BI adapter for a pipe connection

Abstract

Adapter for a pipe connection with an inner sleeve (4) through which a dividing line (5) runs in the axial direction, wherein on both sides of the dividing line (5) the two banks of the inner sleeve (4) are designed in a comb-like manner, with mutually interlocking comb fingers (6), and with an expandable cuff (1) arranged outside the inner sleeve (4), which has at least one circumferential sealing rib (3) on its outer circumference, characterized by that the sealing rib (3) runs in a wave-like pattern above the comb fingers (6), such that it is supported radially inwards along substantially its entire circumference by the inner sleeve (4) and its comb finger (6). and essentially runs around the spaces (7) that result between the comb fingers (6).

Description

[0001] BI adapter as a transition for pipes with an external geometry that deviates from circular. The background:

[0002] Connecting pipes with the same nominal diameter made of different materials is part of the everyday work of a civil engineer on a construction site. A sewer shaft can make this possible by having differently shaped or sized inlet and outlet openings in the shaft base, for example, by having round or non-round contours or different diameters. Since installing a shaft structure is a time-consuming and costly solution, alternatives are often used. Depending on the available materials, however, the result is sometimes improvised and not suitable for long-term, trouble-free use.

[0003] One solution in these cases is the use of a pipe coupling known from practice and marketed by the applicant under the trade name "VPC pipe coupling", with which pipes with the same nominal diameter, i.e. inner diameter, and circular outer diameter can be securely connected to one another - even if the pipes to be connected are made of different materials and therefore have different outer diameters, such as pipes made of plastic on the one hand and pipes made of mineral materials such as concrete on the other.

[0004] A problem arises in installation situations where pipes with a circular interior have different external geometries: for example, when one of the pipes is designed with a so-called foot or a so-called crown reinforcement and these different pipes are to be connected to one another or to a pipe with a circular exterior. For this purpose, an adapter is known in practice and is marketed by the applicant under the trade name "BI-Adapter". This adapter consists of, firstly, an inner sleeve made of stainless steel which is not closed all the way around but has a dividing line; secondly, a sealing elastomer sleeve, for example made of EPDM, which runs outside the inner sleeve; and thirdly, an expanding wedge made of stainless steel which is arranged in the area of ​​the dividing line and rests against the inner sleeve on both sides of the dividing line.

[0005] The adapter, with its non-circular outer geometry, is inserted into the pipe until part of the adapter still protrudes from the pipe. A stop rib running around the outside of the sleeve limits how far the adapter can be inserted into the pipe and simultaneously allows for checking whether the adapter has been inserted sufficiently. The inner sleeve is then expanded by driving in the wedge. This expands the elastomer sleeve and presses it firmly against the inner wall of the pipe. Several sealing ribs running around the outer surface of the sleeve ensure that the adapter is sealed against the pipe.

[0006] In the next step, the "VPC pipe coupling" used as an example is placed and secured on the other end of the adapter, which protrudes from the pipe. This creates the prerequisite for a pipe with a circular exterior within a clamping range specified on the VPC pipe coupling to be connected to the adapter—and thus indirectly also to the non-circular pipe. A BI adapter, for example, is available for transitions for pipes with nominal diameters from DN 150 to DN 600.

[0007] The dividing line of the metallic inner sleeve essentially runs in a zigzag pattern, with the two opposite sides of the inner sleeve each shaped roughly like a comb, and the comb fingers or comb teeth of the two "combs" interlocking, allowing the sleeve to be adjusted to different pipe diameters by expanding or compressing them. Depending on the diameter of the inner sleeve, the comb fingers interlock to varying degrees, forming gaps of varying sizes. The contact pressure of the sealing ribs of the sleeve is limited in the area of ​​these gaps.

[0008] From DE 20 2014 001 384 U1 a pipe coupling is known which comprises an elastomer sleeve and an adjustable clamping band. Task:

[0009] The invention is based on the object of improving a generic adapter in such a way that it always enables a perfect seal against the inner surface of the pipe despite different diameters of the same adapter. Solution:

[0010] This object is achieved by an adapter having the features of claim 1.

[0011] In other words, the invention proposes that the sealing ribs on the sleeve extend in a wave-like manner, at least in the area of ​​the comb fingers, i.e., they extend back and forth in the axial direction. This enables the sealing ribs to be supported in the area of ​​the gaps by a comb finger adjacent to the gap, allowing them to be reliably pressed against the surrounding pipe. This support can be complete if the sealing rib actually extends in such a way that it completely bypasses the gaps between the comb fingers and runs around these gaps.However, if the sealing rib extends only to a very small extent above a gap, it may still be possible to ensure sufficient contact pressure against the inner surface of the pipe, so that the proposed objective can also be achieved if the sealing rib is supported essentially along its entire circumference by the inner sleeve and its comb fingers and essentially extends around gaps.

[0012] An embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below using purely schematic representations. Fig. 1 a longitudinal section through a sleeve of a proposed adapter, Fig. 2 an excerpt from Fig. 1 on a larger scale, Fig. 3 a view similar Fig. 1, but with an inner sleeve inserted into the cuff.

[0013] In Fig. 1 shows a sleeve 1 made of an elastomer material. The sleeve 1 has a circumferential stop rib 2, which divides the sleeve 1 into two sections. The section shown on the left is designed to be inserted into the inside of a pipe. It has circumferential sealing ribs 3 on the outside, which protrude less far outward than the stop rib 2. The section of the sleeve 1 shown to the right of the stop rib 2 is designed to accommodate a commercially available pipe coupling, which is placed radially outwardly onto this right-hand section of the sleeve 1.

[0014] In the illustrated embodiment, the sealing ribs 3 extend essentially in a straight line around the sleeve 1, i.e. with an essentially constant distance to the stop rib 2. In a certain circumferential area of ​​the sleeve 1, however, the sealing ribs 3 extend in a wave-like manner, as can be seen from Fig. 1 and in particular Fig. 2 shows that compared to Fig. 1 shows a larger section of cuff 1.

[0015] Fig. Figure 3 shows the cuff 1 and a metallic inner sleeve 4 inserted therein. The inner sleeve 4 is not circumferentially closed, but rather has a substantially zigzag or meandering dividing line 5, resulting in two approximately comb-like, opposing edges of the inner sleeve 4 on either side of the dividing line 5. These comb-like edges each form a plurality of comb fingers 6, which are offset from one another and thus interlock with one another. Where two comb fingers 6 touch each other, the dividing line 5 is narrow. Depending on how far the inner sleeve 4 is expanded, gaps 7 of varying sizes result in front of the free-ending front ends of the comb fingers 6, and in the area of ​​the gaps 7, the dividing line 5 is correspondingly wide.

[0016] On both sides of the inner sleeve 4 on both sides of the dividing line 5, tabs 8 are embossed from the sheet material of the inner sleeve 4, so that a total of two rows of such tabs 8 are produced, arranged approximately in a V-shape relative to one another. In a manner known per se, an expanding wedge (not shown in the drawing) is inserted between these tabs 8, which is designed as a bent sheet metal, so that it bridges the dividing line 5 and follows the curvature of the inner sleeve 4, and which, according to the illustration of Fig. 3 is inserted from the right side between the tabs 8. As this expanding wedge is driven in further, the diameter of the inner sleeve 4 is expanded and the circumferential elastic sleeve 1 is stretched accordingly, whereby the gaps 7 of the inner sleeve 4 become larger.

[0017] How Fig. 3 shows, the wave-shaped course of the sealing ribs 3 ensures that the sealing ribs 3 are supported everywhere by the inner sleeve 4 over their entire circumferential length, so that even in the area of ​​the dividing line 5 the sealing ribs 3 always run where a comb finger 6 is provided below the sealing ribs 3.

[0018] In the illustrated embodiment, the wave-shaped course of the sealing ribs 3 is limited to a comparatively small circumferential area of ​​the sleeve 1. It is intended to arrange the sleeve 1 in a specific rotational orientation on the inner sleeve 4, so that the above-described support of the sealing ribs 3 by the comb fingers 6 is ensured. By means of an indentation 9, which is in Fig.1 is clearly visible, this circumferential area is marked at one of the two ends of the sleeve 1, so that when connecting the inner sleeve 4 to the sleeve 1, the arrangement of the inner sleeve 4 within the sleeve 1 with the correct angle of rotation is facilitated. The indentation 9 also serves to accommodate the striking surface of the expanding wedge, which is designed as a radially outwardly directed fold of the sheet metal piece that forms the expanding wedge.

[0019] However, in deviation from the illustrated embodiment, it can also be provided that the sealing ribs 3 run in a wave-like manner over their entire circumference, so that the manufacture of the adapter is simplified, namely in that the sleeve 1 can be assigned to the inner sleeve 4 in several different rotational angle positions.

Claims

[1] Adapter for a pipe connection, with an inner sleeve (4) through which a dividing line (5) runs in the axial direction, wherein on both sides of the dividing line (5) the two banks of the inner sleeve (4) are designed like a comb, with mutually engaging comb fingers (6), and with an expandable cuff (1) arranged outside the inner sleeve (4), which has at least one circumferential sealing rib (3) on its outer circumference, characterized by , that the sealing rib (3) above the comb fingers (6) is wave-shaped, such that it is supported radially inwards along substantially its entire circumference by the inner sleeve (4) and its comb fingers (6) and essentially runs around gaps (7) that arise between the comb fingers (6). [2] Adapter according to claim 1, characterized bythat the sealing rib (3) is wavy along its entire circumference. [3] Adapter according to claim 1, characterized by that the sleeve (1) has at one of its two axial ends an indentation (9) which runs along the circumference of the sleeve (1) essentially where the sealing rib (3) runs in a wave-like manner.

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