Fireproof and heat-resistant cover for pipe joint

Abstract

To provide a new fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover of a pipe joint capable of securing heat insulating performance of a pipe joint part and improving appearance of the part.SOLUTION: A cover 100 comprising a pair of semi-cylindrical cover members 1010, and a coupling member 11 for coupling the cover members 1010, to each other is attached to a pipe joint 200 so as to cover it cylindrically. Thus, the heat insulating performance of the pipe joint 200 part can be secured, and the appearance of the part can be improved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover that is applied to a pipe joint for connecting fire extinguishing pipes, for example, through which water for fire extinguishing is passed, in a butt-together manner. [Background technology]

[0002] In high-rise buildings such as buildings and apartment complexes, where the installation of fire extinguishing equipment such as sprinklers and fire hydrants is mandatory, multiple pipes for supplying water for fire extinguishing are installed. This fire extinguishing pipe is composed of multiple fire-resistant and heat-resistant fire pipes connected vertically and horizontally depending on the shape of the building, etc. Pipe fittings used to connect these fire extinguishing pipes include, for example, a housing type using a pair of housing members as shown in Patent Document 1 below, a flange type with a flange at the pipe end, a screw type in which a screw groove is cut into the pipe end and screwed into it, and a mechanical type.

[0003] The joints of such fire extinguishing pipes are equipped with gaskets, packings, and rings (made of rubber, PTFE, or non-asbestos) to prevent water leakage from these parts, but if the pipe joints are located on the outdoor staircases of a building, for example, and are exposed to sparks, high-temperature gases, or hot air from a nearby fire, the gaskets, packings, and rings may melt and cause water leakage, etc. For this reason, after the construction of these fire extinguishing piping, the periphery of each pipe joint is protected by covering it with a flame-retardant insulating material, such as a sheet of rock wool about 50 mm thick as shown in Patent Document 2 below. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-241793 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-83384 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, if the parts covered with this insulation are left exposed outdoors, such as in staircases, not only is the insulation performance susceptible to deterioration due to wind, rain, and ultraviolet rays, but it also looks unattractive. Furthermore, installing this insulation properly requires a certain level of experience and skill, and plumbers who install housing joints often cannot do it properly. Therefore, the installation is performed by specialized installers (thermal insulators) after the piping is installed, which increases the installation costs. Furthermore, this insulation needs to be replaced periodically, but this is not easy, which contributes to high maintenance costs.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention was devised to solve these problems, and its main purpose is to provide a new fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover for pipe joints that can ensure the insulating performance of the pipe joint part while also improving the appearance of the part. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the first invention is a fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover to be attached to a pipe fitting for connecting pipes together by butting them together, characterized in that it comprises a pair of cover members formed to cylindrically cover the pipe fitting when connected, and a connecting member that connects the pair of cover members together.

[0008] By attaching the fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover of the pipe joint of the present invention having such a configuration to cover the part after the insulation material has been installed on the pipe joint, the insulation performance can be ensured and the appearance of the part can also be improved.

[0009] The second invention is a fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover for a pipe joint according to the first invention, characterized in that a heat insulating material is provided inside the pair of cover members. With this configuration, simply attaching the fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover of the present invention to the pipe joint can simultaneously insulate that part. This allows for significant reductions in the cost of installing and maintaining the heat insulating material.

[0010] The third invention is a fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover for a pipe joint according to the second invention, characterized in that the insulating material is rock wool. By using rock wool, an artificial mineral fiber, as the insulating material used on the inner surfaces of the pair of cover members, not only excellent insulating effects but also excellent fire resistance can be achieved.

[0011] A fourth invention is a fire-resistant / heat-resistant cover for a pipe joint according to any one of the first to third inventions, characterized in that the connecting member comprises a hinge that rotatably connects one end of each of the cover members to each other, and a fastener that connects or separates the other end of each of the cover members to each other. With this configuration, the cover members can be easily connected or separated from each other, making the fire-resistant / heat-resistant cover of the present invention easily attached to and detached from the pipe joint, facilitating installation and maintenance work.

[0012] A fifth invention is a fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover for a pipe fitting according to any one of the first to third inventions, wherein the pair of cover members each comprise a peripheral surface portion that covers the periphery of the pipe fitting and a lid portion that closes both ends of the peripheral surface portion, and one or both of the lid portions are tapered to form a cone shape with the pipe as its axis. With this configuration, there are no sharp corners at the boundary between the peripheral surface portion and the lid portion, which makes it possible to prevent that portion from being used as a foothold. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, by attaching the cover to cover the pipe joint after the insulation material has been installed, the insulation performance can be improved and the appearance of the part can also be improved. Furthermore, since the insulation work can be completed at the same time by simply attaching it to the pipe joint, the installation cost of the insulation material and the maintenance cost can be significantly reduced. Furthermore, the installation and removal work can be easily performed, and other excellent effects can be achieved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1]1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover 100 for a pipe joint according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a conventional housing-type pipe joint 200. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of installation of a conventional housing-type pipe joint 200. [Figure 4] 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of a fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover 100 for a pipe joint according to the present invention. [Figure 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1. [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover 100 for a pipe joint according to the present invention. [Figure 8] 1 is a side view showing another embodiment of the fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover 100 for a pipe joint according to the present invention. [Figure 9] 1 is a side view showing another embodiment of the fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover 100 for a pipe joint according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 shows one embodiment of a fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover 100 for a pipe joint according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, this fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover 100 for a pipe joint is attached to cover a pipe joint 200 that connects the ends of pipes P, P such as fire extinguishing pipes by butt-jointing them.

[0016] 1 and 2 show an example of a housing-type pipe joint 200, which is one type of pipe joint to which this fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover 100 of the pipe joint is attached. This housing-type pipe joint 200 is composed of a rubber ring 20, a pair of arc-shaped housings 21, 21, and a pair of fastening bolts 22, 22.

[0017] As shown in the figure, the ends of a pair of pipes P, P are butted together, and a rubber ring 20 is placed over the outside of the butted portion.A pair of housings 21, 21 are then attached so as to sandwich the ring 20 from above and below, and the flanges 21b, 21b at both ends are then fastened together with a pair of fastening bolts 22, 22.

[0018] The edges of the arc-shaped inner peripheral surfaces of the housings 21 are provided with claws 21a protruding in the axial direction, and annular grooves d about 2 to 3 mm deep are formed in the circumferential direction at the ends of the pipes P by groove processing, approximately 10 to 30 mm from the ends, so that the claws 21a bite into the annular grooves d, firmly connecting the pipes P to prevent them from falling out. Furthermore, rubber rings 20 located on the outsides of the ends of the pipes P function to prevent fluid from leaking from the butted parts.

[0019] The fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover 100 of the present invention to be attached to this, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, is composed of a pair of cover members 10, 10 and a connecting member 11 that connects the pair of cover members 10, 10 together. The cover members 10, 10 are made by processing a metal plate into a cylindrical shape and are composed of a cylindrical peripheral portion 10a and semicircular lid portions 10b, 10b that close both ends of the peripheral portion 10a. Semicircular cutouts 10c, 10c that are slightly larger than the outer diameter of the pipe P are formed in the axial centers of the lid portions 10b, 10b.

[0020] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 4, the connecting member 11 is made up of a hinge 11a that connects one end of each cover member 10, 10 to each other, and a fastener 11b that connects and separates the other end of each cover member 10, 10 to each other. The hinge 11a connects one end of each cover member 10, 10 to each other, and as shown in the figure, allows the cover members 10, 10 to rotate relative to each other around this part as an axis. The fastener 11b is a so-called snap lock, and is made up of a hook 11c attached to the other end of one cover member 10, a lever 11d attached to the other end of the other cover member 10, and a connecting rod 11e that connects them.

[0021] Furthermore, a heat insulating material 12 is provided inside the pair of cover members 10, 10 as shown in Fig. 5. This heat insulating material 12 is made of a flame retardant or fire resistant material, such as rock wool, which is an artificial mineral fiber, glass wool, which is an artificial fiber made primarily from glass, or phenol foam, which is made by foaming and hardening phenolic resin, and has moderate flexibility in addition to being flame retardant and fire resistant.

[0022] To attach this fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover 100 to the housing-type pipe joint 200, as shown in Figure 4, the fastener 11b, which consists of a snap lock, is removed to open each cover member 10 wide, and then one cover member 10 is placed over the housing-type pipe joint 200.Then, the other cover member 10 is closed and the fastener 11b is connected, and the cover can be easily attached.

[0023] The housing-type pipe fitting 200 with the fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover 100 attached in this way has the flame-retardant material 12 tightly attached to its surface, so that the entire fitting is covered with the heat insulating material 12, and therefore even if sparks, high-temperature gas, hot air, etc. come into contact with this part during a fire, the heat is not easily transmitted, preventing the rubber ring 20 inside the housing-type pipe fitting 200 from melting due to the heat. In addition, because the periphery of the heat insulating material 12 is covered with the cylindrical metal cover members 10, 10, it is possible to prevent deterioration and performance loss of the heat insulating material 12 due to the effects of wind, rain, ultraviolet rays, etc., and also improve the appearance of the part.

[0024] Furthermore, since the fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover 100 of the pipe joint of the present invention is already equipped with insulating material 12 such as rock wool on the inside, simply attaching it to the housing-type pipe joint 200 can simultaneously perform insulation work on that part. This makes it possible to omit the installation of insulating material, significantly reducing installation costs, and also makes it easier to remove and replace the insulating material, reducing maintenance costs.

[0025] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which insulating material 12 such as rock wool is provided inside cover members 10, 10 in advance, but a configuration in which insulating material 12 is omitted, i.e., a configuration in which insulating material is installed as in the conventional case and then cover members 10, 10 are applied, may also be used. With such a configuration, it is possible to attach the cover members 10, 10 to a portion where insulating material has already been installed, and it is possible to improve the appearance and durability of that portion.

[0026] Furthermore, the size of this housing-type pipe fitting 200 varies depending on the type, but if it is larger than the one exemplified in the above embodiment, it can be installed without difficulty by reducing the amount (thickness) of insulation 12 inside the cover members 10, 10. Conversely, if it is smaller, it can be installed tightly without any gaps between it and the housing-type pipe fitting 200 by increasing the amount (thickness) of insulation 12 inside the cover members 10, 10.

[0027] In addition to the grooved type, this housing-type pipe fitting 200 also comes in a ring type. Furthermore, although the present embodiment has been shown as an example of a housing-type pipe fitting, it can also be applied as is to various other conventional pipe fittings, such as a flange type with a flange on the pipe end or a mechanical type. Furthermore, cover members 10, 10 of various sizes may be prepared in advance, and the appropriate size may be used depending on the diameter of the piping.

[0028] In addition to rock wool, other high-insulation materials such as those made of heat-resistant inorganic materials and aluminum glass cloth, or those with a microporous structure made of silica particles may also be used as the insulating material 12. If these high-insulation materials are used, their thickness can be made thinner than rock wool, as shown in Figure 7. For example, the thickness of rock wool can be reduced to 20 mm to 5 mm, which is less than half the thickness of 50 mm, or even less, making it possible to reduce the size of the entire cover.

[0029] In this embodiment, when the cover members 10, 10 are combined, the overall shape is cylindrical, but as shown in Figure 8(A), the cover members 10, 10 may be long horizontally so as to form an ellipse when combined in accordance with the shape of the housing-type pipe joint 200. Furthermore, the cover members 10 may be trapezoidal as shown in Figure 8(B) or polygonal as shown in Figure 8(C).

[0030] Furthermore, because the fire-resistant / heat-resistant cover 100 protrudes like a flange from the surface of the pipe P, if the pipe P extends vertically (top-to-bottom) in a building, this could be used as a foothold during some work, potentially deforming or damaging the cover members 10, 10. To prevent this, as shown in Figures 9(A)-9(B), the center of the upper cover member 10b, 10b, which covers both ends of the peripheral surface 10a of each cover member 10, can be tapered to form a cone shape with the pipe P as its axis, or a separate, newly created cone member (not shown) can be attached to the upper cover member 10b, 10b. This eliminates the sharp corner at the boundary between the peripheral surface 10a and the cover member 10b, as shown in Figure 9(B), making it impossible to use a foothold, and thus preventing the cover member 10 from being used as a foothold. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 10...Cover member 10a...peripheral part 10b…Lid part 11...Connecting member 11a...hinge 11b...fastener 11c…hook 11d...Lever 11e…Connecting rod 12...Insulation material 100...Fireproof and heat-resistant cover for pipe joints 200...Pipe fittings (housing type pipe fittings) P...Piping (firefighting pipe)

Claims

1. A fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover that is attached to a pipe joint for connecting pipes together, A fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover for a pipe fitting, characterized by comprising a pair of cover members formed to cylindrically cover the pipe fitting when connected, and a connecting member that connects the pair of cover members together.

2. The fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover for a pipe joint according to claim 1, A fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover for a pipe joint, characterized in that a heat insulating material is provided inside the pair of cover members.

3. The fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover for a pipe joint according to claim 2, A fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover for a pipe joint, characterized in that the insulating material is rock wool.

4. The fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover for a pipe joint according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover for a pipe fitting, characterized in that the connecting member comprises a hinge that rotatably connects one end of each of the cover members to each other, and a fastener that connects and separates the other end of each of the cover members to each other.

5. The fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover for a pipe joint according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A fire-resistant and heat-resistant cover for a pipe fitting, characterized in that the pair of cover members each consist of a peripheral surface portion that covers the periphery of the pipe fitting and a lid portion that closes both ends of this peripheral surface portion, and either one or both of these lid portions are tapered to form a cone shape with the piping as its axis.

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