Plug-in coupling

• US 7,404,581 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2004
• Issued: 07/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Friatec AG (Aliaxis SA)
• Original Assignee: Friatec AG (Aliaxis SA)
• Inventors: Zeller, Henrik, Schiedhering, Lars, Baving, Hans-Juergen, Milnazik, Peer, Mannweiler, Gudrun
• Primary Examiner(s): Hewitt; James M
• Application Number:
  US10/854,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20050012328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 285/331, 285/242, 285/255, 285/259, 285/910, 277/616, 277/626, 277/627, 277/607, 277/637, 277/644, 277/648
• US Class Current: 285/242
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 33/227 the hose being introduced into or onto the connecting member and automatically locked F16L37/084 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/0925 with rings which bite into the wall of the pipe

Abstract

A plug-in connector comprising a base body (6), an annular sealing element (12), a clamping ring (50) and an annular body (20) which can be connected to the base body (6). A pipe end (4, 5) against which the sealing element (12) is arranged in a sealing manner, can be secured in the plug-in connector by the clamping ring (50). The plug-in connector of the invention can be connected to an end (4, 5) of at least one pipe in a simple manner and with a high degree of functional reliability, excluding the risk of assembly errors. For this purpose, the sealing ring (12) is arranged in an annular groove (14) of the base body (6) and comprises two sealing beads (60, 62) which are situated against the inner surface of the inserted pipe end (4, 5) in the manner of two o-ring seals.

Claims

1. A plug-in coupling comprising:

a base body;

an annular sealing element;

a clamping ring; and

an annular body which is connectable to the base body, wherein

an inserted pipe end in sealing contact with the sealing element can be fixedly secured in the plug-in coupling by the clamping ring,

the sealing element is arranged in an annular groove in the base body and has two sealing beads which contact an inside surface of the inserted pipe end,

the annular groove of the base body has a radially outwardly directed holding body which engages in a radially inwardly arranged annular groove of the sealing element,

the two sealing beads of the sealing element are substantially circular in cross-section, with their respective circular cross-sections located essentially tangential to a cylindrical inner surface of the sealing element and oriented essentially perpendicular to the cylindrical inner surface of the sealing element and parallel to a longitudinal axis of the sealing element,

the two sealing beads are longitudinally separated by a connecting part having a length greater than a radius of either sealing bead circular cross-section, and

the annular groove of the sealing element is arranged between the two sealing beads, outside of a circumference of either sealing bead.

2. A plug-in coupling according to claim 1, wherein a deformation space is provided axially between the two sealing beads.

3. A plug-in coupling according to claim 2, wherein the deformation space surrounds the connecting part which connects the two sealing beads of the sealing element.

4. A plug-in coupling according to claim 3, wherein the connecting part has a radial thickness which is smaller than the radial thickness of at least one of the two sealing beads.

5. A plug-in coupling according to claim 4, wherein the connecting part has a radial thickness in the range between 40% and 70% of the radial thickness of one of the sealing beads.

6. A plug-in coupling according to claim 5, wherein the connecting part has a radial thickness in the range between 50% and 60% of the radial thickness of one of the sealing beads.

7. A plug-in coupling according to claim 1, wherein the two sealing beads comprise two O-rings integrated into the annular sealing element such that radial outside surfaces of said O-rings form said sealing beads.

8. A plug-in coupling according to claim 1, wherein said annular sealing element comprises two O-rings joined together in one part by the connecting part.

9. A plug-in coupling according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the sealing beads in an axial sectional plane has a diameter at least approximately equal to the radial thickness of a sealing region of said sealing bead.

10. A plug-in coupling according to claim 1, wherein the annular radial groove inside the sealing element is formed in the connecting part which connects the two sealing beads.

11. A plug-in coupling according to claim 10, wherein the annular radial groove is situated outside the circular contours of the sealing beads.

12. A plug-in coupling according to claim 10, wherein the holding body is an annular rib.

13. A plug-in coupling according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element has a forward axial end part axially in front of a first of the sealing beads nearest the forward axial end part.

14. A plug-in coupling according to claim 13, wherein the forward axial end part has an axial length which is smaller than the radial thickness of the first sealing bead.

15. A plug-in coupling according to claim 14, wherein the forward axial end part has an axial length in the range between 10% and 40% of the radial thickness of the first sealing bead.

16. A plug-in coupling according to claim 15, wherein the forward axial end part has an axial length in the range between 15% and 30% of the radial thickness of the first sealing bead.

17. A plug-in coupling according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element has an axial rear end part following a second sealing bead of the two sealing beads.

18. A plug-in coupling according to claim 17, wherein the axial rear end part has an axial length smaller than the radial thickness of the second sealing bead.

19. A plug-in coupling according to claim 18, wherein the axial rear end part has an axial length in the range from 30% to 60% of the radial thickness of the second sealing bead.

20. A plug-in coupling according to claim 19, wherein the axial rear end part has an axial length in the range from 40% to 50% of the radial thickness of the second sealing bead.

21. A plug-in coupling according to claim 1, wherein a front end of the annular body or the base body adjacent the sealing element is provided with an extension with a guide region for aligning a pipe end inserted into the plug-in coupling essentially coaxially with the longitudinal axis of the plug-in coupling.

22. A plug-in coupling according to claim 21, wherein said extension has an axial length in the range from 30% and 60% of the inside diameter of the annular body.

23. A plug-in coupling according to claim 22, wherein said extension has an axial length in the range from 40% and 50% of the inside diameter of the annular body.

24. A plug-in coupling according to claim 21, wherein the extension or radially outer guide region of the base body has an axial length in the range between 30% and 60% of the inside diameter of the annular body.

25. A plug-in coupling according to claim 24, wherein said axial length is between 40% and 60% of the inside diameter of the annular body.

26. A plug-in coupling according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element is situated in the annular groove of the base body with a forward end face arranged a predetermined distance from at least one of a web and a stop face of the base body.

27. A plug-in coupling according to claim 26, wherein said distance is at least approximately equal to or greater than an inside diameter of an inside guide region of the annular body.

28. A plug-in coupling according to claim 27, wherein said distance is in the range between 50% and 130% of the inside diameter of the inside guide region of the annular body.

29. A plug-in coupling according to claim 28, wherein said distance is in the range between 60% and 120% of the inside diameter of the inside guide region of the annular body.

30. A plug-in coupling according to claim 28, wherein said distance is in the range between 70% and 110% of the inside diameter of the inside guide region of the annular body.

31. A plug-in coupling according to claim 1, wherein said annular body has an inside guide region having an axial length in the range between 30% and 60% of the inside diameter of the annular body.

32. A plug-in coupling according to claim 31, wherein said inside guide region has an axial length in the range between 40% and 50% of the inside diameter of the annular body.