Connection device for pipe lines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9939094-B2
Application number	US-201314410589-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2013
Priority date	Jun 26, 2012
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A connection device for pipe lines includes a connection element that has a receiving opening for a pipe line and a retainer element that stops the pipe line from being pulled out. The retainer element is designed as a spring-elastic toothed ring that has teeth distributed across a circumference and which extend radially inward at an incline and act against the pipe line. The toothed ring is mounted to have limited axial play. At the transition region between an outer circumferential region and the retainer teeth, the toothed ring interacts with a circumferential tilt edge such that the toothed ring can pivot about the tilt edge out of a position in which its outer circumferential region is pressed against a first, lower contact section and a second, upper contact section. The retainer teeth being able to be elastically deformed by bending.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A connection device for pipelines comprising:
a connecting element having a receiving opening for a pipeline to be inserted with a line end and
a retaining element mounted inside the receiving opening to lock the line end against extraction,
wherein the retaining element is configured as a spring-elastic toothed ring with an outer circumferential area and with a plurality of retaining teeth arranged over an inner circumference extending radially inward and at an angle in a direction of insertion X and acting positively and/or frictionally against the line end,
the toothed ring is mounted with the outer circumferential area having an axially limited freedom of movement defined by a first contact section and a second contact section axially opposed to the first contact section,
wherein the toothed ring interacts at a transition between the outer circumferential area and the retaining teeth with a circumferential tilting edge provided inside the connecting element such that on insertion of the line end and contact with the retaining teeth, the toothed ring pivots around the tilting edge in a seesaw manner from a position where the outer circumferential area is pressed against the first contact section until the outer circumferential area contacts the second contact section, wherein the retaining teeth protruding radially inward over the tilting edge can be elastically deformed by bending, and
wherein the connecting element further includes a housing axially provided as two parts with a first housing part pointing in the direction of insertion and a second housing part, wherein the first and second housing parts connected to each other via a circumferential snap-on connection.

2. A connection device according to claim 1 , wherein the tilting edge is formed on an insert ring which also defines the first contact section as an end face adjacent radially outward of the tilting edge.

3. The connection device according to claim 2 , wherein the insert ring includes an end face facing in the direction of insertion of the pipeline that together with an axially opposed surface of the connecting element delimits a sealing chamber inside the connecting element for a circumferential pipe seal.

4. A connection device according to claim 1 , wherein the second contact section is defined by a ring-shaped insert element which is supported inside the connecting element in a direction opposite to the direction of insertion on an annular retaining projection of the connecting element that protrudes radially inward.

5. The connection device according to claim 1 , further comprising a ring-shaped locking element configured to close partial opening of the receiving opening between the connection device and an inserted pipeline.

6. The connection device according to claim 1 , wherein the toothed ring is configured as a stamped bent part made of spring steel sheet and is divided in the outer circumferential area into a plurality of connection sections connecting the retaining teeth via recesses radially opposite the retaining teeth.

7. The connection device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a support sleeve coaxially arranged inside the receiving opening of the connecting element in a region occupied by the retaining element and radially inward thereof, the support sleeve having a cylindrical outer surface on which the line end is adapted to be slid upon insertion, where in the region of the retaining element, the support sleeve has a support section with a wall thickness (D1) providing radial support of the line end against the radially inward retaining force of the retaining element, the support sleeve axially having a sleeve section with a reduced wall thickness on at least one side of the support section with a reduced wall thickness (D2) relative to the wall thickness (D1) of the support section to enlarge an effective inner flow cross-section of the support sleeve.

8. The connection device according to claim 7 , wherein the support sleeve has sleeve sections with a reduced wall thickness (D2) on both axial sides of the support section.

9. The connection device according to claim 8 , wherein an inner circumferential area of the support section and the adjacent sleeve sections continuously merge into each other via transition sections such that the support sleeve has an inner contour of a Venturi nozzle.

10. The connection device according to claim 7 , wherein a free end of the support sleeve has a chamfered outer insertion area.

11. The connection device according to claim 10 , wherein the support sleeve includes a stop configured to limit insertion of the line end, the stop being located in an area inside the connecting element opposite the free end of the support sleeve, the stop having a conical contact surface facing in a direction so as to engage the line end.

12. The connection device according to claim 11 , wherein the conical contact surface encompasses a cone angle (α) with a radial plane perpendicular to the insertion axis (Y) which is in the range of 5° to 15°.

13. The connection device according to claim 11 , wherein the conical contact surface encompasses a cone angle (α) with a radial plane perpendicular to the insertion axis (Y) at about 10°.

14. A connection device for pipelines comprising:
a connecting element having a receiving opening for a pipeline to be inserted with a line end and
a retaining element mounted inside the receiving opening to lock the line end against extraction,
wherein the retaining element is configured as a spring-elastic toothed ring with an outer circumferential area and with a plurality of retaining teeth arranged over an inner circumference extending radially inward and at an angle in the direction of insertion X and acting positively and/or frictionally against the line end,
the toothed ring is mounted with the outer circumferential area having an axially limited freedom of movement defined by a first contact section and a second contact section axially opposed to the first contact section,
wherein the toothed ring interacts at a transition between the outer circumferential area and the retaining teeth with a circumferential tilting edge provided inside the connecting element such that on insertion of the line end and contact with the retaining teeth, the toothed ring pivots around the tilting edge in a seesaw manner from a position where the outer circumferential area is pressed against the first contact section until the outer circumferential area contacts the second contact section, wherein the retaining teeth protruding radially inward over the tilting edge can be elastically deformed by bending, and
a sleeve-shaped release element in axial displaceable engagement with the connecting element such that the toothed ring is engageable and elastically deformable by axial displacement of the release element to release of the pipeline, the release element includes an outer circumferential seal that seals a ring gap toward the connecting element and includes an inner circumferential seal that seals a ring gap toward the pipeline.

15. The connection device according to claim 14 , wherein the release element is retainingly engaged in the connecting element and kept against disassembly by a lock.

16. The connection device according to claim 14 , wherein the outer circumferential seal is configured to bias the release element in an axial direction.

Assignees

• Voss Automotive Gmbh

Inventors

• Hagen Harald
• Klehr Adrian
• Hess Jochem-Andreas

Classifications

• F16L47/24

  for joints between metal and plastics pipes · CPC title

• F16L37/091 Primary

  by means of a ring provided with teeth or fingers · CPC title

• F16L37/0985

  the flexible hook extending radially inwardly from an outer part and engaging a bead, recess or the like on an inner part (F16L37/0982 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16L37/0915 Primary

  with a separate member for releasing the coupling · CPC title

• F16L2201/80

  Dust covers · CPC title