Insulating connector, pipeline system, and use of an insulating connector

Abstract

The invention relates to an insulating connector for connecting a first pipeline to a second pipeline, the insulating connector having a first connection element (1) for connecting the first pipeline and a second connection element (2) for connecting the second pipeline, having the following features: • a) the first connection element has a first connection part (10) to which the first pipeline can be connected and a first annular flange (11) which is arranged at the end of the first connection element facing the second connection element; • b) the second connection element has a second connection part (20) to which the second pipeline can be connected and a second annular flange (21) which is arranged at the end of the second connection element facing the first connection element; • c) an insulating element (4) for electrically insulating the first connection element from the second connection element is arranged between the first annular flange and the second annular flange; • d) the first annular flange and the second annular flange have circumferentially distributed screw holes, the first annular flange being screwed to the second annular flange via connecting elements (6) which are guided through the screw holes in the first and second annular flanges; e) wherein, by means of the connection elements, at least one first pressing element directly or indirectly applies a pressing force to the surface of the first annular flange facing away from the second connection element, and / or, by means of the connection elements, at least one second pressing element directly or indirectly applies a pressing force to the surface of the second annular flange facing away from the first connection element. The invention also relates to a pipeline system comprising a first pipeline and a second pipeline, the first and the second pipeline being connected to one another via an insulating separation point. The invention also relates to the use of such an insulating connector.

Description

[0001] Insulating connectors, piping systems and the use of insulating connectors

[0002] The invention relates to an insulating connector for connecting a first pipeline to a second pipeline, wherein the insulating connector has a first connection element for connecting the first pipeline and a second connection element for connecting the second pipeline, with the following features: a) the first connection element has a first connection part to which the first pipeline can be connected, and a first annular flange which is arranged at the end of the first connection element facing the second connection element, b) the second connection element has a second connection part to which the second pipeline can be connected, and a second annular flange which is arranged at the end of the second connection element facing the first connection element, c) an insulating element for electrical insulation of the first connection element from the second connection element is arranged between the first annular flange and the second annular flange.d) The first annular flange and the second annular flange have screw holes arranged around their circumference, wherein the first annular flange is screwed to the second annular flange via connecting elements (6) which are guided through the screw holes in the first and second annular flanges, e) wherein a clamping force is applied directly or indirectly to the surface of the first annular flange facing away from the second connecting element by means of the connecting elements via at least one first clamping element made of metal and / or a clamping force is applied directly or indirectly to the surface of the second annular flange facing away from the first connecting element by means of the connecting elements via at least one second clamping element made of metal. The invention further relates to a piping system with a first pipeline and a second pipeline,wherein the first and second pipes are connected to each other via an insulating joint. The invention also relates to the use of such an insulating connector.

[0003] In general, the invention relates to the field of piping systems with cathodic corrosion protection systems (CCS) and the black-white separation (B / W separation) between piping systems, in particular insulating separation points in such piping systems. Insulating separation points are electrotechnical protective measures for interrupting the metallic conductivity of pipelines. These can be supplied with protective electrical current via cathodic corrosion protection. Such insulating separation points are used, for example, in gas, oil, district heating, or water piping systems, as well as in control / metering lines. The purpose of an insulating separation point is to electrically isolate the pipelines from each other at specific points.

[0004] As explained in Wikipedia, insulating flanges and insulating pieces are known designs for creating an insulating break point. Insulating flanges have been continuously improved over time, particularly with regard to mechanical robustness. One such insulating flange is known from DE 102010 060 981 B3.

[0005] Due to the mechanically very robust design of the insulating flanges, the manufacturing effort is relatively high.

[0006] The invention therefore aims to provide an improved insulating separation point that can be manufactured with less effort. Furthermore, a piping system formed by this invention and an advantageous application are to be described.

[0007] This problem is solved in an insulating connector of the type mentioned above by assigning each of the first clamping elements and each of the second clamping elements to exactly one connecting element, wherein each first clamping element has exactly one through-hole through which a connecting element is inserted, and each second clamping element has exactly one through-hole through which a connecting element is inserted, without the presence of an annular clamping element made of metal that extends in a circular pattern over several through-holes. Accordingly, each of the first clamping elements and / or each of the second clamping elements requires only a single through-hole through which the assigned connecting element can be inserted.In particular, this eliminates the need for the first and / or second clamping element to extend across multiple through-holes and thus be associated with several connecting elements that can be inserted through the respective through-holes of the clamping element. Manufacturing such relatively large, ring-shaped clamping elements that extend across multiple through-holes is relatively complex. Since such relatively large, ring-shaped clamping elements are manufactured in relatively small quantities, rationalization effects, such as those possible with mass production, cannot be achieved as effectively.

[0008] In the solution according to the invention, either commercially available washers can be used as pressure elements, or the first and / or second pressure elements can, as will be explained below, be designed in a special way that deviates from commercially available washers, but since there are a large number of identical individual parts, they can then be manufactured much more efficiently as identical parts in larger quantities.

[0009] The clamping force of the bolts can be further increased by the first and / or second clamping element. The bolt holes in the first and second ring flange can, for example, be evenly spaced around the circumference, i.e., at a uniform angular distance from each other. The first clamping elements can be arranged in a ring around the first connecting part. The second clamping elements can be arranged in a ring around the second connecting part.

[0010] It is possible that adjacent first pressure elements touch or overlap each other. It is also conceivable that adjacent second pressure elements touch or overlap each other.

[0011] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, adjacent first pressure elements are spaced apart from each other in such a way that they do not touch, and / or adjacent second pressure elements are spaced apart from each other in such a way that they do not touch. Accordingly, a certain distance is maintained between adjacent first pressure elements and adjacent second pressure elements. In this way, undesirable mutual interference between the first and second pressure elements is avoided. Adjacent pressure elements are thus decoupled from each other with respect to forces. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the distance between adjacent first pressure elements is less than the diameter of a connecting element, and / or the distance between adjacent second pressure elements is less than the diameter of a connecting element.The distance is defined as the smallest distance between the outer circumferences of adjacent first or second pressure elements. The first or second pressure elements can therefore be arranged next to each other with a relatively small distance between them.

[0012] For example, a first pressure element and / or a second pressure element can be designed like a standard washer, i.e. as a circular disc with a circular, central through-hole.

[0013] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the first and / or second pressure elements have a curved shape, extending around a center in the form of annular segments. The first and second pressure elements can thus be designed in the form of annular segments, although the shape need not be exactly circular, but can also include angled outer contours. In this way, the first and second pressure elements can be arranged in a ring shape around the first and second connection parts, respectively, with particular efficiency in terms of space utilization. The forces transmitted by the first and second pressure elements can thereby be optimized.

[0014] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a first one- or multi-part insulating ring is arranged between the first clamping element and the first annular flange, and / or a second one- or multi-part insulating ring is arranged between the second clamping element and the second annular flange. This further optimizes the force transmission from the connecting elements via the clamping elements to the annular flanges. Furthermore, the electrical insulating effect of the respective insulating ring ensures reliable electrical insulation between the connected pipes. The first and / or the second insulating ring can be made of any insulating material, e.g., a plastic material.

[0015] The first insulating ring can extend along the first ring flange in a ring-like or ring-segmented manner. The first insulating ring can have several through-holes aligned with the screw holes of the first ring flange, each through which a connecting element extends. The second insulating ring can extend along the second ring flange in a ring-like or ring-segmented manner. The second insulating ring can have several through-holes aligned with the screw holes of the second ring flange, each through which a connecting element extends. The first insulating ring can have a similar shape to the first ring flange. The second insulating ring can have a similar shape to the second ring flange.

[0016] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the first insulating ring has a molded-in first receiving recess for one, several, or all of the first pressure elements, in which a first pressure element can be at least partially or completely recessed, and / or the second insulating ring has a molded-in second receiving recess for one, several, or all of the second pressure elements, in which a second pressure element can be at least partially or completely recessed. In this way, the first and second pressure elements can be arranged particularly advantageously on the respective insulating ring. In particular, it is possible to create a flat surface on the first and second insulating ring from which the respective pressure elements do not protrude. Such a flat surface minimizes the risk of injury and contamination.

[0017] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the connecting elements are electrically insulated from one another. This has the advantage that no electrical currents can be transmitted between the connecting elements, e.g., the screw bolts. Accordingly, the individual connecting elements can be measured separately during a functional test of the insulating connector; that is, an electrical test can be performed for each connecting element individually. Thus, each connecting element is not electrically connected to any of the other connecting elements. In this way, better measurement results can be obtained.For example, a measuring device can be used to measure the ohmic resistance between a connector and the first ring flange or a component electrically connected to the first ring flange, and / or the ohmic resistance between a connector and the second ring flange or a component electrically connected to the second ring flange. The measured resistance value is then compared to a target value. If the value falls below the target value, the insulating connector is considered defective. This test can be performed sequentially for each individual connector. If multiple measuring devices are available, several or all connectors can be measured simultaneously.

[0018] The connecting elements can be electrically insulated from each other by electrically insulating the individual first clamping elements from each other and, additionally, by electrically insulating the second clamping elements from each other. This can be achieved, in particular, by having the first clamping elements rest against or be embedded in the first insulating ring and the second clamping elements rest against or be embedded in the second insulating ring. Additionally, each connecting element can be surrounded by an insulating sleeve.

[0019] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the first receiving recess is adapted to the outer contour of a first pressing element, so that the first pressing element can be positively engaged in a first receiving recess, and / or the second receiving recess is adapted to the outer contour of a second pressing element, so that the second pressing element can be positively engaged in a second receiving recess. The positive engagement in the respective receiving recess secures the associated pressing element against unwanted rotation and displacement.

[0020] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, one, several, or all of the first pressure elements can be made of metal. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, one, several, or all of the second pressure elements can be made of metal.

[0021] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the thickness of a first pressure element is less than the thickness of the first insulating ring and / or the thickness of a second pressure element is less than the thickness of the second insulating ring. A first pressure element or a second pressure element can thus be designed as a relatively flat washer. For example, the thickness of a first and / or second pressure element can be less than half the thickness of the associated insulating ring.

[0022] The positive-locking engagement of a pressure element in its corresponding recess allows it to be mechanically fixed in place, for example, by pressing it slightly into the recess. Accordingly, the first and second insulating rings can be pre-equipped with their pressure elements and then supplied to the user as a complete unit, including the pressure elements, for installation on the insulating connector.

[0023] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, one, several, or all of the first pressure elements are connected to the first insulating ring by means of a connection to form a common assembly, and / or one, several, or all of the second pressure elements are connected to the second insulating ring by means of a connection to form a common assembly. This further improves the fixation of the pressure elements to the associated insulating ring, so that the respective insulating ring with the pressure elements already attached to it can be provided to the user as a finished component. The user therefore does not have to first equip the respective insulating ring with the pressure elements, but can use this finished assembly to create an insulating connector. This saves working time during the assembly of the insulating connector.Each pressure element can be connected to the associated insulating ring by one or more joining techniques, e.g. by positive locking, force locking (friction locking) and / or material locking, e.g. by gluing.

[0024] As mentioned earlier, the first and second ring flanges are designed to have screw holes distributed around their circumference. The first ring flange is bolted to the second ring flange using fasteners such as bolts or cap screws, which pass through the screw holes in both flanges. This design ensures a high-strength connection between the two flanges. The screw holes can be evenly distributed around the circumference of the first and second ring flanges, respectively. The fasteners can be, for example, threaded bolts with nuts screwed onto their ends or cap screws with a nut on one end. It is also possible to use a bolt with a head on one end and a nut on the other.

[0025] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, one, several, or all of the connecting elements have an insulating sleeve on their outer circumference, which extends longitudinally along the connecting elements at least beyond the first and second annular flanges. In this way, the connecting elements can be reliably insulated from the first and second annular flanges. This ensures that the desired dielectric strength is also achieved in the area of ​​the connecting elements.

[0026] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the insulating sleeve has an insulating coating, e.g., a polyolefin coating, and / or is made of an insulating material, in particular a fiberglass sleeve, which are referred to as Mylar sleeves. This allows for cost-effective production of the insulating sleeve, which can simply be loosely slid onto the connecting element. It is also conceivable, however, that the connecting element has an insulating coating. This could, for example, be a polyolefin coating, a cotton fiber resin coating, a paper fiber resin coating, or a fiberglass-plastic coating. The connecting element could even be made entirely of an insulating material, in particular a fiberglass composite.

[0027] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the distance between the first and second annular flanges is greater in the area of ​​the connecting elements than in a radially more inward region. The gap between the first and second annular flanges can remain open, with the air gap contributing to insulation. However, the gap can also optionally be filled in the area of ​​the connecting elements by at least one ring of insulating material. In this way, the gaps in the radially outer regions between the first and second annular flanges can be reliably closed, and the connecting elements can be tightened accordingly. This eliminates the need to thicken the insulating element in this region. This, in turn, has a positive effect on the manufacturing costs of the annular insulating element and, consequently, of the entire insulating connector.A variant in which the ring-shaped surface section of the insulation element has protruding, thicker sections to fill the gaps in the area adapted for arrangement in the gaps is equally conceivable.

[0028] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the insulating element simultaneously forms a sealing element for sealing the connection between the first annular flange and the second annular flange, and / or an additional first sealing ring is arranged between the annular insulating element and the first annular flange for sealing the connection between the first annular flange and the annular insulating element, and / or an additional second sealing ring is arranged between the annular insulating element and the second annular flange for sealing the connection between the second annular flange and the insulating element. In this way, the insulating connector can be designed to be pressure-tight with minimal effort. For example, the insulating element can be formed entirely or partially from a material suitable for a sealing element, such as an elastomer.The first and / or second sealing ring can be designed, for example, as a corrugated ring seal or an O-ring seal. Other seal types or flat gaskets are equally conceivable, depending on the application.

[0029] The insulating element is made of an electrically insulating material. The insulating element can, for example, have a ring shape.

[0030] The electrically insulating parts of the insulating connector, i.e., the insulating element and / or the first insulating ring and / or the second insulating ring, can in principle be made of any insulating material. A material that can be machined with low tolerances is particularly advantageous, i.e., a material that yields only slightly during machining, especially cutting. The electrically insulating material can, for example, be a thermoset, such as layers of cotton fabric impregnated with phenolic resin. Polyamide, epoxy resin, ceramic, fiberglass, synthetic resin, and / or mica composite are also suitable.

[0031] The first connecting element, the first ring flange, the second connecting element, and / or the second ring flange can be designed as a rotationally symmetrical component, although other geometric shapes are also possible. The first connecting element, the first ring flange, the second connecting element, and / or the second ring flange can be made of metal, e.g., carbon steel or stainless steel.

[0032] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the first ring flange is formed integrally with the first connecting element and / or the second ring flange is formed integrally with the second connecting element. This minimizes the number of components of the insulating connector, allowing for very simple and quick assembly. The assembly consisting of the first connecting element and the first ring flange, or the second connecting element and the second ring flange, can be manufactured from a blank by machining processes such as turning and / or milling.

[0033] The aforementioned task is also solved by a piping system with a first pipe and a second pipe, wherein the first and second pipes are connected to each other via an insulating joint, the insulating joint having an insulating connector of the type described above. This also allows the previously described advantages to be realized.

[0034] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the piping system is provided with a cathodic corrosion protection system (CCS). The use of the insulating connector ensures the proper functioning of the CCS system, thereby providing reliable and cost-effective protection against corrosion for the piping system.

[0035] The aforementioned problem is also solved by using an insulating connector of the type described above as an insulating separation point between a first and a second pipeline of a piping system carrying protective current, e.g., with cathodic corrosion protection. This also allows the advantages described above to be realized. The insulating connector is also suitable for electrical isolation (e.g., black / white separation) of pipelines made of different metallic materials in order to prevent contact corrosion. Different metallic materials can lead to contact corrosion due to their differing material-specific potentials when their metallic surfaces come into contact, which can also be effectively prevented by using the insulating connector according to the invention.The invention therefore also relates to the use of the insulating connector as an insulating separation point between a first and a second pipeline of a pipeline system, in which the first and the second pipeline consist of materials with different material-specific potentials, e.g. carbon steel and stainless steel.

[0036] The invention further relates to a method for the electrical testing of an insulating connector of the type described above, comprising the following steps: a) measuring the ohmic resistance between a connecting element and the first ring flange or a component electrically connected thereto, b) measuring the ohmic resistance between the same connecting element and the second ring flange or a component electrically connected thereto, c) repeating steps a) and b) for another connecting element not yet measured, until the ohmic resistances have been measured for all connecting elements, d) assessing the insulating connector as defective if at least one of the measured resistance values ​​falls below a minimum value; otherwise, assessing the insulating connector as satisfactory.

[0037] This has the advantage that the individual screw connections on the insulating connector can be tested separately for their electrical insulation. This facilitates the diagnosis of faults in the insulating connector and any necessary repairs.

[0038] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments and drawings.

[0039] They show

[0040] Figure 1 shows an insulating connector in side view,

[0041] Figure 2 shows the insulating connector according to Figure 1 in a top view of the first connection element,

[0042] Figure 3 shows the insulating connector in longitudinal section in a perspective view, Figure 4 shows an enlarged view of a section from Figure 3, Figure 5 shows the insulating connector in a partial side section view.

[0043] Figure 6 shows another possible embodiment of an insulating connector in a partial side sectional view.

[0044] The insulating connector shown in Figures 1 to 5 has a first connection element 1 for connecting the first pipe and a second connection element 2 for connecting the second pipe. It can be seen that the first connection element 1 comprises a first connection part 10 and a first annular flange 11. In the illustrated embodiment, the first connection part 10 and the first annular flange 11 are formed in one piece. Alternatively, the first connection part 10 could be a separate component from the first annular flange 11. In this case, the first connection part 10 and the first annular flange 11 could, for example, be connected to each other via a threaded connection or a welded connection. However, it is also conceivable that the connection part 10 and the first annular flange 11 could be manufactured in one piece, for example, from a semi-finished product by machining (turning or milling), or as a casting, or by 3D printing.

[0045] It is further evident that the second connecting element 2 comprises a second connecting part 20 and a second annular flange 21. In the illustrated embodiment, the second connecting part 20 and the second annular flange 21 are formed in one piece. Alternatively, the second connecting part 20 could be a separate component from the second annular flange 21. In this case, the second connecting part 20 and the second annular flange 21 could, for example, be connected to each other via a threaded connection or a welded connection. However, it is also conceivable that the connecting part 20 and the second annular flange 21 could be manufactured in one piece, for example, from a semi-finished product by machining (turning or milling), or as a casting, or by 3D printing.

[0046] An insulating element 4, which has an annular surface section, is arranged between the first annular flange 11 and the second annular flange 21. As can be seen, for example, in Figures 4 and 5, the annular surface section of the insulating element 4 is relatively thin and has a thickness D1. This thickness D1 can correspond to the minimum distance between the first and second annular flanges 11 and 21. A first sealing ring 14 is arranged between the insulating element 4 and the first annular flange 11. A second sealing ring 24 is arranged between the insulating element 4 and the second annular flange 21.

[0047] The first ring flange 11 is screwed together with the second ring flange 21 by means of several connecting elements 6 (e.g., bolts as shown or cap screws) distributed around the circumference. The bolts 6 have an external thread onto which a nut 61, 62 is screwed on each end. To improve the force transmission from the nuts 61, 62 to the respective ring flange, a first and a second clamping element 71, 72 are provided, which absorb the force of the respective connecting element 6 or the nut 61, 62 and transmit it to the ring flange 11, 21. To improve insulation, a first insulating ring 81 is arranged between the first pressure element 71 and the first ring flange 11, and a second insulating ring 82 is arranged between the second pressure element 72 and the second ring flange 21, through which the pressure force of the connecting elements 6 is further transmitted to the respective ring flange 11 , 21.

[0048] It is also apparent that in the radially outer areas of the ring flanges 11, 21, through which the connecting elements 6 are guided, there is a greater distance between the ring flanges 11, 21 in the exemplary embodiment than in the radially inner areas, resulting in a gap. This gap can be filled by, for example, ring-shaped filling elements 5 made of insulating material, with one filling element 5 arranged to the left and one to the right of the ring-shaped insulating element 4. It is also conceivable, however, that the ring-shaped insulating element 4 is thickened by protrusions in the area of ​​the gaps or that the gaps are not filled. As shown in Figure 3, metallic cable connection lugs 17 can be screwed onto corresponding recesses in the insulating rings 81, 82. The electrical conductors of a cathodic protection system can be connected via these cable connection lugs 17.If no cable connection tabs 17 are screwed onto these recesses, the recess can be filled by an insulating element designed in the manner of a washer, for example in the form of a fitting washer for the cable tab groove.

[0049] The connecting elements 6 can, for example, have self-lubricating zinc flakes as a surface coating, so that no lubrication or greasing is required. Similarly, the nuts 61, 62 can have self-lubricating zinc flakes as a surface coating, so that lubrication or greasing is also unnecessary. In addition, an insulating sleeve 63 is provided (visible in Figures 5 and 6) that surrounds the respective connecting element 6 on the outside and extends over a substantial part of the longitudinal extent of the connecting element 6, for example, at least from the first pressure element 71 to the second pressure element 72 or at least into the insulating ring 81, 82. The sleeve 63 can, for example, be made of insulating material with different layer thicknesses, which can also depend on the diameters of the connecting elements.

[0050] The insulating sleeve 63 can have an insulating coating, e.g., a polyolefin coating, and / or be made of an insulating material, in particular as a fiberglass sleeve, which are referred to as Mylar sleeves. This allows for cost-effective production of the insulating sleeve 63, which can then simply be loosely slid onto the connecting element 6. It is also conceivable, however, that the connecting element 6 has an insulating coating. This could be, for example, a polyolefin coating, a cotton fiber resin coating, a paper fiber resin coating, or a fiberglass-reinforced plastic coating. The connecting element 6 could even be made entirely of an insulating material, in particular of a fiberglass composite material.

[0051] Figure 2 shows that several first pressure elements 71 are arranged in an annular configuration on the first insulating ring 81. The first pressure elements 71 have a curved shape, with each first pressure element 71 extending around the center of the arrangement in the manner of an annular segment. The individual first pressure elements 71 are arranged at a certain distance from one another. Several second pressure elements 72 are arranged in an annular configuration on the second insulating ring 82. The second pressure elements 72 also have a curved shape, with each second pressure element 72 extending around the center of the arrangement in the manner of an annular segment. The individual second pressure elements 72 are arranged at a certain distance from one another.

[0052] Figure 4 shows the structure of the mechanical connection between the first connecting element 1 and the connecting element 2 in an enlarged detail view of area A marked in Figure 3. As Figures 3 and 4 show, each first clamping element 71 has exactly one through-hole 73, which is aligned with a through-hole 83 of the associated first insulating ring 81. Each second clamping element 72 has exactly one through-hole 74, which is aligned with a through-hole 84 of the associated second insulating ring 82.

[0053] It is also evident that the first pressure elements 71 are arranged in respective receiving recesses of the first insulating ring 81. The second pressure elements 72 are arranged in respective receiving recesses of the second insulating ring 82. The surfaces of the respective pressure elements 71, 72 form a flat surface with the adjacent surface of the respective insulating ring 81, 82.

[0054] Figure 5 shows an enlarged detail view of the mechanical connection between the first connecting element 1 and the connecting element 2. Depending on the embodiment, the filler elements 5 shown may be present. It is also possible to omit the filler elements 5, leaving a space between the respective ring flange 11, 21 and the insulating element 4. It can also be seen that the connecting elements 6 may each be surrounded on their outer circumference by an insulating sleeve 63.

[0055] Figure 5 shows an embodiment of an insulating connector in which the insulating element 4 has a thickness D1 that remains essentially constant over its entire length (apart from the minor recesses for the seals 14, 24). The invention is also suitable for other embodiments of insulating connectors, such as the embodiment shown in Figure 6, which has a recess on the inside of the respective ring flange 11, 21. In this case, the insulating element 4 can have the same thickness D1 in the central region as in the embodiment described above and a circumferential section with a smaller thickness D2 on the outer circumference. Other embodiments are also possible.

[0056] Advantageously, the insulating connector according to the invention is suitable for simplified electrical testing, in which the individual connecting elements 6, i.e., the screw bolts, can be measured separately with regard to their electrical insulation from the ring flanges 11, 21. This is possible because the individual connecting elements 6 are not electrically connected to one another via a continuous ring-shaped component, but are electrically separated from one another by the insulating rings 81, 82. Thus, using a measuring device, e.g., a commercially available ohmmeter, the ohmic resistance of each individual connecting element 6 can be measured between the connecting element 6 and the first ring flange 11 or a component electrically connected to the first ring flange, and separately between the connecting element 6 and the second ring flange 21 or a component electrically connected to the second ring flange.The measured value should, for example, exceed a minimum of 100 kΩ. With good insulation, typical resistance values ​​of approximately 20 MΩ are obtained.

Claims

Patent claims:

1. Insulating connector for connecting a first pipeline to a second pipeline, the insulating connector having a first connection element (1) for connecting the first pipeline and a second connection element (2) for connecting the second pipeline, with the following features: a) the first connection element (1) has a first connection part (10) to which the first pipeline can be connected, and a first annular flange (11) arranged at the end of the first connection element (1) facing the second connection element (2); b) the second connection element (2) has a second connection part (20) to which the second pipeline can be connected, and a second annular flange (21) arranged at the end of the second connection element (2) facing the first connection element (1); c) an insulating element (4) for electrical insulation of the first connection element is located between the first annular flange (11) and the second annular flange (21). (1) arranged from the second connecting element (2), d) the first ring flange (11) and the second ring flange (21) have screw holes arranged around their circumference, wherein the first ring flange (11) is screwed to the second ring flange (21) via connecting elements (6) which are guided through the screw holes in the first and second ring flange (11, 21), e) wherein the connecting elements (6) exert a clamping force directly or indirectly on the surface of the first ring flange facing away from the second connecting element (2) via at least one first clamping element (71) made of metal (II) is applied and / or a pressure force is applied directly or indirectly to the surface of the second ring flange (21) facing away from the first connecting element (1) by means of the connecting elements (6) via at least a second pressure element (72) made of metal, characterized in that f) each of the first pressure elements (71) and each of the second pressure elements (72) is assigned to exactly one connecting element (6), wherein each first pressure element (71) has exactly one through-hole (73) through which a connecting element (6) is passed, and each second pressure element (72) has exactly one through-hole (74) through which a connecting element (6) is passed, without an annular pressure element made of metal extending annularly over several through-holes.

2. Insulating connector according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that adjacent first pressure elements (71) are separated from each other in such a way that they do not touch each other and / or adjacent second pressure elements (72) are separated from each other in such a way that they do not touch each other.

3. Insulating connector according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the distance between adjacent first pressure elements (71) is less than the diameter of a connecting element (6) and / or the distance between adjacent second pressure elements (72) is less than the diameter of a connecting element (6).

4. Insulating connector according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first pressure elements (71) and / or the second pressure elements (72) have a curved shape with which they extend in a circular segment shape around a center.

5. Insulating connector according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a first one- or multi-part insulating ring (81) is arranged between the first pressure element (71) and the first ring flange (11) and / or a second one- or multi-part insulating ring (82) is arranged between the second pressure element (72) and the second ring flange (21).

6. Insulating connector according to claim 5, characterized in that the first insulating ring (81) has a molded-in first receiving recess for one, several or all of the first pressure elements (71), in which a first pressure element (71) can be at least partially or completely recessed and / or the second insulating ring (82) has a molded-in first receiving recess for one, several or all of the second pressure elements (72) each has a molded-in second receiving recess in which a second pressure element (72) can be at least partially or completely recessed.

7. Insulating connector according to claim 6, characterized in that the first receiving recess is adapted to the outer contour of a first pressure element (71) so that the first pressure element (71) can be received in a form-fitting manner in a first receiving recess and / or the second receiving recess is adapted to the outer contour of a second pressure element (72) so that the second pressure element (72) can be received in a form-fitting manner in a second receiving recess.

8. Insulating connector according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the thickness of a first pressure element (71) is less than the thickness of the first insulating ring (81) and / or the thickness of a second pressure element (72) is less than the thickness of the second insulating ring (82).

9. Insulating connector according to one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that one, several or all of the first pressure elements (71) are connected to the first insulating ring (81) by means of a connection or by means of bonding, to form a common assembly and / or one, several or all of the second pressure elements (72) are connected to the second insulating ring (82) by means of a connection or bonding to form a common assembly.

10. Insulating connector according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one, several or all of the connecting elements (6) have an insulating sleeve (63) on their outer circumference, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the connecting elements (6) at least beyond the first annular flange (11) and the second annular flange (21).

11. Insulating connector according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the distance between the first ring flange (11) and the second ring flange (21) in the area of ​​the connecting elements (6) is greater than in a radially more inward area.

12. Insulating connector according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the insulating element (4) simultaneously forms a sealing element for sealing the connection between the first annular flange (11) and the second annular flange (21) and / or between the insulating element (4) and the first ring flange (11) an additional first sealing ring (14) for sealing the connection between the first ring flange (11) and the insulating element (4) and / or between the insulating element (4) and the second ring flange (21) an additional second sealing ring (24) for sealing the connection between the second ring flange (21) and the annular insulating element (4) is arranged.

13. Piping system comprising a first pipeline and a second pipeline, wherein the first and the second pipeline are connected to each other via an insulating joint, characterized in that the insulating joint comprises an insulating connector according to one of the preceding claims.

14. Piping system according to claim 13, characterized in that the piping system has a cathodic corrosion protection system (CCS).

15. Use of an insulating connector according to one of claims 1 to 12 as an insulating separation point between a first and a second pipeline of a pipeline system with electrically actuated pipelines and / or which are protected with a cathodic corrosion protection system or for black-white separation to prevent contact corrosion.

16. Method for the electrical testing of an insulating connector according to any one of claims 1 to 12, comprising the following steps: a) measuring the ohmic resistance between a connecting element (6) and the first ring flange (11) or a component electrically connected thereto, b) measuring the ohmic resistance between the same connecting element (6) and the second ring flange (12) or a component electrically connected thereto, c) repeating steps a), b) for another connecting element (6) not yet measured, until the ohmic resistances have been measured for all connecting elements (6), d) assessing the insulating connector as defective if at least one of the measured resistance values ​​falls below a minimum value, otherwise assessing the insulating connector as satisfactory. *****

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