Pipe Leak Inspection Tool

Abstract

To provide a pipe leakage inspection tool in which a seal ring is difficult to come off when the pipe is attached. [Solution] The pipe leak inspection tool 10 comprises a main body 12 having a connection portion 18 that fits inside the pipe 50, a seal ring 20 arranged on the outer surface of the connection portion 18, a sleeve 22 that is arranged outside the connection portion 18 and is movable around the outside of the seal ring 20 along the axial direction of the connection portion 18, and is pushed by the pipe 20 fitted into the connection portion 18 to move from a position overlapping the seal ring 20, and a biasing portion 24 that is provided as the sleeve 22 itself or separately from the sleeve 22 and biases the sleeve 22 toward the insertion start end of the pipe 50 in the connection portion 18.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pipe leak inspection tool. [Background technology]

[0002] A pipe leak inspection tool has been proposed that is connected to a pipe by attaching an O-ring to a tubular connecting part and inserting the connecting part into the inside of the pipe (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-287387 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When inserting the connection part of the aforementioned pipe leak inspection tool into the inside of the pipe, the O-ring may be pushed out of place by the pipe.

[0005] The present invention has been proposed in consideration of the above-mentioned problems associated with the conventional technology in order to solve these problems in an optimal manner, and aims to provide a pipe leak inspection tool in which the seal ring is less likely to come off when attached to a pipe. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A first aspect of the piping leak inspection tool according to the present invention is as follows: a main body having a connection portion that fits inside the piping; a seal ring disposed on an outer circumferential surface of the connection portion; a sleeve disposed outside the connection portion and movable outside the seal ring in the axial direction of the connection portion, the sleeve being pushed by the pipe fitted into the connection portion and moving from a position overlapping with the seal ring; The gist of the present invention is that it comprises a biasing portion that is provided as the sleeve itself or separately from the sleeve and that biases the sleeve toward the insertion start end side of the pipe in the connection portion.

[0007] A second aspect of the piping leak inspection tool according to the present invention is the same as that of the first aspect, The sleeve may have a protrusion that protrudes from the inner surface and is hooked onto the seal ring.

[0008] A third aspect of the piping leak inspection tool according to the present invention is the same as the first or second aspect, a male thread provided on an outer peripheral surface of the connection portion and positioned closer to an insertion start end than the seal ring; a fastening portion disposed on the outside of the piping and screwed to the main body, The threads of the fastening portion and the main body may be threaded in a direction opposite to that of the male thread.

[0009] A fourth aspect of the piping leakage inspection tool according to the present invention is the same as that of the third aspect, The fastening portion may have a pressing member that presses the pipe fitted into the connection portion against the male thread. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the pipe leakage inspection tool of the present invention, the seal ring is unlikely to come off when attached to the pipe. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing a pipe leakage inspection tool according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of a pipe leakage inspection tool according to an embodiment of the present invention, in a state before being attached to a pipe. [Figure 3] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of a pipe leakage inspection tool according to an embodiment, in a state where the tool is attached to a pipe. [Figure 4] 1 is an exploded cross-sectional view showing a main part of a pipe leakage inspection tool according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the main body according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the main body according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of a pipe leakage inspection tool having a sleeve according to another embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of a pipe leakage inspection tool having a biasing portion according to another embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Next, a preferred embodiment of a pipe leakage inspection tool according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the embodiments and drawings described below are intended to exemplify a portion of the embodiment of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to these configurations, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0013] Pipe leak inspection tools are used to block pipes, for example, as test plugs to check the airtightness of synthetic resin pipes such as cross-linked polyethylene pipes after they have been installed as water and hot water supply pipes for residential equipment, or by connecting them to the copper pipes of heat exchangers such as room air conditioners when filling them with refrigerant gas.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, a pipe leak inspection tool 10 according to this embodiment includes a main body 12 to which a pipe 50 is attached, and a fastening portion 14 that is attached to the main body 12 and prevents the pipe 50 connected to the main body 12 from coming loose. Reference numeral 16 denotes an attachment that is attached to the main body 12 and to which a test pump (not shown) is connected. Note that in the pipe leak inspection tool 10, the side to which the pipe 50 is connected is referred to as the front side (the insertion start end side of the pipe 50), and the opposite side is referred to as the rear side (the insertion end side of the pipe 50).

[0015] 4, the main body 12 includes a connection portion 18 that fits inside the pipe 50, a seal ring 20 that is arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the connection portion 18, a sleeve 22 that is arranged outside the connection portion 18 and is capable of reciprocating in the axial direction of the connection portion 18, and a biasing portion 24 that biases the sleeve 22. The main body 12 also includes a flange portion 26 that is provided on the rear side of the connection portion 18, and a mounting portion 28 that is provided on the rear side of the flange portion 26 and for mounting the attachment 16. In this embodiment, the mounting portion 28 is a male thread.

[0016] 6, flange portion 26 extends outward beyond connecting portion 18. Flange portion 26 has a first outer peripheral surface 26a formed in an arc shape and a second outer peripheral surface 26b formed in a flat shape, and by gripping the pair of second outer peripheral surfaces 26b arranged on either side of the axial center, main body 12 can be easily held when attaching or detaching piping 50, fastening portion 14, and attachment 16 to or from main body 12.

[0017] 5, the seal ring 20 is an annular member with a circular cross section. The seal ring 20 is made of a resilient material such as rubber, and an O-ring, for example, can be used. The seal ring 20 seals the gap between the connection portion 18 and the pipe 50 fitted into the connection portion 18.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 5, the connection portion 18 includes a retaining male thread (male thread) 30 for retaining the piping 50 fitted to the outside of the connection portion 18, an installation recess 32 for installing the seal ring 20, and an installation male thread 34 for attaching the fastening portion 14. The retaining male thread 30 is provided forward of the installation recess 32 (seal ring 20) in the connection portion 18. The retaining male thread 30 is preferably formed to a size such that the crest of the thread bites into the inner surface of the piping 50. The retaining male thread 30 in this embodiment is a positive-handed (right-handed) thread, although this is not particularly limited. The installation recess 32 is formed in a concave shape around the entire outer periphery of the connection portion 18. The installation recess 32 is formed shallower than the diameter of the seal ring 20, so that the seal ring 20 protrudes outward from the outer periphery of the connection portion 18 (see FIG. 4). The diameter of the seal ring 20 mentioned above refers to the cross-sectional dimension of the rubber portion that forms the ring in the seal ring 20, and is not the diameter of the ring that forms the entire seal ring 20. In this embodiment, the connection part 18 is provided with two installation recesses 32, and two seal rings 20 are disposed adjacent to the connection part 18.

[0019] As shown in Figure 4, the mounting male thread 34 is provided rearward of the seal ring 20. The mounting male thread 34 also protrudes outward beyond the connecting portion 18, and a support step 36 between the mounting male thread 34 and the connecting portion 18 supports the rear end of the biasing portion 24. The mounting male thread 34 is formed with a thread orientation opposite to that of the retaining male thread 30. In other words, the mounting male thread 34 in this embodiment is a reverse thread (left-handed thread) while the retaining male thread 30 is a positive thread (right-handed thread) as described above.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the sleeve 22 is disposed outside the connection portion 18 and is movable outside the seal ring 20 along the axial direction of the connection portion 18. The sleeve 22 is pushed by the pipe 50 fitted into the connection portion 18, moving from a first position (see FIG. 2 ) where it overlaps the seal ring 20 to a second position (see FIG. 3 ) where it is disengaged from the seal ring 20. The sleeve 22 is a cylindrical member made of rubber or the like. The sleeve 22 has a protrusion 22a that protrudes from the inner surface of the sleeve 22 and hooks onto the seal ring 20 (see FIG. 5 ). The protrusion 22a is formed at the rear end of the sleeve 22. The protrusion 22a may be formed at one location on the inner surface of the sleeve 22, or at multiple locations spaced apart circumferentially on the inner surface of the sleeve 22. However, the protrusion 22a in this embodiment is formed around the entire inner surface of the sleeve 22. The protrusion 22a is caught on the rear seal ring 20, thereby restricting the movement of the sleeve 22 toward the front side. As a result, the sleeve 22 is positioned at the first position where it overlaps with the seal ring 20. In this embodiment, the front end of the sleeve 22 is located on the top of the front seal ring 20 at the first position.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 5, the biasing portion 24 is provided separately from the sleeve 22. The biasing portion 24 biases the sleeve 22 forward (toward the insertion start end of the piping 50 in the connection portion 18). In this embodiment, the biasing portion 24 is a coil spring, and is disposed between the rear end surface of the sleeve 22 and the support step 36 of the main body 12, with the connection portion 18 passing inside the coil portion (see Fig. 4). The biasing portion 24 is compressed by the sleeve 22, which is pushed rearward by the piping 50, and pushes the sleeve 22 from the second position toward the first position when the piping 50 is removed from the connection portion 18.

[0022] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the fastening portion 14 is disposed on the outside of the piping 50 fitted into the connection portion 18, and is screwed to the main body 12. The fastening portion 14 is a cylindrical member. The fastening portion 14 has an internal mounting thread 38 on the inner surface of the rear portion that engages with the external mounting thread 34 of the main body 12. Here, the thread direction between the fastening portion 14 and the main body 12 is opposite to that of the external retaining thread 30. In other words, if the external retaining thread 30 is a right-hand thread as described above, the external mounting thread 34 and the internal mounting thread 38 are reverse-threaded.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3 , the fastening portion 14 has a pressing member 40 that presses the piping 50 fitted into the connection portion 18 against the mounting male thread 34. The pressing member 40 can be, for example, a male screw such as a thumbscrew (in this embodiment) or a bolt. The threaded portion 40a of the pressing member 40 is fitted into a threaded hole 42 that penetrates the front portion of the fastening portion 14 in the radial direction. The fastening portion 14 in this embodiment has multiple (three in this embodiment) threaded holes 42 spaced apart in the circumferential direction, and the pressing member 40 can be attached to one or more of the multiple threaded holes 42. By rotating the pressing member 40, the amount of protrusion of the threaded portion 40a of the pressing member 40 into the fastening portion 14 can be adjusted. The engagement of the threaded portion 40a of the pressing member 40 with the threaded hole 42 allows the threaded portion 40a of the pressing member 40 to be maintained at a desired protrusion amount. Using a thumbscrew as the pressing member 40 makes it easier to rotate the pressing member 40.

[0024] The installation of the pipe leak inspection tool 10 to the pipe 50 will now be described. Before being installed in the pipe 50, the pipe leak inspection tool 10 is positioned in a first position where the sleeve 22 overlaps the outside of the seal ring 20 (see FIG. 2). The tip of the pressing member 40 is retracted to a position where it does not protrude inside the fastening portion 14. When the connection portion 18 of the pipe leak inspection tool 10 is inserted into the inside of the pipe 50, the end face of the pipe 50 comes into contact with the front end face of the sleeve 22. As the connection portion 18 is inserted into the pipe 50, the sleeve 22 is pressed by the pipe 50 and moves rearward against the biasing force of the biasing portion 24. Then, because the seal ring 20 is positioned inside the pipe 50, the pipe leak inspection tool 10 is installed in the pipe 50 with the seal ring 20 sealing the gap between the connection portion 18 and the pipe 50. At this time, the sleeve 22 is positioned in a second position away from the seal ring 20. Next, pressing member 40 is rotated to cause threaded portion 40a to protrude into fastening portion 14, thereby pressing pipe 50 against retaining male thread 30 of connecting portion 18 with threaded portion 40a of pressing member 40. As a result, pipe 50 is sandwiched between threaded portion 40a of pressing member 40 and connecting portion 18, and retaining male thread 30 of connecting portion 18 bites into the inner surface of pipe 50, preventing pipe 50 from coming loose (see FIG. 3).

[0025] The following describes how to remove the pipe leak inspection tool 10 from the pipe 50. By rotating the pressing member 40 and moving the threaded portion 40a away from the pipe 50, the clamping of the pipe 50 by the threaded portion 40a of the pressing member 40 is released. The connection portion 18 is pulled out from the pipe 50. If the retaining male thread 30 of the connection portion 18 bites into the inner surface of the pipe 50, making it difficult to remove the pipe 50, rotating the pipe leak inspection tool 10 in the direction that loosens the retaining male thread will make it easier to remove the connection portion 18 from the pipe 50. When the pipe 50 is removed from the connection portion 18, the sleeve 22, which was pressed by the pipe 50 and was in the second position, is biased by the biasing portion 24 and moves forward. The protrusion 22a of the sleeve 22 hooks onto the seal ring 20, which protrudes outward beyond the connection portion, and the sleeve 22 is positioned in the first position overlapping the outside of the seal ring 20 (see FIG. 2).

[0026] The pipe leak inspection tool 10 includes a sleeve 22 that is movably disposed outside the seal ring 20 along the axial direction of the connection portion 18 and that moves from a position overlapping the seal ring 20 when pressed by the pipe 50 fitted into the connection portion 18. The seal ring 20 is protected by the sleeve 22, which is in a first position overlapping the seal ring, before the pipe 50 is attached to the connection portion 18, preventing it from shifting position or coming off. The sleeve 22 also moves from the first position overlapping the seal ring 20 when pressed by the pipe 50 fitted into the connection portion 18. This allows the seal ring 20 to be protected by the sleeve 22 until just before the pipe 50 is fitted into the seal ring 20, and the seal ring 20 smoothly moves from the inside of the sleeve 22 to the inside of the pipe 50 as the pipe 50 is inserted. In this way, the pipe leak inspection tool 10 makes it difficult for the pipe to get caught on the seal ring 20 when attaching the connection portion 18 to the pipe 50, making it difficult for the seal ring 20 to come off when the pipe 50 is attached. Therefore, the seal ring 20 can be placed at a predetermined position inside the pipe 50 to properly seal the space between the connection portion 18 and the pipe 50, and leak inspection of the pipe 50 can be performed accurately and efficiently.

[0027] The piping leak inspection tool 10 is equipped with a biasing portion 24 that biases the sleeve 22 forward (toward the insertion start end of the piping 50 at the connection portion 18), and by removing the connection portion 18 from the piping 50, the sleeve 22 can be returned to its original first position by the biasing of the biasing portion 24. The piping leak inspection tool 10 is easy to use because the sleeve 22 moves as the piping 50 is attached or detached without any operation by the user. The piping leak inspection tool 10 is easy to attach and detach to the piping 50, and repeated leak inspections are performed without much effort.

[0028] The sleeve 22 has a protrusion 22a that protrudes from the inner surface of the sleeve 22 and catches on the seal ring 20. This allows the sleeve 22 to be positioned so that it overlaps the seal ring 20, and the seal ring 20 can be smoothly moved from the inside of the sleeve 22 to the inside of the pipe 50 as the pipe 50 is inserted.

[0029] The outer peripheral surface of the connection portion 18 is provided with a retaining male thread 30 forward of the seal ring 20 (toward the insertion start end), making it difficult for the piping 50 fitted into the connection portion 18 to come loose. Furthermore, the thread orientation of the female mounting thread 38 of the fastening portion 14 and the male mounting thread 34 of the main body 12 is opposite to that of the retaining male thread 30, so even if the connection portion 18 is rotated in a direction that loosens the male mounting thread 30 when removing the connection portion 18 from the piping 50, the female mounting thread 38 of the fastening portion 14 and the male mounting thread 34 of the main body 12 can be prevented from loosening. Therefore, the piping leak inspection tool 10 is easy to remove from the piping 50, improving the efficiency of leak inspection of the piping 50.

[0030] The fastening portion 14 has a pressing member 40 that presses the pipe 50 fitted into the connection portion 18 against the retaining male thread 30. The pipe leak inspection tool 10 presses the pipe 50 against the retaining male thread 30 with the threaded portion 40a of the pressing member 40, thereby causing strong interference between the pipe 50 and the retaining male thread 30, making it difficult for the pipe 50 to come off the connection portion 18.

[0031] The pipe leakage inspection tool 10 can prevent the above-mentioned seal ring 20 from falling off and can prevent the pipe 50 from coming off with a small number of parts, and the small number of parts makes maintenance easy.

[0032] (Example of change) The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned matters, but may be, for example, as follows: Note that the present invention is not limited to the specific descriptions of the embodiment and the following modified examples. (1) In the above-described embodiment, the biasing portion is provided separately from the sleeve. However, this is not limiting and the biasing portion may be provided on the sleeve. The sleeve 122 according to another embodiment shown in FIG. 7 is cylindrical and made of an elastic material such as rubber. It is formed in a bellows shape that expands and contracts in the axial direction of the connection portion 18. The bellows shape of the sleeve 122 functions as the biasing portion, and the sleeve 122 itself is provided with the biasing portion. The sleeve 122 is in an expanded state before the connection portion 18 is inserted into the piping 50 and is positioned so as to overlap the seal ring 20. When the sleeve 122 is pressed by the piping 50 fitted into the connection portion 18, the sleeve 122 elastically contracts and disengages from the seal ring 20. Furthermore, when the connection portion 18 is removed from the piping 50, the contracted sleeve 22 expands and returns to its position overlapping the seal ring 20. In this alternative embodiment, components similar to those in the above-described embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and a description thereof will be omitted. The alternative embodiment also exhibits the same effects as those in the above-described embodiment. (2) In the above-described embodiment, a coil spring is used as an example of the biasing portion, but this is not limiting. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the biasing portion 124 may be cylindrical and made of a resilient material such as rubber, and may be formed in a bellows shape that expands and contracts in the axial direction of the connecting portion 18. In other embodiments, the same components as those in the above-described embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted. Even in other embodiments, the same effects as those in the above-described embodiment are exhibited. (3) The pipe leakage inspection tool of the embodiment is configured to prevent the pipe connected to the main body from coming loose by the fastening portion, but this is not limiting, and the fastening portion may be omitted. (4) In the embodiment, an attachment for connecting a test pump is exemplified, but the attachment is not limited to this and may have other configurations, such as a cover that closes the rear side of the main body. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 10 Pipe leakage inspection tool, 12 Main body, 14 Fastening part, 18 Connection part, 20 Seal ring, 22 sleeve, 22a protrusion, 24 biasing portion, 30 retaining male screw (male screw), 40 pressing member, 50 piping

Claims

1. a main body having a connection portion that fits inside the piping; a seal ring disposed on an outer circumferential surface of the connection portion; a sleeve disposed outside the connection portion and movable outside the seal ring in the axial direction of the connection portion, the sleeve being pushed by the pipe fitted into the connection portion and moving from a position overlapping with the seal ring; A pipe leakage inspection tool comprising: a biasing portion provided on the sleeve itself or separately from the sleeve, which biases the sleeve toward the insertion start end of the pipe at the connection portion.

2. 2. A piping leak inspection tool according to claim 1, further comprising a protrusion protruding from the inner surface of the sleeve and adapted to be hooked onto the seal ring.

3. a male thread provided on an outer peripheral surface of the connection portion and positioned closer to an insertion start end than the seal ring; a fastening portion disposed on the outside of the piping and screwed to the main body, 2. The pipe leakage inspection tool according to claim 1, wherein the threads of the fastening portion and the main body are oriented in a direction opposite to that of the male thread.

4. The pipe leakage inspection tool according to claim 3 , wherein the fastening portion has a pressing member that presses the pipe fitted into the connecting portion against the male thread.

Images