Pipe joint

Abstract

To provide a pipe joint capable of preventing a lock sleeve from falling off while reducing the total length and outer diameter of a coupler body.SOLUTION: A pipe joint 100 comprises a male member 10 and a female member 20 connected with each other, in which the female member 20 comprises: a coupler body 21 having a through hole 21a, where the male member 10 is inserted into the through hole 21a; an outer peripheral sleeve 28 provided on an outer periphery of the coupler body 21, and capable of moving along a central axis of the through hole 21a; a lock sleeve 31 that is threaded on a male screw part 21c formed on the outer periphery of the coupler body 21, and moves along the central axis by rotating around the central axis to lock the outer peripheral sleeve 28; and an adapter 22 fastened to the coupler body 21 by being threaded on the male screw part 21c to prevent the lock sleeve 31 from falling out.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pipe joint. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a pipe joint that connects piping by inserting a male member into a coupler body that is a female member. Patent Document 1 discloses a pipe joint that includes an outer circumferential sleeve that is movably provided on the outer periphery of the coupler body.

[0003] In the pipe joint disclosed in Patent Document 1, the female member is provided with a lock sleeve that screws into a male thread formed on the outer periphery of the coupler body. The lock sleeve rotates and moves to lock the outer sleeve. The coupler body is provided with a flange that protrudes radially outward, and the flange prevents the lock sleeve from falling off. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2015 / 137027 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the pipe joint disclosed in Patent Document 1, a flange provided on the coupler body prevents the lock sleeve from falling off. Since the flange protrudes radially outward, the overall length and outer diameter of the coupler body are increased by the amount of the flange.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a pipe joint which is capable of preventing the lock sleeve from falling off while reducing the overall length and outer diameter of the coupler body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The pipe fitting of the present invention comprises a male member and a female member which are connected to each other, the female member having a through hole into which the male member is inserted, an outer sleeve provided on the outer periphery of the coupler body and movable along the central axis of the through hole, a locking sleeve which screws into a male threaded portion formed on the outer periphery of the coupler body and rotates around the central axis to move along the central axis and lock the outer periphery sleeve, and an adapter which is fastened to the coupler body by screwing into the male threaded portion and prevents the locking sleeve from coming loose. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, the adapter is fastened to the coupler body and prevents the locking sleeve from falling off. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide the coupler body with a flange that protrudes radially outward. Furthermore, since the coupler body does not have a flange, the flange length is not necessary and the overall length is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to provide a pipe fitting that can prevent the locking sleeve from falling off while reducing the overall length and outer diameter of the coupler body. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view cut in half of a pipe joint according to a first embodiment, showing a state in which a male member and a female member are separated. [Diagram 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view cut in half of a pipe joint according to a first embodiment, showing a state in which a male member is inserted into a female member. [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view cut in half of the pipe joint according to the first embodiment, illustrating a state in which the lock sleeve has been moved from the state shown in FIG. 2 into contact with the outer peripheral sleeve. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of part A shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view cut in half of a pipe joint according to a second embodiment, showing a state in which the male member and the female member are separated. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view cut in half of a pipe joint according to a third embodiment, showing a state in which the male member and the female member are separated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Each embodiment shown below is an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. In the following description of each embodiment, the same components are given the same reference numerals, and the description will be omitted as appropriate.

[0011] First Embodiment Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view cut in half of a pipe fitting 100 according to a first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the pipe fitting 100 includes a male member 10 and a female member 20 that are connected to each other. Fig. 1 shows a state in which the male member 10 and the female member 20 are separated.

[0012] The male component 10 comprises a nipple 11 having a through hole 11a, and a male adapter 12 attached to the nipple 11. An annular groove 11b extending around the central axis of the through hole 11a is formed on the outer periphery of the nipple 11. An annular protrusion 11c protruding radially inward from the through hole 11a is formed on the inner periphery of the nipple 11. One opening of the through hole 11a is formed by the protrusion 11c.

[0013] A portion of the male adapter 12 is inserted into the through hole 11a through the other opening of the through hole 11a and is screwed into a female thread formed on the inner circumference of the through hole 11a. The male adapter 12 is formed with a through hole 12a, and a flow path penetrating the male member 10 is formed by the through hole 11a and the through hole 12a. The male adapter 12 is formed with a male thread for attachment to equipment or a pipe (not shown). When the pipe is attached to the male adapter 12, the flow path of the male member 10 is continuous with the internal space of the pipe, and a fluid flows between the flow path of the male member 10 and the internal space of the pipe.

[0014] A seal member 13 is provided between nipple 11 and male side adaptor 12. The gap between nipple 11 and male side adaptor 12 is closed by seal member 13. Seal member 13 is, for example, an O-ring.

[0015] Male component 10 also includes male valve 14 housed in through hole 11a, male valve spring 15 which urges male valve 14 towards protrusion 11c of nipple 11, and male valve stop 16 which supports male valve spring 15. Male valve stop 16 is held in through hole 11a of nipple 11 by male adapter 12. Through hole 16a is formed in male valve stop 16 so as not to block the flow path formed by through holes 11a and 12a.

[0016] Male valve 14 is slidably supported by male valve stop 16. Male valve 14 is provided with male valve seat 17, which is brought into contact with protrusion 11c by the biasing force of male valve spring 15. When male valve seat 17 is in contact with protrusion 11c, the flow path of male component 10 is closed by male valve seat 17. When male valve 14 moves in a direction away from protrusion 11c against the biasing force of male valve spring 15, male valve seat 17 moves away from protrusion 11c, and the flow path of male component 10 is opened.

[0017] The female member 20 includes a coupler body 21 having a through hole 21a, and a female adapter 22 attached to the coupler body 21. The nipple 11 of the male member 10 is inserted into the through hole 21a. The female adapter 22 is formed with a through hole 22a. A part of the coupler body 21 is inserted into the through hole 22a, and a flow path penetrating the female member 20 is formed by the through hole 21a and the through hole 22a. The female adapter 22 is formed with a male thread portion for attaching a pipe (not shown). When the pipe is attached to the female adapter 22, the flow path of the female member 20 is continuous with the internal space of the pipe, and a fluid flows between the flow path of the female member 20 and the internal space of the pipe.

[0018] A seal member 23 is provided between the coupler body 21 and the female side adapter 22. The seal member 23 closes the gap between the coupler body 21 and the female side adapter 22. The seal member 23 is, for example, an O-ring.

[0019] A seal member 24 is provided on the inner periphery of the coupler body 21. When the nipple 11 of the male member 10 is inserted into the through hole 21a of the coupler body 21, the seal member 24 is disposed between the coupler body 21 and the nipple 11, and closes the gap between the coupler body 21 and the nipple 11. The seal member 24 is, for example, an O-ring.

[0020] The female member 20 also includes a valve receiver 33 housed in the through hole 21a, a female valve 34 arranged between the inner periphery of the through hole 21a and the outer periphery of the valve receiver 33, a female valve spring 35 that biases the female valve 34, and a female valve stop 36 that supports the female valve spring 35. The female valve stop 36 is fixed to the coupler body 21 by the female adapter 22. A through hole 36a is formed in the female valve stop 36 so as not to block the flow path formed by the through holes 21a and 22a.

[0021] The valve receiver 33 is fixed to the female valve stop 36 by using a snap ring 33a. An annular protrusion 33c is formed on the outer periphery of the valve receiver 33, protruding radially outward from the through hole 21a. The female valve 34 is formed in an annular shape, and the valve receiver 33 inserts the female valve 34. The female valve 34 is slidable along the inner periphery of the through hole 21a. A seal member 38 is provided on the outer periphery of the female valve 34, and the seal member 38 closes the gap between the inner periphery of the through hole 21a and the outer periphery of the female valve 34. The seal member 38 is, for example, a V-seal.

[0022] The female valve spring 35 biases the female valve 34 towards the protrusion 33c of the valve receiver 33. A female valve seat 37 is provided on the female valve 34, and the biasing force of the female valve spring 35 causes the female valve seat 37 to abut against the protrusion 33c. When the female valve seat 37 abuts against the protrusion 33c, the flow path of the female member 20 is closed by the female valve seat 37. When the female valve 34 moves in a direction away from the protrusion 33c against the biasing force of the female valve spring 35, the female valve seat 37 moves away from the protrusion 33c, and the flow path of the female member 20 is opened.

[0023] 2 is a half-cut cross-sectional view of pipe fitting 100, showing the state in which male member 10 is inserted into female member 20. As shown in FIG. 2, when nipple 11 is inserted into through hole 21a, valve receiver 33 of female member 20 comes into contact with male valve seat 17 and pushes male valve 14 against the biasing force of male valve spring 15. As a result, male valve seat 17 moves away from protrusion 11c of nipple 11, opening the flow path of male member 10. Nipple 11 also comes into contact with female valve seat 37 and pushes female valve 34 against the biasing force of female valve spring 35. As a result, female valve seat 37 moves away from protrusion 33c of valve receiver 33, opening the flow path of female member 20.

[0024] When nipple 11 is removed from through hole 21a from the state shown in Figure 2, the biasing force of male valve spring 15 moves male valve 14 towards protrusion 11c of nipple 11. As a result, male valve seat 17 comes into contact with protrusion 11c, closing the flow path of male component 10. Also, the biasing force of female valve spring 35 moves female valve 34 towards protrusion 33c of valve receiver 33. As a result, female valve seat 37 comes into contact with protrusion 33c, closing the flow path of female component 20.

[0025] Thus, in the pipe fitting 100, when the male member 10 is not inserted into the female member 20, the flow paths in the male member 10 and the female member 20 are closed, and when the male member 10 is inserted into the female member 20, the flow paths in the male member 10 and the female member 20 are opened. Therefore, simply by inserting and removing the male member 10 into the female member 20, the flow paths can be switched between open and closed, and pipes (not shown) can be easily connected to each other without fluid leakage.

[0026] 1, a ball hole 21b is formed in the coupler body 21, penetrating between the inner and outer peripheries of the coupler body 21, and a ball 25 is disposed in the ball hole 21b. In the ball hole 21b, the opening on the outer periphery side of the coupler body 21 is larger than the diameter of the ball 25, and the opening on the inner periphery side of the coupler body 21 is smaller than the diameter of the ball 25. Therefore, only a part of the ball 25 can enter the through hole 21a of the coupler body 21 from the ball hole 21b. When the ball 25 does not enter the through hole 21a of the coupler body 21 from the ball hole 21b, the ball 25 protrudes from the outer periphery of the coupler body 21.

[0027] An inner sleeve 26 and an inner spring 27 are provided on the inner circumference of the coupler body 21. The inner sleeve 26 is movable along the central axis of the through hole 21a. The inner spring 27 is supported by a step formed on the inner circumference of the coupler body 21, and biases the inner sleeve 26 in the direction opposite to the female adapter 22. When the inner sleeve 26 closes the ball hole 21b, the inner sleeve 26 restricts the ball 25 from entering the through hole 21a of the coupler body 21 from the ball hole 21b. When the inner sleeve 26 moves against the biasing force of the inner spring 27, the inner sleeve 26 opens the ball hole 21b, and a part of the ball 25 can enter the through hole 21a of the coupler body 21 from the ball hole 21b.

[0028] An outer circumferential sleeve 28 and an outer circumferential spring 29 are provided on the outer periphery of the coupler body 21. The outer circumferential sleeve 28 is movable along the central axis of the through hole 21a. The outer circumferential spring 29 is supported on a step formed on the outer periphery of the coupler body 21, and biases the outer circumferential sleeve 28 in the direction opposite to the female adapter 22 side.

[0029] An annular recess 28a capable of receiving the ball 25 is formed on the inner circumference of the outer sleeve 28. The annular recess 28a has an inclined surface that converts the biasing force of the outer spring 29 to exert a force to push the ball 25 into the through hole 21a of the coupler body 21. In the state shown in FIG. 1, the ball 25 is in contact with the inclined surface. When the inner sleeve 26 moves against the biasing force of the inner spring 27 to open the ball hole 21b, the outer sleeve 28 moves due to the biasing force of the outer spring 29 and pushes the ball 25 into the through hole 21a of the coupler body 21. As a result, a part of the ball 25 enters the through hole 21a of the coupler body 21 from the ball hole 21b.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 2, when the nipple 11 is inserted into the through hole 21a until the annular groove 11b of the nipple 11 is connected to the ball hole 21b, the inner sleeve 26 moves against the biasing force of the inner spring 27 to open the ball hole 21b, and the ball 25 can enter the annular groove 11b from the ball hole 21b. At this time, the outer sleeve 28 moves due to the biasing force of the outer spring 29 and pushes the ball 25 into the through hole 21a of the coupler body 21. As a result, a part of the ball 25 enters the annular groove 11b from the ball hole 21b, and the movement of the nipple 11 in the direction of coming out of the coupler body 21 is locked. Therefore, the male member 10 can be prevented from coming off the female member 20.

[0031] 2, the movement of the outer sleeve 28 in the direction toward the female adapter 22 is not locked. Therefore, if rattling occurs between the male member 10 and the female member 20 and the elasticity of the seal member 24 decreases at low temperatures, fluid leakage may occur. In addition, the vibration of the male member 10 and the female member 20 may cause the outer sleeve 28 to move slightly, which may cause the inner surface of the outer sleeve 28 and the ball 25 to stick at the point of contact.

[0032] Therefore, the pipe joint 100 is configured to be able to lock the outer circumferential sleeve 28. Specifically, the female member 20 is provided with a lock sleeve 31 that screws into the male threaded portion 21c formed on the outer periphery of the coupler body 21. The lock sleeve 31 moves along the central axis of the through hole 21a by rotating around the central axis of the through hole 21a of the coupler body 21. When the lock sleeve 31 moves and comes into contact with the outer circumferential sleeve 28, the lock sleeve 31 locks the movement of the outer circumferential sleeve 28 in the direction toward the female adapter 22.

[0033] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the pipe joint 100 cut in half, showing the state in which the lock sleeve 31 has been moved from the state shown in FIG. 2 to contact the outer sleeve 28. In the state shown in FIG. 3, the lock sleeve 31 contacts the outer sleeve 28 and locks the movement of the outer sleeve 28 in the direction toward the female adapter 22. This prevents the male member 10 and the female member 20 from rattling, and prevents fluid leakage even if the elasticity of the seal member 24 decreases at low temperatures. In addition, minute movements of the outer sleeve 28 can be prevented, and adhesion at the contact points between the inner surface of the outer sleeve 28 and the ball 25 can be prevented.

[0034] To release the nipple 11 from the ball 25, first rotate the lock sleeve 31 in the reverse direction to separate the lock sleeve 31 from the outer sleeve 28. This allows the outer sleeve 28 to move. Then, move the outer sleeve 28 toward the female adapter 22 against the biasing force of the outer spring 29, so that the annular recess 28a of the outer sleeve 28 can receive the ball 25. This allows the ball 25 to move out of the annular groove 11b of the nipple 11, and the nipple 11 is released from the lock by the ball 25.

[0035] Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of part A shown in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 4, the female adapter 22 is screwed into the male threaded portion 21c into which the lock sleeve 31 is screwed and contacts the female valve stop 36, and is fastened to the coupler body 21. Therefore, when the lock sleeve 31 is released from the lock of the nipple 11 by the ball 25, the lock sleeve 31 moves only until it contacts the female adapter 22. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the lock sleeve 31 from coming off the coupler body 21.

[0036] In this way, the female adapter 22 is fastened to the coupler body 21 by screwing into the male threaded portion 21c, preventing the lock sleeve 31 from falling off. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide the coupler body 21 with a flange that protrudes radially outward to prevent the lock sleeve 31 from falling off. Furthermore, since the coupler body 21 does not have a flange, a long flange length is not necessary, and the overall length can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the lock sleeve 31 from falling off while reducing the overall length and outer diameter of the coupler body 21.

[0037] The female side adapter 22 has a female threaded portion 22c that screws into the male threaded portion 21c, and a seal accommodating portion 22d that accommodates the seal member 23. Specifically, the seal accommodating portion 22d is an annular recess formed on the inner periphery of the through hole 22a.

[0038] If the coupler body 21 is not provided with a flange for preventing the lock sleeve 31 from slipping out, and the seal accommodating portion 22d is provided on the front side of the female adapter 22 (the left side in FIG. 4) with respect to the female thread portion 22c, there is a risk that the seal member 23 will shift to the front side of the female adapter 22. In this case, the sealing performance of the seal member 23 will decrease.

[0039] In this embodiment, the seal accommodating portion 22d is provided on the rear side (the right side in FIG. 4) of the female side adapter 22 with respect to the female thread portion 22c. Therefore, when the female thread portion 22c and the male thread portion 21c are screwed together, the seal member 23 is held on the rear side of the female side adapter 22. This makes it possible to prevent the sealing performance of the seal member 23 from decreasing, and to prevent fluid leakage from between the coupler body 21 and the female side adapter 22.

[0040] The outer periphery of the female valve stop 36 has an inclined surface 36b that inclines away from the inner periphery of the female adapter 22 as it advances toward the back of the female adapter 22. Therefore, when the female adapter 22 is tightened into the coupler body 21, the seal member 23 does not come into contact with the corners of the female valve stop 36. This prevents damage to the seal member 23 and more reliably prevents fluid leakage from between the coupler body 21 and the female adapter 22. The inclined surface 36b may be inclined linearly (tapered) or curvedly (rounded).

[0041] The inner periphery of the lock sleeve 31 has a female threaded portion 31c that screws into the male threaded portion 21c, and a non-threaded portion 31d that cannot screw into the male threaded portion 21c. The non-threaded portion 31d extends toward the outer sleeve 28. Therefore, even if the male threaded portion 21c and the outer sleeve 28 are separated from each other and the female threaded portion 31c cannot be brought close to the outer sleeve 28, the lock sleeve 31 can be brought into contact with the outer sleeve 28. Therefore, the movement of the outer sleeve 28 can be locked by the lock sleeve 31.

[0042] <Second embodiment> 5 is a half-cut cross-sectional view of a pipe fitting 200 according to the second embodiment, showing a state in which the male component 10 and the female component 220 are separated. Below, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the same or corresponding configurations as those described in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawing and description thereof will be omitted.

[0043] In the pipe fitting 100 according to the first embodiment (see Figs. 1 to 4), the flow path of the female member 20 is linear, but in the pipe fitting 200 according to the second embodiment (see Fig. 5), the flow path of the female member 220 is inclined. The through hole 222a of the female side adapter 222 is bent at approximately 90 degrees, but may be at approximately 45 degrees or another angle.

[0044] In this pipe fitting 200, as in the first embodiment, the female adapter 222 is fastened to the coupler body 21 by screwing into the male threaded portion 21c, preventing the lock sleeve 31 from falling off. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide the coupler body 21 with a flange that protrudes radially outward to prevent the lock sleeve 31 from falling off. Furthermore, since the coupler body 21 does not have a flange, a long flange length is not necessary, and the overall length is also reduced. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the lock sleeve 31 from falling off while reducing the overall length and outer diameter of the coupler body 21.

[0045] The position of the seal member 23 in the female member 220, the shape of the female valve stop 36 and the shape of the lock sleeve 31 are the same as those in the female member 20 of the first embodiment, so their functions and effects will be omitted.

[0046] <Third embodiment> 6 is a half-cut cross-sectional view of a pipe fitting 300 according to the third embodiment, showing a state in which a male component 310 and a female component 20 are separated. In the following, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the same or corresponding configurations as those described in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawing and description thereof will be omitted.

[0047] In pipe fitting 300 according to the third embodiment, male member 310 does not include male valve 14, male valve spring 15, male valve stop 16, and male valve seat 17 of the first embodiment, and nipple 311 is formed with a male thread portion for attaching a pipe (not shown). In other words, male member 310 consists only of nipple 311 having through hole 311a.

[0048] This pipe joint 300 also provides the same functions and effects as the first embodiment.

[0049] Although not shown, even in a configuration in which the male component 310 in the third embodiment is connected to the female component 220 in the second embodiment, the same actions and effects as those in the first embodiment are achieved.

[0050] Although not shown, the female member 20 and the female member 220 may not include the valve receiver 33, the female valve 34, the female valve spring 35, the female valve stop 36, and the female valve seat 37. Even in this embodiment, if the female adapter 22 and the female adapter 222 are fastened to the coupler body 21 by screwing into the male threaded portion 21c and the lock sleeve 31 is prevented from falling off, it is possible to prevent the lock sleeve 31 from falling off while reducing the overall length and outer diameter of the coupler body 21, as in the first to third embodiments.

[0051] Although the embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 100, 200, 300 Pipe Fittings 10, 310 Male member 20, 220 Female member 21 Coupler body 21c male thread part 21a Through hole 22, 222 Female side adapter (adapter) 28 Outer sleeve 31 Lock Sleeve

Claims

1. a male member and a female member that are connected to each other; The female member is a coupler body having a through hole into which the male member is inserted; an outer sleeve provided on the outer periphery of the coupler body and movable along the central axis of the through hole; a lock sleeve that threads onto a male thread portion formed on the outer periphery of the coupler body and moves along the central axis by rotating around the central axis to lock the outer periphery sleeve; an adapter that is fastened to the coupler body by threading into the male thread portion into which the lock sleeve is threaded, and prevents the lock sleeve from coming off. Pipe fittings.

2. a seal member that seals the gap between the coupler body and the adapter; the adapter has a female screw portion that screws into the male screw portion and a seal accommodating portion that accommodates the seal member, 2. The pipe joint according to claim 1, wherein the seal accommodating portion is provided on a rear side of the adapter relative to the female thread portion.

3. The female member is a valve that opens and closes a flow path formed by the through hole; a valve spring that biases the valve; a valve stop that is fixed to the coupler body by fastening the adapter and supports the valve spring, The outer periphery of the valve stop has an inclined surface that inclines away from the inner periphery of the adapter as it advances toward the back of the adapter.

3. The pipe joint according to claim 2.

4. an inner periphery of the lock sleeve has a female threaded portion that threadably engages with the male threaded portion and a non-threaded portion that cannot threadably engage with the male threaded portion; The non-threaded portion extends toward the outer sleeve.

2. The pipe fitting of claim 1.

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