Fluid connector
The fluid connector uses an elastic bushing and washer to pressurize the main pipe in multiple directions, addressing the issue of secure attachment under high pressure, preventing separation and leakage.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHINGIN CHEMTECH CORP
- Filing Date
- 2026-02-12
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-19
AI Technical Summary
Conventional fluid connectors struggle to securely attach to main pipes under high-pressure conditions due to the inability to grip the pipe in circumferential and longitudinal directions, leading to separation and play between the socket and the coupling hole.
A fluid connector design that includes a socket, an elastic bushing, a washer, and a tightening nut, where the elastic bushing elastically deforms to pressurize the inner and outer corners of the coupling hole in multiple directions, ensuring a secure fit.
The design prevents separation and leakage by securely attaching to the main pipe, minimizing deformation, and maintaining a tight seal under high-pressure conditions.
Smart Images

Figure 2026083004000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a fluid connector for connecting a branch pipe to a main pipe.
Background Art
[0002] A pipe is a member for supplying water or other fluids (hereinafter generally referred to as "water") supplied from a supply source to a demand destination.
[0003] By the way, a branch of the supply route may be necessary, such as when the water supply route is complicated or there are a large number of demand destinations. Therefore, a fluid connector for connecting a branch pipe to a main pipe has been developed and used.
[0004] In a conventional fluid connector, after inserting the head of a socket (hereinafter referred to as "socket head") provided in the fluid connector into a coupling hole drilled in the main pipe so that the branch pipe can be coupled, and then using a screw tightening or other coupling method so that the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral portion of the coupling hole surrounding the coupling hole and the socket head are in close contact with each other, the socket head and the peripheral portion of the coupling hole are pressed in the thickness direction of the main pipe so that the socket can be provided to be coupled to the coupling hole.
[0005] Generally, when high-pressure water is supplied from a supply source to a main pipe, the main pipe expands due to the high pressure of the water being applied along the circumferential direction and the longitudinal direction perpendicular to the thickness direction.
[0006] By the way, since a conventional fluid connector couples the socket to the main pipe by pressing only the socket head and the peripheral portion of the coupling hole in the thickness direction, it has a drawback that it is difficult to grip the peripheral portion of the coupling hole that expands in the circumferential direction and the longitudinal direction due to the pressure applied from the water. Therefore, in the case where the main pipe expands due to the water supplied from the supply source, there has been a problem that the socket is frequently separated from the coupling hole or play occurs between the socket and the inner peripheral surface of the coupling hole.
Summary of the Invention
[0007] The present invention aims to solve the problems of the prior art described above, and provides a fluid connector with an improved structure that allows the main pipe connected to the fluid supply source to be gripped and fixed not only in the height direction or thickness direction, but also in at least one of the circumferential and longitudinal directions. [Means for solving the problem]
[0008] A preferred embodiment of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems relates to a fluid connector that is coupled to a coupling hole drilled in a main pipe, and includes: a socket in which at least a portion is inserted into the coupling hole; an elastic bushing movably mounted on the socket so as to be inserted into the coupling hole together with the socket in at least a portion; a washer movably mounted on the socket so as to be positioned outside the main pipe facing the elastic bushing; and a tightening nut screwed onto the socket so as to be positioned outside the main pipe facing the washer, wherein the elastic bushing is provided to elastically deform due to the pressure transmitted through the socket and the washer when the tightening nut is screwed onto the socket, thereby pressurizing the inner corner located at the lower end and the outer corner located at the upper end of the inner circumferential surface of the coupling hole in the height direction of the main pipe, and simultaneously pressurizing in at least one of the longitudinal and circumferential directions of the main pipe. [Effects of the Invention]
[0009] The present invention relates to a fluid connector and has the following effects.
[0010] Firstly, the present invention is designed so that the inner and outer sealing portions of the elastic bushing can pressurize the inner and outer corners of the inner circumferential surface of the coupling hole drilled in the main pipe in the height direction of the main pipe, while simultaneously pressurizing in at least one direction of the main pipe, either longitudinal or circumferential. As a result, the present invention ensures that the fluid connector is securely coupled to the main pipe by the elastic bushing so that it does not separate from the main pipe when the main pipe expands longitudinally and circumferentially due to high-pressure water, and prevents the occurrence of play between the outer surface of the elastic bushing and the inner circumferential surface of the coupling hole that could lead to water leakage.
[0011] Secondly, the present invention can be fixed to a through-hole by using an elastic bushing to apply pressure to the inner and outer angles of the coupling hole in the longitudinal and circumferential directions of the main pipe, which are relatively more rigid than the thickness direction of the main pipe. As a result, the present invention can minimize deformation of the main pipe caused by the installation of the fluid connector, compared to conventional fluid connectors that are installed by applying pressure to the main pipe only in the thickness direction. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0012] [Figure 1] This is a separated perspective view of the fluid connector and main piping according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the connection between the fluid connector and the main piping. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid connector and main piping shown, viewed from the longitudinal direction of the main piping. [Figure 4] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid connector and main piping shown, viewed from the width direction of the main piping. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view of the main piping, seen from the longitudinal direction of the main piping. [Figure 6] This is a plan view of the main piping. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view of the socket. [Figure 8] Figure 7 is a front view of the socket shown. [Figure 9] It is a side view of the socket shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 10] It is a cross-sectional view of the socket shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 11] It is a perspective view of the elastic bushing. [Figure 12] It is a cross-sectional view of the elastic bushing shown in FIG. 11. [Figure 13] It is a perspective view of the washer seen from the upper side. [Figure 14] It is a perspective view of the washer shown in FIG. 13 seen from the lower side. [Figure 15] It is a cross-sectional view of the washer shown in FIG. 13 seen from the longitudinal direction of the main pipe. [Figure 16] It is a cross-sectional view of the washer shown in FIG. 13 seen from the width direction of the main pipe. [Figure 17] It is a perspective view of the tightening nut. [Figure 18] It is a cross-sectional view of the tightening nut shown in FIG. 17. [Figure 19-21] It is a diagram for explaining a method of installing the fluid connector on the main pipe. [Figure 22-23] It is a diagram for explaining the principle by which the elastic bushing grips the main pipe wall. [Figure 24-25] It is a diagram for explaining a method of connecting the branch pipe to the main pipe. [Figure 26] It is a separated perspective view of the fluid connector according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 27] It is a combined perspective view of the fluid connector shown in FIG. 26. [Figure 28] It is a cross-sectional view of the fluid connector and the main pipe shown in FIG. 27 seen from the longitudinal direction of the main pipe. [Figure 29] It is a cross-sectional view of the fluid connector and the main pipe shown in FIG. 27 seen from the width direction of the main pipe. [Figure 30] It is a perspective view of the socket. [Figure 31] It is a front view of the socket shown in FIG. 30. [Figure 32]Figure 30 is a side view of the socket shown. [Figure 33] Figure 30 is a cross-sectional view of the socket shown. [Figure 34] This is an objective view of an elastic bushing. [Figure 35] Figure 34 is a cross-sectional view of the elastic bushing. [Figure 36] This is a perspective view of the washer from above. [Figure 37] Figure 36 is a perspective view of the washer shown from below. [Figure 38] Figure 36 is a cross-sectional view of the washer shown in the main piping, viewed from the longitudinal direction. [Figure 39] Figure 36 is a cross-sectional view of the washer shown in the main piping, viewed from the width direction. [Figure 40] This is a perspective view of a fastening nut. [Figure 41] Figure 40 is a cross-sectional view of the fastening nut. [Figure 42] This is a perspective view of the packing. [Figure 43] Figure 42 is a cross-sectional view of the packing shown. [Figure 44] This diagram shows how the packing seals the gap between the socket and the branch pipe. [Figure 45-48] This diagram illustrates how to connect main and branch piping using fluid connectors. [Figure 49] This is a separated perspective view of a fluid connector and main piping according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 50] Figure 49 is a perspective view of the connection between the fluid connector and the main piping. [Figure 51] Figure 50 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid connector and main piping shown, viewed from the longitudinal direction of the main piping. [Figure 52] Figure 50 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid connector and main piping shown, viewed from the width direction of the main piping. [Figure 53] This is a cross-sectional view of the main piping, seen from the longitudinal direction of the main piping. [Figure 54] This is a plan view of the main piping. [Figure 55] This is a perspective view of the socket. [Figure 56] Figure 55 is a front view of the socket shown. [Figure 57] Figure 55 is a side view of the socket shown. [Figure 58] Figure 55 is a cross-sectional view of the socket shown. [Figure 59] This is a perspective view of the washer from above. [Figure 60] Figure 59 is a perspective view of the washer shown from below. [Figure 61] Figure 59 is a cross-sectional view of the washer shown in the main piping, viewed from the longitudinal direction. [Figure 62] Figure 59 is a cross-sectional view of the washer shown in the main pipe, viewed from the width direction. [Figure 63-75] This diagram illustrates how to connect main and branch piping using fluid connectors. [Figure 76] This figure shows a fluid connector according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention in a state where it is separated from the fluid source. [Figure 77] Figure 76 shows the fluid connector connected to the fluid source. [Figures 78-79] This is a diagram illustrating a method for drilling coupling holes in a fluid source wall. [Figure 80] This is a front view of the socket. [Figure 81] This is a cross-section of the socket. [Figure 82] This is a plan view of the socket. [Figure 83] This is a front view of an elastic bushing. [Figure 84] This is a cross-sectional view of an elastic bushing. [Figure 85] This is a plan view of an elastic bushing. [Figure 86] This is a front view of the washer. [Figure 87] This is a cross-section of the washer. [Figure 88] This is a plan view of the washer. [Figure 89] This is a front view of the fastening nut. [Figure 90] This is a cross-section of a fastening nut. [Figure 91] This is a plan view of a fastening nut. [Figures 92-95] This is a diagram illustrating how to install a fluid connector on a fluid source. [Figure 96] This diagram illustrates the principle by which an elastic bushing grips a fluid source wall. [Figure 97] This figure shows a fluid connector according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention in a state where it is separated from the fluid source. [Figure 98] Figure 97 shows the fluid connector connected to a fluid source. [Figure 99-100] This is a diagram illustrating a method for drilling coupling holes in a fluid source wall. [Figure 101] This is a front view of the socket. [Figure 102] This is a plan view of the socket. [Figure 103] This figure shows the socket head with an internal pressure surface formed on it. [Figure 104] This is a front view of the washer. [Figure 105] This is a cross-section of the washer. [Figure 106] This is a plan view of the washer. [Figure 107-113] This is a diagram illustrating how to install a fluid connector on a fluid source. [Figure 114] This diagram illustrates the principle by which the socket body and washer grip the fluid source wall. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0013] Hereinafter, several embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to illustrative drawings. It should be noted that, in assigning reference numerals to the components in each drawing, the same component will, to the greatest extent possible, have the same reference numeral even if it is shown in other drawings. Furthermore, in describing embodiments of the present invention, if a specific description of a related known configuration or function is deemed to hinder understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, such detailed description will be omitted.
[0014] In describing the components of the embodiments of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc., may be used. Such terms are merely for distinguishing a component from other components and do not limit the nature, order, or sequence of the component. Furthermore, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as those generally understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having the meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and not as ideal or overly formal unless explicitly defined in this application.
[0015] Figure 1 is a separated perspective view of the fluid connector and main piping according to the first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a coupled perspective view of the fluid connector and main piping shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid connector and main piping shown in Figure 2, viewed from the longitudinal direction of the main piping; and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid connector and main piping shown in Figure 2, viewed from the width direction of the main piping.
[0016] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the main piping as seen from the longitudinal direction, and Figure 6 is a plan view of the main piping.
[0017] Referring to Figures 1 to 4, the fluid connector 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention may include a socket 110, an elastic bushing 120, a washer 130, a tightening nut 140, and the like.
[0018] The type of main pipe 1 on which the fluid connector 100 can be installed is not particularly limited. For example, the main pipe 1 may be made of a rigid plastic, metal, or other material that has sufficient rigidity to maintain a predetermined shape even when no fluid is contained inside the main pipe 1c, such as an agricultural water pipe or a water supply pipe, and may have a thickness greater than or equal to a predetermined standard thickness.
[0019] Furthermore, the fluid connector 100 is provided so as to be connectable to a connecting hole 4b drilled in the wall of the main pipe 1 (hereinafter referred to as "main pipe wall 1a") so as to connect the inside 1c and the outside of the main pipe 1. Therefore, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, in order to install the fluid connector 100 on the main pipe 1, it is necessary to first drill a connecting hole 1b for connecting the fluid connector 100 at a specific position on the main pipe 1 to which the branch pipe 2 is to be connected, using a punch or other drilling member. The connecting hole 1b is preferably in the height direction of the main pipe 1, perpendicular to the longitudinal or width direction of the main pipe 1, but is not limited thereto. Also, the connecting hole 1b is preferably circular, but is not limited thereto.
[0020] In the following description, the fluid connector 100 will be explained based on the case where a circular connecting hole 1b is drilled in the height direction of the main pipe wall 1a. Furthermore, the surrounding area of the main pipe wall 1a that encloses the connecting hole 1b will be named the surrounding area of the connecting hole 1d, the corner portion connecting the inner surface of the surrounding area of the connecting hole 1d and the inner circumferential surface of the connecting hole 1b will be named the inner corner 1e of the connecting hole 1b, and the corner portion connecting the outer surface of the surrounding area of the connecting hole 1d and the inner circumferential surface of the connecting hole 1b will be named the outer corner 1f of the connecting hole 1b.
[0021] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the socket, Figure 8 is a front view of the socket shown in Figure 7, Figure 9 is a side view of the socket shown in Figure 7, and Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the socket shown in Figure 7.
[0022] The socket 110 is a component for connecting the main pipe 1 and the branch pipe 2 so that the fluid flowing along the main pipe 1 can be transmitted to the branch pipe 2. The socket 110 may include a socket body 111, a first male thread 113, a socket head 115, a discharge hole 117, and the like.
[0023] First, the socket body 111 has a cylindrical shape that extends along the height direction of the fluid connector 100. Such a socket body 111 has a diameter that is smaller by a predetermined ratio compared to the diameter of the coupling hole 1b.
[0024] Next, the first male thread 113 is formed protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the socket body 111. In particular, it is preferable, but not limited to, that the first male thread 113 be formed at a predetermined clearance distance from the upper and lower ends of the socket body 111. Here, the lower end of the socket body 111 refers to the end on either side of the socket body 111 where the socket head 115, described later, is formed, and the upper end of the socket body 111 refers to the end on either side of the socket body 111 opposite to the lower end.
[0025] Furthermore, the first male thread 113 has an outer diameter that is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the diameter of the socket body 111 and smaller by a predetermined ratio compared to the diameter of the connecting hole 1b. In other words, when drilling the connecting hole 1b, the worker must drill the connecting hole 1b so that its diameter is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the outer diameter of the first male thread 113.
[0026] In the first male thread 113, a guide groove 113a is formed recessed along the height direction of the fluid connector 100, into which a guide block 132c of a washer 130 (described later) is movably inserted along the height direction of the fluid connector 100. A detailed explanation of this guide groove 113a will be given later, along with a description of the guide block 132c.
[0027] Next, the socket head 115 is formed at the lower end of the socket body 111 so as to be concentric with the socket body 111.
[0028] Furthermore, the socket head 115 has a diameter that is the same as the diameter of the coupling hole 1b, or a diameter that is smaller by a predetermined ratio compared to the diameter of the coupling hole 1b.
[0029] Furthermore, an inner pressure surface 115a is formed on the upper surface of the socket head 115, extending from the lower end of the socket body 111 and inclined downwards such that its height gradually decreases from the center of the socket 110 towards the outer edge. In particular, the inner pressure surface 115a may be formed such that the inclination angle gradually decreases as it approaches a virtual center line C1 that penetrates the center point of the socket 110 in the longitudinal direction of the main pipe 1, and gradually increases as it moves away from the center line C1. A socket head 115 with such an inner pressure surface 115a has an arched curved shape that has a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the main pipe 1 with respect to the center line C1, such that the highest point of the inner pressure surface 115a is located on the center line C1.
[0030] The discharge hole 117 is drilled inside the socket 110 so as to penetrate the socket head 115 and the socket body 111 in the height direction of the fluid connector 100.
[0031] Figure 11 is a perspective view of the elastic bushing, and Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of the elastic bushing shown in Figure 11.
[0032] The elastic bushing 120 is a component that connects the fluid connector 100 to the main pipe 1 and seals the connection hole 1b.
[0033] Furthermore, the elastic bushing 120 is made of an elastic material that can be elastically deformed. For example, the elastic bushing 120 may be made of rubber.
[0034] Furthermore, the elastic bushing 120 is designed to simultaneously pressurize the inner circumferential surface of the coupling hole 1b not only in the height direction of the main pipe 1, but also in the longitudinal and circumferential directions of the main pipe 1, which form a predetermined angle with the height direction of the main pipe 1, so that the elastic bushing 120 and the fluid connector 100 including it can be coupled to the main pipe 1. For this purpose, the elastic bushing 120 may have a coupling portion 122, a locking portion 124, an insertion hole 126, and the like.
[0035] First, the connecting portion 122 is formed such that at least a portion of it elastically deforms due to the pressure acting when the socket 110 and the tightening nut 140 are screwed together, thereby pressurizing the inner corner 1e and outer corner 1f of the connecting hole 1b in the height direction of the main pipe 1, and simultaneously pressurizing in at least one direction of the main pipe 1, either in the longitudinal direction or the circumferential direction.
[0036] To this end, the connecting portion 122 has a length that is longer by a predetermined ratio compared to the depth of the connecting hole 1b, so that its lower part penetrates the connecting hole 1b by a predetermined length and protrudes into the interior 1c of the main pipe 1.
[0037] The shape of the connecting portion 122 is not particularly limited. For example, the connecting portion 122 may be configured as a cylindrical shape with a diameter equal to the diameter of the connecting hole 1b, or a diameter smaller by a predetermined ratio compared to the diameter of the connecting hole 1b.
[0038] Next, the locking portion 124 is formed to lock and adhere tightly to the outer surface of the surrounding portion 1d of the coupling hole while elastically deforming due to the pressure acting when the socket 110 and the tightening nut 140 are screwed together. For example, the locking portion 124 may have a disc shape that extends from the upper end of the coupling portion 122 so as to be concentric with the coupling portion 122 and has a diameter that is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the diameter of the coupling hole 1b.
[0039] Next, the insertion hole 126 is concentric with the coupling portion 122 and the locking portion 124, and is formed to penetrate the coupling portion 122 and the locking portion 124 in the height direction of the fluid connector 100.
[0040] Such an insertion hole 126 may have a first insertion hole 126a, a second insertion hole 126b, a third insertion hole 126c, and so on.
[0041] The first insertion hole 126a is formed to be located at the bottom of the insertion hole 126. More specifically, the first insertion hole 126a is formed to penetrate the bottom of the coupling portion 122. Such a first insertion hole 126a has a diameter that is the same as the diameter of the socket body 111, or is larger by a predetermined ratio than the diameter of the socket body 111, and smaller by a predetermined ratio than the outer diameter of the first male thread 113, so that the lower end of the socket body 111 into which the first male thread 113 is not formed can be inserted.
[0042] The first insertion hole 126 may have a bending guide surface 126f that is formed at an angle on the lower part of the inner circumferential surface such that the diameter of the first insertion hole 126 gradually widens towards the lower end. Such a bending guide surface 126f can guide the lower part of the coupling portion 122 so that when pressure is applied to the coupling portion 122 in the height direction of the main pipe 1 during the process of screwing the socket 110 and the tightening nut 140 together, the lower part of the coupling portion 122 slides along the inner pressure surface 115a of the socket 110 in at least one direction of the longitudinal and circumferential directions of the main pipe 1 and bends in a constant manner.
[0043] The second insertion hole 126b is located above the first insertion hole 126a, but is formed as an extension from the upper end of the first insertion hole 126a so as to be connected to the first insertion hole 126a. More specifically, the second insertion hole 126b is formed to penetrate the upper part of the joint 122 and the lower part of the locking part 124. Such a second insertion hole 126b has a diameter that is the same as the outer diameter of the first male thread 113, or is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the outer diameter of the first male thread 113, so that the first male thread 113 can be inserted. In this way, the second insertion hole 126b and the first insertion hole 126a can be connected in a stepped structure. In this case, the bottom surface of the second insertion hole 126b can support the lower end of the first male thread 113, and hereafter, the bottom surface of the second insertion hole 126b will be named the support surface 126d.
[0044] The third insertion hole 126c is located above the second insertion hole 126b, but is formed as an extension from the upper end of the second insertion hole 126b so as to be connected to the second insertion hole 126b. More specifically, the third insertion hole 126c is formed to penetrate the upper part of the locking portion 124. Such a third insertion hole 126c has a diameter that is larger than that of the second insertion hole 126b by a predetermined ratio. This allows the third insertion hole 126c and the second insertion hole 126b to be connected in a stepped structure. In this case, the inner circumferential surface and bottom surface of the third insertion hole 126c can function as alignment grooves 126e that assist in enabling the elastic bushing 120 to elastically deform at a constant rate in accordance with the curvature of the main pipe 1 while aligned in a predetermined manner, in conjunction with the outer pressure surface 132a of the washer 130 described later.
[0045] As described above, the formation of the elastic bushing 120 allows the lower part of the coupling portion 122, in which the first insertion hole 126a is formed, to function as an inner seal portion 127 that elastically deforms under the pressure applied when the socket 110 and the tightening nut 140 are screwed together, and adheres tightly to the inner corner 1e of the coupling hole 1b. For this reason, it is preferable that the first insertion hole 126a has a depth greater than a predetermined reference depth so that the fluid connector 100 can be applied to various types of main pipes 1 with different thicknesses of the main pipe wall 1a. Furthermore, the corner portion connecting the upper part of the coupling portion 122, in which the second insertion hole 126b is formed, and the locking portion 124 functions as an outer seal portion 128 that elastically deforms under the pressure applied when the socket 110 and the tightening nut 140 are screwed together, and adheres tightly to the outer corner 1f of the coupling hole 1b. A more detailed explanation of such inner seal portion 127 and outer seal portion 128 will be given later.
[0046] Figure 13 is a perspective view of the washer from above, Figure 14 is a perspective view of the washer shown in Figure 13 from below, Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of the washer shown in Figure 13 viewed from the longitudinal direction of the main pipe, and Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view of the washer shown in Figure 13 viewed from the width direction of the main pipe.
[0047] The washer 130 is a component that pressurizes the elastic bushing 120 by switching the pressure applied when the socket 110 and the tightening nut 140 are screwed together to a predetermined mode.
[0048] Furthermore, the washer 130 may be made of a material such as plastic or another material that has sufficient rigidity to maintain its shape without deforming under the pressure applied when the socket 110 and the tightening nut 140 are screwed together.
[0049] Furthermore, the washer 130 may include a washer body 132, a flange 134, and the like.
[0050] First, the washer body 132 has a cylindrical shape with a diameter that is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the diameter of the coupling hole 1b.
[0051] Furthermore, the washer body 132 may have an outer pressing surface 132a formed on the outer circumference of its lower end so as to be able to pressurize the alignment groove 126e of the elastic bushing 120, an insertion hole 132b formed in the center through the fluid connector 100 in the height direction so as to be able to movably insert the first male thread 113, and a guide block 132c formed on the inner circumference of the insertion hole 132b so as to protrude along the height direction of the fluid connector 100.
[0052] The outer pressure surface 132a is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the lower end of the washer body 132 and is configured as an upward-sloping surface whose height gradually increases from the center of the washer 130 towards the outer edge. In particular, the outer pressure surface 132a is formed so as to have a gradually decreasing inclination angle so that the center of the washer 130 can be moved away from the virtual center line C2 that penetrates along the longitudinal direction of the main pipe 1. Such an outer pressure surface 132a has an arched curved shape that has a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the main pipe 1 with respect to the center line C2, so that its highest point is located on the center line C2.
[0053] The insertion hole 132b is formed through the center of the washer body 132 in the height direction of the fluid connector 100. The insertion hole 132b has a diameter that is the same as the outer diameter of the first male thread 113, or is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the outer diameter of the first male thread 113, so that the first male thread 113 can be movably inserted.
[0054] The guide block 132c is formed to extend along the height direction of the fluid connector 100, protruding from the inner circumferential surface of the insertion hole 132b toward the center of the insertion hole 132b, so as to be located on the center line C2 or an imaginary vertical line perpendicular to the center line C2. Furthermore, the guide block 132c has a smaller width than the guide groove 113a so as to be movably inserted into the guide groove 113a of the first male thread 113 in the height direction of the fluid connector 100.
[0055] Next, the flange 134 is formed as an extension from the lower end of the washer body 32 so as to connect with the upper end of the outer pressure surface 132a.
[0056] Furthermore, although the flange 134 has a disc shape with a diameter that is proportionally larger than the diameter of the washer body 132, it has an arched curved shape that has a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the main pipe 1 with respect to the center line C2, so that the highest point having the maximum height is located on the center line C2.
[0057] Figure 17 is a perspective view of the fastening nut, and Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view of the fastening nut shown in Figure 17.
[0058] Next, the tightening nut 140 is a component for connecting the elastic bushing 120 to the connecting hole 1b and for connecting the branch pipe 2 to the fluid connector 100.
[0059] The tightening nut 140 preferably has a cylindrical shape that extends along the height direction of the fluid connector 100, but is not limited thereto. Such a tightening nut 140 may have a first coupling hole 142, a second coupling hole 144, a packing 146, and the like.
[0060] The first coupling hole 142 is drilled in the lower part of the tightening nut 140 along the height direction of the fluid connector 100 so that the socket body 111 can be inserted. The first coupling hole 142 also has a predetermined length such that when the coupling portion 122 of the elastic bushing 120 is coupled to the main pipe 1 through the screwing of the socket 110 and the tightening nut 140, the upper end of the socket body 111 coupled to the first coupling hole 142 will be in contact with the packing 146, but will not be in contact with the end of the branch pipe 2 coupled to the second coupling hole 144.
[0061] On the inner circumferential surface of the first connecting hole 142, a first female thread 142a is formed so as to be able to screw into the first male thread 113 of the socket body 111. Then, by rotating the tightening nut 140 along the first male thread 113 in a predetermined tightening direction so that the socket body 111 is gradually inserted into the first connecting hole 142, the socket 110 can be gradually connected to the tightening nut 140, or by rotating the tightening nut 140 along the first male thread 113 in a loosening direction opposite to the tightening direction so that the socket body 111 is gradually pulled out of the first connecting hole 142, the socket 110 can be gradually separated from the tightening nut 140.
[0062] The second connecting hole 144 is drilled in the upper part of the tightening nut 140 along the height direction of the fluid connector 100 so that the end of the branch pipe 2 can be inserted into it and the lower end of the second connecting hole 144 aligns with the upper end of the first connecting hole 142. The second connecting hole 144 also has a predetermined length such that when the end of the branch pipe 2 is connected to the second connecting hole 144, the end of the branch pipe 2 will be in contact with the packing 146 but will not be in contact with the upper end of the socket body 111 connected to the first connecting hole 142.
[0063] On the inner circumferential surface of such a second connecting hole 144, a second female thread 144a is formed so as to be able to screw into a second male thread 2c formed on one end 2b of the branch pipe 2. The specific connection relationship between the second connecting hole 144 and the branch pipe 2 will be described later.
[0064] On the other hand, the first connecting hole 142 and the second connecting hole 144 can have different diameters depending on the difference between the diameter of the socket body 111 and the diameter of one end 2b of the branch pipe 2. For example, if the diameter of one end 2b of the branch pipe 2 is larger than the diameter of the socket body 111, the second connecting hole 144 can have a larger diameter than the first connecting hole 142.
[0065] The packing 146 has an annular ring shape with a through hole 146a formed in the center.
[0066] The packing 146 is interposed between the upper end of the socket body 111, which is connected to the first connecting hole 142, and one end 2b of the branch pipe 2, which is connected to the second connecting hole 144, so as to seal the space between the upper end of the socket body 111 and one end 2b of the branch pipe 2.
[0067] For example, when the second connecting hole 144 has a larger diameter than the first connecting hole 142, the packing 146 may be installed so as to rest on the bottom surface of the second connecting hole 144 that coincides with the upper end of the first connecting hole 142. Since such a packing 146 has the same structure as a normal packing, a detailed explanation of it will be omitted.
[0068] Figures 19 to 21 illustrate how to install a fluid connector in the main pipe, Figures 22 and 23 illustrate the principle by which the elastic bushing grips the wall of the main pipe, and Figures 24 and 25 illustrate how to connect a branch pipe to the main pipe.
[0069] First, a drilling tool is used to drill a connecting hole 1b in the main pipe wall 1a.
[0070] Next, the socket body 111 and the first male thread 113 are inserted into the insertion hole 126 so that the lower end of the first male thread 113 of the socket 110 is supported by the support surface 126d of the elastic bushing 120, thereby joining the socket 110 and the elastic bushing 120.
[0071] Subsequently, the socket head 115, the lower part of the socket body 111 connected to the socket head 115, and the connecting part 122 of the elastic bushing 120 are inserted into the connecting hole 1b so that the locking portion 124 of the elastic bushing 120 is locked at the highest point on the outer circumferential surface of the surrounding portion 1d of the connecting hole, and at the same time that the outer sealing portion 128 of the elastic bushing 120 contacts the outer corner 1f. In this case, the socket head 115 is inserted into the connecting hole 1b so that its centerline C1 coincides with the longitudinal direction of the main pipe 1. Then, the entire area of the socket head 115 and the lower part of the socket body 111 protrude through the connecting hole 1b into the interior 1c of the main pipe 1. Simultaneously, as shown in Figure 19(b), when the main pipe 1 is viewed from the width direction, the locking portion 124 is locked to the outer circumferential surface of the surrounding portion 1d of the coupling hole, and at the same time, the lower part of the coupling portion 122 penetrates the coupling hole 1b by a predetermined length and protrudes into the interior 1c of the main pipe 1. Correspondingly, as shown in Figure 19(a), when the main pipe 1 is viewed from the longitudinal direction, the locking portion 124 is separated from the outer circumferential surface of the main pipe 1 in the +height direction, and at the same time, the lower part of the coupling portion 122 protrudes into the interior 1c of the main pipe 1 by a shorter length than when the main pipe 1 is viewed from the width direction, or it becomes located inside the coupling hole 1b.
[0072] Next, the socket body 111 and the first male thread 113 are inserted into the insertion hole 132b of the washer 130 so that the outer pressure surface 132a of the washer 130 faces the alignment groove 126e of the elastic bushing 120, thereby connecting the washer 130 to the socket 110. In this case, it is preferable that the washer 130 is connected to the socket 110 such that the outer pressure surface 132a is separated from the alignment groove 126e of the elastic bushing 120 by a predetermined margin.
[0073] Furthermore, the washer 130 is coupled to the socket 110 such that the guide block 132c is inserted into the guide groove 113a of the first male thread 113 so as to be movable in the height direction of the fluid connector 100.Then the washer 130 may be positioned so that the center line C2 coincides with the longitudinal direction of the main pipe 1, while the flange 134 surrounds the outer surface of the main pipe 1 along the circumferential direction of the main pipe 1.
[0074] Subsequently, with the upper end of the first male thread 113 of the socket 110 resting on the lower end of the first female thread 142a of the tightening nut 140, the tightening nut 140 is rotated along the first male thread 113 of the socket 110 in a predetermined tightening direction and tightened, thereby temporarily connecting the tightening nut 140 and the socket 110 so that the upper end of the socket body 111 and the upper part of the first male thread 113 are inserted into the first connecting hole 142 by a predetermined length. In this case, it is preferable, but not limited to, that the tightening nut 140 is connected to the socket 110 such that its lower end rests on the upper end of the washer body 132.
[0075] With the upper end of the first male thread 113 positioned at the lower end of the first female thread 142a, when the tightening nut 140 is rotated along the first male thread 113 and tightened, the socket 110 rises and the tightening nut 140 descends, gradually reducing the distance between the socket head 115 and the tightening nut 140. As a result, the socket body 111 is gradually inserted into the first coupling hole 142 through the lower opening of the first coupling hole 142 of the tightening nut 140, and the distance between the socket head 115, the elastic bushing 120, the washer 130 and the tightening nut 140 gradually decreases. Therefore, when the tightening nut 140 is tightened so that the socket head 115, elastic bushing 120, washer 130, and tightening nut 140 are in close contact with each other, and the tightening nut 140 is further tightened, the socket head 115 presses the elastic bushing 120 in the positive thickness direction of the main pipe 1, and the tightening nut 140 presses the washer 130 in the negative height direction of the main pipe 1. In addition, the washer 130 presses the elastic bushing 120 in the negative height direction of the main pipe 1 through the pressure applied from the tightening nut 140. As a result, the elastic bushing 120 can be elastically deformed by being pressed in both the up and down directions by the socket head 115 and the washer 130.
[0076] Next, the tightening nut 140 is rotated along the first male thread 113 of the socket 110 in a predetermined tightening direction until the upper end of the socket body 111 contacts the packing 146 of the tightening nut 140, thereby permanently connecting the tightening nut 140 and the socket 110.
[0077] When the tightening nut 140 and socket 110 are properly connected in this manner, the flange 134 of the washer 130 presses the locking portion 124 toward the outer surface of the main pipe 1, thereby causing the locking portion 124 to elastically deform into a curved shape due to the flange 134 and adhere tightly to the outer surface of the main pipe 1.
[0078] Furthermore, the outer pressure surface 132a of the washer 130, through the aforementioned inclined structure, pressurizes the inner surface of the alignment groove 126e of the elastic bushing 120 in the height direction of the main pipe 1, and at the same time pressurizes in at least one of the longitudinal and circumferential directions of the main pipe 1. As a result, the coupling portion 122 elastically deforms, and the lower part of the coupling portion 122 protrudes through the coupling hole 1b into the interior 1c of the main pipe 1 over the entire area of the coupling hole 1b. At the same time, the outer seal portion 128, which has been elastically deformed by the outer pressure surface 132a, pressurizes the outer corner 1f of the coupling hole 1b in the height direction of the main pipe 1, and at the same time pressurizes in at least one of the longitudinal and circumferential directions of the main pipe 1.
[0079] Since the main pipe 1 has a cylindrical shape with a predetermined curvature, the depth of the coupling hole 1b, the angle of the outer corner 1f, and the height of the outer corner 1f have different values depending on the part of the coupling hole 1b. As a result, the ratio of the pressure acting in the longitudinal direction of the main pipe 1 to the pressure acting in the circumferential direction of the main pipe 1, out of the total pressure applied by the outer seal part 128 to the outer corner 1f, has different values depending on the part of the coupling hole 1b. More specifically, when the cross-section of the main pipe 1 obtained by cutting the main pipe 1 along the center line C1 of the socket body 111 is viewed from the width direction of the main pipe 1, the angle of the outer corner 1f is at its maximum value (vertical), and the height of the outer corner 1f is at its maximum value, so the outer seal part 128 pressurizes the outer corner 1f only in the longitudinal direction of the main pipe 1, and does not pressurize the outer corner 1f in the circumferential direction of the main pipe 1. In contrast, when the cross-section of the main pipe 1, obtained by cutting the main pipe 1 so that it is perpendicular to the center line C1 of the socket body 111, is viewed from the longitudinal direction of the main pipe 1, the angle of the outer corner 1f becomes the minimum value (acute angle), the height of the outer corner 1f becomes the minimum value, and the outer seal portion 128 does not pressurize the outer corner 1f in the longitudinal direction of the main pipe 1, but pressurizes only in the circumferential direction of the main pipe 1. That is, as you move from the longitudinal direction to the circumferential direction of the main pipe 1, the pressure acting on the main pipe 1 gradually decreases, and the pressure acting on the circumferential direction of the main pipe 1 gradually increases.
[0080] Incidentally, the outer pressure surface 132a is formed so that its inclination angle gradually decreases so that it can move away from the center line C2. As a result, as mentioned above, when the socket 110 and washer 130 are placed, the contact angle between the outer pressure surface 132a and the outer corner 1f becomes approximately uniform over the entire area of the outer corner 1f. As a result, the total pressure applied by the outer seal portion 128 to the outer corner 1f, which is the sum of the pressure acting in the longitudinal direction of the main pipe 1 and the pressure acting in the circumferential direction of the main pipe 1, can be approximately uniform over the entire area of the outer corner 1f.
[0081] Furthermore, the inner pressure surface 115a of the socket head 115, due to the aforementioned inclined structure, pressurizes the inner seal portion 127 protruding into the interior 1c of the main pipe 1 in the +height direction of the main pipe 1, and at the same time pressurizes it in at least one of the longitudinal and circumferential directions of the main pipe 1. As a result, the inner seal portion 127, elastically deformed by this inner pressure surface 115a, pressurizes the inner corner 1e of the coupling hole 1b in the +height direction of the main pipe 1, and at the same time pressurizes it in at least one of the longitudinal and circumferential directions of the main pipe 1.
[0082] Since the main pipe 1 has a cylindrical shape with a predetermined curvature, the depth of the coupling hole 1b, the angle of the inner corner 1e, and the height of the inner corner 1e have different values depending on the part of the coupling hole 1b. As a result, the ratio of the pressure acting in the longitudinal direction of the main pipe 1 to the pressure acting in the circumferential direction of the main pipe 1, out of the total pressure applied by the inner seal portion 127 to the inner corner 1e, has different values depending on the part of the coupling hole 1b. More specifically, when the cross-section of the main pipe 1 obtained by cutting the main pipe 1 along the center line C1 of the socket body 111 is viewed from the width direction of the main pipe 1, the angle of the inner corner 1e becomes the minimum value (vertical), and the height of the inner corner 1e becomes the maximum value, so the inner seal portion 127 pressurizes the inner corner 1e only in the longitudinal direction of the main pipe 1, and not in the circumferential direction of the main pipe 1. In contrast, when the cross-section of the main pipe 1, obtained by cutting the main pipe 1 so that it is perpendicular to the center line C1 of the socket body 111, is viewed from the longitudinal direction of the main pipe 1, the angle of the inner angle 1e becomes the maximum value (obtuse angle), and the height of the inner angle 1e becomes the minimum value. As a result, the inner seal portion 127 does not pressurize the inner angle 1e in the longitudinal direction of the main pipe 1, but only pressurizes the main pipe 1 in the circumferential direction. Correspondingly, as you move from the longitudinal direction to the circumferential direction of the main pipe 1, the pressure acting on the main pipe 1 gradually decreases, and the pressure acting on the circumferential direction of the main pipe 1 gradually increases.
[0083] Incidentally, the inner pressure surface 115a is formed such that the angle of inclination gradually decreases as it approaches the center line C1. As a result, as mentioned above, when the socket 110 is placed, the contact angle between the inner pressure surface 115a and the inner corner 1e becomes approximately uniform across the entire area of the inner corner 1e. As a result, the total pressure applied by the inner seal portion 127 to the inner corner 1e, which is the sum of the pressure acting in the longitudinal direction of the main pipe 1 and the pressure acting in the circumferential direction of the main pipe 1, can be approximately uniform across the entire area of the inner corner 1e.
[0084] Furthermore, as described above, the lower part of the first insertion hole 126 has a bending guide surface 126f that guides the lower part of the coupling portion 122 so that when pressure is applied to the coupling portion 122 in the height direction of the main pipe 1, the lower part of the coupling portion 122 slides along the inner pressure surface 115a of the socket 110 in at least one direction of the longitudinal and circumferential directions of the main pipe 1. With such a bending guide surface 126f, the lower part of the coupling portion 122 where the inner seal portion 127 is located can bend in at least one direction of the longitudinal and circumferential directions of the main pipe 1 while sliding along the bending guide surface 126f, thereby being able to elastically deform a constant amount according to a predetermined deformation pattern.
[0085] Next, connect the branch pipe 2 to the tightening nut 140.
[0086] The branch pipe 2 is a device for forming a branch stream that branches off from the main stream flowing along the main pipe 1, and may include an on-off valve 2a that can open and close the branch pipe 2, and a second male thread 2c formed on the outer surface of one end 2b so as to be screwed into the second female thread 144a of the tightening nut 140. Such a branch pipe 2 can be connected to the tightening nut 140 by inserting one end 2b into the second connecting hole 144 of the tightening nut 140, and then screwing the second male thread 2c into the second female thread 144a of the tightening nut 140.
[0087] When the branch pipe 2 is connected to the tightening nut 140 in this manner, the interior 1c of the main pipe 1 and the branch pipe 2 can be connected via the discharge hole 117 of the socket 110, the first connecting hole 142 and the second connecting hole 144 of the tightening nut 140, and through this, water and other fluids W flowing along the interior 1c of the main pipe 1 can be transmitted to the branch pipe 2.
[0088] As described above, the fluid connector 100 maintains contact between the inner corner 1e and outer corner 1f and the inner sealing portion 127 and outer sealing portion 128 over the entire area of the coupling hole 1b, and the inner sealing portion 127 and outer sealing portion 128 are provided so that they can grip the inner corner 1e and outer corner 1f not only in the height direction of the main pipe 1, but also in at least one of the longitudinal and circumferential directions of the main pipe 1. Through this, the fluid connector 100 can be securely coupled to the main pipe 1 by the elastic bushing 120 so that the fluid connector 100 does not separate from the main pipe 1 when the main pipe 1 expands in the longitudinal and circumferential directions due to high-pressure water, and play that could cause water leakage can be prevented between the outer surface of the elastic bushing 120 and the inner surface of the coupling hole 1b.
[0089] Furthermore, the fluid connector 100 can be fixed to the coupling hole 1b using an elastic bushing 120 by applying pressure to the inner corner 1e and outer corner 1f of the coupling hole 1b in the longitudinal and circumferential directions of the main pipe 1, which are relatively more rigid than the thickness direction of the main pipe 1. Through this, the fluid connector 100 can minimize deformation of the main pipe 1 caused by the installation of the fluid connector 100, compared to conventional fluid connectors that are installed by applying pressure to the main pipe 1 only in the thickness direction.
[0090] Furthermore, the fluid connector 100 is designed so that the inner pressure surface 115a of the socket head 115, the outer pressure surface 132a of the washer 130, and the flange 134 are formed with an arch-shaped or curved structure having a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the main pipe 1, so that the inner pressure surface 115a of the socket head 115, the outer pressure surface 132a of the washer 130, and the flange 134 can evenly pressurize the inner corner 1e and outer corner 1f of the main pipe 1 regardless of the pressurizing direction. This prevents the fluid connector 100 from detaching from the coupling hole 1b due to uneven coupling force between pressurizing directions.
[0091] Figure 26 is a separated perspective view of a fluid connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention, Figure 27 is a coupled perspective view of the fluid connector shown in Figure 26, Figure 28 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid connector and main piping shown in Figure 27, viewed from the longitudinal direction of the main piping, and Figure 29 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid connector and main piping shown in Figure 27, viewed from the width direction of the main piping.
[0092] Referring to Figures 26 to 29, the fluid connector 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention may include a socket 210, an elastic bushing 220, a washer 230, a tightening nut 240, a packing 250, and the like. Such a fluid connector 200 has a washer 230 and packing 250 with an improved structure compared to the fluid connector 100 described above. In the following, descriptions of components that are identically included in the fluid connectors 100 and 200 will be omitted or briefly mentioned.
[0093] Figure 30 is a perspective view of the socket, Figure 31 is a front view of the socket shown in Figure 30, Figure 32 is a side view of the socket shown in Figure 30, and Figure 33 is a cross-sectional view of the socket shown in Figure 30.
[0094] The socket 210 may include a socket body 211, a first male thread 213, a socket head 215, an ejection hole 217, and the like.
[0095] Furthermore, a guide groove 213a is formed as a recess in the first male screw thread 213.
[0096] Furthermore, an insertion guide surface 215a is formed on the side surface of the socket head 215, and an inner pressure surface 215b is formed on the upper surface of the socket head 215. Here, the insertion guide surface 215a is for guiding the socket head 215 so that it can be easily inserted into the coupling hole 1b, and it is preferable, but not limited to, having an inclined structure such that the diameter of the socket head 215 gradually decreases towards the lower end of the socket head 215.
[0097] Furthermore, the inner pressure surface 215b may be formed such that the angle of inclination gradually decreases as it approaches the center line C1, and gradually increases as it moves away from the center line C1. A socket head 215 on which such an inner pressure surface 215b is formed has an arched curved shape that has a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the main pipe 1 with respect to the center line C1, such that the highest point of the inner pressure surface 215b is located on the center line C1.
[0098] Figure 34 is a perspective view of the elastic bushing, and Figure 35 is a cross-sectional view of the elastic bushing shown in Figure 34.
[0099] The elastic bushing 220 may have a connecting portion 222, a locking portion 224, an insertion hole 226, and the like.
[0100] The lower outer circumferential surface of the joint 222 may be configured as an inclined surface such that the diameter of the joint 222 gradually narrows towards the lower end of the joint 222. Through this, the joint 222 can be inserted into the joint hole 1b more easily.
[0101] The insertion hole 226 may have a first insertion hole 226a, a second insertion hole 226b, a third insertion hole 226c, and so on.
[0102] Furthermore, a bending guide surface 226f is formed on the lower part of the inner circumferential surface of the first insertion hole 226a.
[0103] Furthermore, a support surface 226d is formed on the bottom surface of the second insertion hole 226b.
[0104] Furthermore, alignment grooves 226e are formed on the inner circumferential surface and bottom surface of the third insertion hole 226c.
[0105] As described above, the formation of the insertion hole 226 causes the lower part of the coupling portion 222 with the first insertion hole 226a formed inside to function as an inner seal portion 227. Therefore, it is preferable that the first insertion hole 226a has a length greater than a predetermined standard length so that the fluid connector 200 can be applied to main pipes 1 having various thicknesses and diameters. Furthermore, the corner portion connecting the upper part of the coupling portion 222 with the second insertion hole 226b formed inside to the locking portion 224 functions as an outer seal portion 228 that elastically deforms due to the outer pressure surface 234 of the washer 230 (described later) and contacts the outer corner 1f of the coupling hole 1b.
[0106] The lower part of the joint 222 can function as an inner sealing part 227, and the corner portion connecting the upper part of the joint 222, in which the second insertion hole 226b is formed inside, to the locking part 224 functions as an outer sealing part 228.
[0107] Figure 36 is a perspective view of the washer from above, Figure 37 is a perspective view of the washer shown in Figure 36 from below, Figure 38 is a cross-sectional view of the washer shown in Figure 36 viewed from the longitudinal direction of the main pipe, and Figure 39 is a cross-sectional view of the washer shown in Figure 36 viewed from the width direction of the main pipe.
[0108] Furthermore, the washer 230 may include a washer body 231, a flange 232, alignment projections 233, an outer pressure surface 234, a bending guide surface 235, a fixing projection 236, and the like.
[0109] First, the washer body 231 has a cylindrical shape with a diameter that is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the diameter of the coupling hole 1b.
[0110] Furthermore, the washer body 231 may have an insertion hole 231a formed in the center through the fluid connector 200 in the height direction, and a guide block 231b formed on the inner circumferential surface of the insertion hole 231a protruding along the height direction of the fluid connector 200, so that the first male thread 213 can be movably inserted.
[0111] The insertion hole 231a is formed through the center of the washer body 231 in the height direction of the fluid connector 200 so that the socket body 211 and the first male thread 213 can be movably inserted. The insertion hole 231a may also have a first insertion hole 231c formed at the bottom of the washer body 231, having a diameter that is the same as the outer diameter of the first male thread 213 or is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the outer diameter of the first male thread 213, so that the first male thread 213 can be movably inserted, and a second insertion hole 231d formed at the top of the washer body 231 so that its lower end is connected to the upper end of the first insertion hole 231c, and having a diameter that is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the diameter of the first insertion hole 231c. By forming the first insertion hole 231c and the second insertion hole 231d in this manner, the second insertion hole 231d and the first insertion hole 231c are connected in a stepped structure, and through this, the bottom surface of the second insertion hole 231d can function as a mounting surface 231e on which the lower end of the tightening nut 240 is placed.
[0112] The guide block 231b protrudes from the inner circumferential surface of the insertion hole 231a toward the center of the insertion hole 231a, but is formed to extend along the height direction of the fluid connector 200. Furthermore, the guide block 231b has a smaller width than the guide groove 213a so that it can be inserted into the guide groove 213a of the first male thread 213 so as to be movable in the height direction of the fluid connector 200.
[0113] The flange 232 is formed as an extension from the lower end of the washer body 231 so as to be connected to the lower end of the washer body 231.
[0114] Furthermore, the flange 232 has a disc shape with a diameter that is proportionally larger than the diameter of the washer body 231. In particular, the flange 232 has an arched curved shape with a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the main pipe 1 with respect to the center line C2, such that the highest point having the maximum height is located on a virtual center line C2 that penetrates the center of the washer 230 along the longitudinal direction of the main pipe 1.
[0115] The alignment projection 233 is formed to protrude from the lower surface of the flange 232 so that it can be inserted into the alignment groove 226e of the elastic bushing 220 in the height direction of the main pipe 1 when the fluid connector 200 is installed in the main pipe 1. Such alignment projection 233 preferably has a ring shape surrounding the first insertion hole 231c, but is not limited thereto.
[0116] In particular, the alignment projections 233 are formed so that their height gradually decreases so that they can move away from the center line C2. Such alignment projections 233 are inserted into the alignment grooves 226e of the elastic bushing 220, and by aligning the elastic bushing 220 into a predetermined arrangement, they can help the elastic bushing 220 to undergo constant elastic deformation.
[0117] The outer pressure surface 234 is formed on the bottom surface of the flange 232 so as to extend from the upper end of the outer circumferential surface of the alignment projection 233. Such an outer pressure surface 234 is configured as an upward-sloping surface whose height gradually increases from the center of the washer 230 towards the outer edge. In particular, the outer pressure surface 234 is formed such that the inclination angle gradually decreases as it moves away from the center line C2 of the washer 230.
[0118] The outer pressure surface 234 is formed to extend from the upper end of the outer surface of the alignment projection 233 toward the outer edge of the washer 230 so that when the fluid connector 200 is installed in the main piping 1, it faces the outer corner 1f of the coupling hole 1b, sandwiching the outer seal portion 228 of the elastic bushing 220. Such an outer pressure surface 234 is configured as an upward-sloping surface whose height gradually increases from the center of the washer 230 toward the outer edge. In particular, the outer pressure surface 234 is formed so that the inclination angle gradually decreases as it moves away from the center line C2 of the washer 230. A more detailed explanation of such an outer pressure surface 234 will be given later.
[0119] The bending guide surface 235 is formed on the bottom surface of the flange 232 so as to extend from the upper end of the outer pressure surface 234 toward the outer casing of the washer body 231. In such a bending guide surface 235, the highest point extending in the longitudinal direction of the main pipe 1 along the center line C2 is configured as a horizontal plane, and the remaining portion excluding the center line C2 may be configured as a downward-sloping surface whose height gradually decreases as it moves away from the center line C2. Through this, the bending guide surface 235 can be bent so that the locking portion 224 of the elastic bushing 220 is in close contact with the outer surface of the main pipe 1.
[0120] The fixing projection 236 extends from the outer end of the bending guide surface 235, but is formed on the bottom surface of the flange 232 so as to protrude toward the outer circumferential surface of the main pipe wall 1a. In particular, the fixing projection 236 has a predetermined height so as to be in close contact with the outer surface of a certain area of the main pipe wall 1a that is located at a predetermined distance from the coupling hole 1b compared to the surrounding area 1d of the coupling hole when the fluid connector 200 is installed in the main pipe 1.
[0121] Furthermore, the fixing projection 236 has a ring shape and an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the locking portion 224 so that it can pressurize the outer surface of the main pipe wall 1a when installing the fluid connector 200 to the main pipe 1. Through this, the fixing projection 236 can fix the fluid connector 200 so that it does not detach from the main pipe 1 by making close contact with the outer surface of the main pipe wall 1a so that a frictional force acts between the fixing projection 236 and the main pipe wall 1a.
[0122] Figure 40 is a perspective view of the fastening nut, and Figure 41 is a cross-sectional view of the fastening nut shown in Figure 40.
[0123] The fastening nut 240 may have a first connecting hole 242, a second connecting hole 244, and so on.
[0124] A first female thread 242a is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the first connecting hole 242.
[0125] A second female thread 244a is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the second connecting hole 244.
[0126] Figure 42 is a perspective view of the packing, Figure 43 is a cross-sectional view of the packing shown in Figure 42, and Figure 44 shows how the packing seals the space between the socket and the branch pipe.
[0127] The packing 250 has an annular ring shape with a through hole 252 formed in the center and is made of rubber or other elastically deformable material.
[0128] Furthermore, the packing 250 is interposed between the upper end of the socket body 211 connected to the first connecting hole 242 and one end 2b of the branch pipe 2 connected to the second connecting hole 244, so as to seal the space between the upper end of the socket body 211 and one end 2b of the branch pipe 2.
[0129] For example, if the second connecting hole 244 has a larger diameter than the first connecting hole 242, the packing 250 can be installed on the bottom surface 244b of the second connecting hole 244. In this case, the packing 250 has a diameter that is larger by a predetermined ratio than the diameter of one end 2b of the branch pipe 2.
[0130] Such a packing 250 may have a through hole 252 formed through its center to allow communication between the socket 210 and the branch pipe 2, and a locking projection 254 formed on its outer surface to engage with the second female thread 244a of the tightening nut 240 and fix the packing 250 in a predetermined position in the second connecting hole 244.
[0131] Furthermore, the through-hole 252 is formed in the lower part of the packing 250 and includes a first through-hole 252a with a diameter that is the same as the diameter of the socket body 211 or is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the diameter of the socket body 211, and a second through-hole 252b formed in the upper part of the packing 250 such that its lower end communicates with the upper end of the first through-hole 252a and has a diameter that is smaller by a predetermined ratio compared to the diameter of the socket body 211. Thus, the first through-hole 252a and the second through-hole 252b are connected in a stepped structure, and the top surface 252c of the first through-hole 252a can function as a support surface for supporting the socket body 211.
[0132] Furthermore, it is preferable, but not limited to, that the second through-hole 252b has a sloping structure in which the diameter gradually decreases towards the upper end of the packing 250. In this case, when one end 2b of the branch pipe 2 is inserted into the second connecting hole 244 of the tightening nut 240 and the branch pipe 2 and the tightening nut 240 are connected, even if the diameter of the second through-hole 252b expands in part as the packing 250 is pressed and elastically deformed by the one end 2b of the branch pipe 2, the contact state between the one end 2b of the branch pipe 2 and the packing 250 can be stably maintained.
[0133] Figures 45 to 48 illustrate a method for connecting main and branch pipes using fluid connectors.
[0134] The following section describes how to connect the main piping and branch piping using fluid connectors, with reference to the diagrams.
[0135] First, a drilling tool is used to drill a connecting hole 1b in the main pipe wall 1a.
[0136] Next, the socket body 211 and the first male thread 213 are inserted into the insertion hole 226 to connect the socket 210 and the elastic bushing 220.
[0137] Subsequently, the socket head 215, the lower part of the socket body 211 connected to the socket head 215, and the connecting portion 222 of the elastic bushing 220 are inserted into the connecting hole 1b. In this case, the socket head 215 is inserted into the connecting hole 1b so that its centerline C1 coincides with the longitudinal direction of the main pipe 1.
[0138] Next, the socket body 211 and the first male thread 213 are inserted into the insertion hole 231a of the washer 230, thereby connecting the washer 230 to the socket 210.
[0139] Subsequently, the tightening nut 240 is rotated along the first male thread 213 of the socket 210 in a predetermined tightening direction and tightened so that the upper end of the socket body 211 and the upper part of the first male thread 213 are inserted into the first connecting hole 242 by a predetermined length, thereby temporarily connecting the tightening nut 240 and the socket 210.
[0140] Subsequently, the tightening nut 240 and the socket 210 are permanently joined by rotating the tightening nut 240 along the first male thread 213 of the socket 210 in a predetermined tightening direction and tightening it so that the upper end of the socket body 211 contacts the packing 250 of the tightening nut 240.
[0141] When the tightening nut 240 and the socket 210 are formally connected in this manner, the inner sealing portion 227 and the outer sealing portion 228 of the elastic bushing 220 elastically deform due to the inner pressing surface 215b of the socket body 211 and the outer pressing surface 234 of the washer 230, pressing the inner corner 1e and the outer corner 1f of the connecting hole 1b in the height direction of the main pipe 1, and simultaneously pressing and gripping the main pipe 1 in at least one direction of the longitudinal and circumferential directions. Through this, the elastic bushing 220 and the fluid connector 200 can be connected to the main pipe 1.
[0142] Furthermore, the inner sealing portion 227 and the outer sealing portion 228 can be elastically deformed at a constant rate while the elastic bushing 220 is aligned in a predetermined configuration by the fixing projection 233 inserted into the alignment groove 226e. Through this, it is possible to prevent the coupling force of the elastic bushing 220 to the main pipe 1 from decreasing due to irregular elastic deformation of the inner sealing portion 227 and the outer sealing portion 228.
[0143] After that, the branch pipe 2 is connected to the tightening nut 240.
[0144] Figure 49 is a separated perspective view of the fluid connector and main piping according to a third embodiment of the present invention; Figure 50 is a coupled perspective view of the fluid connector and main piping shown in Figure 49; Figure 51 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid connector and main piping shown in Figure 50, viewed from the longitudinal direction of the main piping; and Figure 52 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid connector and main piping shown in Figure 50, viewed from the width direction of the main piping.
[0145] Figure 53 is a cross-sectional view of the main piping as seen from the longitudinal direction, and Figure 54 is a plan view of the main piping.
[0146] A fluid connector 300 according to a third embodiment of the present invention may include a socket 310, a washer 320, a tightening nut 330, a packing 340, and the like. Such a fluid connector 300 has a structure in which some components have been modified so that the installation method differs from that of the fluid connectors 100 and 200 described above. In the following, descriptions of components that are identically included in the fluid connectors 100, 200, and 300 will be omitted or briefly mentioned.
[0147] The fluid connector 300 is provided such that a wing portion 3e is formed by elastically deforming the surrounding area 3d of the coupling hole, which is the area around the coupling hole 3b drilled in the wall of the main pipe 3 (hereinafter referred to as "main pipe wall 3a") at the position where the branch pipe 2 is to be installed, and then fixing such a wing portion 3e using a washer 320 and a socket 310 to connect the fluid connector 300 to the coupling hole 3b and to seal the coupling hole 3b.
[0148] Therefore, in order to install the fluid connector 300, the first step is to drill a coupling hole 3b in the main pipe wall 3a using a punch or other drilling device to connect the fluid connector 300. The coupling hole 3b is preferably drilled in the thickness direction of the main pipe wall 3a, but is not limited to this. Also, the coupling hole 3b is preferably circular, but is not limited to this.
[0149] For this reason, the main pipe 3 to which the fluid connector 300 is applied is preferably made of a soft material that is easily elastically deformable and is thinner than the main pipe 1 described above. For example, the main pipe 3 may be an elastic hose made of an elastic material that can be elastically deformed, such as PVC or rubber. In this case, the main pipe 3 is preferably a braided hose in which woven yarn is embedded in the wall to prevent tearing or ripping of the main pipe 3, but is not limited to this.
[0150] As described above, the fluid connector 300 is preferably applied to the main pipe 3 made of a soft material, but is not limited thereto. For example, even if the main pipe is made of a hard material, the fluid connector 300 can be installed on the main pipe 3 made of a hard material in an environment where the main pipe 3 is prone to elastic deformation, such as when the ambient temperature at the installation site is high or when the area around the coupling hole of the main pipe is heat-treated at a high temperature.
[0151] On the other hand, the tightening nut 330 and packing 340 have the same structure as the tightening nut 240 and packing 250 of the fluid connector 200 described above. Therefore, a description of the tightening nut 330 and packing 340 will be omitted.
[0152] Figure 55 is a perspective view of the socket, Figure 56 is a front view of the socket shown in Figure 55, Figure 57 is a side view of the socket shown in Figure 55, and Figure 58 is a cross-sectional view of the socket shown in Figure 55.
[0153] The socket 310 may include a socket body 311, a first male thread 313, a socket head 315, an ejection hole 317, a hook 318, an O-ring 319, and the like.
[0154] The socket body 311 has a cylindrical shape that extends along the height direction of the fluid connector 300. Such a socket body 311 has a diameter that is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the diameter of the coupling hole 3b.
[0155] The first male thread 313 is formed to protrude from the outer circumferential surface of the socket body 311 such that it has an outer diameter that is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the diameter of the socket body 311. In particular, it is preferable that the first male thread 313 is formed at a predetermined clearance distance from both the upper and lower ends of the socket body 311. Here, the lower end of the socket body 311 refers to the end on either side of the socket body 311 where the socket head 315, which will be described later, is formed, and the upper end of the socket body 311 refers to the end on either side of the socket body 311 opposite to the lower end.
[0156] In the first male thread 313, a guide groove 313a is formed recessed along the height direction of the fluid connector 300, into which the guide block 321b of the washer 320, which will be described later, is inserted so as to be movable along the height direction of the fluid connector 300. A detailed explanation of this guide groove 313a will be given later, along with a description of the guide block 321b.
[0157] The socket head 315 is formed at the lower end of the socket body 311 so as to be concentric with the socket body 311, and has a diameter that is larger by a predetermined ratio than the outer diameter of the first male thread 313. Then, the following relationship holds between the coupling hole 3b, the socket body 311, the first male thread 313, and the socket head 315.
[0158] Diameter of socket head 315 > Outer diameter of first male thread 313 > Diameter of socket body 311 > Diameter of coupling hole 3b
[0159] Furthermore, an insertion guide surface 315a is formed on the side of the socket head 315 to guide the socket head 315 so that it can be easily inserted into the coupling hole 3b. It is preferable, but not limited to, that such an insertion guide surface 315a has a sloping structure such that the diameter of the socket head 315 gradually decreases towards the lower end of the socket head 315.
[0160] Furthermore, an inner pressure surface 315b is formed on the upper surface of the socket head 315, extending from the lower end of the socket body 311 and inclined downwards such that its height gradually decreases from the center of the socket head 315 towards the outer edge. In particular, the inner pressure surface 315b may be formed such that the inclination angle gradually decreases as it moves toward the imaginary center line C1 that penetrates the center point of the socket 310 in the longitudinal direction of the main pipe 3, and gradually increases as it moves away from the center line C1. A socket head 315 with such an inner pressure surface 315b has an arched curved shape that has a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the main pipe 3 with respect to the center line C1, such that the highest point of the inner pressure surface 315b is located on the center line C1.
[0161] An O-ring groove 315c is recessed into the inner pressure surface 315b, into which an O-ring 319 can be fitted. Preferably, the height of the O-ring groove 315c is formed such that it gradually increases towards the center line C1 and gradually decreases away from the center line C1, but it is not limited to this.
[0162] The discharge hole 317 is drilled inside the socket 310 so as to penetrate the socket head 315 and the socket body 311 in the height direction of the fluid connector 300.
[0163] The hook 318 is formed to protrude from the side surface of the socket head 315 in the direction of extension of the center line C1 of the socket head 315 (the longitudinal direction of the main pipe 3). Preferably, such a hook 318 is formed at a predetermined height on the side surface of the socket head 315 so as to be separated by a predetermined distance from the inner circumferential surface of the main pipe 3 when inserted into the interior 3c of the main pipe 3 through the coupling hole 3b.
[0164] The O-ring 319 is made of elastically deformable rubber or other material and is fitted into the O-ring groove 315c. Preferably, the O-ring 319 has a thickness that is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the depth of the O-ring groove 315c. Then, when the O-ring 319 is fitted into the O-ring groove 315c, the O-ring 319 can protrude a predetermined height higher than the inner pressure surface 315b.
[0165] Figure 59 is a perspective view of the washer from above, Figure 60 is a perspective view of the washer shown in Figure 59 from below, Figure 61 is a cross-sectional view of the washer shown in Figure 59 viewed from the longitudinal direction of the main pipe, and Figure 62 is a cross-sectional view of the washer shown in Figure 59 viewed from the width direction of the main pipe.
[0166] Next, the washer 320 is a component that works in conjunction with the socket head 315 to fix the wing portion 3e of the main pipe 3 into a predetermined shape.
[0167] The washer 320 may be made of plastic or a material with sufficient rigidity to maintain its shape without deforming under the pressure applied when the socket 310 and the tightening nut 330 are screwed together.
[0168] The washer 320 transmits the pressure applied from the tightening nut 330 and the socket body 311 to the wing portion 3e not only in the thickness direction of the main pipe 3, but also in the circumferential and longitudinal directions of the main pipe 3, when the tightening nut 330 and the socket body 311 are screwed together, thereby enabling the wing portion 3e to be fixed in multiple directions. For this purpose, the washer 320 may include a washer body 321, a flange 322, etc.
[0169] The washer body 321 has a cylindrical shape with a diameter that is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the diameter of the coupling hole 3b.
[0170] The washer body 321 may have an insertion hole 321a formed in the center into which a first male thread 313 and a wing portion 3e formed to contact the first male thread 313 are inserted, and a guide block 321b formed on the inner circumferential surface of the insertion hole 321a, projecting along the height direction of the fluid connector 300.
[0171] The insertion hole 321a may include a first insertion hole 321c formed in the lower part of the washer 320, a second insertion hole 321d formed in the middle part of the washer 320 so that its lower end is connected to the upper end of the first insertion hole 321c, and a third insertion hole 321e formed in the upper part of the washer 320 so that its lower end is connected to the upper end of the second insertion hole 321d.
[0172] Furthermore, a bending guide surface 321f is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the first insertion hole 321c, which is inclined such that the diameter of the first insertion hole 321c gradually increases towards the lower end of the first insertion hole 321c.
[0173] Preferably, the bending guide surface 321f is formed such that the lower end of the first insertion hole 321c, which has the largest diameter, has a diameter larger than the diameter of the socket head 315, and the upper end of the first insertion hole 321c, which has the smallest diameter, has a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the first male thread 313 and smaller than the diameter of the socket head 315, but is not limited thereto. In particular, the bending guide surface 321f is formed such that the inclination angle gradually increases so that the center point of the washer 320 can be moved away from the virtual center line C2 that penetrates along the longitudinal direction of the main piping 3.
[0174] The position of the fixing projection 321g is not particularly limited, and the fixing projection 321g may be formed to protrude in a specific region located between the lower corner 321h of the bending guide surface 321f where the bending guide surface 321f meets the bottom surface of the flange 322, and the upper corner 321i of the bending guide surface 321f where the bending guide surface 321f meets the inner circumferential surface of the second insertion hole 321d.
[0175] Furthermore, the upper corner 321i and lower corner 321h of the bending guide surface 321f are preferably rounded to prevent the wing portion 3e of the main pipe 3 from being sharply bent and damaged by the bending guide surface 321f, but the invention is not limited to this.
[0176] The second insertion hole 321d is formed to have the same diameter as the upper end diameter of the first insertion hole 321c, and the third insertion hole 321e is formed to have a diameter that is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the second insertion hole 321d. Then, the bottom surface of the third insertion hole 321e can function as a mounting surface 321j on which the lower end of the tightening nut 330 is placed.
[0177] The guide block 321b protrudes from the inner circumferential surface of the insertion hole 321a toward the center of the insertion hole 321a, but is formed to extend along the height direction of the fluid connector 300. Furthermore, the guide block 321b has a smaller width than the guide groove 313a so that it can be inserted into the guide groove 313a of the first male thread 313 so as to be movable in the height direction of the fluid connector 300.
[0178] The flange 322 is formed as an extension from the lower end of the washer body 321 so as to be connected to the lower end of the washer body 321.
[0179] Furthermore, although the flange 322 has a disc shape with a diameter that is proportionally larger than the diameter of the washer body 321, it has an arched curved shape that has a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the main pipe 3 with respect to the center line C2, so that the highest point having the maximum height lies on the center line C2.
[0180] Figures 63 to 75 illustrate a method for connecting main piping and branch piping using fluid connectors.
[0181] The following describes how to connect the main pipe 3 and the branch pipe 2 using the fluid connector 300, with reference to the drawings. As mentioned earlier, the main pipe 3 is made of an elastic hose that can be elastically deformed. Normally, elastic hoses are stored in a compressed state, so we will take the example of connecting the main pipe 3, which is in a compressed state, to the branch pipe 2.
[0182] First, a drilling tool is used to drill a connecting hole 3b at a specific location in the main pipe 3, which is in a thinly compressed state.
[0183] Next, under the guidance of the guide groove 313a and the guide block 321b, the washer 320 is coupled to a portion of the socket body 311 located on the outside side of the main piping 3, so that the socket body 311 is inserted into the insertion hole 321a of the washer 320.
[0184] Subsequently, the tightening nut 330 is rotated along the first male thread 313 in a predetermined tightening direction and tightened so that the lower end of the tightening nut 330 is placed on the mounting surface 321j of the washer 320. This temporarily connects the socket 310 and the tightening nut 330 so that the tightening nut 330 is positioned above the washer 320, but the tightening nut 330 is separated from the socket head 315 by a predetermined clearance.
[0185] Next, with the main pipe 3 elastically deformed to be nearly cylindrical so that the hook 318 can be inserted into the connecting hole 3b, the socket 310 is tilted by a predetermined angle so that the end of the hook 318 faces the connecting hole 3b, and then the hook 318 is inserted into the interior 3c of the main pipe 3 through the connecting hole 3b.
[0186] Subsequently, with the hook 318 locked to the inner surface of the main pipe 3, the socket head 315 is pressurized towards the interior 3c side of the main pipe 3 by lever principle, thereby inserting the lower part of the socket head 315 and the socket body 311 connected to the socket head 315 into the interior 3c of the coupling hole 3b, and at the same time forming the wing portion 3e on the surrounding portion 3d of the coupling hole so as to face the interior 3c of the main pipe 3.
[0187] Subsequently, the tightening nut 330 is rotated in the tightening direction to permanently connect to the socket body 311 until the wing portion 3e is interposed between the bending guide surface 321f of the washer 320 and the O-ring 319 of the socket head 315.
[0188] In the process of permanently connecting the tightening nut 330 to the socket body 311 in this manner, the wing portion 3e is sequentially pressurized in the positive height direction of the main pipe 3 by the first male thread 313 and O-ring 319 of the socket 310, and is inverted vertically so as to face outwards from the main pipe 3, and bends in accordance with the inclination angle of the bending guide surface 321f and the inner pressurizing surface 315b. In particular, the wing portion 3e is firstly bent by a predetermined first angle with respect to the lower angle 321h of the bending guide surface 321f, and secondarily bent by a second angle compared to the first angle with respect to the upper angle 321i of the bending guide surface 321f. As a result, the wing portion 3e can be divided into a first wing portion 3f which constitutes the lower part of the wing portion 3e and is inclined by a first angle, and a second wing portion 3g which is inclined by a second angle, with its lower end connected to the upper end of the first wing portion 3f and constituting the upper part of the wing portion 3e. Through this, a two-stage sealing structure using the first wing portion 3f and the second wing portion 3g can be formed. In addition, the fixing projection 321g can pressurize the first wing portion 3f and fix it in place, and the O-ring 319 can adhere closely to the inner circumferential surface of the first wing portion 3f and seal the coupling hole 3b.
[0189] As described above, when the wing portion 3e is inverted, the washer 320 and the socket body 311 can pressurize and fix the main pipe wall 3a not only in the thickness direction of the main pipe 3 but also in at least one of the circumferential and longitudinal directions, and through this, the socket 310 can be connected to the main pipe 3 with the discharge hole 317 connected to the interior 3c of the main pipe 3. In addition, the washer 320 and the socket body 311 can seal the connecting hole 3b, preventing water flowing along the main pipe 3 from flowing out to the outside through the connecting hole 3b.
[0190] Next, connect the branch pipe 2 to the tightening nut 330.
[0191] The aforementioned fluid connector 300 is installed by fixing a wing portion 3e that protrudes to a predetermined height on the outside of the main pipe 3 to the fluid connector 300. Through this, the fluid connector 300 can be stably connected to the main pipe 3 even when the coupling hole 3b of the main pipe 3 has an elliptical shape or other non-uniform shape. Compared to conventional fluid connectors, which must minimize the diameter of the coupling hole 3b to account for the height difference that occurs in the coupling hole 3b due to the curvature of the main pipe 3, the diameter of the socket 310 installed in the coupling hole 3b, and the diameter of the discharge hole 317 formed in the socket 310 can be expanded.
[0192] Furthermore, the fluid connector 300 is designed so that the inner pressure surface 315b of the socket head 315, the bending guide surface 321f of the washer 320, and the flange 322 are formed with an arch-shaped or curved structure having a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the main pipe 3, so that the inner pressure surface 315b of the socket head 315, the bending guide surface 321f of the washer 320, and the flange 322 can evenly pressurize the wing portion 3e and the main pipe wall 3a regardless of the pressurizing direction. This prevents the fluid connector 300 from detaching from the coupling hole 3b due to uneven coupling force between pressurizing directions.
[0193] Figure 76 shows a fluid connector according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention in a state separated from a fluid source, Figure 77 shows the fluid connector shown in Figure 76 in a state connected to a fluid source, and Figures 78 and 79 are diagrams illustrating a method for drilling a connection hole in the fluid source wall.
[0194] A fluid connector 400 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention is a device for connecting a fluid source 4 and a fluid guide member. Referring to Figures 76 and 77, the fluid connector 400 may include a socket 410, an elastic bushing 420, a washer 430, a tightening nut 440, and the like. Such a fluid connector 400 has a structure with some configurations modified so that it can be installed on a fluid source 4 such as a water tank. In the following, descriptions of configurations that are identically included in fluid connectors 100, 200, 300, and 400 will be omitted or briefly mentioned.
[0195] Fluid source 4 refers to a device or facility that contains water or various other fluids (hereinafter referred to as "fluid"). The type of device or facility that can be used as such a fluid source is not particularly limited, and various devices or facilities that are installed to contain fluids for purposes such as storage, supply, transfer, and collection in various places such as agricultural sites, commercial sites, industrial sites, and homes may be included as fluid sources, such as tanks, drums, pipes, piping, water collection tanks, sinks, and washbasins.
[0196] A fluid guide member is a member that guides the fluid transmitted from the fluid source 4 according to a predetermined manner. The type of member that can be used as such a fluid guide member is not particularly limited, and the fluid guide member may consist of at least one of members that can guide the fluid transmitted from the fluid source 4 in various manners such as transfer, branching, drainage, and injection, such as pipes, branch pipes, water taps, valves, and nozzles.
[0197] On the other hand, the fluid connector 400 is installed on the wall of the fluid source 4 (hereinafter referred to as "fluid source wall 4a"), which is made of a highly rigid material such as hard plastic or metal, but has a thickness equal to or greater than a predetermined standard thickness.
[0198] Furthermore, the fluid connector 400 is provided so as to be connectable to a coupling hole 4b drilled in the fluid source wall 4a so as to connect the inside and outside of the fluid source 4. Therefore, in order to install the fluid connector 400, the coupling hole 4b for connecting the fluid connector 400 must be drilled in the fluid source wall 4a using a punch or other drilling device beforehand. The coupling hole 4b is preferably drilled in the thickness direction of the fluid source wall 4a, but is not limited thereto. Also, the coupling hole 4b is preferably circular, but is not limited thereto. Also, the coupling hole 4b is preferably formed in one region of the fluid source wall 4a having a planar structure, but is not limited thereto.
[0199] In the following description, the fluid connector 400 will be explained based on the case where a circular coupling hole 4b is drilled in the thickness direction of the fluid source wall 4a. Furthermore, the surrounding area of the fluid source wall 4a that encloses the coupling hole 4b will be named the coupling hole periphery 4c, the corner portion connecting the inner surface of the coupling hole periphery 4c and the inner circumferential surface of the coupling hole 4b will be named the inner corner 4d of the coupling hole 4b, and the corner portion connecting the outer surface of the coupling hole periphery 4c and the inner circumferential surface of the coupling hole 4b will be named the outer corner 4e of the coupling hole 4b.
[0200] Figure 80 is a front view of the socket, Figure 81 is a cross-sectional view of the socket, and Figure 82 is a top view of the socket.
[0201] The socket 410 is a component for connecting the fluid source 4 and the fluid guide member so that the fluid contained in the fluid source 4 can be transmitted to the fluid guide member.
[0202] Such a socket 410 may include a socket body 411, a socket head 413, a discharge hole 415, and the like.
[0203] The socket body 411 has a cylindrical shape that extends along the height direction of the fluid connector 400. Furthermore, the socket body 411 has a diameter that is smaller by a predetermined ratio compared to the diameter of the coupling hole 4b.
[0204] Such a socket body 411 has a first male thread 411a that protrudes from its outer circumferential surface. In particular, it is preferable that the first male thread 411a is formed at a predetermined clearance distance from the upper end and lower end of the socket body 411, respectively. Here, the lower end of the socket body 411 refers to the end on either side of the socket body 411 where the socket head 413, described later, is formed, and the upper end of the socket body 411 refers to the end on either side of the socket body 411 opposite to the lower end.
[0205] Furthermore, the first male thread 411a has an outer diameter that is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the diameter of the socket body 411, and smaller by a predetermined ratio compared to the diameter of the connecting hole 4b. In other words, when drilling the connecting hole 4b, the worker must drill the connecting hole 4b so that its diameter is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the outer diameter of the first male thread 411a.
[0206] In such a first male thread 411a, a guide groove 411b may be formed recessed along the height direction of the fluid connector 400, into which a guide block 432 of a washer 430, described later, can be movably inserted.
[0207] The socket head 413 is formed as an extension from the lower end of the socket body 411 so as to be concentric with the socket body 411. The socket head 413 has a diameter that is larger by a predetermined ratio than the outer diameter of the first male thread 411a, and at the same time, is the same as the diameter of the coupling hole 4b, or smaller by a predetermined ratio than the diameter of the coupling hole 4b.
[0208] Furthermore, an inner pressure surface 413a is formed on the upper surface of the socket head 413, extending from the lower end of the socket body 411 so as to face the inner seal portion 427 of the elastic bushing 420 (described later) when the fluid connector 400 is installed on the fluid source 4. The inner pressure surface 413a is formed such that its height gradually decreases from the center of the socket 410 towards the outer edge. It is preferable, but not limited to, that the inclination angle of the inner pressure surface 413a gradually decreases towards the lower end of the socket head 413.
[0209] The discharge hole 415 is drilled inside the socket 410 so as to penetrate the socket head 413 and the socket body 411 in the height direction of the fluid connector 400.
[0210] Figure 83 is a front view of the elastic bushing, Figure 84 is a cross-sectional view of the elastic bushing, and Figure 85 is a plan view of the elastic bushing.
[0211] The elastic bushing 420 is a component that connects the fluid connector 400 to the coupling hole 4b and seals the space between the inner circumferential surface of the coupling hole 4b and the fluid connector 400.
[0212] The elastic bushing 420 is made of an elastically deformable material. For example, the elastic bushing 420 may be made of rubber.
[0213] Furthermore, the elastic bushing 420 is provided so as to grip the fluid source wall 4a not only in the thickness direction but also in the surface direction. For this purpose, the elastic bushing 420 may have a connecting portion 422, a locking portion 424, an insertion hole 426, and so on.
[0214] The coupling portion 422 is formed so that the inner corner 4d and outer corner 4e of the coupling hole 4b can be simultaneously pressurized in the thickness direction and the surface direction of the fluid source wall 4a, respectively. To this end, the coupling portion 422 has a length that is longer by a predetermined ratio compared to the thickness of the fluid source wall 4a or the depth of the coupling hole 4b, so that its lower part penetrates the coupling hole 4b and protrudes into the interior of the fluid source 4 by a predetermined length.
[0215] The shape of the connecting portion 422 is not particularly limited. For example, the connecting portion 422 may be configured as a cylindrical shape with a diameter equal to the diameter of the connecting hole 4b, or a diameter smaller by a predetermined ratio compared to the diameter of the connecting hole 4b. In particular, in order to easily insert the connecting portion 422 into the connecting hole 4b, it is preferable, but not limited to, that the outer peripheral surface of the lower part of the connecting portion 422 be configured as an inclined surface such that the diameter of the connecting portion 422 gradually narrows towards the lower end of the connecting portion 422.
[0216] The locking portion 424 is formed to lock and adhere tightly to the outer surface of the surrounding portion 4c of the coupling hole while elastically deforming under the pressure acting when the socket 410 and the tightening nut 440 are screwed together. For example, the locking portion 424 may have a disc shape that extends from the upper end of the coupling portion 422 so as to be concentric with the coupling portion 422 and has a diameter that is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the diameter of the coupling hole 4b.
[0217] The insertion hole 426 is concentric with the coupling portion 422 and the locking portion 424, and is formed to penetrate the coupling portion 422 and the locking portion 424 in the height direction of the fluid connector 400.
[0218] Such insertion holes 426 may have a first insertion hole 426a, a second insertion hole 426b, a third insertion hole 426c, and so on.
[0219] The first insertion hole 426a is formed to be located at the bottom of the insertion hole 426. More specifically, the first insertion hole 426a is formed to penetrate the bottom of the coupling portion 422. Such a first insertion hole 426a has a diameter that is the same as the diameter of the socket body 411, or is larger by a predetermined ratio than the diameter of the socket body 411, and smaller by a predetermined ratio than the outer diameter of the first male thread 411a, so that the lower end of the socket body 411 into which the first male thread 411a is not formed can be inserted.
[0220] Furthermore, a bending guide surface 426f is formed on the lower part of the inner circumferential surface of the first insertion hole 426.
[0221] The second insertion hole 426b is located above the first insertion hole 426a, but is formed as an extension from the upper end of the first insertion hole 426a so as to be connected to the first insertion hole 426a. More specifically, the second insertion hole 426b is formed to penetrate the upper part of the joint 422 and the lower part of the locking part 424. Such a second insertion hole 426b has a diameter that is the same as the outer diameter of the first male thread 411a, or is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the outer diameter of the first male thread 411a, so that the first male thread 411a can be inserted. In this way, the second insertion hole 426b and the first insertion hole 426a can be connected in a stepped structure. In this case, the bottom surface of the second insertion hole 426b can support the lower end of the first male thread 411a, and hereafter, the bottom surface of the second insertion hole 426b will be named the support surface 426d. It is preferable that such a support surface 426d is configured as a downward-sloping inclined surface such that its height gradually decreases towards the center of the elastic bushing 420. Through this, even if the socket body 411 is slightly tilted, the first male thread 411a and the support surface 426d can maintain line contact.
[0222] The third insertion hole 426c is located above the second insertion hole 426b, but is formed as an extension from the upper end of the second insertion hole 426b so as to be connected to the second insertion hole 426b. More specifically, the third insertion hole 426c is formed to penetrate the upper part of the locking portion 424. Such a third insertion hole 426c has a diameter that is larger than that of the second insertion hole 426b by a predetermined ratio. In this way, the third insertion hole 426c and the second insertion hole 426b can be connected in a stepped structure. In this case, the inner circumferential surface and bottom surface of the third insertion hole 426c can function as alignment grooves 426e that assist in enabling the elastic bushing 420 to elastically deform at a constant rate while aligned in a predetermined manner, in conjunction with the alignment projections 433 of the washer 430 described later.
[0223] As described above, by providing the elastic bushing 420, the lower part of the coupling portion 422 with the first insertion hole 426a formed inside can function as an inner seal portion 427 that elastically deforms under the pressure applied when the socket 410 and the tightening nut 440 are screwed together, and adheres tightly to the inner corner 4d of the coupling hole 4b. For this reason, it is preferable that the first insertion hole 426a has a depth greater than a predetermined reference depth so that the fluid connector 400 can be applied to various types of fluid sources 4 whose fluid source wall bodies 4a have different thicknesses. Furthermore, the corner portion connecting the upper part of the coupling portion 422 with the second insertion hole 426b formed inside and the locking portion 424 can function as an outer seal portion 428 that elastically deforms under the pressure applied when the socket 410 and the tightening nut 440 are screwed together, and adheres tightly to the outer corner 4e of the coupling hole 4b. A more detailed explanation of such inner seal portion 427 and outer seal portion 428 will be given later.
[0224] Figure 86 is a front view of the washer, Figure 87 is a cross-sectional view of the washer, and Figure 88 is a top view of the washer.
[0225] The washer 430 is a component that pressurizes the elastic bushing 420 by switching the pressure applied when the socket 410 and the tightening nut 440 are screwed together to a predetermined manner.
[0226] Furthermore, the washer 430 may be made of a material such as plastic or another material that has sufficient rigidity to maintain its shape without deforming under the pressure applied when the socket 410 and the tightening nut 440 are screwed together.
[0227] The washer 430 has a disc shape with a diameter that is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the diameter of the coupling hole 4b. Such a washer 430 may be equipped with an insertion hole 431, a guide block 432, alignment projections 433, an outer pressure surface 434, a locking pressure surface 435, a fixing projection 436, and the like.
[0228] The insertion hole 431 is formed through the center of the washer 430 in the height direction of the fluid connector 400 so that the socket body 411 and the first male thread 411a can be movably inserted. The insertion hole 431 may also have a first insertion hole 431a formed at the bottom of the washer 430, having a diameter that is the same as the outer diameter of the first male thread 411a or is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the outer diameter of the first male thread 411a, so that the first male thread 411a can be movably inserted, and a second insertion hole 431b formed at the top of the washer 430 so that its lower end is connected to the upper end of the first insertion hole 431a, and having a diameter that is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the diameter of the first insertion hole 431a. By forming the first insertion hole 431a and the second insertion hole 431b in this manner, the second insertion hole 431b and the first insertion hole 431a are connected in a stepped structure, and through this, the bottom surface of the second insertion hole 431b can function as a mounting surface 431c on which the lower end of the tightening nut 440 is placed.
[0229] The guide block 432 protrudes from the inner circumferential surface of the insertion hole 431 toward the center of the insertion hole 431, but is formed to extend along the height direction of the fluid connector 400. The guide block 432 also has a smaller width than the guide groove 411b so that it can be inserted into the guide groove 411b of the first male thread 411a so as to be movable in the height direction of the fluid connector 400.
[0230] The alignment projection 433 is formed to protrude from the bottom surface of the washer 430 along the first insertion hole 431a so that it can be inserted into the alignment groove 426e of the elastic bushing 420 when the fluid connector 400 is installed on the fluid source 4. The alignment projection 433 is preferably ring-shaped, but is not limited thereto. When the fluid connector 400 is installed on the fluid source 4, such an alignment projection 433 is inserted into the alignment groove 426e of the elastic bushing 420 in the thickness direction (in other words, the height direction of the fluid source wall 4a) of the fluid source wall 4a, and pressurizes the elastic bushing 420 so that it is aligned into a predetermined configuration, thereby assisting the coupling portion 422 and the elastic bushing 420 comprising it to elastically deform to a predetermined configuration.
[0231] The outer pressure surface 434 is formed on the bottom surface of the washer 430 along the alignment projection 433 so that when the fluid connector 400 is installed on the fluid source 4, it faces the outer corner 4e of the coupling hole 4b, sandwiching the outer seal portion 428 of the elastic bushing 420. The outer pressure surface 434 has a ring shape, but is configured as an upward-sloping surface whose height gradually increases from the center of the washer 430 towards the outer edge. The inclination angle of the outer pressure surface 434 is not particularly limited. For example, the inclination angle of the outer pressure surface 434 may be 45°.
[0232] The locking pressure surface 435 is formed on the bottom surface of the washer 430 along the outer pressure surface 434 so as to face the locking portion 424 of the elastic bushing 420 when the fluid connector 400 is installed on the fluid source 4. This locking pressure surface 435 has an annular disc shape with a depth that is a predetermined ratio smaller than the thickness of the locking portion 424. Through this, the locking pressure surface 435 can press the locking portion 424 of the elastic bushing 420 so that it is in close contact with the outer surface of the surrounding portion 4c of the coupling hole.
[0233] The fixing projection 436 is formed to protrude from the bottom surface of the washer 430 along the locking pressure surface 435 so as to face the outer surface of a region of the fluid source wall 4a located at a predetermined distance from the coupling hole 4b compared to the surrounding area 4c when the fluid connector 400 is installed on the fluid source 4. In addition, although the fixing projection 436 has a ring shape, it has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the locking portion 424 so as to be able to pressurize the outer surface of the fluid source wall 4a when the fluid connector 400 is installed on the fluid source 4. Through this, the fixing projection 436 can fix the fluid connector 400 so as not to detach from the fluid source 4 by making close contact with the outer surface of the fluid source wall 4a so that a frictional force acts between the fixing projection 436 and the fluid source wall 4a.
[0234] Figure 89 is a front view of the fastening nut, Figure 90 is a cross-sectional view of the fastening nut, and Figure 91 is a top view of the fastening nut.
[0235] Next, the tightening nut 440 is a component for connecting the elastic bushing 420 to the coupling hole 4b and for connecting the fluid guide member to the fluid connector 4.
[0236] The tightening nut 440 preferably has a cylindrical shape that extends along the height direction of the fluid connector 400, but is not limited thereto.
[0237] Such a tightening nut 440 may have a connecting hole 442 drilled along the height direction of the fluid connector 400 so that the socket body 411 can be inserted into it.
[0238] On the inner peripheral surface of such a connecting hole 442, an internal thread 442a is formed so as to be capable of screwing with the first external thread 411a of the socket body 411. Thereby, in a state where the upper end of the first external thread 411a and the lower end of the internal thread 442a are screwed together, when the tightening nut 440 is rotated in the tightening direction along the first external thread 411a, the tightening nut 440 descends and the socket 410 ascends. Through this, by rotating the tightening nut 440 in the tightening direction along the first external thread 411a, the tightening nut 440 can be gradually coupled with the socket 410 such that the socket body 411 is gradually inserted into the connecting hole 442.
[0239] Also, in a state where the first external thread 411a and the internal thread 442a are screwed together, when the tightening nut 440 is rotated in the loosening direction opposite to the tightening direction along the first external thread 411a, the tightening nut 440 ascends and the socket 410 descends. Through this, by rotating the tightening nut 440 in the loosening direction along the first external thread 411a, the tightening nut 440 can be gradually separated from the socket 410 such that the socket body 411 is gradually pulled out from the connecting hole 442.
[0240] Figs. 92 to 95 are diagrams for explaining a method of installing a fluid connector to a fluid source, and Fig. 96 is a diagram for explaining the principle by which an elastic bushing grips a fluid source wall.
[0241] As described above, the fluid source 4 and the fluid guiding member can each have various structures according to the intended use. Hereinafter, taking as an example the case where the fluid source 4 is constituted by a water tank in which water is stored and the fluid guiding member is constituted by the branch pipe 2 described above, a method of connecting the fluid source 4 and the fluid guiding member using the fluid connector 400 will be explained.
[0242] First, using a perforating member, a coupling hole 4b is perforated in the fluid source wall 4a.
[0243] Next, the socket body 411 and the first male thread 411a are inserted into the insertion hole 426 so that the lower end of the first male thread 411a of the socket 410 is supported by the support surface 426d of the elastic bushing 420, thereby joining the socket 410 and the elastic bushing 420.
[0244] Subsequently, the socket body 411 is inserted into the insertion hole 431 of the washer 430 under the guidance of the guide groove 411b and the guide block 432, so that the washer 430 is positioned above the elastic bushing 420, thereby joining the socket 410 and the washer 430.
[0245] Next, with the upper end of the first male thread 411a of the socket body 411 placed on the lower end of the female thread 442a of the tightening nut 440, the tightening nut 440 is rotated along the first male thread 411a in a predetermined tightening direction and tightened, thereby temporarily connecting the socket 410 and the tightening nut 440 so that the tightening nut 440 is positioned above the washer 430, but the tightening nut 440 is separated from the socket head 413 by a predetermined clearance.
[0246] With the upper end of the first male thread 411a positioned at the lower end of the female thread 442a, when the tightening nut 440 is rotated along the first male thread 411a and tightened, the socket 410 rises while the tightening nut 440 descends, gradually reducing the distance between the socket head 413 and the tightening nut 440. As a result, the socket body 411 is gradually inserted into the connecting hole 442 through the lower opening of the connecting hole 442 of the tightening nut 440, and the distance between the socket head 413, elastic bushing 420, washer 430, and tightening nut 440 gradually decreases. Therefore, when the tightening nut 440 is tightened so that the socket head 413, elastic bushing 420, washer 430, and tightening nut 440 are in close contact with each other, further tightening of the tightening nut 440 causes the socket head 413 to press down on the elastic bushing 420 in the +thickness direction, and the tightening nut 440 presses down on the washer 430 in the -thickness direction. Furthermore, the washer 430 pressurizes the elastic bushing 420 in the thickness direction through the pressure applied from the tightening nut 440. As a result, the elastic bushing 420 can be elastically deformed by being pressed in both the up and down directions by the socket head 413 and the washer 430.
[0247] However, if the connecting portion 422 of the elastic bushing 420 is elastically deformed before being inserted into the fluid source 4 through the connecting hole 4b, the fluid source wall 4a cannot be gripped using the elastic bushing 420. Therefore, the socket 410 and the tightening nut 440 are temporarily connected by tightening the tightening nut 440 only until the distance between the socket head 413 and the tightening nut 440 reaches a predetermined margin, so that the elastic bushing 420 does not elastically deform and maintains its original shape.
[0248] Subsequently, the locking portion 424 of the elastic bushing 420 is locked to the outer surface of the surrounding portion 4c of the coupling hole, the outer sealing portion 428 of the elastic bushing 420 faces the outer corner 4e of the coupling hole 4b, and the lower part of the socket 410, including the socket head 413 to the lower part of the first male thread 411a, and the coupling portion 422 of the elastic bushing 420 are selectively inserted into the coupling hole 4b, such that the locking portion 424 of the elastic bushing 420 is locked to the outer surface of the surrounding portion 4c of the coupling hole, the outer sealing portion 428 of the elastic bushing 420 faces the outer corner 4e of the coupling hole 4b, and the lower part of the socket 410, including the socket head 413 to the lower part of the first male thread 411a, and the coupling portion 422 of the elastic bushing 420 protrude into the fluid source 4.
[0249] Next, the socket 410 and the tightening nut 440 are permanently connected by rotating the tightening nut 440 along the first male thread 411a of the socket 410 in the tightening direction and tightening it, so that the elastic bushing 420 is elastically deformed into a shape that can grip the fluid source wall 4a by the pressure applied from the tightening nut 440 and the socket 410.
[0250] The final connection between the socket 410 and the tightening nut 440 can be performed by first tightening the tightening nut 440 so that the socket head 413, elastic bushing 420, washer 430, and tightening nut 440 are in close contact with each other, and then secondarily tightening the tightening nut 440 until the elastic bushing 420 is pressed in both directions (+thickness direction, -thickness direction) by the socket head 413 and washer 430 and elastically deforms into a predetermined shape.
[0251] More specifically, when the socket 410 and the tightening nut 440 are formally connected, the alignment projection 433 of the washer 430 is inserted into the alignment groove 426e of the elastic bushing 420, and then pressurizes the elastic bushing 420 in the -thickness direction of the fluid source wall 4a, thereby aligning the elastic bushing 420 to a predetermined arrangement. The locking portion pressing surface 435 of the washer 430 pressurizes the locking portion 424 in the -thickness direction of the fluid source wall 4a, making it tightly adhere to the outer surface of the connection hole periphery 4c. The fixing projection 436 of the washer 430 pressurizes the outer surface of the fluid source wall 4a, fixing the fluid connector 400 to the fluid source 4.
[0252] Furthermore, the outer pressure surface 434 of the washer 430 pressurizes the outer seal portion 428 of the elastic bushing 420 simultaneously in the -thickness direction and the surface direction of the fluid source wall 4a through the aforementioned inclined structure. As a result, the outer seal portion 428 can simultaneously pressurize the outer corner 4e in the -thickness direction and the surface direction while elastically deforming to match the shape of the outer corner 4e. Correspondingly, the inner pressure surface 413a of the socket head 413 pressurizes the inner seal portion 427 of the elastic bushing 420 in the +thickness direction and the surface direction of the fluid source wall 4a through the aforementioned inclined structure. As a result, the inner seal portion 427 can simultaneously pressurize the inner corner 4d in the +thickness direction and the surface direction while elastically deforming to match the shape of the inner corner 4d.
[0253] As the elastic bushing 420 elastically deforms in this manner, it can simultaneously grip and fix the inner corner 4d and outer corner 4e of the coupling hole 4b in the thickness direction and surface direction of the fluid source wall 4a, thereby enabling the elastic bushing 420 and the fluid connector 400 including it to be coupled to the fluid source 4.
[0254] Subsequently, the fluid guide member is connected to the tightening nut 440.
[0255] For example, if the fluid source 4 is composed of a water tank and the fluid guide member is composed of a branch pipe 2, the water tank and the branch pipe 2 can be connected using a fluid connector 400 by screwing the second male thread 2c of the branch pipe 2 into the female thread 442a of the connecting hole 442 of the tightening nut 440.
[0256] When the branch pipe 2 is connected to the tightening nut 440 in this manner, the water tank and the branch pipe 2 are connected via the discharge hole 415 of the socket 410. Through this connection, water discharged from the water tank is transmitted to the branch pipe 2 via the discharge hole 415 of the socket 410, and the branch pipe 2 can transport the water transmitted from the water tank to the point of consumption.
[0257] The aforementioned fluid connector 400 maintains contact between the inner corner 4d and outer corner 4e of the coupling hole 4b drilled in the fluid source 4 and the inner sealing portion 427 and outer sealing portion 428 of the elastic bushing 420 over the entire area of the coupling hole 4b drilled in the fluid source 4, and the inner sealing portion 427 and outer sealing portion 428 are provided so that the inner corner 4d and outer corner 4e can be pressed simultaneously in the thickness direction and the surface direction of the fluid source wall 4a.
[0258] Through this, the fluid connector 400 can simultaneously grip the inner corner 4d and outer corner 4e of the coupling hole 4b in the thickness direction and the surface direction via the elastic bushing 420. That is, the fluid connector 400 grips the fluid source wall 4a not only in the thickness direction but also in the surface direction, which is the direction of expansion of the fluid source wall 4a due to the high pressure of the fluid, via the elastic bushing 420. With such a fluid connector 400, it is possible to prevent the elastic bushing 420 and the fluid connector 400 including it from detaching from the coupling hole 4b, and to prevent play from occurring between the outer surface of the elastic bushing 420 and the inner surface of the coupling hole 4b, which could allow fluid to leak out.
[0259] On the other hand, generally, because the fluid source wall 4a has a significantly smaller thickness compared to its area, the rigidity of the fluid source wall in the planar direction is greater than the rigidity in the thickness direction. However, conventional fluid connectors are designed to be installed by applying external force to the fluid source wall only in the thickness direction. As a result, with conventional fluid connectors, the fluid source wall frequently deforms or breaks due to the external force applied to it by the fluid connector during installation and use.
[0260] In contrast, the fluid connector 400 is designed to be installed by distributing the pressure transmitted from the socket 410 and the tightening nut 440 in the thickness direction and surface direction of the fluid source wall 4a and applying it to the inner corner 4d and outer corner 4e of the coupling hole 4b. This prevents the fluid source wall 4a from being deformed or damaged by the external force applied by the fluid connector 400 to the fluid source wall 4a during the installation and use of the fluid connector 400.
[0261] Further, when the tightening nut 440 is tightened outside the fluid source 4, the fluid connector 400 is provided such that the elastic bushing 420 can press the fluid source wall 4a in both the inner and outer directions to grip it. As a result, the fluid connector 400 can be installed or retrieved by operating the fluid connector 400 using a tool only on the outer side of the fluid source 4, without the need to operate the fluid connector 400 using a tool on both the inner and outer sides of the fluid source 4, providing the convenience of being able to do so.
[0262] FIG. 97 is a view showing a state in which the fluid connector according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention is separated from the fluid source, FIG. 98 is a view showing a state in which the fluid connector shown in FIG. 97 is coupled to the fluid source, and FIGS. 99 and 100 are views for explaining a method of drilling a coupling hole in the fluid source wall.
[0263] Referring to FIGS. 97 and 98, the fluid connector 500 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention is a device for connecting the fluid source 5 and the fluid guiding member described above, and may include a socket 510, a washer 520, a tightening nut 530, and the like. Such a fluid connector 500 has a structure in which some of its components are changed so that it can be installed on the fluid source 5 in a different manner from the fluid connector described above. Hereinafter, descriptions of configurations that are identically included in the fluid connectors 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 will be omitted or briefly mentioned.
[0264] The fluid connector 500 is different from the fluid connector 400 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention described above in that the structure is changed so that the fluid connector 500 can be installed through a method of forming a wing portion 5d on a fluid source wall 5a made of an elastically deformable elastic material such as PVC or rubber, and then fixing such a wing portion 5d using the socket 510 and the washer 520.
[0265] In particular, the fluid connector 500 is preferably applied to a fluid source 5 having a structure in which woven yarn is embedded in the fluid source wall 5a so as to prevent tearing or ripping of the fluid source wall 5a, but is not limited thereto.
[0266] In the following, we will mainly describe the fluid connector 500 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, focusing on the differences mentioned above. We will omit or briefly mention the components that are identically included in the fluid connector 400 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention and the fluid connector 500 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.
[0267] Such a fluid connector 500 is provided so as to be connectable to a coupling hole 5b drilled in the fluid source wall 5a so as to connect the inside and outside of the fluid source 5. Therefore, in order to install the fluid connector 500, the coupling hole 5b for connecting the fluid connector 500 must be drilled in the fluid source wall 5a using a punch or other drilling device. The coupling hole 5b is preferably drilled in the thickness direction of the fluid source wall 5a, but is not limited thereto. The coupling hole 5b is also preferably circular, but is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the coupling hole 5b is preferably formed in one region of the fluid source wall 5a having a planar structure, but is not limited thereto.
[0268] In the following description, the fluid connector 500 will be explained based on the case where a circular coupling hole 5b is drilled in the thickness direction of the fluid source wall 5a. Furthermore, the surrounding area surrounding the coupling hole 5b in the entire area of the fluid source wall 5a will be named the coupling hole surrounding area 5c.
[0269] Figure 101 is a front view of the socket, Figure 102 is a top view of the socket, and Figure 103 shows the socket head with an inner pressure surface formed.
[0270] The socket 510 is a component for sequentially connecting the fluid source 5, the fluid connector 500, and the fluid guide member.
[0271] Such a socket 510 may include a socket body 511, a socket head 513, a discharge hole 515, a hook 517, an O-ring 519, and the like.
[0272] The socket body 511 has a cylindrical shape that extends along the height direction of the fluid connector 500. Preferably, the socket body 511 has a diameter that is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the diameter of the coupling hole 5b, but is not limited to this.
[0273] Such a socket body 511 has a first male thread 511a that protrudes from its outer circumference. The first male thread 511a has an outer diameter that is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the diameter of the socket body 511. In particular, it is preferable that the first male thread 511a is formed at a predetermined clearance distance from the upper end and lower end of the socket body 511. Here, the lower end of the socket body 511 refers to the end on either side of the socket body 511 where the socket head 513, which will be described later, is formed, and the upper end of the socket body 511 refers to the end on either side of the socket body 511 opposite to the lower end.
[0274] In this first male thread 511a, a guide groove 511b is formed recessed along the height direction of the fluid connector 500, into which a guide block 524 of the washer 520, which will be described later, is movably inserted. A detailed explanation of this guide groove 511b will be given later, along with a description of the guide block 524.
[0275] The socket head 513 is formed at the lower end of the socket body 511 so as to be concentric with the socket body 511. Such a socket head 513 has a diameter that is larger by a predetermined ratio than the outer diameter of the first male thread 511a. Then, the following relationship is established between the coupling hole 5b, the socket body 511, the first male thread 511a, and the socket head 513.
[0276] Diameter of socket head 513 > Outer diameter of first male thread 511a > Diameter of socket body 511 > Diameter of coupling hole 5b
[0277] An insertion guide surface 513a is formed on the side of the socket head 513 to guide the insertion of the socket head 513 so that the socket head 513 can be easily inserted into the coupling hole 5b. Preferably, such an insertion guide surface 513a has a sloping structure such that the diameter of the socket head 513 gradually decreases towards the lower end of the socket head 513, but is not limited to this.
[0278] Furthermore, an inclined inner pressure surface 513b is formed on the upper surface of the socket head 513, such that the height gradually decreases from the center of the socket 510 towards the outer edge. An O-ring groove 513c is recessed into this inner pressure surface 513b, into which an O-ring 519 can be fitted. In particular, it is preferable that the O-ring groove 513c be formed in the middle part of the inner pressure surface 513b, separated by a predetermined distance from the lower and upper ends of the inner pressure surface 513b. In this case, the inner pressure surface 513b can be divided into a lower part extending from the upper end of the circumferential surface of the socket head 513, a middle part in which the O-ring groove 513c is formed, and an upper part extending from the lower end of the socket body 511. For convenience of explanation, the lower part of the inner pressure surface 513b will be named the first inner pressure surface 513d, and the upper part of the inner pressure surface 513b will be named the second inner pressure surface 513e.
[0279] Furthermore, it is preferable that the second inner pressure surface 513e has an inclination angle that is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the inclination angle of the first inner pressure surface 513d.
[0280] Furthermore, it is preferable that the diameter of the upper end of the second inner pressure surface 513e is larger than the diameter of the socket body 511 by a predetermined ratio. In this case, a stepped surface is formed between the upper end of the second inner pressure surface 513e and the lower end of the socket body 511, connecting the upper end of the second inner pressure surface 513e and the lower end of the socket body 511 in a stepped structure. Such a stepped surface can perform the function of inverting the wing portion 5d of the fluid source wall body 5a, which is formed to face the inside of the fluid source 5, to face the +height direction of the fluid connector 500 or the outside of the fluid source 5. Hereinafter, the stepped surface will be named the inversion step 513f.
[0281] The discharge hole 515 is drilled inside the socket 510 so as to penetrate the socket head 513 and the socket body 511 in the height direction of the fluid connector 500.
[0282] The hook 517 is formed to protrude radially from the insertion guide surface 513a of the socket head 513. Preferably, such a hook 517 is formed so that it is separated by a predetermined distance from the inner surface of the fluid source wall 5a when the socket head 513 is inserted into the fluid source 5 through the coupling hole 5b.
[0283] The O-ring 519 is formed of elastically deformable rubber or other elastic material and is fitted into the O-ring groove 513c. Preferably, the O-ring 519 has a thickness that is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the depth of the O-ring groove 513c. Then, when the O-ring 519 is fitted into the O-ring groove 513c, the O-ring 519 can protrude by a predetermined height higher than the first inner pressure surface 513d and the second inner pressure surface 513e.
[0284] Figure 104 is a front view of the washer, Figure 105 is a cross-sectional view of the washer, and Figure 106 is a top view of the washer.
[0285] Next, the washer 520 is a component that works in conjunction with the socket head 513 to fix the wing portion 5d of the fluid source wall 5a in a predetermined manner.
[0286] The washer 520 may be made of plastic or a material having sufficient rigidity to maintain its shape without deforming under the pressure applied when the socket 510 and the tightening nut 530 are screwed together.
[0287] As mentioned above, the socket body 511, the first male thread 511a, and the socket head 513 have a larger diameter than the coupling hole 5b. However, in order to install the fluid connector 500, the lower part of the socket 510, including the area from the bottom of the socket head 513 to the bottom of the first male thread 511a, must be inserted into the fluid source 5 through the coupling hole 5b. In order to insert the lower part of the socket 510 into the fluid source 5 through the coupling hole 5b in this way, the socket head 513 must be used to pressurize the surrounding area 5c of the coupling hole 5b inward towards the fluid source 5 so that the surrounding area 5c of the coupling hole 5b, which surrounds the coupling hole 5b, elastically deforms over the entire area of the fluid source wall 5a, thereby expanding the diameter of the coupling hole 5b. As a result, during the process of inserting the lower part of the socket 510 into the fluid source 5 through the coupling hole 5b, the surrounding portion 5c of the coupling hole gradually bends toward the interior of the fluid source 5 due to the pressure applied from the socket head 513 and the first male thread 511a, forming a wing-shaped wing portion 5d. That is, a cylindrical wing portion 5d is formed on the ring-shaped surrounding portion 5c of the coupling hole 5b. Then, the coupling hole 5b is positioned inside the wing portion 5d in an expanded state with a diameter equal to the inner diameter of the wing portion 5d.
[0288] As described above, by forming the wing portion 5d on the surrounding portion 5c of the coupling hole, the coupling hole 5b is expanded to its maximum extent so that it has a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the socket head 513 when the socket head 513 passes through the coupling hole 5b, reduced to a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the socket body 511 when the lower end of the socket body 511 passes through the coupling hole 5b, and expanded again so that it has the same diameter as the outer diameter of the first male thread 511a when the first male thread 511a passes through the coupling hole 5b.
[0289] The washer 520 is provided so that the wing portion 5d can be fixed in the thickness direction and surface direction by distributing the pressure applied from the tightening nut 530 when the socket 510 and the tightening nut 530 are screwed together and applying it to the wing portion 5d in the thickness direction and surface direction of the fluid source wall 5a.
[0290] The washer 520 has a disc shape with a diameter that is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the diameter of the coupling hole 5b. Such a washer 520 may be equipped with an insertion hole 522, a guide block 524, and the like.
[0291] The insertion hole 522 is formed in the center of the washer 520, penetrating in the height direction of the fluid connector 500, so that the first male thread 511a and the wing portion 5d, which is formed to be in close contact with the first male thread 511a, can be inserted. The insertion hole 522 may also have a first insertion hole 522a formed in the lower part of the washer 520, a second insertion hole 522b formed in the middle part of the washer 520 so that its lower end communicates with the upper end of the first insertion hole 522a, and a third insertion hole 522c formed in the upper part of the washer 520 so that its lower end communicates with the upper end of the second insertion hole 522b.
[0292] Furthermore, an outer pressure surface 522d is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the first insertion hole 522a, which is inclined such that the diameter of the first insertion hole 522a gradually increases towards the lower end of the first insertion hole 522a. Preferably, the outer pressure surface 522d has an inclination angle corresponding to the inclination angle of the inner pressure surface 513b, so that when the fluid connector 500 is installed, a wing portion 5d is interposed between the outer pressure surface 522d and the inner pressure surface 513b of the socket head 513.
[0293] Furthermore, it is preferable that the outer pressure surface 522d is formed such that the lower end of the first insertion hole 522a having the maximum diameter is the same as or larger than the diameter of the socket head 513, and the upper end of the first insertion hole 522a having the minimum diameter is larger than the outer diameter of the first male thread 511a and smaller than the diameter of the socket head 513.
[0294] Such an outer pressure surface 522d may have a fixing projection 522e that is formed to protrude so as to face the inner pressure surface 513b of the socket head 513 when the fluid connector 500 is installed. The fixing projection 522e is preferably ring-shaped, but is not limited thereto. Such a fixing projection 522e is preferably formed so as to face the O-ring 519 with the wing portion 5d in between, when the fluid connector 500 is installed, but is not limited thereto.
[0295] Furthermore, the lower and upper corners of the outer pressure surface 522d are preferably rounded to prevent the blade portion 5d of the fluid source 5 from being sharply bent and damaged by the outer pressure surface 522d, but are not limited to this. Here, the lower corner of the outer pressure surface 522d refers to the corner portion where the outer pressure surface 522d meets the bottom surface of the washer 520, and the upper corner of the outer pressure surface 522d refers to the corner portion where the outer pressure surface 522d meets the inner circumferential surface of the second insertion hole 522b.
[0296] The second insertion hole 522b is formed to have the same diameter as the upper end of the first insertion hole 522a, and the third insertion hole 522c is formed to have a diameter that is larger by a predetermined ratio compared to the diameter of the second insertion hole 522b. The second insertion hole 522b and the third insertion hole 522c are connected in a stepped structure, through which the lower end of the tightening nut 530 can be placed on the bottom surface of the third insertion hole 522c. For this reason, the bottom surface of the third insertion hole 522c will be named the mounting surface 522f below.
[0297] The guide block 524 protrudes from the inner circumferential surface of the insertion hole 522 toward the center of the insertion hole 522, but is formed to extend along the height direction of the fluid connector 500. The guide block 524 also has a smaller width than the guide groove 511b so that it can be inserted into the guide groove 511b of the first male thread 511a so as to be movable in the height direction of the fluid connector 500.
[0298] On the other hand, the tightening nut 530 has the same structure as the tightening nut 440 of the fluid connector 400 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention described above. Therefore, a detailed explanation of the tightening nut 530 will be omitted.
[0299] Figures 107 to 113 illustrate how to install a fluid connector on a fluid source, and Figure 114 illustrates the principle by which the socket body and washer grip the fluid source wall.
[0300] First, a drilling member is used to drill a connecting hole 5b in the fluid source wall 5a.
[0301] Next, the socket body 511 is inserted into the insertion hole 522 of the washer 520 under the guidance of the guide groove 511b and the guide block 524, thereby joining the socket 510 and the washer 520.
[0302] Subsequently, with the upper end of the first male thread 511a of the socket body 511 placed on the lower end of the female thread of the tightening nut 530, the tightening nut 530 is rotated along the first male thread 511a in a predetermined tightening direction and tightened, thereby temporarily connecting the socket 510 and the tightening nut 530 so that the tightening nut 530 is positioned above the washer 520, but the tightening nut 530 is separated from the socket head 513 by a predetermined clearance.
[0303] When the socket 510 and the tightening nut 530 are temporarily connected, the clearance between the tightening nut 530 and the socket head 513 is determined such that the distance between the lower end of the tightening nut 530 and the lower end of the first male thread 511a is larger than the height of the washer 520 by a predetermined ratio.
[0304] Next, the fluid connector 500 is tilted by a predetermined angle so that the hook 517 faces the coupling hole 5b, and then the hook 517 is inserted into the fluid source 5 through the coupling hole 5b so that it is locked to the inner surface of the surrounding portion 5c of the coupling hole.
[0305] Subsequently, with the hook 517 locked to the inner surface of the surrounding portion 5c of the coupling hole, the socket head 513 is pressed into the fluid source 5 so that the surrounding portion 5c of the coupling hole is elastically deformed by the principle of leverage and the coupling hole 5b is expanded. The lower part of the socket 510, including the socket head 513 to the lower part of the first male thread 511a, is inserted into the fluid source 5 through the expanded coupling hole 5b, and at the same time, a cylindrical wing portion 5d surrounding the expanded coupling hole 5b is formed on the surrounding portion 5c of the coupling hole.
[0306] Next, with the wing portion 5d inverted, the socket 510 and the tightening nut 530 are permanently joined by rotating the tightening nut 530 along the first male thread 511a in the tightening direction so that it is interposed between the outer pressure surface 522d of the washer 520 and the inner pressure surface 513b of the socket head 513.
[0307] The final connection between the socket 510 and the tightening nut 530 can be performed by first tightening the tightening nut 530 so that the wing portion 5d is bent and inverted toward the outside of the fluid source 5 by the socket 510 rising toward the outside of the fluid source 5, and then secondarily tightening the tightening nut 530 until the inverted wing portion 5d is interposed between the outer pressure surface 522d of the washer 520 and the inner pressure surface 513b of the socket head 513.
[0308] When the tightening nut 530 is initially tightened with the wing portion 5d formed facing inward towards the fluid source 5, the wing portion 5d can be inverted vertically so as to bend outward towards the fluid source 5 and protrude to the outside of the fluid source 5 due to frictional forces applied from the first male thread 511a of the socket body 511 which rises outward towards the outside of the fluid source 5, the reversal step 513f of the socket head 513, and other external forces.
[0309] When the tightening nut 530 is secondarily tightened with the wing portion 5d inverted, the wing portion 5d is interposed between the outer pressure surface 522d and the inner pressure surface 513b. Preferably, this secondary tightening of the tightening nut 530 is performed until the upper part of the wing portion 5d enters the space between the lower end of the socket body 511 and the inner circumferential surface of the second insertion hole 522b, passing through the space between the outer pressure surface 522d and the inner pressure surface 513b. Then, the upper part of the wing portion 5d bends with respect to the upper corner of the outer pressure surface 522d, and the lower part of the wing portion 5d bends with respect to the lower corner of the outer pressure surface 522d. By bending the wing portion 5d in this two-stage manner, a two-stage sealing structure using the wing portion 5d can be formed.
[0310] When the wing portion 5d is interposed between the inner pressure surface 513b and the outer pressure surface 522d in a bent state that matches the inclination angle of the inner pressure surface 513b and the outer pressure surface 522d, the socket head 513 and washer 520 can simultaneously grip and fix the wing portion 5d in the thickness direction and surface direction of the fluid source wall 5a. Through this, the socket head 513 and washer 520 and the fluid connector 500 including them can be coupled to the fluid source 5. In addition, the fixing projection 522e can pressurize the lower part of the wing portion 5d to further secure the wing portion 5d, and the O-ring 519 can adhere closely to the inner circumferential surface of the lower part of the wing portion 5d, sealing the space between the socket head 513 and the wing portion 5d.
[0311] Next, connect the branch pipe 2a to the tightening nut 530.
[0312] The method of connecting the fluid guide member and the tightening nut 530 is the same as that disclosed when describing the fluid connector 400 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, so a detailed explanation of this will be omitted.
[0313] As described above, the fluid connector 500 forms a wing portion 5d by making the surrounding area 5c of the fluid source wall 5a, which surrounds the coupling hole 5b, protrude to the outside of the fluid source 5 by a predetermined height. Then, using a washer 520 and a socket head 513, the wing portion 5d is gripped and fixed not only in the thickness direction of the fluid source wall 5a but also in the surface direction, which is the direction of expansion of the fluid source wall 5a due to the high pressure of the fluid. Through this, the fluid connector 500 can prevent the fluid connector 500 from detaching from the coupling hole 5b and prevent play from occurring between the fluid connector 500 and the inner circumferential surface of the coupling hole 5b, which could allow fluid to flow out.
[0314] Furthermore, since the fluid connector 500 is installed by fixing a wing portion 5d that protrudes to a predetermined height on the outside of the fluid source 5 to the fluid connector 500, it can be stably connected to the fluid source 5 even if the coupling hole 5b of the fluid source 5 has an elliptical or other non-uniform shape.
[0315] Furthermore, in the fluid connector 500, since the socket 510 is installed so as to pass through the coupling hole 5b which is expanded during the formation of the wing portion 5d, the diameter of the socket 510 and the diameter of the discharge hole 515 formed in the socket 510 can be expanded compared to conventional fluid connectors in which the socket 510 is configured to have the same diameter as the coupling hole 5b.
[0316] Furthermore, the fluid connector 500 is designed so that when the tightening nut 530 is tightened outside the fluid source 5, the socket 510 and washer 520 pressurize and grip the wing portion 5d of the fluid source wall 5a from both the inside and outside of the fluid source 5. Through this, the fluid connector 500 can be installed or retrieved by operating the fluid connector 500 only on the outside of the fluid source 5 using a tool, without needing to operate the fluid connector 500 with a tool on both the inside and outside of the fluid source 5.
[0317] The above description is merely illustrative of the technical concept of the present invention, and any person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs could make various modifications and alterations without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention.
[0318] Therefore, the embodiments disclosed herein are for illustrative purposes only, and not to limit the technical concept of the present invention, and the scope of the technical concept of the present invention is not limited by such embodiments. The scope of protection of the present invention shall be interpreted in accordance with the appended claims, and all technical concepts within an equivalent scope shall be interpreted as being included within the scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A fluid connector that is connected to a connecting hole drilled in the main piping, A socket comprising a socket body and a socket head extending from the lower end of the socket body, wherein the socket head and the lower part of the socket body are inserted into the main pipe through the coupling hole, and the upper part of the socket body protrudes to the outside of the main pipe, such that the area around the coupling hole, which is a region of the main pipe surrounding the coupling hole, is pressurized by the socket head, and a wing portion protruding into the interior of the main pipe is formed around the coupling hole, and the upper part of the socket body protrudes to the outside of the main pipe, A washer is provided which has an insertion hole into which the upper part of the socket body is inserted, and which is installed outside the main piping so as to face the area around the coupling hole, A fluid connector comprising a tightening nut installed outside the main piping, which is tightened and screwed into the upper part of the socket body that penetrates the insertion hole, but such that when the socket rises toward the outside of the main piping due to the tightening screw, the wing portion is inverted and interposed between the socket body and the washer so that it protrudes toward the outside of the main piping by the socket and is fixed in place.
2. The fluid connector according to claim 1, wherein the socket head has an inner pressurizing surface formed on its upper surface so that the wing portion, which has been inverted by the tightening screw, can be pressurized from the inside of the main pipe.
3. The fluid connector according to claim 2, wherein the inner pressurizing surface is formed by bending it into an arch shape so as to have a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the main piping.
4. The fluid connector according to claim 3, wherein the inner pressurizing surface is formed by bending it with respect to the center line such that its highest point lies on a virtual center line that penetrates the center point of the socket in the longitudinal direction of the main piping.
5. The fluid connector according to claim 4, wherein the socket head has a hook formed to protrude from its side so that it can be locked onto the inner surface of the main pipe when the socket head is inserted into the coupling hole with the socket tilted at a predetermined angle.
6. The fluid connector according to claim 5, wherein the hook is formed to protrude in the longitudinal direction of the main piping.
7. The fluid connector according to claim 2, wherein the socket head further comprises an O-ring groove formed as a recess in the inner pressure surface, and an O-ring fitted into the O-ring groove so as to be in close contact with the wing portion which has been inverted vertically by the tightening screw.
8. The fluid connector according to claim 7, wherein the O-ring is installed so as to protrude by a predetermined height compared to the inner pressurizing surface, that the wing portion can be pressurized toward the outside of the main piping when the socket rises due to the tightening screw.
9. The fluid connector according to claim 2, wherein the insertion hole has a bending guide surface formed on its inner circumferential surface so that the wing portion, which has been inverted vertically by the tightening screw, can be bent by a predetermined angle by applying pressure from the outside of the main piping.
10. The fluid connector according to claim 9, wherein the bending guide surface is formed inclined such that the diameter of the insertion hole gradually increases towards the lower end.
11. The fluid connector according to claim 10, wherein the bending guide surface is formed such that the angle of inclination gradually increases as it moves away from a virtual center line that penetrates the center point of the washer along the longitudinal direction of the main piping.
12. The fluid connector according to claim 9, wherein the insertion hole further has a fixing projection formed on the bending guide surface toward the wing portion so as to fix the wing portion.
13. The fluid connector according to claim 2, wherein the washer further comprises a washer body having the insertion hole formed therein, and a flange extending from the lower end of the washer body so as to face the surrounding portion of the coupling hole, and formed by being bent in an arch shape to have a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the main piping.
14. The fluid connector according to claim 13, wherein the flange is formed by bending it with respect to the center point such that its highest point lies on a virtual center line that penetrates the center point of the washer in the longitudinal direction of the main piping.
15. The socket further comprises a first male thread formed protruding from the outer surface of the socket body so that when the socket rises due to the tightening screw, the wing portion can be pressed toward the outside of the main piping. The fluid connector according to claim 1, wherein the tightening nut comprises a first coupling hole into which the socket body is inserted, and a first female thread formed on the inner circumferential surface of the first coupling hole so as to be screwed with the first male thread.