Pipe joints or couplings – Essential catch
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-14
2001-07-10
Nicholson, Eric K. (Department: 3627)
Pipe joints or couplings
Essential catch
C285S921000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257627
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
The invention relates to a tube to be connected to a pipe having a projecting portion at an insertion end portion, more particularly, an improvement of a connecting structure of the tube to be connected to the pipe.
Heretofore, a connector for connecting a pipe made of a, relatively hard material, such as steel, and a tube made of a relatively soft material, such as synthetic resin, has been, disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 5-196184.
The conventional connector, as shown in FIGS.
5
(
a
) and
5
(
b
), connects a tube T having a uniform outer diameter, to a pipe P having an insertion end portion P
1
with a uniform outer diameter and a flange portion F on a circumference of the insertion end portion P
1
. The connector includes a connector main portion C and a retainer R.
The connector C is formed of a mounting portion C
1
, a base portion C
2
and an attaching portion C
3
, which are integrally molded. The mounting portion C
1
has a cylindrical shape with a small diameter and a plurality of annular projections K of a hook shape on its outer circumferential surface. The base portion C
2
has a cylindrical shape of a sufficiently larger diameter than the insertion end portion P
1
of the pipe P, and houses therein a pair of O-rings
01
,
02
, and a spacer S. The attaching portion C
3
has a cylindrical shape of a diameter larger than that of the base portion C
2
, and is provided with a pair of windows W at mutually facing portions. The connector main portion C is attached to the tube T by inserting the mounting portion C
1
into an opening end portion of the tube T.
The retainer R has a pair of openable elastic tongues A, and is attached to the attaching portion C
3
such that the tongues A are fitted in the respective windows W. The elastic tongues A are gradually inclined inwardly toward the base portion C
2
of the connector main portion C to thereby form a space smaller than an outer diameter of the flange portion F between the forward ends thereof.
In the conventional technique, when the pipe P is inserted into the connector main portion C, the elastic tongues A are pressed in a direction radially outwardly by the flange portion F, so that the elastic tongues A are suitably widened to thereby allow the flange portion F to pass therethrough. Thereafter, when the flange portion F has passed through the elastic tongues A, the respective tongues A return to the normal states by their respective restoring forces, and the respective forward ends of the elastic tongues A are pressed against the circumferential surface of the pipe P on the base end side of the flange portion F.
As a result, the pipe P is prevented from being disengaged from the connector through the flange portion F to thereby hold a connecting state between the pipe P and the tube T.
In case the conventional connector is used, as described above, since the pipe P and the tube T can be mutually connected by the insertion operation of the pipe P, the connecting operation can be easily carried out.
Also, in the insertion operation, the insertion force is suddenly changed after the forward ends of the elastic tongues A pass the flange portion F to thereby give an operator a moderate feeling, so that the operator can acknowledge the connecting state between the pipe P and the tube T through the moderate feeling.
However, in the above-described connector, it is necessary that the mounting portion C
1
of the connector main portion C is inserted into an opening end portion of the tube T. The insertion operation of the mounting portion C
1
requires a great force and is extremely troublesome since the mounting portion C
1
is pushed while gradually widening an inner diameter of the tube T.
Moreover, in case the above-described connector is used, it is necessary that not only the connector main portion C and the retainer but also the O-rings
01
,
02
and
03
are interposed over the tube T and the pipe P. As a result, the number of parts for connecting the pipe P and the tube T becomes extremely large, which results in a high cost.
In view of the above defects, the present invention has been made, and an object of the invention is to provide a tube which can be connected to a pipe with an easy operation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tube as stated above, wherein a production cost can be greatly reduced.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to attain the above objects, according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a tube to be connected to a pipe including an insertion portion extending from an end surface with an approximately uniform horizontal sectional, and a, projecting portion extending radially outwardly from a circumference thereof and disposed at a position away from the end surface by a predetermined distance.
The tube is integrally formed of a base portion for allowing the insertion portion of the pipe to be inserted therein through an opening at an end surface; a wide portion formed at an open end portion of the base portion to allow the projecting portion of the pipe to be inserted; and a narrow portion projecting inward from an inner surface of the wide portion. The narrow portion is located at a portion closer to an opening side than the projecting portion of the pipe in case the insertion portion of the pipe is inserted into the base portion. In an ordinary state, the narrower portion prevents the projecting portion of the pipe from passing therethrough, and in case the narrower portion is elastically widened, the narrower portion allows the flange portion to pass therethrough.
According to a second aspect of the invention, the narrower portion in the first aspect is formed of a plurality of projections disposed side by side in a circumferential direction.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3785682 (1974-01-01), Schaller et al.
patent: 3825288 (1974-07-01), Maroschak
patent: 3897090 (1975-07-01), Maroschak
patent: 3899198 (1975-08-01), Maroschak
patent: 3958425 (1976-05-01), Maroschak
patent: 3990727 (1976-11-01), Gallagher
patent: 4907663 (1990-03-01), Maier
patent: 4969670 (1990-11-01), Bonnema et al.
patent: 5040729 (1991-08-01), Carrozza
patent: 5094482 (1992-03-01), Petty
patent: 5213376 (1993-05-01), Szabo
patent: 667506 (1988-10-01), None
patent: 4310628 (1993-10-01), None
patent: 4305609 (1993-11-01), None
patent: 545598 (1993-06-01), None
Fujiwara Tatsuya
Kurihara Kazumasa
Kanesaka & Takeuchi
Nicholson Eric K.
Nifco Inc.
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