Pipe joints or couplings – Ball and socket
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-24
2003-08-12
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3679)
Pipe joints or couplings
Ball and socket
C285S417000, C285S146100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06604759
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a pipe connection of two pipe ends pushed into a sleeve. Given detachable pipe connections, particularly in the field of the exhaust technology, errors regarding the position, direction or alignment of the pipe ends have a disadvantageous effect. Such errors particularly lead to deviations of position. Given tail pipes of exhaust configurations, for example, these deviations of position are especially undesired when the tail pipe of the exhaust assembly is visibly arranged in a cutout of the back vehicle skirt. The tail pipe or, respectively, the escape opening of the tail pipe then does not lie concentrically in the corresponding cutout of the vehicle skirt, so that the vehicle design is optically impaired, since the observer receives the impression of an incorrectly installed exhaust assembly. Moreover, tail pipes that do not lie concentrically in the cutout of the vehicle skirt can cause a striking noise or such as a result of vibrations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Proceeding from these disadvantages, an object of the invention is to fashion a pipe connection such that it is possible, in terms of a correct position, to install the individual pipes forming the exhaust train despite the unavoidable component tolerance. This object is inventively achieved by the pipe combination of two pipe ends pushed into a sleeve according to the invention. The dependent claims partially relate to expedient embodiments of the invention and partially relate to embodiments that are inventive by themselves.
According to the invention, the pipe ends to be connected to one another are pushed into a sleeve. A spherical shape is provided between the outer case of at least one of the two pipe ends. A sub-area of this spherical shape either is adjacent to the outer case of the pipe end or to the inside case of the sleeve. Due to the spherical fashioning of the shape, namely slightly crowned fashioning of the shape, the pipe end provided with the shape or, respectively, the pipe end borne in the region of the shape in the sleeve can be pivoted vis-à-vis the sleeve in the manner of a ball-and-socket joint in a narrow region without the pipe end having to be warped or deformed. It is thus possible to simply compensate a directional error or, respectively, angle error between the pipe ends with respect to the connecting sleeve, since the spherical shape is partially adjacent to the outer case of the pipe end or, respectively, to the inside case of the sleeve across the entire pivot area of the pipe end prescribed by the spherical shape, so that a flush positioning of the outer case of the pipe end is assured at the inside case of the sleeve.
Another feature of the invention refers to the case of a spherical shape in the area of the outer case of a pipe end. This shape is adjacent to the inside case of the sleeve. The spherical shape operates in the manner of a ball-and-socket joint, so that the pipe end, vis-à-vis the sleeve, can be pivoted in a narrow region without the pipe end having to be twisted or deformed. It is thus possible to simply compensate angle errors and directional errors between the pipe ends with respect to the connecting sleeve.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention that is a cinematic reversal of the previous feature, the pipe ends are the same there as in the prior art, whereas spherical indentations are molded into the sleeve. These spherical indentations protrude in the direction of the outer case of the pipe ends. In the final state of the installation, the pipe end therefore is adjacent with its outer case to the spherical indentation of the sleeve. The spherical indentation, in turn, acts in the manner of a ball-and-socket joint, so that the pipe end, vis-à-vis the inside case of the sleeve, can be pivoted in a narrow region without the pipe end having to be warped or deformed. It is thus possible to simply compensate angle errors and directional errors between the pipe ends with respect to the connecting sleeve.
According to a further feature of the invention, the shape is fashioned as a spherical ring that is slipped onto the pipe end. An extremely high surface quality of the shape can be realized with the assistance of such a sturdy profile ring. In particular, this ring can be extremely exactly rotated round and can be optimized with respect to the surface roughness of the material. Furthermore, an arbitrary material for the ring can replace the normally used sheet material for the pipes. If expensive stainless steel pipes are used, the ring can be produced from another, possibly less expensive material. In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, it is also possible to fashion the sperical ring as a spring ring. A spring ring does not only have a high surface quality of a solid profile ring but is also particularly suitable for compensating the directional errors or, respectively, angle errors as a result of its spring properties.
In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, a spherical shape is produced with the assistance of a reshaping method. The pipe casing is directly reshaped and calibrated according to one feature of the invention. The advantage of calibration is that pipe ends of exhaust arrangements often go through a calibration process prior to the installation, so that the spherical shape can be co-calibrated here without a further production step being necessary.
The installation of the pipe ends is further facilitated by arranging a spherical shape at both pipe ends according to a further feature of the invention. The pipe ends can be optimally placed vis-à-vis the sleeve. It is also possible to compensate a greater angle error interval in this way.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the spheriodizing [or: molding] of an additional concave acceptance area into the inside case of the sleeve for accepting the respectively allocated spherical shape in the pipe end makes it possible to connect the sleeve and pipe end in a form-fitting manner. In this case, the acceptance area in the sleeve adapted to the spherical recess acts as a positioning aid in axial direction and as a measure for improving the gastightness of the connection.
According to another feature of the invention, the sleeve and the pipe end can be connected such that the leak rate of a so manufactured exhaust arrangement is as low as possible. This embodiment systematically is further developed in accordance with a further feature of the invention according to which the pipe clip is congruently arranged with respect to the spherical recess in the final state of installation in order to further increase the efficiency of the pipe clip.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the production of the connection is facilitated in that marking warts or marking indents are attached. The marking warts attached to the pipe ends, as it were, serve as a limit stop for the opening edge of the sleeve or, respectively, the marking indents serve as an optical installation aid. During the installation process, it thus can be promptly seen from outside when the pipe end is completely pushed into the sleeve and the pipe end has reached its intended final state of installation vis-à-vis the sleeve.
A further feature of the invention represents a mixture of the invention with a spherical recess in the sleeve for pivotably bearing and connecting a traditional hollow cylindrical pipe end on the one side of the pipe connection and with a pipe end having a spherical recess on the other side of the pipe connection without a recess in the sleeve. Certainly, each side of this connection can be further developed according to one of the other claims. Therefore, all conceivable mixtures of the different embodiments are possible without further ado.
REFERENCES:
patent: 530917 (1894-12-01), Ames
patent: 1772547 (1930-08-01), Keese et al.
patent: 2363477 (1944-11-01), Barton
patent: 2381426 (1945-08-01), Allen et al.
patent: 2516743 (1950-07-01), ALlin
patent
Faurecia Abgastechnik GmbH
Greenberg Laurence A.
Locher Ralph E.
Stemer Werner H.
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