Fitting Structure

• US 20080290658A1
• Filed: 11/17/2006
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ihara Science Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ihara Science Corporation
• Inventors: Kimura, Miyoshi, Adachi, Yoshiki, Nagase, Yusuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,491,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 285/366
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 23/10 with a pivoting or swinging pin
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 23/16 characterised by the sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 23/20 made exclusively of metal

Abstract

Engagement section 7a of holder 7 is engaged with a metal gasket 6, gasket 6 is received in tubular section 7b, and tubular section 7b is fitted in step 5a of connection pipe 1a. Then, another connection pipe 1b is placed close to and facing connection pipe 1a that holds gasket 6 through holder 7, and center ring 9 is installed surrounding the outer peripheries of flanges 2a, 2b. Subsequently, while a trapezoidal section having slopes 3a, 3b which define both sides is inserted into groove 14, segments 10a-10c are closed to form a ring shape. Bolt 11 which penetrates through cutout 12 of segment 10a is screwed into threaded hole 13 of segment 10c. The screwing of the bolt causes the amount of insertion of the trapezoidal section, which has slopes 3a, 3b which define both sides, into groove 14 to be increased. As a result, the distance between flanges 2a, 2b is reduced and the contact pressure of projections 4a, 4b against both sides of gasket 6 is increased.

Claims

1. A fitting structure for connecting a pair of connection pipes each having a flange provided with an annular projection at a leading end portion, comprising:

a flat ring-shaped metal gasket pressed by said each projection from both sides in a state where said flanges of said pair of connection pipes are opposite to each other;

a holder having an engagement section for engagement with at least a part of said metal gasket, and held by one of said connection pipes;

a center ring mountable to surround an outer peripheries of both said flanges in a state in which said flanges of said pair of connection pipes are opposite to each other across said metal gasket; and

a clamp ring comprising a plurality of segments arranged in sequence and coupled such that adjacent ones are pivotally attached to one another for defining a ring shape by all said segments to cover and hold the overall outer peripheries of said flanges being opposite to each other across said metal gasket when a segment of said plurality of segments positioned at one end and a segment positioned at the other end are fixed to each other by a fastening member,

said fitting structure characterized in that;

said each flange has a slope which is downwardly inclined from the outer periphery of said each flange respectively toward a side opposite to said leading end, and

each said segment of said clamp ring has a corresponding slope respectively corresponding to said slope of said each flange on the inner periphery.

2. The fitting structure according to claim 1, wherein in a state in which said clamp ring defines the ring shape to cover and hold the overall outer peripheries of said flanges opposite to each other across said metal gasket, as said fastening member brings said segment at the one end and said segment at the other end into closer proximity to each other, each said segment of said clamp ring moves inward in a radial direction for more tightly holding said flanges to each other while said each corresponding slope slides along said each slope of said each flange.

9. The fitting structure according to claim 1, wherein said fastening member is a bolt for screwing said segment at the one end to said segment at the other end, and said fastening member can bring both said segments into closer proximity to each other as said bolt is screwed deeper.

10. The fitting structure according to claim 9, a head section of said bolt and a segment for engaging said head section of said bolt, of said segments have their respective contact portions formed in a spherical shape.

11. The fitting structure according to claim 1, wherein said fastening member is an eyebolt comprising a stop section attached to one of two segments which are positioned at each side of said claim ring, a thread section extending from said stop section, and a nut in mesh with said thread section and in engagement with the other of said two segments, which are positioned at each side of said clamp ring, wherein as said thread section is screwed deeper into said nut, said segment which is in engagement with said nut can be brought closer to said segment to which a stop is attached.

12. The fitting structure according to claim 11, wherein said nut and said other of the segment have their respective contact faces formed in a spherical shape.

3. A fitting structure for connecting connection pipes, comprising:

a fitting body integrally provided with a fitting body side flange member at a leading end portion thereof, and having an insertion section on an inner periphery thereof, into which said connection pipe is inserted from the leading end side;

a connection pipe side flange member disposed on an outer periphery of said connection pipe;

a ferrule held on the outer periphery of said connection pipe;

a center ring mountable to surround the outer peripheries of both said flange members in a state in which a leading end of said connection pipe side flange member is opposite to a leading end of said fitting body side flange member;

a clamp ring comprising a plurality of segments arranged in sequence and coupled such that adjacent ones are pivotally attached to one another for defining a ring shape by all said segments to cover and hold the overall outer peripheries of said flange members having the leading ends opposite to each other when a segment of said plurality of segments positioned at one end and a segment positioned at the other end are fixed to each other by a fastening member,

said fitting structure characterized in that;

said each flange member has a slope which is downwardly inclined from the outer periphery of said each flange toward a side opposite to said leading end,

each said segment of said clamp ring has a corresponding slope respectively corresponding to the slope of said each flange member on the inner periphery, and

said ferrule extends, from the inner periphery of the leading end portion of said connection pipe side flange member to the inner periphery of the leading end portion of said fitting body side flange member.

4. The fitting structure according to claim 3, wherein another connection pipe is inserted from a side of said fitting body opposite to said fitting body side flange member, and said connection pipe is connected to said another connection pipe through an internal space of said fitting body.

6. The fitting structure according to claim 3, wherein said ferrule comprises a front ferrule having a first engagement face for engagement with a cutout face on the inner periphery of said fitting body side flange member and having a second engagement face positioned on the side opposite to said first engagement face, and a back ferrule having a first engagement face for engagement with a cutout face on the inner periphery of said connection pipe side flange member and having a second engagement face positioned on the side opposite to said first engagement face and capable of tightly joining with said second engagement face of said front ferrule.

7. The fitting structure according to claim 6, wherein:

said second engagement face of said front ferrule and said second engagement face of said back ferrule form an angle larger than that formed by said first engagement face of said front ferrule and said cutout face on the inner periphery of said fitting body side flange member with respect to a longitudinal direction of said connection pipes, as viewed from said back ferrule, and

said first engagement face of said back ferrule and said cutout face on the inner periphery of said connection pipe side flange member form an obtuse angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of said connection pipes, as viewed from said back ferrule.

8. The fitting structure according to claim 3, wherein in a state in which said clamp ring defines the ring shape to cover and hold the overall outer peripheries of said each leading end portion of said flange members that are opposite to each other, as said fastening member brings said segment at the one end and said segment at the other end into closer proximity to each other, each said segment of said clamp ring moves inwardly in a radial direction while said each corresponding slope slides along said each slope of said each flange member to cause the leading ends of said flange members to come closer to each other, to enhance airtightness of seal by means of said ferrule.

5. A fitting structure for connecting a pair of connection pipes, comprising:

a fitting body integrally provided with fitting body side flange members at both end portions, and having a pair of insertion sections in an inner periphery for inserting said pair of connection pipes thereinto from both sides;

a pair of connection pipe side flange members disposed on an outer peripheries of said pair of connection pipes, respectively;

a pair of ferrules held on outer peripheries of both said connection pipes, respectively;

a pair of center rings disposed at both end portions of said fitting body, respectively, and mountable to surround the outer peripheries of both said flange members in a state in which a leading end of said each connection pipe side flange member is opposite to the leading end of said each fitting body side flange member; and

a pair of clamp rings each comprising a plurality of segments arranged in sequence and coupled such that adjacent ones are pivotally attached to one another for defining a ring shape by all said segments to cover and hold the overall outer peripheries of said flange members having leading ends opposite to each other when a segment of said plurality of segments positioned at one end and a segment positioned at the other end are fixed to each other by a fastening member,

said fitting structure characterized in that;

said each flange member has a slope which is downwardly inclined from the outer periphery of said each flange member respectively toward a side opposite to the leading end,

each said segment of said clamp ring has a corresponding slope respectively corresponding to the slope of said each flange member on the inner periphery,

said ferrule extends from the inner periphery of the leading end portion of said connection pipe side flange member to the inner periphery of the leading end portion of said fitting body side flange member, and

connection structures are built respectively at both end portions of said fitting body for connecting said connection pipes and said fitting body by said fitting body side flange member and said connection pipe side flange member which are held by said center rings and said clamp rings in a state in which the leading ends of said fitting body side flange member and said connection pipe side flange member are opposite to each other, whereby said pair of connection pipes are connected through an internal space of said fitting body.