FR2806780A1 - SLIDING DEVICE FOR CONNECTING THE END OF A TUBE TO A TIP - Google Patents

Abstract

Sliding device for connecting the end of a tube (2) to a cylindrical end piece (3) having an end section (4) which is externally swollen, comprising a sleeve (5) provided with a bore, a first end section of which (6) forms a housing for members (9, 10, 11) of instantaneous connection and release of this connection, the bore having a second section (7) whose diameter is close to that outside of the swollen section (4) ) above, and a third section (8) located opposite the members (9, 10, 11) of instantaneous connection, of diameter smaller than that of the section (4) externally swollen.

Description

The present invention relates to an end connection device

  of a tube with a nozzle whose sliding nature makes it possible to carry out the pre-assembly of a fluid circuit and the easy replacement either of a section of tube or of a functional circuit member. A fluid circuit, in particular of compressed air, is produced by sections of tube connected to each other by means of functional members. Functional components may include fittings

  of simple union, elbows of connection, tees of -

  bypass, plugs, stopcocks or valves,

purge devices ...

  The assembly is attached to a support infrastructure by means of collars for fixing the tube sections to the infrastructure and / or means for attaching the functional members to this infrastructure. With the generalization of the use of instant connection fittings, the realization of the circuit consists simply in making the end of each section of tube penetrate into the instant connection means with claws or the like with which the functional members are fitted. We understand that to achieve this connection (or to disconnect these elements), it is necessary to have an availability of relative movement between the tube sections and the functional members in the direction

longitudinal sections.

  In general, during assembly, we have this possibility because we can play with the connection of the circuit to the infrastructure which is carried out at the same time, although sometimes this possibility is reduced and it takes a certain skill to dispose of it. . On the other hand, upon dismantling, the circuit is fixed to the infrastructure and recovering this relative freedom of movement requires prior disassembly of several means of

  fixing the circuit to the infrastructure.

  It has already been proposed to remedy this drawback by connection means, the characteristic of which is that they are separable to completely release the tube from the end piece (belonging to the functional member) to which it is connected without having to move it axially. outside this tip (see document FR No 2 685 755). There remains however a drawback to these connection means: one of the parts of these remains carried by the section of tube (or the functional member) which has been removed laterally from the circuit and which must either be replaced on the new section of tube to be reassembled, either equip a

  a priori the new functional organ to be put in place.

  By the present invention is meant, on the one hand, to eliminate this drawback by means which keep the connection means cohesive in one unit and which allow them to remain integral with the functional member to which or to which a tube can be connected or disconnected and, on the other hand, offer stakeholders on the circuit both during assembly and disassembly, the possibility of prepositioning the various constituents of this fluid circuit before proceeding to their sealed connection. This last possibility makes it possible to proceed first to the fixing of the circuit attachments to the infrastructure, to attach the elements which they must support to it and to proceed subsequently to the complete confection of the circuit by bringing back the intermediate elements therein. and making tight connections between

functional tubes and organs.

  To this end, the present invention relates to a sliding device for connecting the end of a tube to a cylindrical end piece having an externally swollen end section, comprising a sleeve provided with a bore, a first end section of which forms a housing for instant connection and release connection members, in which the bore has a second section the diameter of which is close to the aforementioned bulged section and which is extended opposite to the instant connection means, by a third section of diameter smaller than that of the bulged section. It is understood that by this arrangement when it is desired to make the connection between a nozzle and the end of a tube, these two elements are juxtaposed and the sleeve carrying the instant connection means is maneuvered in the direction of the tube until the third section of this

  the latter comes into abutment on the bulged part of the endpiece.

  It is in fact the reverse movement of the usual movement for making an instantaneous connection which consists in introducing the end of the tube into the sleeve carrying the instant connection means, this sleeve being conventionally secured to the endpiece instead of being

sliding as in the invention.

  Advantageously, the device of the invention is such that the instant connection members include an element which has a part in the form of a semi-cylindrical cradle projecting axially outside the sleeve. This cradle supports sections of tube which are to be placed between the end pieces before their connection. Thus, during the creation of a circuit for example of compressed air distribution, it will have been possible to fix all the fittings or the functional members to the infrastructure (in a more or less loose fixing) and to have all the sections of tube between these functional members simply supported by the cradles which are provided in accordance with the invention each endpiece

  connection of the functional organs to the tube sections.

  Preferably the cradle is carried by an element of the instantaneous connection which ensures the release of this connection which can be either a disconnection pusher or an arming piece of the instantaneous connection members as will be described

in more detail below.

  So that this cradle for supporting the sections of tube extending between the functional elements of a fluid distribution circuit is disposed correctly with respect to the end pieces, each end piece has an external stop remote from the end face of its swollen end of a distance such that when the sleeve is in abutment therein, said end face is substantially in the same radial plane as the end face of the first section of the sleeve. In this way the cradle is projecting from this radial plane and therefore well placed to support a

tube section.

  In the device according to the invention, finally, the second section of the sleeve comprises two sealing elements which are axially distant from one another so that, when the third section of this sleeve is in abutment on the swollen end of the end piece, one of these elements is in contact with said end while the other element is located beyond the end face of the bulged end. The second section of the sleeve ensures the centering of the bulged part and the tube which is juxtaposed to it at the same time as the seal between this bulged part and

  outside and between the tube and the outside.

  Other features and benefits of

  the invention will emerge from the description given below

  of some modes of its realization.

  Reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is an axial sectional view of a first embodiment of the invention, - Figure 2 is an axial sectional view of a second embodiment of the connection device of the invention in its state connected to a section of tube, - Figure 3 illustrates in a sectional view an alternative embodiment of the invention applied to a stopcock, - Figure 4 finally shows a connection elbow equipped with the means of the invention with an alternative embodiment of the instant connection means. In a circuit for example of pressurized fluid, there is an alternation of functional members 1 and of tube sections 2. Each functional member has a nozzle 3 for making its connection with a section of tube. The end piece 3 is secured to the functional member by one of its ends (generally in one piece with it) while its other end has a bulged part 4 whose outside diameter is substantially equal

  the outside diameter of the tube section 2.

  The connection device according to the invention is mainly composed of a tubular sleeve 5 divided into three adjacent sections 6, 7 and 8. The first axial section 6 accommodates instant connection means known in themselves, from the tube 2 to the end piece 3. These connection means consist for example of a claw washer 9 housed in the bore of section 6 of the sleeve 5 between a stop ring 10 and a ring 11 for arming or disarming this washer 9. The ring 11 also constitutes a guide and a holding of the tube 2 inside the connection means according to the invention. An external nut 12, for example operable by hand, allows the ring 11 to be brought closer to the stop ring 10. In this connection, the ring 11 clamps the washer 9 against the stop 10 and this tightening causes a displacement of the teeth of the ring 9 towards the axis of the sleeve so that these teeth protrude relative to the internal diameter of the ring 11 so as to be able to bite into the tube 2 when the latter is opposite these. When the nut 12 is loosened, the proper elasticity of the washer 9 allows the teeth to disengage radially outwards and thus to release the

  tube 2 in which they were engaged.

  The second section 7 of the sleeve 5 has an internal bore of diameter equal to the external diameter of the tube 2 with two seals 13 and 14 spaced apart axially from each other. Finally, the last or third section 8 of the sleeve 5 has an inner diameter less than the diameter

  outside of the bulge 4 of the nozzle 3.

  The sealed connection of the section 2 of the tube to the end piece 3 operates as follows. The sleeve 5, as shown in FIG. 1, is placed so that the front face of the ring 11 is situated substantially in the plane of the end face of the end piece 3 on the side of its bulged part 4. The ring 11 is pressed against the ring 10 so that the instant connection means are armed, ready to retain the tube 2 by penetration into the

  wall thereof at its external surface.

  The connection is made by moving the sleeve in the direction of the tube section 2 until the third section 8 of the sleeve 5 abuts on the rear of the bulged part 4. In this position, as illustrated for example in the Figure 2, the teeth of the washer 9 bite into the tube 2, while the seal 13 rests on the outer surface of the bulge 4 while the

  seal 14 rests on the external surface of tube 2.

  To proceed with the disconnection of the tube from the end piece, we first unscrew the nut 12 in order to release the washer 9, which makes it possible to unclip the sleeve 5 of the tube 2 and to slide it along the end piece 3 towards the left of fig 1. In this regard, it will be noted that the end piece 3 has a stop 15 which limits this sliding to the left of the sleeve 5, stop 15 which is separated from the end face of the sleeve 3 by a distance which is at least equal to the axial length of the sleeve 5 measured from the end of its section 8 to the end of the ring 11 when the latter is loosened to make the claw washer 9 inactive. It is understood that in these conditions the tube 2 can be extracted perpendicular to its circuit axis because none of its ends is engaged in a bore of the connecting member. In Figure 2, there is shown the device of Figure 1 in its state ensuring the connection between the nozzle 3 and the tube 2. All the elements shown in this figure already described with reference to the previous figure have the same references. An alternative embodiment will be noted with regard to the instant connection means. In fact, in FIG. 2, the washer 9 is pinched permanently between the ring 10 and a hollow nut 16 screwed inside the section 6 of the sleeve. Inside this nut 16 a tubular pusher 17 is slidably mounted, in a known manner, for, when pressed inside the sleeve 5, raise the teeth

  of the washer 9 and thus release the retainer from the tube 2.

  When the teeth are raised, the sleeve 5 can then be slid to the left of the figure in the direction of the stop 15. We thus find the same possibility of

tube disconnection 2.

  It will have been noted that the pusher 17, in its inactive position, has a part 18, projecting axially outside the sleeve 5, and which forms a kind of semi-cylindrical cradle supporting a section of tube 2 while this sleeve is retracted to the left of the figure in

direction of the stop 15.

  FIG. 3 illustrates the role of this part 18 in a cradle in an application consisting of the connection of a stop valve or tap 19 to two sections 2 of a compressed gas distribution circuit. It can be seen in this figure that when the tubes 2 are brought in the extension of the internal channel 20 of the stop valve 19, these are supported by the cradle parts 18 of the pushers 17 for lifting the teeth of the claw washer 9. It will be noted that in this representation it is the elasticity of this washer which keeps the pusher in the most extreme position and guarantees that the cradles 18 are well projecting relative to the end face of the device connection. As the pushers 17 are mounted to rotate freely inside the sleeves 5, the orientation of the cradles 18 can be arbitrary around the longitudinal axis of the conduit 20. It is understood that if the tube sections 2 are fixed, it is the valve 19 which can be put in place or removed from the circuit by a lateral movement, that is to say perpendicular to the axis of the sections 2 of tube. Conversely, if the valve 19 is rigidly coupled to a circuit support infrastructure, it is the sections 2 which can be moved laterally relative to

this valve.

  Thus, for example, while the sections 2 are fixed, it is possible to set up the tap 19 so that the cradles 18 retain this tap between the sections by cooperating with the latter either by a slight snap-fastening or by an orientation around the axis of the conduit 20 such that the tap 19 is suspended from the section 2. It is then possible for the operator who constitutes the circuit, to operate further in order to prepare the association of the tubes and the members that the circuit must understand, and thus carry out the whole of a pre-assembly of this circuit before proceeding to the connections

  tight between the various elements that compose it.

  Finally, in FIG. 4, there is shown an application of the connection device according to the invention to a connection elbow of two sections of tube. The stop 15 described above does not exist in this application: it is indeed the bent part 3a of the end piece 3 which constitutes a limitation to the sliding of the sleeves 5. It will be noted that in this application, the device of the The invention is shown according to another alternative embodiment which is similar to the variant described with reference to Figure 1, that is to say which does not include a pusher for the deactivation of the instant connection means. This deactivation is ensured by a ring 21 which has the same function as the ring 11 of FIG. 1, that is to say to approach or move away from the ring 10 by pinching or releasing the washer 9 but which is itself threaded to cooperate with an internal thread of the sleeve 5. Such a ring is operated with a special key of the lug wrench type cooperating with blind holes provided frontally on the ring 21. It is the ring 21 which then has a cradle 22 identical to the cradle 18 shown associated with the pusher 17

of the previous figures.

Claims (6)

  1. Sliding device for connecting the end of a tube (2) to a cylindrical end piece (3) having an end section (4) which is externally swollen, comprising a sleeve (5) provided with a bore, the first of which end section (6) forms a housing for members (9, 10, 11) for instant connection and release of this connection, characterized in that the bore has a second section (7) whose diameter is close to that of the outside of the aforementioned bulged section (4), and a third section (8) located opposite the members (9, 10, 11) of instantaneous connection, of diameter   lower than that of the externally inflated section (4).   2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the members (9, 10, 11) of instantaneous connection comprise an element which has a part in the form of a semi-cylindrical cradle (18) projecting axially at the outside of the sleeve (5).   3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the above-mentioned element is a pusher (17) of   disconnection of instant connection devices.   4. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the aforesaid element is a ring (21) of arming   instant connection devices.   5. Device according to any one of   previous claims, characterized in that the end piece   (3) has an outer stop (15) distant from the end face of its swollen end (4) by a distance such that when the sleeve (5) is in abutment therein, said end face is substantially in the same radial plane as the   end face of the first section (6) of the sleeve (5).   6. Device according to any one of   previous claims, characterized in that the   second section of the sleeve (7) has two sealing elements (13, 14) axially spaced from one another so that, when the third section (8) of this sleeve is in abutment on the bulged end ( 4) of the end piece (3), one of its elements (13) is in contact with said end (4) while the other element (14) is located beyond the end face of the end swollen (4).