Sealing assembly for tubular joints, Assembly for tubular joints, Tubular joints and corresponding manufacturing process

Abstract

Sealing assembly for tubular joint, Assembly for tubular joint, Tubular joint and corresponding manufacturing process. This sealing assembly (50) for tubular joint comprises a sealing gasket (56) adapted for insertion into a socket groove (32), and a protective ring (58) adapted to protect a socket bottom (36) from a socket end (6). The sealing assembly (50) includes a connecting portion (60) linking the sealing gasket (56) to the protective ring (58). Figure for abbreviation: Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: Sealing assembly for tubular joint, Assembly for tubular joint, Tubular joint and corresponding manufacturing method

[0001] The present invention relates to a sealing assembly for tubular junction, of the type comprising a sealing gasket adapted to be inserted into a socket groove, and a protective ring, adapted to protect a socket bottom of a socket end.

[0002] Tubular joints comprising a push-fit end and an associated plain end are known from WO2014079974Al. The tubular joint includes a sealing gasket adapted for insertion into the push-fit groove of the push-fit end and a protective ring adapted to protect the push-fit bottom of the push-fit end. The protective ring and the sealing gasket are distinct and separate components and are mounted in the push-fit end one after the other.

[0003] Although this tubular joint is satisfactory, the present invention aims to improve the known tubular joint, particularly with regard to the reliability of establishing the seal and the economy of manufacturing and assembly.

[0004] For this purpose, the invention relates to a sealing assembly for tubular junction as indicated above, characterized in that the sealing assembly includes a connecting part linking the sealing joint to the protective ring.

[0005] According to particular embodiments of the sealing assembly, it may comprise one or more of the following characteristics:

[0006] - the connecting part comprises one or more of the following features:

[0007] The connecting part is made of material with the sealing gasket.

[0008] The connecting part is made of material with the protective ring,

[0009] . The connecting part links the sealing gasket to the protective ring in the absence from the end to the interlocking, and / or

[0010] The connecting part is made of an elastic material, in particular rubber, in particular the sealing assembly is made of elastic material, in particular rubber;

[0011] - the connecting part is solid or the connecting part includes openings;

[0012] - the connecting part includes a groove section which is adjacent to the joint sealing, in particular the section of the groove being substantially cylindrical in shape;

[0013] - the connecting part includes a rib section defining a groove of rib adapted to receive an intermediate rib from the interlocking end;

[0014] - the connecting part includes a protective section, which is adjacent to the ring protection, in particular the protective section having one or more of the following characteristics:

[0015] The protective section is substantially frustoconical in shape, narrowing in the direction towards the sealing joint, and

[0016] The protective section has a protective section wall thickness EDP which is increasing towards the protective ring;

[0017] - the sealing gasket comprises a gasket body, an anchoring lug and a lip sealing; and

[0018] - the protective ring includes a bottom axial stop, and a skirt.

[0019] The invention also relates to a tubular joint assembly of the type comprising a push-fit end having a push-fit groove, a bottom groove and a push-fit bottom, characterized in that the tubular joint assembly further comprises a sealing assembly as defined above, and in that the sealing assembly has a shape complementary to that of the push-fit end.

[0020] The invention also relates to a tubular joint, of the type comprising a plain end, characterized in that the tubular joint comprises a tubular joint assembly as defined above, and in that the plain end is insertable into the socket end.

[0021] The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a tubular joint assembly as defined above or a tubular joint as defined above, comprising inserting the sealing gasket into the socket groove simultaneously with the placement of the protective ring on the socket bottom.

[0022] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following description, given solely by way of example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023] [Fig.1] Fig.1 is a half-section view of a first embodiment of a tubular joint according to the invention, the plain end being in a non-inserted position, therefore before the introduction of the plain end into the fitting end;

[0024] [Fig.2] Fig.2 is a view analogous to that of Fig.1, the plain end being in a position at the end of its travel relative to the interlocking end and in contact with the protective ring; and

[0025] [Fig.3] The [Fig.3] is a half-section view of a second embodiment of the tubular junction according to the invention, the tubular junction being in a configuration analogous to that of the [Fig.1].

[0026] The following description contains technical features of the invention. These technical features, although presented in a technical context and possibly in combination with other technical features, can each time be used individually, without the other technical features, insofar as this is technically possible.

[0027] In the different embodiments, identical or analogous elements bear the same references.

[0028] Figure 1 shows a tubular junction according to the invention, designated by the general reference 2.

[0029] The tubular junction 2 comprises a plain end 4 of a first pipe and a socket end 6 of a second pipe. The plain end 4 extends along a central axis XX and the socket end extends along a central axis YY. The tubular junction 2 has an aligned configuration in which the two central axes XX and YY coincide and form a central axis of the tubular junction. In what follows, the expressions "radially" and "axially" used in the context of an object refer to the central axis of that object.

[0030] The plain end 4 comprises a running portion and a chamfered end. The running portion has a plain end surface, which is in this case cylindrical with a circular cross-section. The chamfered end has a frustoconical surface. The plain end 4 terminates in a frontal face 14, which is in this case annular.

[0031] The plain end 4 comprises a plain end core 16 and a plain end outer coating 18 disposed on this plain end core 16, forming the plain end outer surface. The plain end core 16 is made of metal, for example, cast iron. The plain end outer coating 18 is, for example, an anti-corrosion coating, in particular zinc-based. The chamfered end is preferably externally provided with an anti-corrosion coating. The plain end 4 advantageously comprises a plain end inner coating 20, for example epoxy-based, zinc-based, or cement-based.

[0032] The plain end 4 is insertable into the socket end 6 in order to establish a watertight joint.

[0033] The socket end 6 is connected to a barrel 22 and forms a pipe with it.

[0034] The barrel 22 is substantially cylindrical and extends concentrically around of the central axis YY.

[0035] The socket end 6 has a base body 24 connected in one piece to the shaft 22. The base body 24 is made of metal, for example cast iron, and preferably of the same material as the plain end core 16. The socket end 6 includes an outer socket end coating, not shown, disposed on the base body 24, forming the outer surface of the socket end. The outer socket end coating is, for example, an anti-corrosion coating, in particular zinc-based, generally identical to the outer coating of the plain end 18. The interlocking end 6 advantageously includes an internal interlocking end coating not shown, for example based on epoxy or zinc.

[0036] The barrel 22 has a metal barrel core, for example cast iron, and preferably of the same material as the plain end core 16 and the base body 24. The barrel 22 includes an outer barrel coating, not shown, disposed on the barrel core, forming the outer barrel surface. The outer barrel coating is, for example, an anti-corrosion coating, in particular zinc-based. The outer barrel coating may be identical to the outer coating of the socket end. The barrel 22 advantageously includes an inner barrel coating 25, preferably identical to the inner coating of the plain end 20, for example epoxy-based, zinc-based, or cement-based. The inner barrel coating 25 forms an inner barrel diameter DIE

[0037] The socket tip 6 includes an inlet collar 26 defining an inlet opening 28 into which the plain tip 4 is inserted. The socket tip 6 has an inlet face 30. The inlet collar 26 has an inlet inner diameter DIE. In what follows, the term "proximal" means facing the inlet collar 26 and the term "distal" means facing away from this inlet collar 26 towards the shaft 22.

[0038] The socket end 6 has a socket groove 32, a bottom groove 34 and a socket bottom 36. The socket end 6 includes in this case an intermediate rib 38 which separates the bottom groove 34 from the socket groove 32.

[0039] The socket groove 32 forms an anchoring recess 40, adapted to receive the anchoring heel of the sealing joint 56, and a sealing section 42, adapted to carry the body of the joint (see below).

[0040] The bottom groove 34 flares out towards the inlet collar 26. The bottom groove 34 is frustoconical and is, on one axial side, adjacent to the intermediate rib 38 and, on the other axial side, adjacent to the socket bottom 36. The inclination of the bottom groove 34 with respect to the central axis YY is generally between 2° and 25°. In this case, the bottom groove 34 has a proximal axial portion 44 inclined at a first angle [3] with respect to the central axis YY and a distal axial portion 46 inclined at a second angle y with respect to the central axis YY, the angle y being greater than the first angle [3]. Each of the proximal axial portions 44 and distal axial portions 46 is frustoconical.

[0041] The socket base 36 generally extends perpendicularly with respect to the central axis YY or is inclined at least 87° with respect to the central axis YY.

[0042] The socket base 36 extends radially inwards beyond the inlet inner diameter DIE of the inlet collar 26. The socket base 36 also extends radially outwards beyond the inlet inner diameter DIE.

[0043] The tubular joint 2 also includes a sealing assembly 50 for the tubular joint. The sealing assembly 50 is included in a tubular joint assembly 52. ​​The tubular joint assembly 52 includes, in addition to the sealing assembly 50, the push-fit end 6. The sealing assembly 50 has a shape complementary to that of the push-fit end 6.

[0044] The sealing assembly 50 comprises a sealing gasket 56, a protective ring 58, and a connecting part 60 linking the sealing gasket 56 to the protective ring 58. The sealing assembly 50 extends around a central axis of the assembly ZZ, which in this case coincides with the central axis YY of the socket end 6.

[0045] The sealing gasket 56 is adapted to be inserted into the socket groove 32 of the socket end. The sealing gasket 56 comprises an anchoring lug 62, a gasket body 64, and a sealing lip 66.

[0046] The sealing gasket 56 is arranged in the socket groove 32 with a tight fit. The sealing gasket 56, in the assembled state of the tubular joint, is applied in a watertight manner against the plain end 4 and the socket end 6. In this case, the sealing gasket 56 is of the automatic type, i.e., the seal is obtained automatically by radial compression of the sealing gasket between the plain end 4 and the socket end 6 when the plain end is inserted, without the need for a clamping flange to compress the sealing gasket.

[0047] The protective ring 58 is disposed in the bottom groove 34 with a tight fit. The protective ring 58 comprises a bottom axial stop 68, bearing against the socket bottom 36, and a skirt 70, disposed on the bottom of the bottom groove 34. The bottom axial stop 68 is adjacent to the skirt 70 and defines a stop surface 72 facing the inlet of the socket end 6. The bottom axial stop 68 has an axial width BLA. Advantageously, the stop surface 72 extends perpendicularly with respect to the central axis YY or is inclined at a minimum of 87° with respect to the central axis YY.

[0048] The axial bottom stop 68 defines a free inner surface. The free inner surface is cylindrical with a circular cross-section and has an inner diameter substantially identical to the inner diameter DIF of the barrel 22, and preferably also substantially identical to the inner diameter of the plain end 4. Thus, in the aligned configuration of [Fig. 2], the tubular junction forms a continuous inner surface of the same diameter extending from the plain end 4 to the barrel 22.

[0049] The skirt 70 has a proximal end, a distal end, and an inner skirt surface. The proximal end is disposed on the side of the intermediate rib 38 and the distal end is positioned on the side of the shaft 22 and is adjacent to the axial bottom stop 68.

[0050] The skirt 70 has an external shape complementary to that of the bottom groove 34. The protective ring 58 is therefore adapted to protect the socket bottom 36 and, preferably, the bottom groove of the socket end from contact with the plain end.

[0051] The skirt 70 has a skirt wall thickness EDJ, which is measured radially with respect to the central axis of the sealing assembly ZZ. The skirt wall thickness EDJ increases towards the axial bottom stop 68, therefore in a direction from an axial side facing the inlet collar 26 to an axial side facing the barrel 22.

[0052] In the fitted state of the plain end 4 in the fitting end 6 and in the aligned configuration of [Fig.2], the front face 14 of the plain end applies all around against the axial bottom stop 68. In this aligned configuration, the running part is completely out of contact with the protective ring 58 and only the front face and the chamfered end are in contact with the axial bottom stop 68, the plain end 4 being completely out of contact with the skirt 70.

[0053] The skirt 70 and the plain end 4 are adapted to allow an angular deviation of the plain end relative to the socket end, when the plain end is in contact with a part of the axial bottom stop 68.

[0054] The connecting part 60 is disposed in the socket end 6 with clearance.

[0055] The connecting part 60 includes a groove section 80, which is adjacent to the joint The sealing section 56 extends the body of the joint 64. This groove section 80 is substantially hollow and cylindrical in shape. When the sealing assembly 50 is mounted in the socket end 6, the groove section 80 is pressed against the socket end. The groove section 80 has a wall thickness of EDG.

[0056] The connecting portion 60 comprises a protective section 82, which is adjacent to the protective ring 58. The protective section 82 is substantially frustoconical in shape, advantageously narrowing towards the sealing joint 56. In this instance, the protective section is connected to the skirt 70 in a continuous, smooth manner, i.e., without steps or edges. The protective section has a wall thickness EDP that advantageously increases towards the protective ring 58. The protective section 82, when mounted in the sealing assembly 50 within the socket end 6, bears against the socket end 6.

[0057] The connecting portion 60 comprises a rib section 84, disposed between the groove section 80 and the protective section 82, defining a rib groove 86 adapted to receive the intermediate rib 38 of the socket end. The rib section 84, in the assembled state of the sealing assembly 50 in the socket end 6, advantageously extends radially away from the intermediate rib 38. The rib section 84 has a rib section wall thickness EDN. This rib section wall thickness EDN is less than the groove section wall thickness EDG and the protective section wall thickness EDP. Generally, the wall thickness of the connecting portion 60 is at least locally less than the wall thickness of the skirt 70 and / or the sealing body 64.

[0058] The connecting portion 60 is formed from the material of the sealing gasket 56 and / or the connecting portion 60 is formed from the material of the protective ring 58. The sealing assembly 50 is advantageously one-piece.

[0059] The sealing assembly 50 is made of an elastic material, in particular an elastomeric material such as, for example, an EPDM (ethylene-propylene-diene) copolymer, an NBR (acrylonitrile-butadiene) copolymer, an SBR (styrene-butadiene) copolymer, chlorosulfonated polyethylene, natural rubber or a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).

[0060] In the case where the sealing assembly 50 is an elastomer, it advantageously has a Shore A hardness between 40 and 85.

[0061] The connecting part 60 links the sealing gasket 56 to the protective ring 58 even in the absence of the push-fit end 6. The sealing gasket 56, the protective ring 58 and the connecting part 60 can therefore be handled as a single unit before their insertion into the push-fit end.

[0062] As can be seen in [Fig. 1], the connecting part 60 is solid. The connecting part 60 extends uninterrupted around its entire perimeter and has no openings in its wall.

[0063] The manufacture of the tubular joint assembly 52 is carried out in the following manner.

[0064] We start from the configuration in which the sealing assembly 50 is located outside the push-fit end. The sealing assembly 50 can be handled as a single unit, independently of the push-fit end 6.

[0065] Next, the sealing assembly 50 is inserted as a single unit into the push-fit end.

[0066] The protective ring 58 is placed on the bottom of the socket 36.

[0067] Simultaneously with this placement of the protective ring 58 on the bottom the insertion groove 36, and thanks to the connecting part 60, the sealing gasket 56 is inserted into the insertion groove 32.

[0068] The tubular junction 2 is assembled as follows.

[0069] The plain end 4 is inserted into the socket end 6 by passing through the entry collar 26 and the insertion is continued towards the bottom of the socket 36.

[0070] When the plain end 4 reaches the level of the socket bottom 36, it applies itself against the protective ring 58 and remains out of contact with the base body 24 of the socket end at least at the level of the protective ring 58. This configuration is shown in [Fig.2].

[0071] Note that, when the plain end 4 is introduced into the socket end, the connecting part 60 prevents any risk of displacement or of the protective ring 58 being drawn into the inside of the barrel 22.

[0072] In the assembled state, the plain end 4 axially compresses the protective ring 58. More precisely, the plain end 4 axially compresses the axial bottom stop 68. In this configuration, during the flow of liquid inside the tubular junction, the protective ring 58 is deformed and fills the axial gap between the plain end 4 and the socket end 6, thus ensuring compliance with the flow of transported liquid.

[0073] Figure 3 is a half-sectional view of a second embodiment of the tubular junction according to the invention. The tubular junction is in a configuration similar to that of Figure 1. The only difference compared to the tubular junction of Figure 1 is that the connecting portion 60 includes through-holes 90 formed in its wall.

[0074] This embodiment consumes little raw material and allows significant flexibility between the sealing gasket 56 and the protective ring 58.

Claims

Demands

1. Sealing assembly (50) for tubular joint, of the type comprising - a sealing gasket (56) adapted to be inserted into a socket groove (32), and - a protective ring (58), adapted to protect a socket bottom (36) from a socket end (6), characterized in that the sealing assembly (50) comprises a connecting part (60) linking the sealing gasket (56) to the protective ring (58).

2. Sealing assembly (50) according to claim 1, wherein the connecting part (60) comprises one or more of the following features: - the connecting part (60) is formed from the material of the sealing gasket (56), - the connecting part (60) is formed from the material of the protective ring (58), - the connecting part (60) connects the sealing gasket (56) to the protective ring (58) in the absence of the push-fit end (6), and / or - the connecting part (60) is made of an elastic material, in particular rubber, in particular the sealing assembly (50) is made of an elastic material, in particular rubber.

3. Sealing assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connecting part (60) is solid or wherein the connecting part (60) includes openings (90).

4. Sealing assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connecting part (60) comprises a groove section (80) which is adjacent to the sealing joint (56), in particular the groove section (80) being substantially cylindrical in shape.

5. Sealing assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connecting part (60) comprises a rib section (84) defining a rib groove (86) adapted to receive an intermediate rib (38) of the socket end.

6. A sealing assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connecting portion (60) comprises a protective section (82), which is adjacent to the protective ring (58), in particular the protective section (82) having one or more of the following characteristics: - the protective section is substantially frustoconical in shape narrowing in the direction towards the sealing joint (56), and - the protective section has a protective section wall thickness EDP which is increasing in the direction towards the protective ring (58).

7. Sealing assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sealing joint (56) comprises a sealing body (64), an anchoring heel (62) and a sealing lip (66).

8. Sealing assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the protective ring (58) includes a bottom axial stop (68), and a skirt (70).

9. Tubular joint assembly (52), of the type comprising - a push-fit end (6) having a push-fit groove (32), a bottom groove (34) and a push-fit bottom (36), characterized in that the tubular joint assembly (52) further comprises a sealing assembly (50) according to any one of the preceding claims, and in that the sealing assembly (50) has a shape complementary to that of the push-fit end (6).

10. Tubular junction, of the type comprising - a plain end (4), characterized in that the tubular junction comprises a tubular junction assembly (52) according to the preceding claim, and in that the plain end (4) is insertable into the socket end (6).

11. Method of manufacturing a tubular joint assembly (52) according to claim 9 or a tubular joint according to claim 10, comprising inserting the sealing gasket (56) into the socket groove (32) simultaneously with the placement of the protective ring (58) on the socket bottom.

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