Pipe joints or couplings – With fluid pressure seal – With separate – encased pipe-gripping means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-20
2001-08-14
Luu, Teri Pham (Department: 3627)
Pipe joints or couplings
With fluid pressure seal
With separate, encased pipe-gripping means
C285S112000, C285S340000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06273475
ABSTRACT:
From DE 44 08 743 C2 a sealing device for pipelines that is usable as a pipe coupling is known. An elastomeric sealing sleeve is received in a closable housing adapted to be tightened on a pipeline. At its front sides the housing has radially inwardly directed end or terminal walls against which the plane front sides of the sealing sleeves bear. When the housing and the sealing sleeve are closed and narrowingly tightened on the pipes of a pipeline a gap usually remains between the terminal walls of the housing and the respective pipe wall. Through this gap contamination may obtain access to the elastomeric sealing sleeve, and the sleeve may be exposed to UV irradiation, ozone or other detrimental external attack, which may lead to a deterioration of the elastomeric material properties and to leaks.
From EP 0 551 582 A1 a pipe coupling has become known which has a housing that is adapted to be narrowed during closing and has disposed therein an elastomeric sealing sleeve with one sealing lip for being urged against each respective outer pipe wall by a lock washer. Each front side of the sealing sleeve is divided into oppositely inclined conical faces embraced by a supporting ring of V-shaped cross-section. A clamping ring has its outer edge supported in the inside of a bend formed by a housing end wall and a housing outer wall. In the inner edge region the clamping ring has a plurality of lamellae formed by slit-like recesses. The clamping ring bears against the inner flank of the supporting ring with this lamellar region. When the housing of the pipe coupling is closed and narrowed, the end edges of these lamellae bite into the pipe ends to be joined. With this pipe coupling the supporting ring with the special double cone shaping of the front side of the sealing sleeve is necessary in order to prevent the elastomeric material of the sealing sleeve from flowing away through the recesses between the lamellae of the clamping ring.
Finally, from CH-A-676 875 a clamping sleeve arrangement with a packing collar disposed in a housing has become known. The packing collar has a central abutment bead, against both sides of which the ends of two pipes to be joined bear. Two sealing edges are provided on each of the two axial ends of the packing collar for lying against the respective pipe circumference. On both front sides of the packing collar lies an anchoring or clamping ring which is formed in the shape of a hollow cone and is supported outside the housing on the bend of an end flange. When the housing is tightened, the inner edge of the anchoring ring engages with the entire outer circumference of the pipes and bites into this. Thereby the pipe ends are held axially against the abutting bead by form-locking. For this purpose the inner edge of the anchoring or clamping rings may be designed to be concave, so that a cutting edge formed thereby digs into the outer surface of the pipes.
The invention is based on the object of improving a pipe coupling having the features of simplicity of design, functionality, and universal usability.
Advantageous further developments of the invention are indicated by the dependent claims.
By means of the conical clamping ring that bears against the bevelled front side, preferably formed as an inner cone, of the packing collar and is supported on the housing, protection of the packing collar from detrimental environmental attack penetrating from the outside is provided when the housing is closed and tightened on a pipeline. The clamping ring can compensate a variously sized gap that may be present between the housing and the pipe surface depending upon the size or diameter of the pipe coupling and the pipes to be coupled.
Preferably two variants of the clamping ring can be used with the pipe coupling. In the first variant the inner edge of the clamping ring is rounded, so that in the tightened operational position on a pipeline the clamping ring can slide on the surface of the pipes to be joined. Thus, axial movements of the two pipes relative to each other may be compensated, because the sealing sleeve too permits a certain axial movement by a corresponding elastic deformation. In the second variant the clamping ring is formed with a sharp inner edge, so that it makes a joint of axially fixed position by its engagement with the pipe surface. The two oppositely directed clamping rings of a pipe coupling thus make possible a force-locked coupling connection of the two pipes. The engagement with the pipe can be improved even more by notches on the sharp inner edge of the clamping ring.
Because of the possibility of alternative use of the two different clamping rings, the pipe coupling having an identical housing and an identical sealing sleeve can be employed for different coupling purposes, so that less stockkeeping of single components results as a logistic advantage.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2202492 (1940-05-01), Jacocks
patent: 2459608 (1949-01-01), Wolfram
patent: 2846240 (1958-08-01), Beyer
patent: 3319508 (1967-05-01), McCormick
patent: 3545794 (1970-12-01), Wise
patent: 3985379 (1976-10-01), Normark
patent: 4500117 (1985-02-01), Ayers et al.
patent: 4664422 (1987-05-01), Straub
patent: 5310223 (1994-05-01), Straub
patent: 5639102 (1997-06-01), Ilesic
patent: 676875 (1991-03-01), None
patent: 24 28 101 (1975-01-01), None
patent: 2854868 (1980-07-01), None
patent: 44 08 743 (1995-06-01), None
patent: 211 158 (1987-02-01), None
patent: 551 582 (1993-07-01), None
patent: 667 476 (1995-08-01), None
patent: 1034687 (1966-06-01), None
patent: 1 462 886 (1977-01-01), None
patent: 96/07046 (1996-03-01), None
Luu Teri Pham
Pillsbury & Winthrop LLP
LandOfFree
Pipe coupling does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Pipe coupling, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Pipe coupling will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2541642