Connecting piece for profiled pipes, profiled nipples, corrugated tubes or the like elongate articles

• US 6,199,920 B1
• Filed: 07/06/1998
• Issued: 03/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Interflex Sa (Park-Ohio Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Interflex Sa (Park-Ohio Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Neustadtl, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Nicholson, Eric K.
• Application Number:
  US09/066,316
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 285/903, 285/319, 285/322, 285/323
• US Class Current: 285/322
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 25/0045 of the quick-acting type
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/0985 the flexible hook extending radially inwardly from an outer part and engaging a bead, recess or the like on an inner part F16L37/0982 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 285/903 Corrugated

Abstract

A connecting piece into which is axially insertable in an insertion direction a profiled pipe member having parallel external grooves, where the connecting piece includes a connecting sleeve having an entry end for receiving the profiled pipe member and defines a cylindrical wall with plurality of apertures extending radially therethrough, and a clamping ring which is axially displaceable in the connecting sleeve and which is provided with a plurality of pressure fingers extending approximately parallel to a longitudinal axis of the sleeve and which are pivotable about a pivot region. In a fixing position each of the pressure fingers is positioned generally adjacent a respective one of the apertures, each pressure finger having a projecting nose part which is engagable into one of the external grooves of the profiled pipe member. For release of the profiled pipe at least one of the apertures defines at the inside of the connecting sleeve a transverse edge which includes a barrier portion which projects from the transverse edge in a direction opposite to the insertion direction, the barrier portion having a sloping surface which is inclined outwardly from the insertion direction and the pressure finger has an inner surface which bears slidably against the sloping surface of the barrier portion causing the pressure finger to move radially outward and out of contact with the groove of the profiled pipe.

Claims

1. A connecting piece into which is axially insertable in an insertion direction a profiled pipe member having parallel external grooves transverse of said insertion direction, said connecting piece comprising:

(a) connecting sleeve, having an entry end for receiving said profiled pipe member and defining a cylindrical wall with a plurality of apertures extending radially through said wall, and (b) a clamping ring which is axially displaceable in said connecting sleeve and which is provided with a plurality of pressure fingers which extend approximately parallel to a longitudinal axis of said sleeve and which are pivotable about a pivot region wherein, in a fixing position each of said pressure fingers is positioned generally adjacent a respective one of said apertures, each of said pressure fingers having a projecting nose part which is engagable into one of said external grooves of said profiled pipe member, and wherein said pressure fingers have radially outwardly directed external faces disposed within a cylindrical region defined by the outer peripheral surface of said clamping ring and wherein at least one of said apertures defines at the inside of said connecting sleeve a transverse edge which includes a barrier portion which projects from said transverse edge in a direction opposite to said insertion direction, said barrier portion having a sloping surface which is inclined outwardly from said insertion direction, and each of said pressure fingers having an inner surface which bears slidably against said sloping surface of said barrier portion.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said clamping ring comprises an annular member from which said pressure fingers extend in said insertion direction, and an annular groove which extends at least over a part of said outer peripheral surface of said clamping ring.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein there is associated with each of at least two of said apertures an engagement opening which extends radially through said wall, said engagement openings situated in the direction of said entry end relative to said apertures.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein a free end of each of said pressure fingers defines a ridge extending generally axially in said insertion direction.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said ridge of each of said pressure fingers is determined in radial cross-section by two sloping surfaces which are inclined relative to each other and of which one goes into said nose and the other adjoins said external face of said pressure finger.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said ridge of each of said pressure fingers is defined in radial cross-section by an inner sloping surface which is inclined away from said nose in the rest position of the pressure finger, and a part-circular curvature region which forms a transition into an inclined rear face of the pressure finger.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said external face of each of said pressure fingers serves, upon insertion of the clamping ring, as a sliding surface.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein the sliding surface engages a projection extending radially inward on said connecting sleeve.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said connecting sleeve defines a bore surface, said apparatus further comprising a radially outward extending seal fitted into at least one of said grooves in the profiled pipe for sealingly engaging said bore surface.

10. A connecting piece into which is axially insertable in an insertion direction a profiled pipe member having parallel external grooves transverse of said insertion direction, said connecting piece comprising:

(a) connecting sleeve having an entry end for receiving said profiled pipe member and defining a cylindrical wall with a plurality of apertures extending radially through said wall, and (b) a clamping ring which is axially displaceable in said connecting sleeve and which is provided with a plurality of pressure fingers which extend generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of said sleeve and which are resilient and pivotable radially outward, and wherein in a fixing position each of said pressure fingers is positioned generally adjacent a respective one of said apertures, each of said pressure fingers having a nose part projecting radially inward which is engagable into one of said external grooves of said profiled pipe member, and wherein at least one of said apertures defines a transverse edge forming a barrier portion which projects in a direction opposite to said insertion direction, said barrier portion having a sloping surface which is inclined outwardly from said insertion direction and each of said pressure fingers having an inner surface which bears slidably against said sloping surface of said barrier portion, and wherein upon insertion of said profiled pipe member into said connecting piece said nose parts of said pressure fingers move radially inward into said groove of said profiled pipe member, thus axially fixing it relative to said connecting member, and said pressure fingers are subsequently movable radially outward to free said profiled pipe member when said clamping ring is urged axially in said insertion direction such that said inner surfaces of said pressure fingers slidably bear against said sloping surfaces of said barrier portion and said pressure fingers are driven radially outward into the area of said apertures.