Connection structure of resin tube and resin joint and connection method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11318683-B2
Application number	US-202017113123-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2020
Priority date	Dec 13, 2019
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

A resin joint 20 includes an outer cylinder 21 molded by a resin material capable of transmitting laser light and an inner cylinder 22 disposed facing the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 21. An annular protrusion 22b that protrudes in the radial direction and extends in the circumferential direction is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 21 or the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 22. The axial end of the resin tube 10 is inserted into an annular space 30 and is deformed in the radial direction following the annular protrusion 22b, and a region deformed in the radial direction has a surface that is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 21. The inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 21 and the outer peripheral surface of the resin tube 10 are laser-welded.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connection structure of a resin tube and a resin joint, where
the resin joint comprises:
an outer cylinder molded from a resin material capable of transmitting laser light, and
an inner cylinder molded from a resin material that is disposed facing an inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder and forms an annular space between the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder and an outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder, the annular space having an opening in one side in the axial direction for receiving an axial end of the resin tube;
wherein two or more annular protrusions that protrude in a radial direction and extend along an entire circumferential direction are formed in the annular space on the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder or the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder, the two or more annular protrusions having heights in the radial direction which are the same, axial cross-section shapes which are the same, and being spaced apart from one another in the axial direction by a portion of the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder or outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder which is a linear shape parallel to the axial direction;

where the axial end of the resin tube is molded from a resin material capable of absorbing laser light;
wherein the axial end of the resin tube is inserted into the annular space and is deformed and compressed in the radial direction following the annular protrusions such that regions of the axial end of the resin tube have surfaces that are in contact with and compressed against the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder, and
wherein the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder and the surfaces of the axial end of the resin tube in contact with and compressed against the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder are laser-welded;

where a difference between an inner diameter of the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder and an outer diameter of the annular protrusions formed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder is smaller than a reference thickness of the resin tube, wherein the reference thickness is a no-load thickness of the resin tube prior to insertion into the annular space, and wherein the outer diameter of the annular protrusions is from a maximum height of the annular protrusions, or
a difference between an outer diameter of the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder and an inner diameter of the annular protrusions formed on the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder is smaller than the reference thickness of the resin tube, wherein the inner diameter of the annular protrusions is from a maximum height of the annular protrusions; and
where the resin material of the outer cylinder and the resin material of the inner cylinder both have a higher hardness than the axial end of the resin tube.

2. The connection structure of claim 1 , wherein the two or more annular protrusions are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder, and wherein the axial cross section of the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder is formed into a linear shape parallel to the axial direction.

3. The connection structure of claim 1 , wherein the two or more annular protrusions are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder, and wherein the axial cross section of the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder is formed into a linear shape parallel to the axial direction.

4. The connection structure of claim 1 , wherein the resin material of the outer cylinder and the resin material of the inner cylinder are the same, and the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder are integrally molded from the resin material.

5. The connection structure of claim 1 , wherein the resin material of the outer cylinder and the resin material of the inner cylinder are different.

6. The connection structure of claim 5 , wherein the resin joint further comprises:
an outer cylinder member including the outer cylinder, and
an inner cylinder member including the inner cylinder and being joined to the outer cylinder member;
wherein the outer cylinder member is molded from a resin material capable of transmitting laser light;
wherein the inner cylinder member is molded from a resin material capable of absorbing laser light;

where at an axial bottom portion of the annular space, the inner cylinder member is in contact with the outer cylinder member, and wherein a contact surface between the inner cylinder member and the outer cylinder member is laser-welded.

7. The connection structure of claim 6 , wherein at the axial bottom portion of the annular space, the outer cylinder member, the inner cylinder member, and the resin tube are in contact with each other and are laser-welded.

8. The connection structure of claim 1 , wherein the resin tube has a multi-layer structure, and at least one of the multiple layers is molded from a resin material capable of absorbing laser light.

9. The connection structure of claim 8 , wherein the connection structure is a fuel supply line of an automobile.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Riko Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shinohara Hideki
• Nishiyama Takahiro
• Osawa Ayaka

Classifications

• B29C65/1635 Primary

  at least passing through one of the parts to be joined, i.e. laser transmission welding · CPC title

• F16L25/06

  comprising radial locking means · CPC title

• F16L47/20

  based principally on specific properties of plastics · CPC title

• F16L47/02

  Welded joints; Adhesive joints · CPC title

• B29C66/1222

  comprising at least a lapped joint-segment · CPC title