protective equipment

Abstract

To provide a protection tool which protects a packing provided at the pipe joint side and inhibits twisting, breaking, and falling of the packing.SOLUTION: A protection tool 1 includes: a cylindrical body part 2 which covers a water stop member 27 attached to a pipe joint 20 from an outer periphery; and a first recessed part 3 which is formed on an inner peripheral surface 2a of the body part 2 and engages with the water stop member 27. An inner diameter of a portion, which excludes the first recessed part 3, of the body part 2 is smaller than a maximum outer diameter of the water stop member 27.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0005] , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a protector for protecting a water stop member attached to a pipe joint.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, pipe joints have been used to connect pipes for water supply, hot water supply, or air conditioning equipment in buildings. In pipe joints, packing is used to stop the supply of water, hot water, etc. Depending on the structure of the pipe joint, the packing may be exposed during storage and transportation, and dust may adhere to the packing or the packing may be damaged. Therefore, in order to protect the packing, a cap (protector) that covers the packing and the portion of the pipe joint where the packing is disposed is generally used. In order to prevent the cap from coming off, for example, a method is used in which the packing is compressed by the cap and the cap is held by the repulsive force. In this method, if the state in which the packing is compressed by the cap is maintained over a long period of time, compression strain or deformation may remain in the packing.

[0003] As described above, as a method for suppressing the remaining of compression strain or deformation in the packing due to compression, for example, the width of the groove for accommodating the packing provided in the pipe joint is increased, and an engaging portion provided inside the cap engages with a groove provided on the most distal end side of the pipe joint in the groove (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, if the width of the groove that accommodates the packing on the pipe joint side is increased, the packing becomes more prone to movement within the groove, which can cause it to twist, leading to the packing breaking or falling off.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a protective device that protects the packing provided on the pipe joint side, and suppresses twisting, breakage, and detachment of the packing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention has the following aspects. [1] It has a cylindrical main body that covers the water-stopping member attached to the pipe joint from the outer circumference, and a first recess formed on the inner surface of the main body that engages with the water-stopping member, A protective device wherein the inner diameter of the portion of the main body other than the first recess is smaller than the maximum outer diameter of the water-stopping member. [2] The protective device according to [1], provided at one end of the main body and having a bottom that covers one end face of the pipe joint. [3] The protective device according to [2], having a hole that penetrates the bottom in the thickness direction. [4] The inner circumferential surface has a second recess that does not engage with the water-stopping member, The protective device according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the inner diameter of the second recess is smaller than the inner diameter of the first recess and larger than the inner diameter of the portion of the main body other than the first recess. [5] The main body has a spaced portion that is separated from the pipe joint, The protective device according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the inner diameter of the separated portion is larger than the inner diameter of the first recess. [6] The protective equipment is made of resin, as described in any of [1] to [5]. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a protective device that protects the packing provided on the pipe joint side, and also suppresses twisting, breakage, and detachment of the packing. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view showing a protective device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and a pipe fitting fitted with the protective device. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a protective device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of protective equipment according to one embodiment of the present invention, and a part of the protective equipment. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of protective equipment according to one embodiment of the present invention, and a part of the protective equipment. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of protective equipment according to one embodiment of the present invention, and a part of the protective equipment. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of protective equipment according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of protective equipment according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of protective equipment according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] [Protective equipment] The protective equipment of the present invention will be described below with reference to embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0011] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a protective device according to one embodiment of the present invention and a pipe fitting fitted with the protective device. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the protective device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Please note that the drawings used in the following explanation may be enlarged for clarity, highlighting key features, and therefore the dimensional ratios of each component may differ from those of the actual components.

[0012] As shown in Fig. 1, the protective device 1 of the present embodiment has a cylindrical main body 2 and a first recess 3 formed on the inner peripheral surface 2a of the main body 2. The protective device 1 preferably has a bottom portion 4 provided at one end of the main body 2.

[0013] Here, the pipe joint 20 to be protected by the protective device 1 will be described. The pipe joint 20 is a member for connecting pipes for water supply, hot water supply, or air conditioning equipment in a building. The pipe joint 20 has a cylindrical joint body 21. The joint body 21 has a male portion 22 provided at one end of the joint body 21, a female portion 23 provided at the other end of the joint body 21, and a middle cylinder portion 24 connecting the male portion 22 and the female portion 23.

[0014] Hereinafter, the direction along the central axis of the joint body 21 is referred to as the axial direction. In a plan view of the joint body 21 seen from the axial direction, the direction intersecting the central axis is referred to as the radial direction. The direction of orbiting around the central axis in the plan view is referred to as the circumferential direction.

[0015] The male portion 22 has a tapered shape that gradually expands in diameter toward one end of the joint body 21. The female portion 23 has a tapered shape that gradually expands in diameter toward the other end of the joint body 21.

[0016] A housing groove 26 is provided around the outer surface of the male portion 22 of the joint body 21. An annular water stop member 27 is fitted in the housing groove 26. In a state where the water stop member 27 is fitted in the housing groove 26, a part of the portion of the water stop member 27 on the side opposite to the bottom surface 26a of the housing groove 26 protrudes from the housing groove 26. The water stop member 27 is an O-ring having a circular cross-sectional shape. The water stop member 27 is made of an elastic material such as rubber, elastomer, or resin.

[0017] The female part 23 is an insertion tube portion that is inserted into the end of the pipe. The female part 23 has two recessed sealing grooves into which two sealing materials (O-rings) 28 and 29 are fitted. The pipe fitting 20 is equipped with a pipe pull-out prevention member 30. The fitting body 21 has an outer flange portion 31, and one end face of this outer flange portion 31 is a stepped surface 32, with the female part 23 projecting from the inner cylinder portion 24.

[0018] A cylindrical member 33 is tightly fitted to the outer circumference of the female portion 23 and the inner cylindrical portion 24, and is locked in place by the outer flange portion 31. The cylindrical member 33 has a male threaded portion 34 on the end side of the female portion 23. A cap nut 35 is screwed onto the male threaded portion 34. The cylindrical member 33 has a fitting portion 36 on the male portion 22 side. The fitting portion 36 is attached to the outer surface of the inner cylindrical portion 24.

[0019] The cylindrical member 33 has a fitting hole inside which the inner diameter gradually increases from the male part 22 side to the female part 23 side. The inner body 37 is fitted into the fitting hole. A ring body 38 is attached to the outer circumferential surface near the end of the female portion 23. The ring body 38 is held in place by the inner edge of the pipe pull-out prevention member 30.

[0020] The joint body 21 has a flange portion 40 whose base end is located between the male portion 22 and the female portion 23 on its outer circumferential surface 21a. The flange portion 40 is positioned on the outer circumference of the male portion 22, spaced apart from the male portion 22, and extends over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction. The flange portion 40 also extends axially toward the male portion 22.

[0021] The joint body 21 is formed, for example, by injection molding of a synthetic resin material. The material of the joint body 21 can be arbitrarily selected based on the required quality design for the application, including cross-linked polyethylene, polybutene, vinyl chloride, polyphenylsulfone (PPSU), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), glass fiber reinforced PPS, polyvinylidene fluoride, polycarbonate, and polyacetal. Other processing methods such as cutting and fusion welding may also be used. The joint body 21 may also be formed from a metal material. In this case, it can be formed by casting, forging, machining, etc.

[0022] The protective device 1 covers the male part 22 of the pipe fitting 20 from the outside. The cross-sectional shape of the first recess 3 of the protective device 1 conforms to the shape of the outer surface of the water-stopping member 27. As shown in Figure 2, if the water-stopping member 27 is an O-ring with a circular cross-sectional shape, the cross-sectional shape of the first recess 3 is an arc shape that is recessed on the opposite side from the inner surface 2a of the main body 2. When the protective device 1 covers the male part 22 of the pipe fitting 20 from the outside, the portion of the water-stopping member 27 that protrudes from the housing groove 26 engages with the first recess 3.

[0023] The inner diameter of the part of the main body 2 of the protective device 1 other than the first recess 3 is smaller than the maximum outer diameter R1 of the water-stopping member 27. In other words, the inner diameter R2 of the first recess 3 in the main body 2 of the protective device 1 is larger than the maximum outer diameter R1 of the water-stopping member 27. Also, the inner diameter R3 of the part of the main body 2 of the protective device 1 other than the first recess 3 is smaller than the maximum outer diameter R1 of the water-stopping member 27. As a result, when the protective device 1 covers the male part 22 of the pipe joint 20 from the outer circumference, even if the part of the water-stopping member 27 protruding from the housing groove 26 engages with the first recess 3, the protective device 1 can suppress the force that compresses the water-stopping member 27 toward the bottom surface 26a of the housing groove 26. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the residual compressive strain or deformation in the water-stopping member 27 due to the compressive force from the protective device 1.

[0024] The material of the protective device 1 is not particularly limited as long as it can form a cap shape, and metal, resin, wood, etc. can be used. Among these, resin is preferred because it can provide flexibility to the protective device 1. As resins, for example, polyethylene (high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene), polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, etc. can be used. Among these, low-density polyethylene is preferred due to its excellent corrosion resistance, low resistance during attachment and detachment, and low cost.

[0025] According to the protective device 1, the inner diameter of the main body portion 2 other than the first recess 3 is smaller than the maximum outer diameter R1 of the water-stopping member 27. Therefore, when the protective device 1 covers the male portion 22 of the pipe joint 20 from the outer circumference, even if the portion of the water-stopping member 27 protruding from the housing groove 26 engages with the first recess 3, the protective device 1 can suppress the force that compresses the water-stopping member 27 toward the bottom surface 26a of the housing groove 26. Consequently, the protective device 1 can suppress the residual compressive strain and deformation in the water-stopping member 27 due to compressive force. As a result, twisting, breakage, and detachment of the water-stopping member 27 can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the protective device 1 is provided at one end of the main body 2 and has a bottom portion 4 that covers one end surface of the pipe joint 20, damage to one end of the main body 2 can be suppressed.

[0026] [Other embodiments] However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0027] For example, modified examples as shown in Figures 3 to 8 may be adopted. In these modified examples, the same reference numerals are used for parts identical to those in the above embodiments, and their descriptions are omitted; only the differences are described.

[0028] "First Variation" In the first modified example shown in Figure 3, the cross-sectional shape of the first recess 3 is U-shaped. In the first modified example as well, the inner diameter R2 of the first recess 3 in the main body 2 of the protective device 1 is larger than the maximum outer diameter R1 of the water-stopping member 27. In addition, the inner diameter R3 of the parts of the main body 2 of the protective device 1 other than the first recess 3 is smaller than the maximum outer diameter R1 of the water-stopping member 27.

[0029] "Second variation" In the second modified example shown in Figure 4, the water-stopping member 27 is a tapered packing (Koyama packing) whose cross-sectional shape gradually narrows in width towards the outer circumference. The cross-sectional shape of the first recess 3 is tapered, gradually narrowing in width from the inner circumferential surface 2a of the main body 2 toward the outer circumferential surface 2b of the main body 2. In the second modified example as well, the inner diameter R2 of the first recess 3 in the main body 2 of the protective device 1 is larger than the maximum outer diameter R1 of the water-stopping member 27. Also, the inner diameter R3 of the parts of the main body 2 of the protective device 1 other than the first recess 3 is smaller than the maximum outer diameter R1 of the water-stopping member 27.

[0030] "Third Variation" In the third modified example shown in Figure 5, the water-stopping member 27 is a tapered packing whose cross-sectional shape gradually narrows towards the outer circumference on the axial male portion 22 side. The cross-sectional shape of the first recess 3 is tapered, gradually narrowing from the inner circumferential surface 2a of the main body portion 2 towards the outer circumferential surface 2b of the main body portion 2. In the third modified example as well, the inner diameter R2 of the first recess 3 in the main body portion 2 of the protective device 1 is larger than the maximum outer diameter R1 of the water-stopping member 27. Also, the inner diameter R3 of the portion of the main body portion 2 of the protective device 1 other than the first recess 3 is smaller than the maximum outer diameter R1 of the water-stopping member 27.

[0031] "Fourth variation" In the fourth modified example shown in Figure 6, the protective device 1 has a hole 5 that penetrates the bottom 4 in the thickness direction. When the female part 23 of the pipe fitting 20 is already connected to a pipe or is covered with a dust seal or the like, fitting the protective device 1 onto the male part 22 of the pipe fitting 20 compresses the air somewhat, making it easier to feel resistance. Therefore, by providing a hole 5 that penetrates the bottom 4 of the protective device 1 in the thickness direction, an escape route for air inside the pipe fitting 20 is formed, eliminating resistance when fitting the protective device 1 onto the male part 22 of the pipe fitting 20.

[0032] "Fifth Variation" In the fifth modified example shown in Figure 7, the protective device 1 has a second recess 6 on the inner circumferential surface 2a of its main body 2, spaced apart from the first recess 3 and located axially closer to the male part 22 than the first recess 3, which does not engage with the water-stopping member 27. The inner diameter R4 of the second recess 6 is smaller than the inner diameter R2 of the first recess 3 and larger than the inner diameter R3 of the portion of the main body 2 of the protective device 1 other than the first recess 3. When removing the protective device 1 from the pipe fitting 20, pushing the second recess 6 from the outer circumferential surface 2b of the main body 2 towards the male part 22 causes the axial end 1A of the protective device 1 on the axial side of the female part 23 to slightly separate from the fitting body 21. This allows the protective device 1 to be easily removed from the pipe fitting 20.

[0033] "Sixth Variant" In the sixth modified example shown in Figure 8, the main body 2 of the protective device 1 has a separation portion 7 that separates from the pipe fitting 20 (male portion 22 of the fitting body 21), and the inner diameter R5 of the separation portion 7 is larger than the inner diameter R2 of the first recess 3. When removing the protective device 1 from the pipe fitting 20, pushing the separation portion 7 from the outer circumferential surface 2b of the main body 2 towards the male portion 22 causes the axial end 1A of the protective device 1 on the axial side of the female portion 23 to separate slightly from the fitting body 21. This allows the protective device 1 to be easily removed from the pipe fitting 20.

[0034] While embodiments of this invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings above, these embodiments are merely illustrative examples of the invention. Therefore, this invention is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments, and any design changes, etc., that do not depart from the gist of this invention are also included. Furthermore, for example, if each embodiment includes multiple configurations, it goes without saying that possible combinations of these configurations are included, even if not specifically stated. Also, if multiple examples or variations are disclosed as part of this invention within an embodiment, it goes without saying that possible combinations of configurations spanning these are included, even if not specifically stated. Moreover, configurations depicted in the drawings are included, even if not specifically stated. Furthermore, where the term "etc." is used, it means that equivalent items are included. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1. Protective equipment 2 Main body 3. First recess 4 Bottom 5 holes 6. Second recess 7 Separation part 20 Pipe fittings 21 Fitting body 22 Male 23 Female part 26 Storage grooves 27 Water-stopping member

Claims

1. A cylindrical main body that covers the water-stopping member attached to the pipe fitting from the outside, A bottom portion provided at one end of the main body, covering one end surface of the pipe joint, The inner circumferential surface of the main body portion has a first recess that engages with the water-stopping member, The first recess is formed so as not to connect with either the bottom portion or the end of the inner circumferential surface of the main body portion opposite to the bottom portion in the direction of insertion of the pipe joint. The inner diameter of the portion of the main body other than the first recess is smaller than the maximum outer diameter of the water-stopping member. The cross-sectional shape of the first recess is arc-shaped, U-shaped, or tapered, and is recessed on the side opposite to the inner circumferential surface of the main body. The inner circumferential surface has a second recess that does not engage with the water-stopping member, A protective device in which the inner diameter of the second recess is smaller than the inner diameter of the first recess and larger than the inner diameter of the portion of the main body other than the first recess.

2. When the water-stopping member and the first recess engage, The protective device according to claim 1, wherein the inner diameter of the first recess is set so that the inner circumferential surface of the first recess does not come into contact with the water-stopping member.

3. The pipe joint is provided with a housing groove for housing the water-stopping member, The protective device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the depth of the storage groove is greater than the depth of the first recess.

4. The protective device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, having a hole that penetrates the bottom portion in the thickness direction.

5. The main body portion has a separation portion that is separated from the pipe joint, The protective device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the inner diameter of the separated portion is larger than the inner diameter of the first recess.

6. The protective device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the protective device is made of resin.

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