Pipe joints or couplings – Essential catch – Resilient ring
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-27
2002-01-15
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Pipe joints or couplings
Essential catch
Resilient ring
C285S305000, C285S367000, C285S110000, C285S902000, C285S903000, C285S388000, C277S648000, C138S121000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06338507
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a synthetic resin pipe including, in two pipe end portions thereof, a joint for connecting the synthetic resin pipe to another synthetic resin pipe.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is a well known pipe structure in which a separately produced pipe joint is united integrally with a pipe end portion of a synthetic resin pipe.
For example, there exists a synthetic resin pipe with a joint member which can be produced in the following manner. Firstly, over the outer peripheral surface of the pipe end portion of a synthetic resin pipe a half section of a cylindrical-shaped joint member is fitted. The joint member has an inner peripheral surface formed with a shape identical to that of an outer peripheral surface of a synthetic resin pipe end portion.
The pipe end portion and the joint member are joined together with adhesives, or, a liquid-state monomer, which can be polymerized and hardened quickly at room temperature. The adhesive is inserted into a clearance between the joint member and the pipe end portion and hardens to connect the joint member and pipe end portion together to form a synthetic resin pipe with an integrally formed joint member.
However, the above-mentioned conventional method for connecting a separately produced joint member to the end portion of a synthetic resin pipe is problematic and difficult.
Additionally, the outer peripheral surface of the pipe end portion of the synthetic resin pipe is not always identical with the inner peripheral surface of the joint member. In many cases, molding gaps can be present between the inner and outer peripheral surfaces. In such cases, it is difficult to join the surfaces together in a manner such that a watertight condition can be maintained.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing and other problems, disadvantages, and drawbacks of the conventional synthetic resin pipes with joints, the present invention has been devised, and it is an object of the invention to provide a structure for eliminating the drawbacks found in the above-mentioned conventional synthetic resin pipe with a joint.
In order to attain the above and other objects, a synthetic resin pipe with a joint is provided such that a given joint portion is formed integrally with a synthetic resin pipe at the time the synthetic resin pipe is molded, thereby eliminating the need to connect a separately formed joint to the pipe end portion of the synthetic resin pipe after the synthetic resin pipe is molded. Further, when connecting together two synthetic resin pipes of this type, the other synthetic resin pipe may be simply inserted into one synthetic resin pipe, i.e., their mutual connection can be completed with a very simple one touch operation.
In attaining the above and other objects, according to the invention, there is provided in a first aspect a synthetic resin pipe with a joint, including a pipe end portion Pa to be connected including an open guide cylinder
11
(e.g., see
FIGS. 1-6
for exemplary non-limiting embodiments), a large-diameter cylindrical portion
12
formed in a deep portion thereof continuous with the open guide cylinder
11
and having a diameter larger than front and rear walls extending in the axial direction of the pipe, and an outwardly facing projection
14
disposed in a portion of the large-diameter cylindrical portion
12
.
Further included is a separately produced engaging ring R having a non-annular or substantially C-like shape when viewed from the side surface. The engaging ring R includes an inclined guide surface
31
having a large inside diameter in the width-direction on a side end face
31
a
and having a small inside diameter on a deep side. The engaging ring R further includes a securing stepped portion
32
formed on the deep side, a plurality of cut-out portions
33
, formed by cutting out the inclined surface
31
, and a projection
34
projecting from a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the engaging ring R.
Another pipe end portion Pb to be connected includes an inclined cylinder
21
with a diameter larger on the deep side than on the end face, a securing stepped portion
22
formed on the rear surface of the inclined cylinder
21
, and a plurality of projecting portions
23
, provided at the peripheral-direction positions of the rear portion of the inclined cylinder
21
that correspond to the cut-out portions
33
, of the ring R.
The engaging ring R is inserted into the inside portion
13
of the large-diameter cylindrical portion
12
of one pipe end portion Pa such that the large-diameter side end face
31
a
of the inclined guide surface
31
is situated on the entrance side of the pipe end portion Pa and also such that the projection
34
on the outer peripheral surface of the ring R is fitted with the inner surface recessed portion of the outwardly facing projection
14
of the large-diameter cylindrical portion
12
.
In providing the above-structure of the invention, the other pipe end portion Pb may include, on the deep side of the portion where the projecting portion
23
is provided, a waterproofing ring
25
which can tightly contact the inner peripheral surface of the open guide cylinder
11
formed in one pipe end portion Pa.
Alternatively, the outer peripheral surface of the deep-side cylindrical portion of the other pipe end portion Pb where the projecting portion
23
is provided may be formed substantially equal in diameter to the inner peripheral surface of the open guide cylinder
11
provided in one pipe end portion Pa, and annular recessed grooves
26
may be formed in the outer peripheral surface of the present deep-side cylindrical portion for fitting waterproofing rings
25
.
One or both of the cut-out portions
33
of the ring R and the projecting portions
23
of the other pipe end portion Pb may be formed to include, in the circumferential direction of the ring (R) or the other pipe end portion Pb, the inclined surfaces
23
a
,
33
a
for allowing their opposite connecting partners to slide together easily.
In addition, the synthetic resin pipe according to the invention may have a smooth outer shape or an unevenly corrugated outer shape. When the synthetic resin pipe has an unevenly corrugated outer shape, the corrugated shape may be spiral or annular. Further, regarding the corrugated shape of the unevenly corrugated synthetic resin pipe, the raised and recessed portions both may be round, or alternatively, the raised portions may be angular and the recessed portions may be round.
In a connection of respective pipe end portions, (e.g., two synthetic resin pipes of this type), the pipe end portion Pb of one synthetic resin pipe may be simply inserted into the pipe end portion Pa of another synthetic resin pipe in the pipe's axial direction.
In this insertion operation, the other pipe end portion Pb contacts the inclined guide surface
31
of the ring R through the inclined cylinder
21
formed in the leading end portion. The other pipe end portion Pb moves into the deep portion of one pipe end portion Pa while spreading the inclined guide surface
31
in the peripheral direction of the ring R.
When the securing stepped portion
22
of the other pipe end portion Pb passes through the inclined guide surface
31
, the spreading force in the peripheral direction is halted with a snap, thereby returning the ring R to its original state and signaling the end of the inserting operation with a snapping sound.
Thus, the securing stepped portion
22
of the other pipe end portion Pb is engaged with the securing stepped portion
32
formed on the deep side of the inclined guide surface
31
of the ring R. This prevents the other pipe end portion Pb from moving in a reverse direction and disconnecting.
At this point, the plurality of projecting portions
23
of the other pipe end portion Pb are fitted into the plurality of cut-out portions
33
of the ring R, thereby preventing the other pipe end portion Pb from moving in the peripheral direction.
Thus, to connec
Browne Lynne H.
Lugo Carlos
McGinn & Gibb PLLC
Totaku Industries, Inc.
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