JP3007299B2 - Piping connector - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector used for, for example, a fuel pipe of an automobile. This pipe connector can be used, for example, for connecting a fuel filter to a pipe and connecting a fuel pump unit to a pipe in a fuel pipe of an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a connector 2 as shown in FIG. That is, the synthetic resin tube 1 is attached to the outer periphery of the pipe 4 to be connected.
The other end of the tubular connector main body 5 having the one end fitted therein is fitted. The O-ring 6 provided on the inner periphery of the other end of the connector main body 5 is brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the pipe 4 to achieve sealing. . In order to fix the connector body 5 to the pipe 4, the connector body 5 is provided with a claw 7 having elastic deformation behavior inward in the radial direction. The pawl 7 is configured to engage with the engaging projection 8 on the surface of the pipe 4 so that the connector main body 5 cannot be displaced in a direction to come off the pipe 4.

[0003]

In the conventional pipe joint described above, the connector main body 5 cannot be pulled out of the pipe 4 unless the pawl 7 is removed from the engaging projection 8.
Therefore, when disconnecting the connector main body 5 from the pipe 4, as shown in FIG. 6, the pipe 4 is fitted with a dedicated cylindrical jig 9 from the base side thereof and moved in the direction of arrow A,
The distal end of the claw 7 is deformed radially outward to disengage from the engagement projection 8, and then the connector body 5 and the pipe 4 are separated as shown in FIG. Thus, it is inconvenient that separation cannot be performed without using a dedicated jig.

In order to separate the connector body 5 and the pipe 4 without using the jig 9 as described above, an arrow B shown in FIG.
As shown by, a pressing force inward is applied to the radially outer end of the claw 7 to remove the outer end from the window 10 of the connector main body 5, and then, as shown in FIG. The pipe 4 is separated. However, in this case, as shown in FIG. 9, the claw 7 remains on the pipe 4.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention provides a piping connector capable of disconnecting a pipe from a connector body with a single touch without using a special jig and without a claw remaining on the pipe after separation. The challenge is to obtain.

[0006]

According to the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one end is fitted to an end of a pipe having an engagement projection on an outer periphery near a connection end, and the engagement projection is connected to the end of the pipe. In the pipe connector fixed to the pipe by the engagement of and connected to the tube to be connected to the pipe at the other end,
A cylindrical connector is composed of a housing portion and a cylindrical tip engagement portion coaxially coupled by a resilient fit, and at a tip portion of the cylindrical tip engagement portion near the pipe,
Openings are formed diametrically opposite each other, and holding pieces are provided inside each of the openings, and the holding pieces project from the inside of the connector body obliquely inward so as to engage with the engagement protrusions of the pipe. With the engaging claw, the base end portion is located outside the distal end engaging portion, and the intermediate portion of the holding piece is connected to the distal engaging portion peripheral direction edge of the opening by the distal engaging portion peripheral connecting piece. The distal end engaging portion, the connecting piece, and the holding piece are integrally formed of a flexible synthetic resin, and the base end of the holding piece is pressed inward in the radial direction of the connector body, so that the tip of the holding piece is The engagement pawl is disengaged radially outward from the engagement protrusion of the pipe to enable the connector to be axially disengaged from the pipe.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an assembled state and a separated state of a piping connector, respectively. This connector has a connector body 11 having a cylindrical shape as a whole, and the connector body 11 includes a housing portion 11a made of a flexible synthetic resin such as nylon and a tip engaging portion 11b. The housing part 11a and the tip engagement part 11b
It can be assembled instantaneously from the separated state shown in FIG. 2 to the connected state shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, the housing portion 11a
Has, at one end, a connection portion 13 into which a synthetic resin tube 12 for a fuel pipe of an automobile is fitted.
b. Housing part 11a
Has a shape whose diameter gradually increases in a stepwise manner.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, resilient portions 14 are formed at the other end of the housing portion 11a in the diametrically opposed position. A window 1 is provided on both sides in the circumferential direction of each spring 14.
5 and 15 are formed so that the resilient portion 14 is easily bent in the radial direction. An engaging edge 1 is provided radially inward of each resilient portion 14.
9 are integrally protruded inward in the radial direction.

The tip engaging portion 11b has a basically cylindrical shape and is fitted into the housing portion 11a at the other end. Tip engagement part 1
1b is a small-diameter cylindrical portion 16 that fits tightly inside the other end.
(FIGS. 2 and 3) and a large-diameter cylindrical portion 17 having a diameter larger than that (FIGS. 2 and 3). The engaging projection 1 protrudes outward in the radial direction at a position diametrically opposed to the outer surface of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 16.
8 are provided. As shown in FIG. 3, the outer surface of the engaging projection 18 is an inclined surface that gradually increases in a direction away from the connecting portion 13 along the axis. As shown in FIG. 2, a U-shaped notch 20 is formed so as to surround each of the engagement projections 18, and the engagement projection 18 is formed so as to be easily bent in the radial direction.

An opening 21 is formed in the large-diameter cylindrical portion 17 of the tip engaging portion 11b at a position diametrically opposed to each other.
A flat holding piece 22 is provided inside 1. Each holding piece 22 has a tip engaging claw 22a that projects obliquely inward into the connector main body 11, and a base end 22b is located outside the connector main body 11. And the holding piece 2
The intermediate portion 2 is integrally connected to an edge of the opening 21 in the peripheral direction of the connector main body via connection pieces 24, 24 in the peripheral direction of the connector main body. Connector body 11, connecting piece 2
4 and the holding piece 22 are made of a flexible synthetic resin. When the base end portion 22b of the holding piece 22 is pressed inward in the radial direction by a finger in the state shown in FIG. The tip engagement claw 22a is displaced radially outward. When the pressing force applied to the base end 22b of the holding piece 22 is released, the tip engaging claw 22a returns to the position shown in FIG. 3 due to elasticity.

As shown in FIG. 2, the separated housing portion 11a and the distal end engaging portion 11b are opposed to each other, and the small-diameter cylindrical portion 16 of the distal end engaging portion 11b is fitted into the housing portion 11a. The engaging projection 18 of the portion 11b and the resilient portion 14 abut against each other, and the engaging edge 19 on the radially inner side of the resilient portion 14 rides on the slope of the engaging protruding portion 18 and is behind the engaging protruding portion 18. It is latched as shown in FIG. As a result, the tip engaging portion 11b is fixed to the housing portion 11a, and the two are integrated.

As shown in FIG. 3, the pipe 25 projecting from the combustion pump unit or the fuel filter integrally has an annular engaging projection 27 on the outer periphery near the distal end. Then, the connector main body 11 is fitted to the outside of the distal end of the pipe 25 as shown in FIG. Connector body 11
3 is fitted to the pipe 25 to the right in FIG. 3, and when the tip engaging claw 22 a of the holding piece 22 gets over the engaging protrusion 27 of the pipe 25, the engaging claw 22 a is positioned behind the engaging protrusion 27. Penetrate and engage it. Accordingly, the connector main body 11 cannot move leftward in FIG. 3 with respect to the pipe 25, and the pipe 25 is connected to the tube 12 via the connector.

In order to disconnect the connection between the pipe 25 and the tube 12, the holding piece 22 is pressed radially inward by a finger in FIG. As a result, the tip engaging claw 22 of the holding piece 22
a is displaced radially outward to engage the engagement protrusion 27 of the pipe 25.
Get off. Accordingly, the connector can be withdrawn from the pipe 25 to the left in FIG.

[0015]

As described above, the piping connector of the present invention can be held by simply pressing the base end of the holding piece provided at the cylindrical front end engaging portion forming a part of the main body with a finger. Since the engagement claw at the tip of the piece is disengaged from the engagement protrusion of the pipe, the connector body can be easily separated from the pipe without using a jig or the like, and the claw or the like does not remain on the pipe side.
The connector body can be attached to the pipe with one touch. In the present invention, the holding piece is
Since it is provided integrally with the connector body, compared to the case where the holding piece is provided on a separate member from the connector body, the holding piece is not lost during repeated attachment and detachment,
Further, since the distal end engaging portion constituting the connector main body can be made hard to deform, the engaging action of the holding piece does not become out of order.

The operability and the lockability are improved by forming the holding piece into a flat plate shape.

Further, the connector body is divided into a housing portion and a tip engagement portion, and the assembly and connection are facilitated by the assembly thereof. In particular, the production of the tip engagement portion having a complicated shape is facilitated. Further, when the tip engaging portion participating in the engagement / disengagement action is broken, it is only necessary to replace it alone, which is economical.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a piping connector of the present invention in an assembled state.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same disassembled state.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the same.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the same.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a conventional piping connector.

FIG. 6 is a view showing a procedure for removing the conventional piping connector of FIG. 5 from a pipe.

FIG. 7 is a view showing a state following the procedure shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a view showing another method for removing the conventional piping connector of FIG. 5 from a pipe.

FIG. 9 is a view showing a state following the procedure shown in FIG. 8;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Connector main body 11a Housing part 11b Tip engagement part 12 Tube 14 Resilient part 15 Window 16 Small diameter cylindrical part 17 Large diameter cylindrical part 18 Engagement projection 19 Engagement edge 20 U-shaped notch 21 Opening 22 Holding piece 22a Tip engaging claw 22b Base end 24 Connecting piece 25 Pipe 27 Engaging protrusion

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] An end of a pipe having an engagement projection on an outer periphery near a connection end is fitted at one end, fixed to the pipe by engagement with the engagement projection, and connected to the pipe at the other end. In a pipe connector to be connected to a tube, a cylindrical connector body includes a housing portion and a cylindrical tip engagement portion joined by resilient fitting,
At the tip of the cylindrical tip engaging portion near the pipe,
Openings are formed diametrically opposite each other, and holding pieces are provided inside each of the openings, and the holding pieces project from the inside of the connector body obliquely inward so as to engage with the engagement protrusions of the pipe. An engaging claw and a base end portion are located outside the distal end engaging portion. The distal engaging portion, the connecting piece and the holding piece are integrally formed of a flexible synthetic resin, and are pressed inward in the radial direction of the distal engaging portion of the base end portion of the holding piece. A pipe connector characterized in that a front end engaging claw of a holding piece is disengaged radially outward from an engaging projection of a pipe so that the connector can be detached from the pipe in an axial direction. 2. The piping connector according to claim 1, wherein said holding piece has a flat shape. 3. A plurality of engaging projections, which are elastically deformable in a radial direction, are formed on an outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical tip engaging portion on a housing portion side,
The housing portion has an inner peripheral surface into which the tip engaging portion is fitted tightly, and an engaging edge for engaging with the engaging projection is protruded from the inner peripheral surface, and the housing of the opening of the tip engaging portion is provided. 2. The piping connector according to claim 1, wherein a large-diameter cylindrical portion abutting on an end face of the housing portion is provided so as to protrude radially outward adjacent to the portion.