Pipe fittings, locks and connection structures

Abstract

To secure a connection state between a gas meter and piping.SOLUTION: An annular keyway 18 to which a key 26 for locking is disposed is provided on a joint body 12. The key 26 for locking comprises a plurality of arms 28. A resilience mechanism 32 is arranged that changes a state where the entire plurality of arms 28 are hidden inside the keyway 18 to a state where when the resilience is released, some of the arms are pulled out to the exterior of the keyway 18. A wall that hinders passage of a part protruded from the exterior of the keyways 18 of the plurality of arms 28 in a direction of pulling out of the joint body 12 after the joint body 12 was attached is arranged on a sleeve 14. A plurality of key holes 24 into which the key for unlocking the lock with the key is inserted are arranged on the sleeve 14. The lock cannot be unlocked without inserting a plurality of keys from the plurality of key holes simultaneously.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a piping joint for connecting a gas meter or the like to a piping, and to a connection structure between a gas meter or the like and a plurality of pipes. [Background technology]

[0002] Pipe joints equipped with a locking structure are known to reliably maintain the connected state of piping (Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2, Patent Document 3). These pipe joints are provided with a locking key (locking piece) on the joint body, and are structured to automatically release the lock when the joint is attached or detached. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3002168 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5424483 [Patent Document 3] JP 2009-58032 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For example, pipe joints for connecting a gas meter to a pipe must be prevented from being attached or detached by anyone other than an administrator. However, a strong connection structure makes it difficult to work with. The lock structures described in the prior art documents make connection work easy, but anyone can easily attach and detach them. The present invention has been made to solve these problems, and aims to provide a pipe joint, lock, and connection structure that allows for a reliable one-touch connection when connecting a pipe to an important component such as a gas meter, but requires the use of special tools, making it difficult for anyone other than a specialized engineer to remove the pipe joint. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The following configurations are each a means for solving the above problems.

[0006] <Configuration 1> The joint body is provided with an annular seal groove for mounting an O-ring for sealing between the joint body and the sleeve when the joint body is mounted on the sleeve, and an annular key groove for mounting a locking key; The key for the lock has multiple arms, An elastic mechanism is provided that changes the state of the multiple arms from being entirely hidden inside the keyway to being partially protruding outside the keyway when elastic force is released; The sleeve is provided with a tapered hole that gradually narrows the inner diameter of the portion where the portion of each of the arms protruding outward from the keyway contacts the inner wall of the sleeve when the joint body is attached to the sleeve, thereby forcing the arms into the keyway; Furthermore, the sleeve is provided with a wall that prevents the passage of the portions of the sleeve that protrude outwardly from the key grooves of the multiple arms in the direction of pulling out the joint body after the joint body is attached, and a plurality of keyholes for inserting keys to release the key lock are provided toward the portions of the sleeve that protrude outwardly from the key grooves of all of the arms.

[0007] <Configuration 2> A pipe joint as described in configuration 1, characterized in that the key groove is sandwiched between a pair of annular walls perpendicular to the central axis of the joint body, and the multiple arms are arranged in the key groove axially symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the joint body, or arranged plane-symmetrically with respect to a plane passing through the central axis of the joint body. <Configuration 3> 2. The pipe joint according to claim 1, wherein each arm rotates about a support shaft disposed in the key groove to open and close. <Configuration 4> A jaw is provided near the support shaft of the arm to collide with surrounding obstacles and limit the rotation of the arm. A pipe joint according to configuration 3. .

[0008] <Component 5> A key for unlocking the pipe joint according to configuration 1, characterized in that the tip of the key inserted into the keyhole is thick enough to push a part of the arm against elasticity, forcing the arm into the keyway, and colliding with the edge of the keyway so as not to enter the keyway.

[0009] <Component 6> A key for unlocking the pipe joint described in configuration 1, characterized in that a plurality of keys are connected by a bridge so as to surround the sleeve and insert the tips of the protrusions into all of the keyholes provided on the sleeve at the same time.

[0010] <Component 7> A connection structure between a gas meter and a plurality of pipes, wherein each of the pipe joints connecting the gas meter and a plurality of pipes has the sleeve described in configuration 1 on one side and the joint body described in configuration 1 on the other side. Effect of the Invention

[0011] The gas meter can be attached to the piping with a single touch. At this time, there is no need to rotate the sleeve or position the gasket. This work does not require skill, making it simple and reliable. The gas meter cannot be removed without using a special tool. That is, since multiple arms are provided and the lock cannot be released unless keys are inserted into multiple keyholes at the same time, a special tool is required. Furthermore, in the case of a gas meter connected to multiple pipes, both the pipes and the gas meter are fixed in position and cannot be bent or straightened, so the gas meter cannot be removed unless the same special tool is attached to all the pipes. This makes it possible to maintain a safe connection between the gas meter and the pipes. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of the pipe joint of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main portion of the pipe joint of the present invention. [Diagram 3]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the appearance of the pipe joint of the present invention and a sleeve alone. [Figure 4] 5 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the tapered portion of the pipe joint of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a modified example of a main portion of a pipe joint according to the present invention. [Figure 6] 5 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the key of the pipe joint of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is an explanatory diagram of a connection structure between a gas meter or the like and a plurality of pipes according to the present invention. [Figure 8] A cross-sectional view of an example of the operation of the main part of the pipe joint of the present invention. [Figure 9] A cross-sectional view of an example of the operation of the main part of the pipe joint of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to each example. EXAMPLES

[0014] The pipe joint of the present invention has an external appearance as shown in Figure 3(a). As shown in this figure, a sleeve 14 and a joint body 12 are connected. The sleeve 14 is provided with a number of key holes 24, which will be described later. The sleeve 14 and the joint body 12 are locked as soon as they are connected, and the lock is released by inserting a key, which will be described later, into the key hole 24.

[0015] Next, the internal structure will be described with reference to Figure 2. The joint body 12 is provided with an annular seal groove 16 for mounting an O-ring 15 for sealing between the joint body 12 and the sleeve 14 when the joint body 12 is mounted on the sleeve 14, and an annular key groove 18 for mounting a locking key 26.

[0016] With this structure, simply attaching the sleeve 14 to the joint body 12 ensures a reliable gas seal with the O-ring 15. The structure of the locking key 26 will be explained with reference to Figure 1. The locking key 26 comprises an arm 28, a support shaft 30, and an elastic mechanism 32. In this embodiment, all of the components of the locking key 26 are housed within the annular key groove 18. This is to simplify the structure.

[0017] The lock key 26 is provided with multiple arms 28. In this embodiment, there are two arms 28. More than two arms 28 can be provided. A resilient mechanism 32, such as a coil spring, is sandwiched between the bottom surface of the key groove 18 and the arm 28. The resilient mechanism 32 can be any member other than a coil spring, such as a leaf spring, a torsion spring, or a coil spring.

[0018] Each arm 28 opens and closes around a support shaft 30. The elastic mechanism 32 applies elastic force to change the arms 28 from a state in which they are entirely hidden inside the key groove 18 to a state in which some of them protrude outside the key groove 18.

[0019] The sleeve 14 is provided with a number of key holes 24 into which keys can be inserted to release the lock using a locking key 26. The key holes 24 are arranged to face the portions of all of the arms 28 that protrude from the key grooves 18.

[0020] As will be described later, a part of the arm 28 protrudes outward from the key groove 18 to provide a locking function. When a part of the arm 28 protrudes from the key groove 18 as shown in FIG. 1, the arm 28 can be pushed into the key groove 18 by inserting a key, which will be described later, into the keyhole 24 to contract the elastic mechanism 32.

[0021] A plurality of arms 28 are provided, and all of the arms 28 cannot be pushed into the key grooves 18 unless they are operated simultaneously through separate key holes 24. This operation requires a special key, which will be explained later, so that the coupling body 12 cannot be easily removed from the sleeve 14 by anyone other than authorized personnel.

[0022] 2 shows the state in which the joint body 12 is attached to the sleeve 14 and locked. A part of the arm 28 protruding from the key groove 18 of the joint body 12 fits into the key hole 24 of the sleeve 14. The sleeve 14 is provided with a locking wall 22 that prevents the parts of the arms 28 protruding outward from the key groove 18 from passing in the direction in which the joint body 12 is pulled out after the joint body 12 is attached.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 2, the keyway 18 is sandwiched between a pair of annular walls perpendicular to the central axis 40 of the joint body 12. The arms 28 are close to the pair of walls without leaving a large gap, and have parallel upper and lower surfaces facing the walls, an inner side surface facing the bottom of the keyway 18, and an outer side surface facing the keyhole 24. In this explanation, the direction of the central axis 40 in Fig. 2 is the up-down direction. The cross section of the arms 28 is square or rectangular. A shape was selected so that the lock would not easily be released.

[0024] 1, in this embodiment, a plurality of arms 28 are arranged in the key groove 18 symmetrically with respect to the central axis 40 of the joint body 12. The arms 28 open and close within the key groove 18.

[0025] This is a major difference from the prior art, which used a ball or rod-shaped key. When the arms 28 are arranged symmetrically about the central axis 40 of the joint body 12, the mechanical strength against the pull-out force applied to the joint can be kept well-balanced in all directions.

[0026] Because of the above-mentioned shape, the movement of the arm 28 is restricted in directions other than those parallel to the wall of the keyway 18, so that in the locked state as shown in Figure 3, the arm is resistant to bending stress and has little wobble. It also has increased strength against pull-out forces.

[0027] Next, the action when the joint body 12 is attached to the sleeve 14 will be described with reference to Figure 4. The inner wall of the sleeve 14 is provided with a tapered portion 20. When the joint body 12 is attached to the sleeve 14, the portions of the arms 28 protruding outward from the keyway 18 come into contact with this tapered portion 20. The inner diameter of the portions protruding outward from the keyway 18 rubs against the tapered portion 20 and is narrowed in stages. This acts to push the arms 28 into the keyway 18.

[0028] That is, when the joint body 12 is attached to the sleeve 14, the arm 28 moves in the order of (a), (b), and (c) in Figure 4. As a result, it reaches the state shown in Figure 2. This completes the connection with a single touch, and at the same time prevents the sleeve 14 from being pulled out of the joint body 12. EXAMPLES

[0029] In the modified example shown in Fig. 5, the arms 28 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the central axis 40 of the joint body 12. Each arm 28 rotates around a support shaft 30 arranged in the key groove 18 to open and close. With such an arrangement, the same function as above can be achieved. EXAMPLES

[0030] An embodiment of a special key for releasing the above lock will be described with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane passing through the key groove 18, and Figure 6(b) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the main part showing the relationship between the key 44 and the key groove 18. As shown in the figure, the tip of the key 44 is processed into a shape that allows it to be inserted into the keyhole 24. A complex shape is not required. A simple protrusion will suffice.

[0031] The tip of the key 44 inserted into the keyhole 24 pushes a part of the arm 28 so as to crush the elastic mechanism 32, forcing the arm 28 into the keyway 18. At this time, as shown in Figure 6 (b), part of the protrusion of the key 44 hits the edge of the opening of the keyway 18 and does not enter the keyway 18. The protrusion of the key 44 is machined to be wider than the keyway 18.

[0032] 6(a), in this embodiment, two keys 44 are connected by a bridge 46. In other words, the multiple keys 44 are connected by the bridge 46 so that the tips of the keys 44 can be inserted simultaneously into all the keyholes 24 provided in the sleeve 14 by surrounding the sleeve 14.

[0033] If the bridge 46 is made of a leaf spring, and its elastic force acts to push the multiple keys 44 into the keyholes 24, the state shown in Figure 6 can be maintained even if hands are released, so that both hands can be used to separate the sleeve 14 and the joint body 12. In this way, it is not enough to simply insert a rod into one keyhole 24, but a tool with a special structure that links multiple keys 44 must be used, thereby realizing a secure lock. EXAMPLES

[0034] 7, for example, a gas meter 34 is used in a state in which two pipes 36 are connected via a pipe joint 38. In such a device, the above-mentioned locking function is employed so that the pipe joint 38 cannot be easily disconnected. That is, each of the pipe joints 38 that connect the gas meter 34 and the multiple pipes 36 includes the above-mentioned sleeve 14 on one side and the above-mentioned joint body 12 on the other side.

[0035] Usually, the pipe 36 is fixed to the wall of a building, etc. Therefore, unless the locks of the two sets of pipe joints 38 are released at the same time, the gas meter 34 cannot be disconnected from the pipe 36. If two sets of tools as described in Fig. 6 are used, they can be attached to the two sets of pipe joints 38 and the gas meter 34 can be disconnected.

[0036] As described above, gas meters can be attached to multiple pipes 36 at the same time with a single touch. At this time, there is no need to perform the conventional tasks of rotating the sleeve 14 or positioning the gasket. This task does not require skill, ensuring reliability.

[0037] As described above, since multiple arms 28 are provided and the lock cannot be released unless keys are inserted simultaneously into multiple keyholes 24, a special tool is required. Furthermore, in the case of a gas meter to which multiple pipes 36 are connected, the gas meter cannot be removed unless the same special tool is attached to all of the pipes 36, so the connection state between the gas meter 34 and the pipes 36 can be kept safe.

[0038] In addition to connecting gas meters to piping, the pipe joints 38 for connecting devices to piping or between pipes can also be safely managed, so the pipe joints, keys, etc. of the present invention can be widely used in a variety of facilities. EXAMPLES

[0039] 1 and 5, the arm 28 of the locking key 26 may open more than necessary due to the action of the elastic mechanism 32. In this case, when the joint body 12 is attached to the sleeve 14, the arm 28 collides with the end of the sleeve 14, hindering the attachment work.

[0040] For example, when the connection direction of the pipe 36 shown in Figure 7 is horizontal, the lower of the pair of arms 28 will open wider. Therefore, in this embodiment, a structure is adopted that limits the rotation of the arm 28. This makes it possible to prevent the arm 28 from opening wider than the width that allows one-touch installation regardless of the orientation of the joint body 12.

[0041] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 8(a), a pair of arms 28 aligned to the left and right are supported by support shafts 30 and open and close in a V-shape. A portion without chamfer (this portion will be referred to as jaw 48) is provided near the support shaft 30 of each arm 28. As can be seen in the state shown in this figure, the jaws 48 of the pair of arms 28 collide with each other, preventing the arms 28 from opening further from the state shown in this figure.

[0042] In this state, the arms 28 butt directly into the tapered portion 20 of the sleeve 14 described in Figure 4, the gap between the pair of arms 28 gradually narrows, and one-touch connection becomes possible in the steps of sleeve 14(a) to (c). Figure 8(a) shows the state of the arms 28 when locked. Also, Figure 8(b) shows the state when the gap between the pair of arms 28 is narrowest when the coupling body 12 is attached to the sleeve 14 in the state of Figure 14(b).

[0043] As described above, by providing the jaws 48 near the support shaft 30 of the arms 28, the jaws 48 of the pair of arms 28 can collide with each other to restrict their rotation. The same effect can be achieved if the jaws 48 collide with any surrounding obstacle other than the mating arm 28. In the embodiment of FIG. 9, the jaws 48 are structured to collide with the bottom of the key groove 18 of the joint body 12.

[0044] In this embodiment, the arms 28 are disposed symmetrically about the central axis 40, and therefore the jaws 48 are also disposed symmetrically about the central axis 40. As is clear from Fig. 9(a), the jaws 48 are provided to prevent the pair of arms 28 from opening further from the state shown in this figure. Fig. 9(b) shows the state when the gap between the pair of arms 28 is narrowest when the coupling body 12 is attached to the sleeve 14, similar to Fig. 8(b).

[0045] The pipe joint of the present invention has two major features: once attached, it cannot be separated without using a special key, and attachment can be easily done with a single touch. The embodiments in Figures 8 and 9 can further improve workability. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 12 Joint body 14 Sleeve 15 O-ring 16 Seal groove 18 Keyway 20 Tapered section 22 Wall 24 Keyhole 26 Key for Lock 28 Arm 30 Support shaft 32 Elastic mechanism 34 Gas meter 36 Piping 38 Pipe Joints 40 center axis 42 Plane passing through the central axis 44 keys 46 Bridge 48 Jaw

Claims

1. The joint body is provided with an annular seal groove for mounting an O-ring for sealing between the joint body and the sleeve when the joint body is mounted on the sleeve, and an annular key groove for mounting a locking key; The key for the lock has multiple arms, An elastic mechanism is provided that changes the state of the multiple arms from being entirely hidden inside the keyway to being partially protruding outside the keyway when elastic force is released; The sleeve is provided with a tapered hole that gradually narrows the inner diameter of the portion where the portion of each of the arms protruding outward from the keyway contacts the inner wall of the sleeve when the joint body is attached to the sleeve, thereby forcing the arms into the keyway; Furthermore, the sleeve is provided with a wall that prevents the passage of the portions of the sleeve that protrude outwardly from the key grooves of the multiple arms in the direction of pulling out the joint body after the joint body is attached, and a plurality of keyholes for inserting keys to release the key lock are provided toward the portions of the sleeve that protrude outwardly from the key grooves of all of the arms.

2. 2. The pipe joint according to claim 1, characterized in that the key groove is sandwiched between a pair of annular walls perpendicular to a central axis of the joint body, and the multiple arms are arranged in the key groove axially symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the joint body, or arranged plane-symmetrically with respect to a plane passing through the central axis of the joint body.

3. 2. The pipe joint according to claim 1, wherein each arm rotates about a support shaft disposed in the key groove to open and close.

4. 4. A pipe joint according to claim 3, further comprising a jaw provided near the support shaft of said arm for impacting against a surrounding obstacle to limit the rotation of said arm.

5. A connection structure between a gas meter and a plurality of pipes, wherein each of the pipe joints for connecting the gas meter and a plurality of pipes has the sleeve described in claim 1 on one side and the joint body described in claim 1 on the other side.

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