pipe connection

Abstract

Pipe connection (1), comprising - a pipeline (2), - a pipe receiving socket (3) into which the pipe (2) is inserted, and - at least one sealing element (4) which is accommodated in a receiving groove (20) on an outer side of the pipeline (2), wherein a front section (23) of the pipeline (2) has a length which is selected such that a free end (230) of the front section (23), which is spaced from the receiving groove (20), after an oblique insertion of the pipeline (2) into the pipeline receiving socket (3) engages an inner wall (300) of the latter in such a way that the sealing element (4) rests essentially without pinching on an outer edge (301) of the pipeline receiving socket (3) or is spaced from the outer edge (301) of the pipeline receiving socket (3), and wherein the pipeline receiving socket (3) comprises a first receiving region (30) and a second receiving region (31), wherein the first receiving region (30) has a larger inner diameter than the second receiving region (31) and between the two recording areas (30,31) a transition region (32) is formed, characterized in that the length of the front section (23) of the pipeline (2) is selected such that the sealing element (4) rests against the outer edge (301) of the pipeline receiving socket (3) or is spaced from the outer edge (301) of the pipeline receiving socket (3) when the pipeline (2) moves across the transition region (32) between the two receiving regions (30, 31) in a substantially pinch-free manner.

Description

The present invention relates to a pipe joint according to the preamble of claim 1.Pipe connections of the type mentioned at the beginning, through which a fluid medium can flow, are known from the prior art in various embodiments. The at least one sealing element provided on the outside of the pipeline serves the purpose of sealing the pipe connection and preventing the fluid medium from leaking out.FIG. 1 shows an example of such a pipe connection 1'. The pipe connection 1' has a cylindrically shaped pipe 2' and a pipe receiving connector 3' which is designed such that the pipe 2' can be inserted into the pipe receiving connector 3' during assembly. On an outer side of the pipeline 2' a circumferential, circumferentially extending receiving groove 20' is formed, which is bounded by two groove walls 21', 22' extending parallel to one another in the circumferential direction. The pipeline 2' has a sealing element 4' which is inserted into the receiving groove 20' and is designed in the present case as a 0-ring. The sealing element 4' is suitable for sealing the pipe connection 4 in the desired installation position of the pipe 2' within the pipe receiving connection 3'.It is clear from FIG. 1 that the pipe 2' has a larger outer diameter in the region of the groove walls 21', 22' than in a front section 23', which is first inserted into the pipe receiving connection 3' during assembly. The pipe receiving connection 3' has a jump in diameter. A first (outer) receiving region 30' has a larger inner diameter than a second, further inner receiving region 31'. The inner diameter of the second receiving region 31' is adapted to the outer diameter of the front section 23' of the pipeline 2', so that the latter can be inserted into the second receiving region 31' during assembly. The first receiving region 30' has an inner diameter which is adapted to the larger outer diameter of the pipeline 2' in the region of the groove walls 21', 22'. In the assembly target position, the groove walls 21'22' abut an inner wall 300' of the first receiving region 30'. The sealing element 4' arranged within the receiving groove 20' is somewhat compressed by contact with the inner wall 300' of the first receiving region 30', so that an interference fit is obtained and the arrangement can be effectively sealed in this region.During assembly, the pipeline 2' should be inserted into the pipeline receiving connection 3' as far as possible in such a way that their longitudinal axes L1', L2' are aligned coaxially with respect to one another during the insertion, as in the assembly setpoint position. Due to an out-of-alignment mounting of the pipe connection 1', it may under certain circumstances happen that the pipe 2' is unintentionally introduced obliquely into the pipe receiving connection 3', so that the longitudinal axis L1' of the pipe 2' intersects the longitudinal axis L2' of the pipe receiving connection 3'. As shown in FIG. 1, the sealing element 4' embodied here as an O-ring can be squeezed at a free end 301' of the first receiving region 30' and thereby be irreversibly damaged under certain circumstances. This can result in leaks in the pipe connection 1' which can lead to an undesired escape of the fluid medium.EP 1 887 270 A1 discloses a pipe connection having a pipe and a pipe receiving connection piece, into which the pipe is inserted during assembly. The pipe connection is designed such that the alignment of the pipe with respect to the pipe receiving connection can be simplified without damaging a spring-loaded polymer seal. This damage can occur when the pipe is inserted into the pipe receiving connector in a manner offset parallel to the longitudinal axis of the receiving connector.DE 10 2004 036 486 A1 discloses a pipe connection in which a cylindrical fitting projection is provided on the pipe. Therefore, in this pipe joint, there is no problem of obliquely inserting the pipe into the pipe receiving port during assembly.A pipe connection of the type mentioned at the beginning is known, for example, from DE 102 23 285 A1.The present invention is based on the object of developing a pipe connection of the aforementioned type in such a way that leaks which result from irreversible damage to the at least one sealing element during assembly can be effectively prevented.The solution of this task provides a pipe connection of the type mentioned at the beginning with the features of the characterizing part of claim 1.A pipe connection according to the invention is characterized in that the length of the front section of the pipe is selected such that the sealing element, during a movement of the pipe across the transition region between the two receiving regions, bears on the outer edge of the pipe receiving connection piece essentially without squeezing or is spaced apart from the outer edge of the pipe receiving connection piece. In the transition region between the two receiving regions, the pipe receiving connection has a jump in diameter from a larger to a smaller inner diameter. In the assembly target position, the front section of the pipeline engages in the second, further inner receiving region with the smaller inner diameter and is received thereby substantially without play. That region of the pipeline which has the receiving groove with the sealing element engages in the first receiving region with the larger inner diameter. The sealing element brings about an effective seal in this region by bearing in a compressed manner against the inner wall of the first receiving region. The measures according to the invention can prevent the sealing element from being squeezed at the outer edge of the pipe receiving connection piece and thus possibly damaged before the front end of the pipe is introduced into the second receiving region, which has the smaller inner diameter. The solution according to the invention has the advantage that squeezing of the sealing element on the outer edge of the pipe receiving connection piece during the assembly process after an accidentally oblique insertion of the pipe into the pipe receiving connection piece can be effectively prevented. As a result, irreversible damage to the sealing element, which may possibly result in leaks in the pipe connection, can be advantageously effectively prevented, so that the operational reliability of the pipe connection as a whole can be increased. In the assembly target position, the longitudinal axis of the pipeline and the longitudinal axis of the pipeline receiving connection are aligned coaxially with respect to one another. The at least one sealing element correspondingly seals the pipe connection.In order to simplify the transfer of the pipeline into the assembly setpoint position, it is proposed in a particularly advantageous embodiment that the transition region is formed curved at least in sections.In order to further improve the sealing of the pipe connection, it is possible in an advantageous embodiment for the pipe to have a plurality of receiving grooves which are arranged spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction of the pipe and in which a sealing element is accommodated in each case.The at least one sealing element can preferably be designed as an O-ring.In practice, it can also be found later that the length of a front section of a pipeline is too short, so that the sealing element can be accidentally squeezed during assembly and thus possibly irreversibly damaged. In order that already produced pipelines can still be used further, it can be provided in an advantageous embodiment that the pipeline has a length adapter means which is attached to the free end of the front section of the pipeline. Already produced pipelines can be used further after the attachment of the length adapter means to the front section of the pipeline. The length of the length adapter means is selected such that it can increase the overall length of the front section of the pipeline in such a way that the sealing element, after the pipeline has been inserted obliquely into the pipeline receiving connection piece, bears on the outer edge of the pipeline receiving connection piece in a substantially pinch-free manner or is spaced apart from the latter.Preferably, the pipeline can be an oil line and the pipeline receiving connection can be part of a housing of a pressure filter of a vehicle transmission, of a radiator or of another oil-conducting component. Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure shows FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a pipe connection known from the prior art, FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a pipe joint constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.Referring to FIG. 2, a pipe joint 1 constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a cylindrical pipe 2 and a pipe receiving port 3 into which the pipe 2 is inserted during the assembly process. On an outer side of the pipeline 2, a circumferential receiving groove 20 is formed which extends in the circumferential direction and is bounded by two groove walls 21, 22 which extend parallel to one another in the circumferential direction. In the exemplary embodiment shown here, the pipeline 2 has a sealing element 4, which is inserted into the receiving groove 20 and is designed in the present case as a compressible O-ring.As can be seen in FIG. 1, the pipeline 2 has a larger outer diameter in the region of the groove walls 21, 22 than in a front section 23, which is first inserted into the pipeline receiving connection piece 3 during assembly. The pipe receiving connection 3 has a jump in diameter, wherein a first (outer) receiving region 30 has a larger inner diameter than a second, further inner receiving region 31. The inner diameter of the second receiving region 31 is adapted to the outer diameter of the front section 23 of the pipeline 2, so that it can be inserted substantially without play into the second receiving region 31 of the pipeline receiving connection piece 3 during assembly. The first receiving region 30 has an inner diameter which is matched to the (larger) outer diameter of the pipeline 2 in the region of the groove walls 21, 22. In the assembly target position, in which the longitudinal axes L 1, L 2 of the pipe 2 and of the pipe receiving connector 3 are aligned coaxially with respect to one another, the groove walls 21, 22 abut an inner wall 300 of the first receiving region 30 substantially without play. The sealing element 4 arranged within the receiving groove 20 is somewhat compressed by the contact with the inner wall 300 of the first receiving region 30, so that an interference fit is obtained and the arrangement can be effectively sealed in this region, in order thereby to prevent an undesired escape of a fluid medium, in particular an oil, flowing through the pipe connection 1.Ideally, during assembly, the pipeline 2 should be inserted into the pipeline receiving connection 3 as far as possible in such a way that the longitudinal axes L 1, L 2 thereof are aligned coaxially with respect to one another during the insertion. During the assembly of the pipe connection 1, it may possibly occur that a worker entrusted with the assembly inserts the pipe 2 obliquely into the pipe receiving connection 3 accidentally, so that the longitudinal axis L 1 of the pipe 2 intersects the longitudinal axis L 2 of the pipe receiving connection 3.In order to avoid squeezing of the sealing element 4 embodied in the present case as an O-ring on an outer edge 301 of the first receiving region 30 and any irreversible damage resulting therefrom under certain circumstances, the front section 23 of the pipeline 2 has a length up to the first groove wall 21, which is selected such that the sealing element 4 is not squeezed or at least not appreciably squeezed in the region of the outer edge 301 of the pipeline receiving connector 3 when the pipeline 2 is obliquely inserted into the pipeline receiving connector 3.As a comparison with the pipe connection 1' shown in FIG. 1 shows, the extended configuration of the front section 23 of the pipe 2 can substantially improve the guidance of this front section 23 on an inner wall 300 of the first receiving region 30 of the pipe receiving connection 3. In this case, a guided transition into the centered assembly target position takes place by a free end 230 of the front section 23 of the pipeline 2 sliding along the inner wall 300 of the first receiving region 30 further in the region of the jump in diameter via a transition region 32 which is formed curved at least in sections into the second receiving region 31 having the smaller inner diameter.When the pipe 2 is inserted into the pipe receiving connection piece 3 and when the free end 230 slides along the inner wall 300 and beyond the transition region 32 curved in sections, the configuration of the front section 23, which is extended in comparison to the prior art, does not cause, or at least does not cause, any appreciable squeezing of the sealing element 4 in the region of the outer edge 301 of the pipe receiving connection piece 3. Thus, leaks of the pipe joint 1 resulting from the irreversible damage of the seal member 4 during assembly can be effectively prevented.

Claims

Pipe connection (1) comprising - a pipe (2), - a pipe receiving connection piece (3) into which the pipe (2) is inserted, and - at least one sealing element (4) which is accommodated in a receiving groove (20) on an outer side of the pipe (2), wherein a front section (23) of the pipe (2) has a length which is selected such that a free end (230) of the front section (23), which is spaced apart from the receiving groove (20), engages on an inner wall (300) thereof after obliquely inserting the pipe (2) into the pipe receiving connection piece (3) in such a way that the sealing element (4) bears substantially without squeezing against an outer edge (301) of the pipe receiving connection piece (3) or is spaced apart from the outer edge (301) of the pipe receiving connection piece (3), and wherein the pipe receiving connector (3) comprises a first receiving region (30) and a second receiving region (31), wherein the first receiving region (30) has a larger inner diameter than the second receiving region (31) and a transition region (32) is formed between the two receiving regions (30, 31), characterized in that the length of the front section (23) of the pipe (2) is selected such that the sealing element (4) abuts the outer edge (301) of the pipe receiving connector (3) or is spaced apart from the outer edge (301) of the pipe receiving connector (3) substantially without squeezing during a movement of the pipe (2) beyond the transition region (32) between the two receiving regions (30, 31).Pipe connection (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the transition region (32) is formed curved at least in sections.Pipe connection (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the pipe (2) has a plurality of receiving grooves (20) which are arranged spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal direction of the pipe (2) and in which a sealing element (4) is accommodated in each case.Pipe connection (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the at least one sealing element (4) is designed as an O-ring.Pipe joint (1) according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the pipe (2) comprises a length adapter means attached to the free end (230) of the front portion (23) of the pipe (2).Pipe connection (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the pipe (2) is an oil line, and in that the pipe-receiving connection piece (3) is part of a housing of a pressure filter of a vehicle transmission, of a cooler or of another oil-conducting component.

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