Connection member and connection unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12474004-B2
Application number	US-202318396938-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2023
Priority date	Dec 28, 2022
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

A connector includes a flow path extending in an axial direction along a central axis, a body including a through hole extending in the axial direction, a pipe including a through hole extending in the axial direction, and a seal including a sealing material between the body and the pipe. The body includes a body-side opposing surface opposing the pipe. The pipe includes a pipe-side opposing surface opposing the body. The seal is between the body-side opposing surface and the pipe-side opposing surface. The seal includes a reservoir in which the sealing material collects between the body-side opposing surface and the pipe-side opposing surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A connector comprising:
a flow path extending in an axial direction along a central axis; a body including a through hole extending in the axial direction; a pipe including a through hole extending in the axial direction; and a seal including a sealing material between the body and the pipe; wherein the body includes a body-side opposing surface opposing the pipe; the pipe includes a pipe-side opposing surface opposing the body; the seal is between the body-side opposing surface and the pipe-side opposing surface; and the seal includes a reservoir in which the sealing material collects between the body-side opposing surface and the pipe-side opposing surface; at least one of the body-side opposing surface and the pipe-side opposing surface includes a cutout surface obtained by cutting out a plane parallel to the axial direction or a radial direction orthogonal to the axial direction; the seal includes a plurality of reservoirs that include:
an outer diameter-side reservoir on an outermost side in a radial direction among the plurality of reservoirs; and
an inner diameter-side reservoir on an innermost side in a radial direction among the plurality of reservoirs;
a plurality of cutout surfaces define the cutout surface; the plurality of cutout surfaces include:
an outer diameter-side cutout surface at an outer end in a radial direction of the body-side opposing surface or the pipe-side opposing surface among the plurality of cutout surfaces; and
an inner diameter-side cutout surface communicating with the through hole among the plurality of cutout surfaces;
when the outer diameter-side reservoir and the inner diameter-side reservoir are exposed in the radial direction, a slant with respect to the axial direction of the inner diameter-side cutout surface is smaller than a slant with respect to the axial direction of the outer diameter-side cutout surface; and when the outer diameter-side reservoir and the inner diameter-side reservoir are exposed in the axial direction, a slant with respect to the radial direction of the inner diameter-side cutout surface is smaller than a slant with respect to the radial direction of the outer diameter-side cutout surface.

2 . The connector according to claim 1 , further comprising a holder to hold positions of the body and the pipe.

3 . The connector according to claim 2 , wherein the holder includes a claw extending from one portion of the body and the pipe and hooking on another portion of the body and the pipe;
the claw includes: a first portion extending in the axial direction from the one portion; and a second portion extending in a circumferential direction from a tip end of the first portion; and the second portion opposes the another portion in the axial direction.

4 . The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the body-side opposing surface and the pipe-side opposing surface oppose each other in the axial direction and a radial direction orthogonal to the central axis.

5 . The connector according to claim 4 , wherein
the seal includes: a first plate-shaped portion positioned between a side surface of the body and an outer peripheral surface of the pipe opposing each other in the axial direction; a second plate-shaped portion coupled to the first plate-shaped portion and positioned between an inner peripheral surface of the body and an outer peripheral surface of the pipe opposing each other in the radial direction; and a third plate-shaped portion coupled to the second plate-shaped portion and positioned between an inner peripheral surface of the body and a side surface of the pipe opposing each other in the axial direction.

6 . The connector according to claim 4 , wherein
the seal further includes a plate-shaped portion positioned between an inner peripheral surface of the body and an outer peripheral surface of the pipe opposing each other in the radial direction; and the reservoir includes at least one of a reservoir positioned on one axial side of the plate-shaped portion and a reservoir positioned on another axial side of the plate-shaped portion.

7 . The connector according to claim 4 , wherein
the seal further includes a plate-shaped portion positioned between an inner peripheral surface of the body and an outer peripheral surface of the pipe opposing each other in the radial direction; the reservoir includes: one axial side reservoir positioned on one side in an axial direction of the plate-shaped portion; and another axial side reservoir positioned on another side in an axial direction of the plate-shaped portion; and a sectional area of the one axial side reservoir is larger than a sectional area of the axial other side reservoir.

8 . The connector according to claim 4 , further comprising:
an elastic portion in the flow path; and a valve in the through hole and movable in the axial direction in accordance with the elastic portion in contact with the elastic portion; wherein the reservoir is positioned outside in the radial direction relative to the elastic portion and the valve.

9 . The connector according to claim 8 , wherein the valve closes an opening of the body.

10 . The connector according to claim 8 , wherein
the pipe includes a column; and the valve closes the flow path together with the column.

11 . The connector according to claim 1 , wherein a difference between a solubility parameter of the sealing material and a solubility parameter of a fluid flowing through the flow path is 1 or greater.

12 . A connection assembly comprising:
a first connector and a second connector; wherein each of the first connector and the second connector is provided with a flow path extending in an axial direction along a central axis; the first connector includes:
a body including a through hole extending in the axial direction;
a pipe including a through hole extending in the axial direction;
a seal including a sealing material between the body and the pipe;
an elastic portion in the flow path; and
a valve in the through hole and movable in the axial direction in accordance with the elastic portion in contact with the elastic portion;
in the first connector:
the body includes a body-side opposing surface opposing the pipe;
the pipe includes a pipe-side opposing surface opposing the body;
the seal is between the body-side opposing surface and the pipe-side opposing surface;
the seal includes a reservoir in which the sealing material collects between the body-side opposing surface and the pipe-side opposing surface; and
the valve closes an opening of the body;
the second connector includes:
a body including a through hole extending in the axial direction;
a pipe including a through hole extending in the axial direction;
a seal including a sealing material sealing between the body and the pipe;
an elastic portion located in the flow path; and
a valve that is located in the through hole and movable in the axial direction in accordance with the elastic portion in contact with the elastic portion; and
in the second connector:
the body includes a body-side opposing surface opposing the pipe;
the pipe includes a pipe-side opposing surface opposing the body;
the seal is between the body-side opposing surface and the pipe-side opposing surface;
the seal includes a reservoir in which the sealing material collects between the body-side opposing surface and the pipe-side opposing surface;
the pipe includes a column; and
the valve closes a flow path together with the column.

Assignees

• Nidec Corp

Inventors

• Tamaoka Takehito
• Kitamura Yoshihisa

Classifications

• F16L37/34

  at least one of the lift valves being of the sleeve type, i.e. a sleeve being telescoped over an inner cylindrical wall · CPC title

• F16J15/021

  with elastic packing (F16J15/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16L37/252 Primary

  the male part having lugs on its periphery penetrating into the corresponding slots provided in the female part · CPC title

• F16L37/248 Primary

  Bayonet-type couplings · CPC title

• F16L37/28 Primary

  with fluid cut-off means · CPC title