pleats 32, 32, 33 are each formed in an annular shape around the entire circumference of the base 31 and protrude radially outward (upward in Fig. 2) from the base 31. The three pleats 32, 32, 33 are spaced apart from one another in the axial direction of the base 31 (left and right in Fig. 2). In more detail, bent pleats 32, 32 are provided at both ends of the axial direction of the base 31, and an upright pleat 33 is provided in the center of the axial direction of the base 31.

As shown in FIG. 2, each pleat 32 at both ends has an inclined rising portion 34, a bent portion 32c, and an upright portion 35. The inclined rising portion 34 rises radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the base 31 and is inclined axially inward. Therefore, the inclined rising portions 34, 34 of the pleats 32, 32 at both ends are inclined toward each other. The outer surface 34a of the inclined rising portion 34 is smoothly continuous with the arc-shaped end surface 31e of the base 31. The inner surface 34b of the inclined rising portion 34 intersects with the outer circumferential surface 31a of the base 31 at an acute angle.

As shown in FIG. 2, each pleat 32 is bent at the radial middle to form a bent portion 32c. The bent portion 32c connects the inclined rising portion 34 and the upright portion 35. The upright portion 35 extends straight from the bent portion 32c radially outward (upward in FIG. 2) and is perpendicular to the axial direction of the base 31.

Due to the cross-sectional shape of each of the bent pleats 32 at both ends, the resistance to deformation in the axial direction is lower than the resistance to deformation in the axial direction. In other words, the pleats 32 tend to collapse toward the upright pleats 33 (axially inward) and are less likely to collapse toward the opposite side of the upright pleats 33 (axially outward).

The upright pleats 33 in the center extend straight from the base 31 radially outward (upward in FIG. 2) and are perpendicular to the axial direction of the base 31. The upright pleats 33 are thicker than the bent pleats 32 at both ends. The upright pleats 33 also protrude radially outward higher than the bent pleats 32 at both ends. The deformation resistance when the upright pleats 33 are tilted to one axial side (e.g., left side in FIG. 2) is approximately equal to the deformation resistance when the upright pleats 33 are tilted to the other axial side (e.g., right side in FIG. 2).

As shown in FIG. 2, preferably, the cross-sectional shape of the seal member 30 perpendicular to the circumferential direction is symmetrical with respect to the center line CL ₃₀ perpendicular to the axial direction. Therefore, even if the axial direction of the seal member 30 is reversed by 180°, the cross-sectional shape of the seal member 30 in the connection structure 4 (FIG. 6) is the same, and the seal member 30 performs the same function. Therefore, when attaching the seal member 30 to the first connecting pipe 10, it is not necessary to consider the axial direction of the seal member 30. Of the bent fold portions 32, 32 at both ends of the seal member 30, which one is directed toward the tip side of the first connecting pipe 10 (the right side in FIG. 3) and which one is directed toward the air-conditioning chamber 2 side (the left side in FIG. 3). This makes it possible to easily assemble the first connecting pipe 10 when manufacturing the air-conditioning chamber 2. Alternatively, even if the seal member 30 is attached to the first connecting pipe 10 by being reversed by 180° from the original direction, no problems will occur.

At the construction site of the building air conditioning equipment 1, the air conditioning components 2, 3 are connected to each other as follows.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , the second connecting pipe 20 is aligned with the axis of the first connecting pipe 10 and then fitted onto the outer periphery of the first connecting pipe 10 .
Then, as shown in Fig. 4, the pipe opening 21 of the second connecting pipe 20 hits the bent pleated portion 32A of the seal member 30 which is located on the front side (right side in Fig. 4) along the fitting direction, and deforms the pleated portion 32A so as to push it down forward in the fitting direction (left side in Fig. 4, inward in the axial direction). Since the bent pleated portion 32 has low resistance to deformation inward in the axial direction, the bent pleated portion 32A can be easily pushed down.
In the drawing, the pipe mouth 21 is shown as being widened, but it may be straight without being widened.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the second connecting pipe 20 is fitted to about the middle of the axial direction of the sealing member 30, the pipe mouth 21 comes into contact with the upright pleats 33, deforming the upright pleats 33 so as to push them down forward in the fitting direction (to the left in FIG. 6).

Furthermore, the pipe opening 21 hits the innermost bent pleat 32B (left in FIG. 6) along the fitting direction, either through the fallen upright pleat 33 or directly, and pushes the bent pleat 32B forward (left in FIG. 5), i.e., outward in the axial direction. The bent pleat 32 has high resistance to deformation outward in the axial direction and is difficult to deform.

As shown in Fig. 6, the second connecting pipe 20 is strongly pushed forward in the fitting direction (leftward in Fig. 6) with a force exceeding the resistance to deformation outward in the axial direction, so that the pipe opening 21 overcomes the bent fold portion 32B while deforming the bent fold portion 32B, and reaches the specified fitting position.
Just before being pushed in, the portion of the seal member 30 from the rear end in the fitting direction (right in FIG. 6) to about the middle in the axial direction is sandwiched between the second connecting pipe 20 and the first connecting pipe 10. Therefore, even if the second connecting pipe 20 is pushed in strongly, the seal member 30 can be prevented from coming out of the predetermined position on the first connecting pipe 10, i.e., from within the seal accommodating recess 15.
As a result, the second connecting pipe 20 can be fitted to the specified fitting position without any hindrance. As described above, since the seal member 30 has a cross-sectional shape that is symmetrical with respect to the center line CL ₃₀ , the second connecting pipe 20 can be reliably fitted to the outer periphery of the first connecting pipe 10 with the seal member 30 sandwiched therebetween, regardless of the mounting direction of the seal member 30, or even if the seal member 30 is mounted in the opposite direction.

The air conditioning members 2, 3 are connected to each other via the connecting pipes 10, 20 fitted together in this manner. In addition, airtightness of the connection can be ensured by interposing the seal member 30 in the annular gap 4d between the connecting pipes 10, 20. As described above, since the seal member 30 has a cross-sectional shape that is symmetrical with respect to the center line CL ₃₀ , airtightness is not affected regardless of the direction in which the seal member 30 is attached, or even if the seal member 30 is attached in the opposite direction.

In addition, since the seal member 30 has three pleated portions 32, 32, 33, it is possible to improve airtightness compared to the case where there are only two pleated portions (such as those in the above-mentioned Patent Documents 1 and 2).
The inventors measured the leakage amount in an internal pressure range of 100 Pa to 2000 Pa (gauge pressure) for a sealing member 30 (FIG. 2) with a cross-sectional shape having three pleats, and a sealing member (comparative example) in which the bent pleat portion 32 on one side is omitted and there are two pleats. The leakage amount for the comparative example was just under 1/5 of the pass/fail standard value, whereas the leakage amount for the sealing member 30 was just under 1/6 of the pass/fail standard value, confirming that the product of the present invention has improved airtightness.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, the number of pleats is not limited to three as long as it is three or more, and may be four or more.
Of the three or more pleat portions, intermediate pleat portions other than those at both ends in the axial direction may be upright pleat portions 33 or bent pleat portions 32. When the number of pleat portions is an odd number, it is preferable that the pleat portion exactly in the middle is the upright pleat portion 33.
The seal member does not necessarily have to have a symmetrical cross-sectional shape with respect to the center line CL ₃₀ as long as the resistance to axial inward deformation at the pleated portions at both axial ends is lower than the resistance to axial outward deformation.
The two air conditioning components to be connected are not limited to the air conditioning chamber 2 and the air conditioning duct 3, but may be two air conditioning ducts, an air conditioning duct and an air outlet component, an air conditioning duct and a ventilation port component, an air conditioner (air conditioner) and an air conditioning duct, etc. The air conditioning chamber is not limited to a distribution chamber, but may be a mixing chamber that mixes conditioned air and outside air, etc.

The present invention can be applied, for example, to the sealing structure of connections in air conditioning chambers and air conditioning ducts.

1 Air conditioning equipment 2 Air conditioning chamber (first air conditioning member)
3 Air conditioning duct (second air conditioning component)
4 Connection structure 4d Annular gap 10 First connection pipe 15 Annular seal receiving recess 20 Second connection pipe 21 Pipe opening 30 Air conditioning seal member CL ₃₀ Center line perpendicular to axial direction 31 Base 31a Outer circumferential surface 31e Axial end surface 32 Bent pleat portion (pleat portion)
32A: Fold portion on the front side along the fitting direction 32B: Fold portion on the back side along the fitting direction 32c: Bend portion 33: Upright fold portion (fold portion)
34 Inclined rising portion 34a Outer surface 34b Inner surface 35 Upright portion

Claims (2)

An annular air-conditioning seal member for air-conditioning equipment that provides an air-tight seal between a first connecting pipe and a second connecting pipe that is fitted around an outer periphery of the first connecting pipe,
the first connecting pipe has a cylindrical base attached to an outer periphery thereof, and three or more annular pleated portions protruding radially outward from the base and spaced apart from each other in an axial direction of the base , wherein the pleated portions at both ends in the axial direction have a lower deformation resistance toward the inside in the axial direction than a deformation resistance toward the outside in the axial direction,
An air-conditioning sealing member characterized in that the pleat portions at both ends in the axial direction include an inclined rising portion that is inclined so as to approach each other radially outward from the base portion, and an upright portion that continues to the tip of the inclined rising portion via a bent portion and extends radially outward perpendicular to the axial direction . 2. The seal member for air conditioning according to claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the circumferential direction is symmetrical with respect to a center line perpendicular to the axial direction .

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