23122C3 A CONNECTOR FOR CONNECTING A SMALL DIAMETER PIPE This invention
relates to a co=ecto= having a relatively 5=11 Pipe di=ate= Or S:LZe, Of approzdmately 2a MM Or Smaller for co=acting Inetal pipes Cr hard resj tubes (1%erci=afte= t ref e==td to as pipes) to be laqd generally as a f eed-oil or f ced-air supply line f or automorive vehicles or various machines or appa=tuses.
Y CO=t4 Cnall. the COnnOctor of this kind has bee-st.-uctured for exle as shown in Fig. 1,9. That is, the CO=eCtOr (21) has a peripheral portion fo=ed with an engaging hole (25) having a. lateh-o= v;LU (21) fo=ed in an =as end periphery t2zereof. In the hole c portion of the lar-cli-support wall, a separate socket body (7.2) having a plurality of pawl walls (23) inwardly slanted at a front portLion with respect to a direction Of assembling the pc--ial wa.11 p=tion of the aidal. Cent---.al hole is b=ughrinto an engagement state at a shoulder (24) of a base portion ot the pawl walls. Mms, m arulular periphe=al wall (23') port!= on the rear end side of the socket body is 1=erted and fitted-in so that an projectúzig wall (PO') portion of a pipe (Pc) assembled inside is pressure-engaged by the pawl walls (23). Incidentally, (2i.,) is a projecting wall on a tip Lde of the connedtor (21) ovex Which a resiz tube is fitted for Connection. therewirll- laowevdw, in the conventional art like rj%lS, WhexL the socket body (22) is assled, the. annillar pe--iphe=al wall (23') portion formed by a should= (24) of the socket body. has to be crushed to be passed through the inside of the lat--h-support wall (2.l'), incurring troubleness during a3.se=bling operation. Also, in relation to the engagement of the shoulder portion (24) with an inside of the latchsupport wall (21'), ti:e socket body is obliged to have generally a large diameter, and the pawl wall is long in size and t2%:Ln in wall th.Lckn"3. As a result, the fazigue in the pawl wall pozt.,ons over a long te= causes loosening to induce devitation of the sockat bo&z i=--- a =tational direction. Parther, there involves surAi a problem thaz there is extreme d.,tflculty in rialeasi=g engagement, pressure.
The p=-es4=r. i=v=Z:Lcn has bee= =add in View of. the aforesaid problem involved by the conventionAl a=tt. and it is the object of the invention to provide a connector for connecting a small diameter p:Lpe wh%cb. is capable of eliminating the access-4ty of providingr and assembling a separate socket body as requ-,--ed by the prior art for release from troublQsonteness, providing e=jagement-pressure force to the claw wall portion with toughness and positiveness over a long te= without causing variation in position, and releasing the pipe from a connecting state in an extremely- easy operating manner by rotatIon or movement of the sleeve m er.
in order to achieve the above object, the present invention has a gist that c=prizes: a mAin bodY having a smaller diameter chamber and a larger diameter chamber penetratedly provided in an ax:Lal Interior thereof in a manner continuous with a flow passage hole formed in a coupling cylinder wall on a front side thereof; a resilient seal ring member and a bush member fitted in a smaller cer portion of the zain body; and a sleeve member movably attached over an outer side of a peripheral wall of Che =aller diameter chamber; wherein cutout window grooves provided at opposite locations on the peripheral wall on the larger cUamate= chamber side of the main body is integrally formed with a tongue-form resilient wall frontwardly projecting therefrom for inward urging to have an inwardly slanted bent portion as a claw wa.11 portion ar- a vicin-Sty of an IntermecUate portion thereof so that the claw wall portion of the tongue-to= resilient wall pressure-engages 3 with an annularly protruding wall portion Of a pipe to be connected cherewith; and wherein the sleeve member is provided with a protruding wall on an outer periphe-al side thereof such that it causes the resilient wall portion to expand and shrink by the movement of the sleeve member for achieving pres sureengagement and release therefrom at the claw wall portion.
Also. in the present Invention, it is ptefe_-red that, in a state of attaching the sleeve member, at least one of a rotational guide means andlor a positioning means is provided at attaching faces defined thexebetween. or, in the state of attaching the sleeve member, the rotational guide means andior a positioning meaw is formed by the inwardlybent wall provided at a tip of the resilient wall and an engaging flange wall provided outwardly projectingly on the sleeve member side, further or the protruding wall has an outer surface formed In an arcuate form or a pyraraid form. It is also preferred that a movement -preventive means is provided by screws to the sle-eve member having a tip thereof which at least is press-contacted by an outer peripheral surface of the main body.
Since the present invention is structured as above. when irlsert attaching the pipe during connection, the claw wall portion is expanded as the protruding wall portion abuts against the claw wall and thereafter the protruding 4 wall portion is brought into pres sure- engaged by elastic ret urn ing inward of the claw wall portion. When releasing the pipe, the rotation or forward sliding of the sleeve me causes the resilient wall portion to be expanded by the protruding wall with the result: of releasing the pressure- engagement of the claw wall portion. Therefore, there is no necessity of providing and assembling a separate socket body as required by the prior art thereby being released from troublesomeness. At the same time, the integral at.-ucture of the elastic wall having the claw wall portion with t:e main body provides pressure- engaging force to the pipe side with toughness and positiveness over- a long te= without causing deviation in positi=. Furthermore, the release of the pipe from the connectIng state is immediately made in an ext.-emely-casy operating manner by rotating or reaz-^rd moving the sleeve er.
Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a connector for connecting a smIl diameter pipe according to an embodizent of the present invention in a state of pipe ac=ect-on; rig. 2 is a rear view with respect to a connecting direction of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a partially brok an-away sectional view of Fig. 1 at an apprwd=tely 90 degree rotated position; Fig. 4 is an explanatory view with a partially broken-. away section of Fig. 1 in a state of releasing the pipe:
Fig. 5 is rear end view of Fig. 4 with respect to a connecting direction; Fig. 6 is a partially broken-away sectional view of the single main body of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a rear view of Fig. 6; rig. 9 is a partially broken-away sectional view of F19. 6 at a position of approxinately 90 degree rotated therefrom; rig. 9 is a perspective view of a sleeve ineniber of Fig.
Fig. 10 is a view of another embod-iment correspondUng to rig. 9; Fig. 11 is a view of the other embodinent corresponding to same Fig. 1; rig. 12 is a partially broken-away sectional view of Fig. 11 at a position of approximately 90 degree rotated therefx; rig. 13 is an explanatory view with a partially brokenaway section of Fig. 11 in a state of pipe release; Fig. 14 is a partially broken-away sectional view of a sleeve m= of Fig. 11; rig. 15 is a view of further another embodizent corresponding to same Fig. 1; Fig. 16 is a partially broken-away sectional view of Fig. 15 at a position of approximately 90 degree rotated therefrom; Fig. 17 is an wcpl=atory viav with a partially brokenaway section of Fig. 15 at a state of pipe release; Fig. 18 is a partially broken-away sectional view of a sleeve medber of Fig. 15; rig. 19 is a partially broken-away sectional view of a conventional connector for connecting a small diameter pipe in a state of pipe Connection.
Explain.ing embodiments of the preset invention based on rig. 1 to rig. 19, (1) is a main body of a connector fo=ed of. a nlmthet:Lc resin. which has an axial interior having a flow passage hole (4) formed in a coupling cylinder wall (2) formed projecting on a tip side for fitting with a resin tube (not shown), a smaller diameter chamber Q) and a large diameter chamber (3) formed continuous therawith at the rear thereof to penetrate therethrough- The smaller dlamater chamber has a resilient seal ring member (6) and a c.yli=l=ical bush mwa= (7) formed of a rubber material or a tesin material to be fitted therein. A cut-cut window groove (1) portion, Is provided at opposite locations on a periphe=al wall on the larger cliameter cham er (3). A 7 ton"e-fo=ed resilient wall (i.) for inward urging is integrally formed with the cut-out window groove portion such that it forwardly projecting to have a pawl wall (5) formed by a bent portion inwardly slanted. and outwardly cUrected at a vicinity of an inte=edlate portion thereof - Also, (8) is a sleeve member provided at a position on the outer side of a peripheral wall of the smaller d-J=eter cher (V) constituted by the main body (1) to be rotatably fitted in left and right cUrecti=s as shown in rig. 1. Alternatively, the sleeve membe= Is --F---bted slidable in forward and backward directions. Upon rotation or slide of the sleeve member, a projecting wall (V) provided on an outer side causes the opposing resilient wall (1) to expand and shrizLk. thereby exerting pressure and releasing same by pawl wall (5) portion on an annular e"anding wall (?') of pipe (p) to be connected.
Meanwhile, in a state of attaching the sleeve inember (a), it is possible as desi=ed to provide a rotation guide means (9) andlor a positioning means (10) that comprises a pair of a convex portion and a recess groove for engagement with each other at their fitting faces, as shown in Fig. 1 and rig. ii. Otherwise, these means (9, 10) may be farmed, as shown in rig. 15. by an inwardly-bent wall at a tip of the resilient wall (1-) and an outwardly-projecting engaging flange provided on a sleeve member (8) side so as to provide a smooth and positive rotation or sliding over the sleeve member (8). Also, the projecting wall (8') may be formed at its outer surface in an arcuate form as shown in Fig. 9, Fig. 14 and Fig. 18, or otherwise in a pyramid form as shown in Fig. 10.
In order to prevent the sleeve member (8) from rotating in the left and right directions relative to the main body (1) due to a certain cause such as carelessness or the like, or sliding in the forward and backward directions to releasing the engagement pressure acting between the pawl wall (5) portion and the annular projecting wall (P/), small screws or set bolts as a movement preventive means (11) may be screwed through the sleeve member so that their tips are pressure-abutted against the outer surface of the main body (1), or inserted through holes formed through the sleeve member (8) to be screw-fastened to the outer surface of the main body (1). Incidentally, other various means other than the above may be applied as a means for preventing the sleeve member (8) from rotating in the left and right directions relative to the main body (1) or sliding in the forward and backward directions.
As explained above, the connector for connecting a small diameter pipe according to the present invention has a structure that a claw wall (5) portion is provided in a tongue resilient wall (1) portion to be integrated with a main body (1) and the resilient wall is selectively expanded 9 and shrunk by the rotation or slide of a sleeve member (8) to exert engagement pressure and release therefrom at a claw wall (5) portion. Consequently, there is no necessity for providing and assembling a separate socket body to eliminate troublesomeness. At the same time, there is no fear of variation in position of the claw wall (5) portion occurring due to loosening of engagement-pressure on a pipe (P) over a long term, thereby providing a connection which is tough and positive. Furthermore, the release of the pipe (P) can immediately be carried out by rotation or sliding of the sleeve member (8) in an extremely simple manner, thus offering an extremely useful connector for connecting a small diameter pipe.