Compensator, method for determining a shore hardness, and compensator system

Abstract

The invention relates to a compensator (1, 13) for connection to at least one pipeline, wherein the compensator has 1) two connection elements (2) arranged at the ends and 2) a connection section (3) formed from an elastomer between the two connection elements (2), wherein the connection section (3) has at least one bellows (4), wherein the connection section (3) at least partially surrounds an inner region (5) and has an inner side (6) and an outer side (7), wherein the inner side (6) faces the inner region (5) and the outer side (7) faces an outer region (8) outside the compensator (1, 13), wherein the connection section (3) has two openings (9), wherein the inner region (5) is connected to the outer region (8) through the two openings (9), wherein an expansion line (10) runs centrally through the inner region (5) between the openings (9), and wherein each bellows of the at least one bellows (4) is designed such that, following the expansion line (10), a diameter (16) of that part of the inner region (5) which is surrounded by the respective bellows (4) at least once a) increases firstly from a minimum to a maximum and then b) decreases from the maximum to the minimum, wherein the compensator (1, 13) has, on the outer side (7), at least one local elevation (11) formed from the elastomer, wherein each local elevation of the at least one local elevation (11) has a surface (12) spaced apart from the outer side (7), and wherein the at least one local elevation (11) is designed for a hardness measurement of the connection section (3) of the compensator (1, 13). The invention also relates to a method for determining the Shore hardness of the connection section (3) of the compensator (1, 13), and to a compensator system.

Description

[0001] Compensator, method for determining Shore hardness and compensator system

[0002] Technical field

[0003] The invention relates to a compensator for connection to at least one pipeline, a method for determining a Shore hardness of the connection section of a compensator and a compensator system.

[0004] State of the art

[0005] Expansion joints for use in piping systems are widespread and frequently employed for vibration damping or, more generally, for compensating for movements occurring in piping systems. Expansion joints containing elastomers are known in the prior art, with elastomers exhibiting advantageous properties, particularly with regard to their deformability.

[0006] A disadvantage of elastomers is that they are subject to an aging process and become brittle over time, typically increasing in hardness. This reduces their flexibility and thus their ability to control vibrations. Such embrittlement can be reflected, for example, in an increase in the Shore hardness of the elastomer over time. Currently, the aging process is usually determined by visual and / or tactile inspection. However, such inspections provide only limited information about the condition of the elastomer. In particular, they are poor at identifying long-term trends in the aging process. Furthermore, visual and / or tactile inspection is highly subjective and dependent on the knowledge and experience of the inspecting professional.

[0007] 512440-WO1 - ADH Keller Schneider

[0008] October 16, 2025 Patent and Trademark Attorneys Presentation of the Invention

[0009] The object of the invention is to provide a compensator, a method for determining Shore hardness and a compensator system that eliminate at least some of the disadvantages known from the prior art.

[0010] The solution to the problem is defined by the features of claims 1, 14 and 15. According to a first aspect of the invention, the invention relates to a compensator for connection to at least one pipeline, wherein the compensator 1) has two end-arranged connection elements and 2) a connecting section formed from an elastomer between the two connection elements, wherein the connecting section has at least one bellows, wherein the connecting section at least partially surrounds an inner region and has an inner side and an outer side, wherein the inner side faces the inner region and the outer side faces an outer region outside the compensator, wherein the connecting section has two openings, wherein the inner region is connected to the outer region through the two openings, and wherein an extension line runs centrally through the inner region between the openings.and wherein each bellows of the at least one bellows is configured such that, following the line of expansion, a diameter of the part of the inner region surrounded by the respective bellows increases at least once a) first from a minimum to a maximum and then b) decreases from the maximum to the minimum, and wherein the compensator has at least one local elevation formed from the elastomer on the outside, wherein each local elevation of the at least one local elevation has a surface spaced from the outside, and wherein the at least one local elevation is configured for a hardness measurement of the connection section of the compensator.

[0011] The compensator according to the invention can preferably be installed in heat pump systems and thereby contribute to vibration control and decoupling, or more generally to compensating for movements occurring in piping systems. For example, the compensator according to the invention can be configured by a first

[0012] 512440-WO1 - ADH Keller Schneider

[0013] October 16, 2025 Patent and Trademark Attorneys The two connection elements are connected to a heat pump by a connection element and to a pipeline by a second connection element, so that a fluid can flow through the compensator according to the invention on its way between the heat pump and the pipeline. The two connection elements can each be designed, for example, as flanges, as is known from the prior art; however, the two connection elements can also be designed such that the compensator according to the invention can be connected to a pipeline or a heat pump by means of a screw connection, whereby other forms of connection elements are also possible in principle.

[0014] Vibration control and decoupling are provided by the connecting section, in particular by the at least one bellows of the connecting section, which is made of an elastomer. The connecting section is rigidly connected to the two connecting elements and extends substantially between them, although not all parts of the connecting section necessarily have to be located between the two connecting elements. The term elastomer encompasses dimensionally stable but elastically deformable plastics; under tensile or compressive stress, these plastics deform but subsequently return to their original, undeformed shape. The connecting section may additionally have a carcass as a supporting framework, which may consist of fabric or gel layers embedded in the elastomer or may also include further functional layers.

[0015] The connecting section is designed to at least partially surround an inner region through which a fluid can flow. To allow fluid to flow through the inner region, the connecting section includes two openings through which a fluid can enter and subsequently exit the inner region; that is, in the area of ​​the two openings, the inner region is not surrounded by the connecting section. Preferably, the two openings are positioned near the two connection elements. In the case of connection elements designed as annular flanges, the two openings can be located in the

[0016] 512440-WO1 - ADH Keller Schneider

[0017] October 16, 2025 Patent and Trademark Attorneys The connecting section, for example, could be located near the two holes in the annular flanges. The extension line running centrally through the inner area between the two openings, which is essentially virtual, can be used to geometrically describe the connecting section.

[0018] The connecting section can geometrically, particularly outside the at least one bellows, essentially correspond to a curved or straight hollow cylinder, especially an annular cylinder, such that the inner area essentially corresponds to a cylinder. In the case of a straight hollow cylinder, the axis of the hollow cylinder is also straight, and in the case of a curved hollow cylinder, the axis of the hollow cylinder is also curved. Therefore, in the case of a straight or curved hollow cylinder, the line of extension can be identified with the straight or curved axis.

[0019] Within the area of ​​at least one bellows, the diameter of the inner region varies periodically, with each bellows comprising at least one period. In the case of a bellows with one period, the diameter of the inner region can therefore, following the line of expansion, first increase from a minimum to a maximum and then decrease from the maximum to the minimum. In the case of a bellows with two periods, the diameter of the inner region, following the line of expansion, can first increase from a minimum to a maximum, then decrease from the maximum to the minimum, then increase again from the minimum to the maximum, and finally decrease from the maximum to the minimum. Bellows with more than two periods are also possible.

[0020] To mechanically reinforce the connecting section, it can have one or more stabilizing rings. If the connecting section is designed as a straight or curved hollow cylinder, each stabilizing ring can lie in a corresponding plane perpendicular to the line of expansion.

[0021] On the outside of the connecting section, the inventive

[0022] The compensator has at least one local elevation formed from the elastomer, wherein

[0023] 512440-WO1 - ADH Keller Schneider

[0024] October 16, 2025 Patent and Trademark Attorneys. Each local elevation of the at least one local elevation has a surface spaced away from the outside. The spaced surface, more precisely a normal standing on the spaced surface, of each local elevation is directed away from the rest of the connecting section and points towards the outer region outside the connecting section. The at least one local elevation is positioned, in particular, so that it is easily accessible. Mentally moving from the inner region to the outer region, a larger quantity of the elastomer must be traversed in the region of the at least one local elevation than at least in the surrounding regions of the connecting section that surround the at least one local elevation. If the compensator according to the invention has more than one such local elevation, the corresponding local elevations are separated from one another.

[0025] The at least one local elevation therefore advantageously provides measuring points at which hardness measurements, in particular with a Shore durometer, can be carried out. Measurements with Shore durometers can damage the material being measured; however, in the case of the compensator according to the invention, such damage, if hardness measurements are carried out on the at least one local elevation, is primarily limited to the at least one local elevation, so that the integrity of the connection section and the function of the at least one bellows as a vibration damper should be maintained even after any material damage in the area of ​​the at least one local elevation during a hardness measurement.

[0026] The shape and size of the at least one local indentation can be designed to be particularly suitable for specific hardness testing methods. A durometer for hardness testing measures the depth of a depression in the material being measured, created by a given force on a standardized indenter. The depth of the depression in the material being measured depends on the material's hardness, its viscoelastic properties, the shape of the indenter, and the duration of the test. The standard ASTM D2240-15(2021) specifies the following:

[0027] 512440-WO1 - ADH Keller Schneider

[0028] On October 16, 2025, patent and trademark attorneys defined different types of durometers, with type A and type D being the most common. Since indenters of different shapes can penetrate to different depths into the material being measured, the height of the at least one local protrusion, relative to the surrounding area on the outside, can be adapted to the type of durometer intended for subsequent hardness measurement.

[0029] Since the at least one local elevation is designed solely for hardness measurement and does not otherwise need to perform any other functions, the surface spaced from the outside can advantageously be designed such that a durometer can be optimally positioned on the surface. For this purpose, it can be particularly advantageous if the surface of the at least one local elevation spaced from the outside is flat. Thus, precise hardness determination can also be carried out for expansion joints where the outside is otherwise almost continuously curved and where, therefore, commercially available durometers would be difficult to use – this is the case, for example, with expansion joints whose connecting sections are essentially hollow cylindrical.

[0030] Since the at least one local elevation has a precise and fixed position relative to the rest of the connection section, the compensator according to the invention advantageously also ensures that hardness measurements taken at different times remain comparable, as the hardness measurements are always performed at the same locations. Thus, it is advantageously possible to detect trends in material changes, for example, due to an aging process, earlier and with greater certainty.

[0031] To enable a sufficiently reliable hardness measurement, several local elevations are advantageously present, in particular five or more. Advantageously, the multiple local elevations are also evenly distributed on the outside of the joint section, so that spatial differences in the aging process of the joint section can be detected. To ensure a

[0032] 512440-WO1 - ADH Keller Schneider

[0033] October 16, 2025 To enable patent and trademark attorneys to simplify hardness measurement, the multiple local elevations can advantageously be arranged so that they are located on the same side of the joint section relative to the rest of the joint section.

[0034] To enable a simpler manufacture of the compensator according to the invention, the at least one local elevation can be integrally connected with the remaining connecting section, i.e. preferably there is no phase boundary between the at least one local elevation and the remaining connecting section.

[0035] Advantageously, this also ensures that at least one local increase experiences similar aging processes to the rest of the connecting section.

[0036] A connecting section of a compensator according to the invention can be produced, for example, as follows: a synthetic rubber or a natural rubber is built up or wound around an inflatable mandrel, in particular with a carcass. The mandrel is then inflated in a mold with a cavity, the rubber is heated, and pressed against the surfaces bounding the cavity. After cooling, the rubber assumes the shape of the cavity, which may also include the shape of at least one local elevation. The rubber can also be vulcanized simultaneously or subsequently. The at least one local elevation can therefore be produced simultaneously with or before vulcanization.

[0037] A connecting section of a compensator according to the invention can, for example, also be manufactured by an injection molding process, wherein the at least one local elevation can be replicated in a cavity of a tool used in the injection molding process. Parts of the connecting section of a compensator according to the invention can also be manufactured separately by injection molding and subsequently joined together.

[0038] The connecting section of a compensator according to the invention can, in principle, also be manufactured differently.

[0039] 512440-WO1 - ADH Keller Schneider

[0040] October 16, 2025 Patent and Trademark Attorneys In an embodiment of the compensator according to the first aspect of the invention, the at least one local elevation is designed for a hardness measurement with a Shore durometer, in particular a Shore durometer of type A according to standard ASTM D2240-15(2021).

[0041] Shore A durometers can be advantageously used in the hardness measurement of soft materials such as elastomers.

[0042] In a further embodiment of the compensator according to the first aspect of the invention, each local elevation of the at least one local elevation has a height of at least 0.2 mm, in particular more than 1.0 mm, preferably more than 2.0 mm relative to the respective surrounding area of ​​the outside, measured in a direction along a normal standing on the respective surrounding area of ​​the outside.

[0043] In a further embodiment of the compensator according to the first aspect of the invention, the spaced surface of each local elevation of the at least one local elevation is flat.

[0044] In a further embodiment of the compensator according to the first aspect of the invention, the surface of each local elevation of the at least one local elevation, spaced from the outside, has an oval, in particular elliptical and in particular circular, border, and / or the surface of each local elevation of the at least one local elevation, spaced from the outside, has a polygonal, in particular quadrilateral, border.

[0045] Oval or polygonal borders advantageously make it easier to identify the points where a hardness measurement is to be carried out, thus reducing the probability of measurement errors due to the selection of incorrect measuring points.

[0046] 512440-WO1 - ADH Keller Schneider

[0047] October 16, 2025 Patent and Trademark Attorneys In a further embodiment of the compensator according to the first aspect of the invention, each local elevation of the at least one local elevation is at least partially highlighted optically, in particular by color, compared to the outside.

[0048] An optical marking of the at least one local elevation simplifies the correct identification of the points where a hardness measurement is to be carried out, thus reducing the probability of measurement errors due to the selection of incorrect measuring points.

[0049] In a further embodiment of the compensator according to the first aspect of the invention, at least two, in particular at least five, local elevations formed from the elastomer are arranged on the outside, wherein the at least two, in particular at least five, local elevations are spaced apart from each other.

[0050] In a further embodiment of the compensator according to the first aspect of the invention, the local elevations are arranged essentially uniformly distributed on the outside along a distribution line running on the outside.

[0051] The distribution line can be a virtual line or a physically verifiable line. For example, if the connecting section is formed from two halves manufactured separately using injection molding, the distribution line can follow a joint between the two halves. However, the distribution line can also exist only virtually.

[0052] In a further embodiment of the compensator according to the first aspect of the invention, the connecting section has two bellows and a pipe section between the two bellows, wherein a pipe section part of the expansion line runs through the part of the inner area surrounded by the pipe section, and wherein the distribution line between the two bellows runs on the pipe section and in particular parallel to the pipe section part of the expansion line.

[0053] The pipe section can be designed as a curved or straight hollow cylinder, and the pipe section portion of the extension line can follow the curved or straight axis of the

[0054] 512440-WO1 - ADH Keller Schneider

[0055] October 16, 2025 Patent and Trademark Attorneys correspond to curved or straight hollow cylinders. The at least one local elevation can therefore be arranged on the outside of the pipe section. If stabilizing rings are fitted to the pipe section, a local elevation can be arranged between each adjacent pair of stabilizing rings.

[0056] In a further embodiment of the compensator according to the first aspect of the invention, the pipe section is straight and geometrically corresponds essentially to a hollow cylinder, or the pipe section is at least partially bent and geometrically corresponds essentially to an at least partially bent hollow cylinder.

[0057] In a further embodiment of the compensator according to the first aspect of the invention, the distribution line essentially runs in a plane that is oriented perpendicular to a section of the expansion line passing through the plane. The distribution line is closed.

[0058] In a sufficiently small area around the point where the plane intersects the line of extension, the line of extension can be considered straight, with the corresponding straight portion of the line of extension being called the intersection point. The plane is oriented perpendicular to this intersection point.

[0059] In a further embodiment of the compensator according to the first aspect of the invention, the compensator has exactly one bellows, wherein the exactly one bellows is designed such that the diameter of the part of the inner region surrounded by the exactly one bellows increases exactly once a) first from the minimum to the maximum and then b) decreases from the maximum to the minimum, and wherein the plane in which the distribution line runs is arranged at the maximum of the diameter.

[0060] In a further embodiment of the compensator according to the first aspect of the invention, the connecting section is made of a synthetic rubber, in particular a vulcanized synthetic rubber, especially an ethylene-propylene-diene rubber, a styrene-butadiene rubber, or a butadiene-acrylonitrile rubber, or a natural rubber, in particular a vulcanized synthetic rubber. Others from the prior art

[0061] 512440-WO1 - ADH Keller Schneider

[0062] October 16, 2025 Patent and trademark attorneys for compensators: Elastomers known for compensators can also be used in principle.

[0063] According to a second aspect of the invention, the invention relates to a method for determining the Shore hardness of the connection section of a compensator according to the first aspect of the invention, the method comprising the following steps: 1) providing a Shore durometer, in particular a Shore durometer of type A according to standard ASTM D2240-15(2021), wherein the Shore durometer provided is in particular already calibrated; 2) measuring a local Shore hardness of each local elevation of the at least one local elevation with the Shore durometer, comprising the following sub-steps for each local elevation: a) positioning the Shore durometer perpendicular to the spaced surface of the respective local elevation; b) uniformly pressing the perpendicularly positioned Shore durometer against the spaced surface of the respective local elevation until the local Shore hardness provided by the Shore durometer is substantially constant;c) Reading the substantially constant value of the local Shore hardness of the respective local increase provided by the Shore durometer; and 3) Determining, in particular by averaging, the Shore hardness of the joint section based on the measured at least one local Shore hardness, and optionally recording the temperature present in the outer area outside the joint section during the measurement in process step 2).

[0064] To further improve measurement accuracy, the spaced surface of at least one local elevation can be cleaned before step 2a. The hardness measurement can be performed directly on the installed compensator; alternatively, the compensator can be removed and positioned on a suitable support / holder for hardness measurement, which should increase measurement accuracy. If the Shore hardness determined in step 3 exceeds a certain threshold, it can be concluded that the compensator needs to be replaced. For example, for type A durometers, replacement of the compensator can be considered if a Shore value of 80 A is exceeded.

[0065] 512440-WO1 - ADH Keller Schneider

[0066] October 16, 2025 Patent and Trademark Attorneys According to a third aspect of the invention, the invention relates to a compensator system comprising 1) a compensator according to the first aspect of the invention, 2) an instruction sheet comprising instructions for the method according to the second aspect of the invention, and optionally 3) a Shore durometer, in particular a Shore durometer of type A according to standard ASTM D2240-15(2021).

[0067] The instruction sheet can provide an installer with the necessary instructions to carry out a procedure according to the second aspect of the invention.

[0068] Advantageously, this allows for a precise determination of the Shore hardness of the connection section even with less trained personnel or with personnel that change over time.

[0069] Further advantageous embodiments and combinations of features of the invention can be derived from the following detailed description and the entirety of the patent claims.

[0070] Brief description of the drawings

[0071] The drawings used to illustrate the exemplary embodiment show:

[0072] Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of a compensator in three different views; and

[0073] Fig. 2 shows a second embodiment of a compensator in three different views.

[0074] Basically, identical parts in the figures are marked with the same reference symbols.

[0075] Ways to implement the invention

[0076] Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of a compensator 1 in three different views. Fig. 1a shows a perspective view of a compensator 2 with a bellows 4 between two connection elements 2 designed as flanges. The bellows 4 is part of a connecting section 3 that connects the two connection elements 2 to each other. The connecting section 3 is fixed to the two

[0077] 512440-WO1 - ADH Keller Schneider

[0078] October 16, 2025 Patent and Trademark Attorneys. Connecting elements 2. As can be seen in Fig. 1, the connecting section 3 is located essentially between the two connecting elements 2, with only a small portion extending outside. The compensator 1 can be connected to two pipelines via the two connecting elements 2. The connecting section 3 has an inner region 5 through which a fluid can flow, with the fluid entering and exiting the inner region through two openings 9. In Fig. 1a, only one opening 9 is visible; the side view in Fig. 1b shows the position of the two openings 9. The connecting section 3 has an inner surface 6 and an outer surface 7, with the inner surface 6 facing the inner region 5 and the outer surface 7 facing an outer region 8 outside the compensator 1.The connecting section 3 is formed from an elastomer, in particular a vulcanized synthetic rubber or a vulcanized natural rubber. The connecting section 3 may additionally have a carcass as a supporting framework, the carcass being that which may consist of tissue or gel layers embedded in the elastomer.

[0079] An expansion line 10 runs centrally through the inner region 5 between the two openings 9. The expansion line 10 is a virtual line. The bellows 4 is designed such that a diameter 16 of the portion of the inner region 5 enclosed by the bellows 4, following the expansion line 10 from one opening 9 to the other, first rises from a minimum to a maximum and then falls back to a minimum. This is also visible in the side view according to Fig. 1b. The compensator 1 can perform vibration control via the bellows 4.

[0080] On the outer surface 7 of the connecting section 3, a total of five local protrusions 11 are arranged in the embodiment of Fig. 1, whereby only two local protrusions 11 are visible in the perspective view of Fig. 1a and in the side view of Fig. 1b. In the sectional view of Fig. 1c, which is taken along the surface AA shown in Fig. 1b, all five local protrusions 11 are visible; furthermore, the diameter 16 of the inner region 5 in the surface AA is also shown in the sectional view of Fig. 1c. The five local protrusions 11 are located on the outer surface 7 in the area of ​​the

[0081] 512440-WO1 - ADH Keller Schneider

[0082] October 16, 2025 Patent and Trademark Attorneys Bellows 4, more precisely in the area of ​​the bellows 4 where the bellows 4 surrounds the inner area 5 with a maximum diameter 16. The five local elevations 11 are arranged along a distribution line 15 running on the outer side 7, the distribution line 15 being a virtual line. As can be seen in Fig. 1c, the five local elevations 11 are evenly distributed along the distribution line 15. The distribution line 15 is a closed line and, in the first embodiment, lies in a plane that is oriented perpendicular to the extension line 10.

[0083] The five local elevations 11 each have a surface 12 spaced from the outer surface 7, wherein for each of the five local elevations 11 a normal on the respective surface 12 is oriented substantially parallel to a normal on the outer surface 7 surrounding the respective local elevation 11. The spaced surface 12 is offset relative to the outer surface 7 surrounding the respective local elevation 11 in the direction of the outer region 8. In the embodiment of Fig. 1, the local elevations 11 are circular cylindrical, i.e., the boundary of each spaced surface 12 corresponds to a circle, and the lateral surface of each local elevation 11 is substantially perpendicular to the outer surface 7 surrounding the respective local elevation 11. The circular cylindrical elevations 11 in the first embodiment have a small height. The surfaces 12 are substantially flat.

[0084] Fig. 2 shows a second embodiment of a compensator 13 in three different views. The compensator 13 has two connection elements 2 designed as flanges and a connecting section 3, wherein the connecting section 3 has two bellows 4 and a pipe section 17 located between the two bellows 4. Each of the two bellows 4 is arranged near a corresponding connection element 2 and has the following structure: extending from an opening 9 of the connecting section 3 along the extension line 10 running centrally through the inner area 5 (see in particular the sectional view in Fig. 2c, where the section plane is shown in Fig. 2b), the

[0085] 512440-WO1 - ADH Keller Schneider

[0086] October 16, 2025 Patent and Trademark Attorneys The diameter 16 of the inner region first rises from a minimum to a maximum, then decreases again to the minimum, subsequently rises again to the maximum, and finally decreases to the minimum. Each bellows 4 can thus be considered to have two periods. A fluid can flow through the inner region 5, which is at least partially surrounded by the connecting section, from one opening 9 to the other opening 9. The connecting section 3 is formed from an elastomer; in addition, the connecting section 3 can also have a carcass as a supporting framework.

[0087] The pipe section 17 between the two bellows 4 essentially corresponds to a curved hollow cylinder, wherein the hollow cylinder is curved such that the two ends of the extension line 10 running in the pipe section 17, i.e., the two ends of the pipe section portion of the extension line 10, are oriented essentially perpendicular to each other. For stabilization, the connecting section 3 in the region of the pipe section 17 further comprises stabilizing rings 14, with five stabilizing rings 14 being present in the second embodiment. The stabilizing rings

[0088] 14 each form closed rings, each arranged in a plane that is essentially perpendicular to the extension line 10 passing through it.

[0089] Between each bellows 4 of the two bellows 4 surrounding the nearest stabilizing ring 14, a circular cylindrical local elevation 11 is arranged. Furthermore, between each adjacent pair of stabilizing rings 14, a circular cylindrical local elevation 11 is arranged. Consequently, on the outer side 7 of the connecting section 3 of the second embodiment, a total of six local elevations 11 are present, arranged along a distribution line 15 that runs parallel to the extension line 10 on the pipe section 17. The distribution line

[0090] 15 and the extension line 10 are both virtual lines. All six local elevations 11 are therefore located on one side of the pipe section 17. The respective surfaces 12 of the local elevations 11 are, as can be seen in Fig. 2b, spaced apart from the outer surface 7 surrounding the respective local elevation 11. The surfaces 12 are essentially flat.

[0091] 512440-WO1 - ADH Keller Schneider

[0092] October 16, 2025 Patent and Trademark Attorneys

Claims

Patent claims 1. Compensator (1, 13) for connection to at least one pipeline, wherein the compensator 1) has two end-arranged connection elements (2) and 2) a connecting section (3) formed from an elastomer between the two connection elements (2), wherein the connecting section (3) has at least one bellows (4), wherein the connecting section (3) at least partially surrounds an inner region (5) and has an inner side (6) and an outer side (7), wherein the inner side (6) faces the inner region (5) and the outer side (7) faces an outer region (8) outside the compensator (1, 13), wherein the connecting section (3) has two openings (9), wherein the inner region (5) is connected to the outer region (8) through the two openings (9), and wherein an extension line (10) runs centrally through the inner region (5) between the openings (9).and wherein each bellows of the at least one bellows (4) is configured such that, following the line of expansion (10), a diameter (16) of the part of the inner region (5) surrounded by the respective bellows (4) increases at least once a) first from a minimum to a maximum and then b) decreases from the maximum to the minimum, characterized in that the compensator (1, 13) has at least one local elevation (11) formed from the elastomer on the outer side (7), wherein each local elevation of the at least one local elevation (11) has a surface (12) spaced apart from the outer side (7), and wherein the at least one local elevation (11) is configured for a hardness measurement of the connection section (3) of the compensator (1, 13).

2. Compensator (1, 13) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one local elevation (11) is designed for hardness measurement with a Shore durometer, in particular a Shore durometer of type A according to standard ASTM D2240-15(2021). 512440-WO1 - ADH Keller Schneider October 16, 2025 Patent and Trademark Attorneys 3. Compensator (1, 13) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each local elevation of the at least one local elevation (11) has a height of at least 0.2 mm, in particular more than 1.0 mm, preferably more than 2.0 mm relative to the respective surrounding area of ​​the outer surface (7), measured in one direction along a normal standing on the respective surrounding area of ​​the outer surface (7).

4. Compensator (1, 13) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the spaced surface (12) of each local elevation of the at least one local elevation (11) is planar.

5. Compensator (1, 13) according to claim 4, wherein the surface (12) of each local elevation of the at least one local elevation (11) spaced from the outside (7) has an oval, in particular elliptical and in particular circular, border, and / or wherein the surface (12) of each local elevation of the at least one local elevation (11) spaced from the outside (7) has a polygonal, in particular quadrangular, border.

6. Compensator (1, 13) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein each local elevation of the at least one local elevation (11) is at least partially optically, in particular by color, highlighted compared to the outside (7).

7. Compensator (1, 13) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least two, in particular at least five, local elevations (11) formed from the elastomer are arranged on the outside (7), wherein the at least two, in particular at least five, local elevations (11) are spaced apart from each other.

8. Compensator (1, 13) according to claim 7, wherein the local elevations (11) are arranged substantially uniformly distributed on the outside (7) along a distribution line (15) running on the outside (7). 512440-WO1 - ADH Keller Schneider October 16, 2025 Patent and Trademark Attorneys 18 9. Compensator (13) according to claim 8, wherein the connecting section (3) has two bellows (4) and a pipe section (17) between the two bellows (4), wherein a pipe section part of the expansion line (10) runs through the part of the inner area (5) surrounded by the pipe section (17), and wherein the distribution line (15) between the two bellows (4) runs on the pipe section (17) and in particular parallel to the pipe section part of the expansion line (10).

10. Compensator (13) according to claim 9, wherein the pipe section (17) is straight and geometrically corresponds substantially to a hollow cylinder, or wherein the pipe section (17) is at least partially bent and geometrically corresponds substantially to an at least partially bent hollow cylinder.

11. Compensator (1) according to claim 8, wherein the distribution line (15) runs substantially in a plane that is oriented perpendicular to a section of the extension line (10) passing through the plane, and wherein the distribution line (15) is closed.

12. Compensator (1) according to claim 11, wherein the compensator (1) has exactly one bellows (4), wherein the exactly one bellows (4) is designed such that the diameter (16) of the part of the inner region (5) surrounded by the exactly one bellows (4) increases exactly once a) first from the minimum to the maximum and then b) decreases from the maximum to the minimum, and wherein the plane in which the distribution line (15) runs is arranged in the maximum of the diameter (16).

13. Compensator (1, 13) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the connecting section (3) is made of a synthetic rubber, in particular vulcanized, in particular ethylene propylene diene rubber or styrene butadiene rubber or butadiene acrylonitrile rubber, or of a natural rubber, in particular vulcanized.

14. Method for determining the Shore hardness of the connecting section (3) of a compensator (1, 13) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises the following steps: 512440-WO1 - ADH Keller Schneider October 16, 2025 Patent and Trademark Attorneys 19 1) Providing a Shore durometer, in particular a Shore durometer of type A according to standard ASTM D2240-15(2021), wherein the Shore durometer provided is in particular already calibrated; 2) Measuring a local Shore hardness of each local elevation of the at least one local elevation (11) with the Shore durometer, comprising the following steps for each local elevation: a) Positioning the Shore durometer perpendicular to the spaced surface (12) of the respective local elevation; b) Uniformly pressing the perpendicularly positioned Shore durometer against the spaced surface (12) of the respective local elevation until the local Shore hardness provided by the Shore durometer is substantially constant; c) Reading the substantially constant value of the local Shore hardness of the respective local elevation (11) provided by the Shore durometer; and 3) Determine, in particular by averaging, the Shore hardness of the connecting section (3) based on the measured at least one local Shore hardness, and optionally record the temperature present in the outer area (8) outside the connecting section (3) during the measurement in process step 2).

15. Compensator system comprising 1) a compensator (1, 13) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, 2) an instruction sheet comprising instructions for the method according to claim 14, and optionally 3) a Shore durometer, in particular a Shore durometer of type A according to standard ASTM D2240-15(2021). 512440-WO1 - ADH Keller Schneider October 16, 2025 Patent and Trademark Attorneys

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