JP5787441B2 - Piping connector - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector for piping.

  The following patent document 1 can be mentioned as an example of this kind of connector. In this device, a stopper for preventing the pipe from being detached is incorporated in a housing to which the pipe can be connected. The stopper is initially held at an initial position close to the inlet of the housing. When the stopper is moved in the axial direction along with the insertion of the pipe and reaches the normal position, the stopper reaches a pushing position far from the inlet of the housing.

  Further, a detection member for fitting detection is mounted on the housing and is initially held at the initial position. Then, the detection member cannot be pushed into the housing by the restricting part during the insertion of the pipe. However, when the pipe reaches the normal position and the retainer reaches the push-in position, the detection member can be pushed in for the first time and can reach the plug-in position.

  Thus, the operator can confirm that the connection is not completely made by seeing that the detection member is not inserted into the housing.

JP 2004-60884 A

  Since the conventional connector described above has a structure in which whether or not the detection member can be pushed is determined by whether or not the stopper is moved in the axial direction, a space allowing the stopper to move in the axial direction is secured inside the housing. Must. For this reason, the conventional one has a problem that the housing is enlarged in the axial direction.

  The present invention has been completed based on the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a connector for piping that can achieve downsizing of a housing.

As means for achieving the above object, the invention of claim 1 is a connector for a pipe capable of detecting that a pipe has been inserted to a normal position, and a housing to which the pipe can be connected; The base is disposed inside and has a base attached at a fixed position with respect to the housing, and the base is fixed at the fixed position in contact with a flange formed near the end of the pipe while the pipe is being inserted. It is elastically deformed while being held and retracted to the outside of the insertion path of the pipe to allow passage of the flange, and when the pipe is inserted to a normal position of the housing, it is deformed to return and is locked to the flange. A retaining piece that can be displaceable and a checker that is mounted so as to be displaceable with respect to the housing and detects whether or not the pipe has been inserted into the housing to a normal position. The inside of the housing is in a restricting state in which the displacement of the checker is restricted by interference with the checker while the pipe is being inserted, and when the pipe is inserted to a normal position, the flange is elastically displaced to a detection state. A detection piece that releases the interference with the checker by allowing the checker to displace, and a retainer that is incorporated in the housing and integrally formed with the retaining piece and the detection piece. The detection piece is bent from the base portion toward the rear in the insertion direction of the pipe, and bent toward the inside from the tip of the base portion, and the flange is bent in a direction approaching the base portion. While the detection unit becomes possible, the checker is located on the side edge of the detection unit at the side edge of the detection unit that interferes with the checker. In the state that Wataru, has a feature where the displacement preventing recess the checker to regulate from disengaging from the side edges are formed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the checker has a detection leg, and the detection leg penetrates the housing, and the tip is the detection piece when the pipe is not in a normal position. Can be interfered with, and when the pipe reaches a normal position, the interference between the detection leg and the side edge is released so that the checker can be displaced, and the checker is in the detection position. In the state where the pipe is displaced, the detection leg is located behind the flange and the pipe is prevented from coming off.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect , the retainer is symmetrical with the retaining piece sandwiched from the periphery of the base portion formed in a ring shape through which piping can be inserted. A pair of detection pieces are provided at a position that is substantially orthogonal to the position, and at least a portion of the detection pieces that interferes with the checker is formed wider than the retaining piece. It has the characteristics.

A fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector described in any one of claims 1 to 3, together with the sealing ring is inserted in the housing, against bush retaining the sealing ring to the housing Incorporated in a positioned state, the base is characterized in that it is locked to the bush.

A fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector described in any one of claims 1 to 4,
The retaining piece extends from the base portion so as to bend toward the rear in the insertion direction of the pipe, and the latching portion is folded back inward from the distal end of the extending portion and can be latched to the flange. The extension portion is characterized in that a lightening hole is opened.

The invention of claim 6 is the one described in any one of claims 1 to 5,
The checker is attached to the housing so that it can be pushed in between the temporary holding position and the detection position along the radial direction of the pipe, and the temporary holding position allows the pipe to be inserted into the housing. The displacement of the detection leg to the detection position is restricted by the interference of the tip of the detection leg with the side edge of the detection piece, and the interference with the side edge of the detection piece is released at the detection position. And it has the characteristic in the place which approachs with respect to the said housing.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the apparatus according to the second aspect , the checker includes a pair of lock legs that are engaged with the housing at the temporary holding position and the detection position, and both the lock legs are configured to check the checker. The operation unit for performing a displacement operation from the temporary holding position to the detection position is integrally connected, and the detection leg is formed of a metal material, while the operation unit and the lock leg are formed of a synthetic resin material. Further, the detection leg is characterized in that a base end portion of the detection leg is embedded in the operation part by insert molding.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, in the process of inserting the pipe into the housing, the retaining piece is elastically deformed while being held in place to allow passage of the flange. When the flange passes through the retaining piece and reaches the normal position, the retaining piece is elastically restored and locked to the flange, so that the pipe is retained in the housing. On the other hand, since the detection piece is in a restricted state and interferes with the checker while the pipe is being inserted, the checker cannot be displaced. However, when the pipe reaches the normal position, the detection piece is displaced to the detection state by the flange and interference with the checker is avoided, so that the checker can be displaced. With this, the operator can know that the piping has reached the normal position.

By the way, according to the present invention, the retaining piece is held at a fixed position in the housing even when the pipe is inserted and detected by the checker and does not move. Therefore, it is not necessary to secure a moving space for the retaining piece in the housing, and thus space saving can be achieved.
Moreover, since the retaining piece and the detection piece are integrated as a retainer, simplification of the configuration can be achieved by reducing the number of components. Furthermore, since the detection leg of the checker is not easily shifted from the position where the detection leg interferes with the retainer recess of the retainer, it is effective in maintaining the detection function.

According to the invention of claim 2 , the checker has a function of detecting whether or not the pipe has reached the normal position, and when the pipe has reached the normal position and the checker has been displaced to the detection position, the detection leg has the flange. By being positioned rearward, the function of preventing the pipe from coming off can be exhibited.

According to the invention of claim 3 , the rigidity of the detection piece is enhanced by forming the detection piece relatively wider than the retaining piece. Therefore, it is possible to regulate deformation caused by interference with the checker and contribute to maintenance of the detection function. On the contrary, since the retaining piece is relatively less rigid than the detecting piece, the resistance when passing through the flange is reduced, and the piping insertion work is facilitated.

According to the invention of claim 4 , since the retainer is locked using the bush for preventing the seal ring from being removed, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated locking structure for the retainer in the housing. In addition, the configuration can be simplified.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, since the extension hole of the retaining piece has an opening hole, the passage resistance of the flange is reduced by reducing the rigidity of the retaining piece, thereby facilitating the pipe insertion work. Contribute.

According to the sixth and seventh aspects of the invention, the checker can be temporarily held with respect to the housing in advance before the piping is inserted, so that the connector is easily handled. In addition, since the checker remains mounted on the housing even after the piping is completely inserted, it does not become waste.

In the invention of claim 7 , the checker is configured to form the detection leg portion by insert molding. In particular, since the base end of the detection leg is embedded in the checker operation part, the operation part is not easily deformed even when an operation force is applied to the checker, and the detection leg that prevents the pipe from coming off is made of metal. Since it is manufactured, it contributes to improving the retaining force of piping.

The side view which shows the connection operation of piping by the connector for piping which concerns on Embodiment 1. A plan view with the checker removed Rear view of piping connector 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. Sectional view showing the state during insertion Cross-sectional view showing the same insertion completion state 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. Similarly, a cross-sectional view showing the state during insertion Similarly, a cross-sectional view showing the inserted state Sectional view of the connector viewed from the rear side when the checker is in the temporary holding position Cross section when the checker is also in the detection position Retainer front view Top view of checker Front view of retainer according to embodiment 2. Sectional drawing which shows the insertion completion state of piping in Embodiment 2.

<Embodiment 1>
The main components of the connector of this embodiment are the housings 1 and 2 to which pipes can be connected, the retainer 3 incorporated in the housing 2 and the checker 4 for detecting whether or not the pipes P are inserted in the normal positions. . In the following description, designations relating to front and rear and up and down are made based on FIG. 1, in which the left side is called the front side and the right side is called the rear side. Further, the designations regarding the left and right are made based on FIG.

<Housings 1 and 2 and piping P>
The housings 1 and 2 are composed of a synthetic resin main housing 1 and a metal sub-housing 2 connected to the main housing 1.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the main housing 1 has a short rectangular tube shape as a whole, and has a front flange 5 and a rear flange 6 at both front and rear ends. Although the outer surface between the front flange 5 and the rear flange 6 in the main housing 1 is formed in a square shape, the inner wall of the main housing 1 has a cylindrical peripheral wall 7 as shown in FIGS. Is formed.

  A pair of left and right openings 8 penetrates the top wall 1A and the bottom wall 1B of the main housing 1, respectively. Both openings 8 of the upper surface wall 1A are formed so as to be able to penetrate both detection legs 9 of the checker 4. The opening 8 in the bottom wall 1B is arranged coaxially with the opening 8 in the top wall 1A. When the checker 4 reaches the detection position (the position of the checker 4 shown in FIG. 11), the ends of the detection legs 9 are advanced. Interference can be avoided.

  The front flange 5 and the rear flange 6 of the main housing 1 are formed so as to project outward from the left and right side walls 1C and the top wall 1A of the main housing 1, respectively, and are substantially flush with the bottom wall 1B. Is formed. As described above, both the front flange 5 and the rear flange 6 are formed so as to project outward from the left and right side walls 1C of the main housing 1, so that the gap between the front flange 5 and the rear flange 6 will be described later. A guide groove 10 is formed to guide the movement of the checker 4 to be moved. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the checker 4 is temporarily held at the bottom surfaces of the guide grooves 10, that is, the left and right side walls 1 </ b> C of the main housing 1 and the detection position. Temporary holding receivers 11 and main locking receivers 12 for holding at positions (positions shown in FIGS. 6 and 11 etc.) are provided at intervals in the vertical direction.

  Each of the receiving portions 11 and 12 is formed to be recessed over almost the entire width between the front flange 5 and the rear flange 6, and the locking surfaces 11A and 12A are reversely tapered (back side) as shown in FIGS. The taper forms an upward slope toward the top. Further, in the temporary holding receiving portion 11 and the final locking receiving portion 12, a vertical surface is formed continuously to the locking surfaces 11A, 12A, and downwardly inclined surfaces 11B, 12B are formed downward therefrom. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 4 and the like, the front flange 5 of the main housing 1 has a front side insertion port 13 for inserting the rear end portion of the sub housing 2. The front side insertion port 13 continues to the peripheral wall 7 via a guide slope 13A.

  Here, the sub-housing 2 will be described. The sub-housing 2 is made of metal and is integrally formed in a pipe shape. As shown in FIG. 1, the front portion of the sub-housing 2 is a joint portion 14 to which another pipe (not shown) is connected. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 9, a seal housing portion 15 is formed in a predetermined length range near the rear portion of the sub housing 2. A taper portion 16, which has an upward slope toward the rear, is continuous at the rear end of the seal housing portion 15, and an expansion cylinder portion 17 is formed following the taper portion 16. The rear end opening edge of the expansion cylinder portion 17 is bent inward over the entire circumference to form a bent edge 17A.

  The sub-housing 2 is inserted from the front side insertion port 13 with the expansion cylinder portion 17 facing the main housing 1, and is attached in a state where the outer peripheral surface of the expansion cylinder portion 17 is in close contact with the peripheral wall 7 in the main housing 1. . The rear opening edge of the expansion cylinder portion 17 is bent inward in the radial direction over the entire circumference, and is in contact with the wall surface around the rear side insertion port 18 of the main housing 1. Further, the peripheral surface of the expansion cylinder portion 17 has a total of four openings 19 that are paired on the left and right sides. Each opening 19 is formed at a position corresponding to each opening 8 of the main housing 1 and having a rectangular shape that can communicate with these openings 8 and has a wider opening width (opening width in the left-right direction) than each opening 8.

  The rear side insertion port 18 of the main housing 1 opens coaxially with the front side insertion port 13 in the rear flange 6. The rear side insertion port 18 is formed to have a smaller diameter than the front side insertion port 13 and the hole diameter of the peripheral wall 7.

  When two spacers 20 and two seal rings 21 are alternately inserted into the seal housing portion 15 in the sub housing 2 and the pipe P is inserted into the normal position, the seal ring 21 causes the sub housing 2 and the pipe P to be connected to each other. Is sealed. Each seal ring 21 and the spacer 20 are positioned by a bush 22 press-fitted into the seal housing portion 15. The bush 22 is made of synthetic resin and is formed so that the pipe P can be inserted. The bush 22 includes a cylindrical portion 22A that is in close contact with the inner wall of the seal housing portion 15 and a retainer receiving portion 22B that is continuous with the rear portion and contacts the base portion 3A of the retainer 3. A locking step portion 22C having a ring-shaped step surface is formed on the inner peripheral portion of the retainer receiving portion 22B.

  The pipe P is formed of a metal pipe, and a flange F is formed in a protruding manner at a position near the tip. The outer diameter of the flange F is set to be slightly smaller than the hole diameter of the rear surface side insertion port 18 of the main housing 1.

<Retainer 3>
The retainer 3 is made of metal, and as shown in FIG. 12, the base 3A is formed in a ring shape. 3 A of base parts are formed with the hole diameter which can penetrate the front-end | tip part of the piping P. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 9, the base 3 </ b> A is fitted into the locking step 22 </ b> C of the bush 22. Further, the peripheral edge portion of the base portion 3A projects outward over the entire circumference, and a contact edge 23 is formed. The abutting edge 23 faces the rear end surface of the retainer receiving portion 22B of the bush 22 and can be abutted against the same surface.

  A pair of retaining pieces 24 and detection pieces 25 are arranged on the periphery of the abutting edge 23, and each pair is arranged so as to be substantially orthogonal (see FIG. 12). In a state where the retainer 3 is incorporated in the main housing 1, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the retainer pieces 24 are paired vertically and the detection pieces 25 are paired left and right.

  As shown in FIG. 4 and the like, the retaining piece 24 includes an extending portion 24A and a locking portion 24B, and both the portions 24A and 24B are formed with substantially the same width. The extending portion 24A extends obliquely upward from the abutting edge 23 of the base portion 3A toward the rear, and is formed so as to be able to bend outwardly (in the expanding direction). In both the extending portions 24A, the lightening holes 26 are opened along the length direction, and the rigidity of the extending portions 24A itself is reduced. As shown in FIG. 12, both the hollow holes 26 are formed so that the base portion 3 </ b> A side is narrow and gradually widens toward the distal end side.

  As shown in FIG. 4 and the like, the distal end side of the extended portion 24A abuts on the bent edge 17A of the sub housing 2, and then is folded back inward in a substantially U shape to form the above-described locking portion 24B. The locking portion 24B extends obliquely downward from the folded portion of the extending portion 24A toward the front, and the tip end portion is folded back in a substantially U shape toward the outside. The locking portion 24B can be elastically deformed in a direction approaching the extending portion 24A. In the natural state, the height interval between the tips of the locking portions 24B is set to a dimension that is substantially equal to the outer diameter dimension of the general part in the pipe P. Accordingly, in the process of inserting the pipe P, the flange F having the maximum diameter is in sliding contact with the locking portion 24B, and the locking portion 24B and the extending portion 24A are both bent outwardly to be deformed to pass through the flange F. Allow. When the flange F passes through the locking portion 24B, that is, when the pipe P reaches the normal position, the locking portion 24B can be elastically restored and locked to the flange F.

  As shown in FIG. 10, in a state where the retainer 3 is incorporated in the sub-housing 2, the extending portion 24 </ b> A and the locking portion 24 </ b> B are located between each pair of the upper and lower openings 19, There is no interference with both detection legs 9 of the checker 4.

  As shown in FIG. 7 and the like, the detection piece 25 includes a base portion 25A and a detection portion 25B. The base portion 25A is formed with substantially the same width as the extension portion 24A of the retaining piece 24, but as shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the detection portion 25B is formed to be considerably wider than the base portion 25A. . The base portion 25A is bent from the abutting edge 23 of the base portion 3A and bent once at a substantially right angle and then extended obliquely upward. The front end portion of the base portion 25A abuts on the bent edge 17A of the sub-housing 2, and is then folded inward in a substantially U shape to form a detection portion 25B. Unlike the locking portion 24B of the retaining piece 24, the detecting portion 25B does not have a folded portion at the tip, but is a pressed portion 25C that is slightly bent outward and pressed by the flange F. The pressed portion 25C also serves to avoid interference such that the tip of the detection portion 25B is pushed against the outer peripheral surface of the pipe when the pipe P is inserted.

  The detecting unit 25B interferes with the checker 4 and cancels the interference between the checker 4 and the checker 4 by restricting the displacement of the checker 4 (states in FIGS. 7 and 8: the piping P continues until the pipe P reaches the normal position). It is formed so as to be able to be elastically bent between the detection state (FIG. 9 state) that allows the displacement. As shown in FIG. 12, the distance between the tips of both detection parts 25B in the natural state is set to be slightly narrower than the distance between both locking parts 24B. The detection unit 25B is formed so as to be able to bend outward, and as shown in FIG. 8, the pipe P starts to be deformed outward due to sliding contact with the flange F accompanying the insertion of the pipe P. When the position is reached, as shown in FIG. 9, the flange F presses the pressed portion 25C of the detecting portion 25B. At this time, the pressed portion 25C of the detection unit 25B is held in a bent state in which it is substantially in close contact with the base portion 25A.

  The detection unit 25B extends from the base unit 25A with a uniform width in both the upper and lower directions after being folded back. Further, a regulation edge 27 that can be locked to the detection leg 9 of the checker 4 is formed on both upper and lower side edges of the detection unit 25B. In the state in which the retainer 3 is incorporated in the sub-housing 2, as shown in FIG. 7 or FIG. 8, the regulation edges 27 of both detection portions 25B face the inside of the corresponding openings 19 and cross the openings 19 diagonally. Is located. When the checker 4 is in the temporary holding position and the pipe P is not in the normal position, as shown in FIG. 10 (see also FIGS. 7 and 8), the detection leg 9 of the checker 4 has a restriction edge. 27 is maintained in contact with the upper side. However, when the pipe P reaches the normal position and the both detection portions 25B are expanded and deformed by the flange F, the restriction edge 27 is unlocked from the detection leg 9 of the checker 4.

  Further, a displacement recess 28 that restricts the detection leg 9 from being detached from the regulation edge 27 is formed in a length range from a portion near the rear end of the regulation edge 27 to the front end. The slip stopper recess 28 is formed so as to gradually rise toward the free end of the detector 25B.

<Checker 4>
The checker 4 includes a pair of metal detection legs 9 in an integrated state by insert molding. The checker 4 has a pair of lock legs 29 so as to sandwich both detection legs 9. Both the lock legs 29 are arranged with a distance across the main housing 1 in the left-right direction, and are formed with a width dimension that can be inserted into the guide groove 10. Both lock legs 29 can be bent and deformed in the opening direction. A lock claw 30 is formed inwardly at the lower end of the lock leg 29 and can be locked to the temporary holding receiving portion 11 and the main locking receiving portion 12 of the main housing 1.

  Both lock legs 29 are connected to each other by an operation unit 31, and the upper surface of the operation unit 31 is an operation surface for pushing the checker 4 from the temporary holding position to the detection position. A base end portion 32 that connects the end portions of both detection legs 9 is embedded in the operation portion 31. As shown in FIG. 13 and the like, the operation unit 31 has a notch 33 formed on the front edge side and in the center in the width direction to expose a part of the base end portion 32 of the detection leg 9.

  Both detection legs 9 are formed to be narrower than the lock legs 29 and have a length so that the lower end position is slightly higher than the lower end position of the lock legs 29. The detection leg 9 is formed so as to be able to be inserted into the opening 8 of the main housing 1 and each opening 19 of the sub-housing 2. When both checkers 9 are in the temporary holding position, the tips of both detection legs 9 abut on the side edges (depression recesses 28) of the detection portion 25B of the detection piece 25. The contact state between the detection leg 9 and the slip prevention recess 28 is maintained until the state immediately before the pipe P reaches the normal position, and the contact state is released only when the pipe P reaches the normal position. Yes. The checker 4 is formed with a leg length that passes through the lower opening 19 in the sub-housing 2 and enters the lower opening 8 in the main housing 1 when the checker 4 is in the detection position.

  Next, the effect of this embodiment comprised as mentioned above is demonstrated concretely. The assembly work of the connector according to this embodiment will be described. First, the spacers 20 and the seal rings 21 are alternately assembled in the sub-housing 2, and then the bushes 22 are press-fitted to prevent the spacers 20 and the seal rings 21 from coming off. Thereafter, the retainer 3 is assembled from the rear of the sub housing 2. In that case, the retainer 3 enters the interior through the opening on the rear surface side of the sub housing 2 while the retaining pieces 24 and the detection pieces 25 are narrowed and deformed. The retainer 3 is held in a state in which the base 3A is fitted into the locking step 22C of the bush 22 and the abutting edge 23 is substantially in contact with the rear end surface of the retainer receiving portion 22B.

  When the seal ring 21, the retainer 3, and the like are incorporated into the sub housing 2 as described above, the sub housing 2 is press-fitted into the front side insertion port 13 of the main housing 1 from the expansion cylinder portion 17 side. In that case, the sub-housing 2 is assembled into the main housing 1 so that each pair of the openings 19 and each pair of the openings 8 of the main housing 1 are aligned. After assembly, the outer peripheral surface of the expansion cylinder portion 17 is in close contact with the peripheral wall 7 of the main housing 1. Thus, when the sub-housing 2 is connected to the main housing 1, the checker 4 is subsequently attached. The checker 4 adapts the tips of the lock legs 29 from above the main housing 1 to the upper ends of the guide grooves 10, respectively, and simultaneously fits the tips of the detection legs 9 to the corresponding openings 8. When the checker 4 is pushed in as it is, both lock legs 29 are locked to the temporary holding receiver 11 while deforming the legs. By doing so, the checker 4 is held at the temporary holding position as shown in FIG. At this time, as shown in the figure, the two detection legs 9 are positioned so as to sandwich the retaining piece 24 on the upper side from the outside, and the leading ends of the two detection legs 9 are located at the detection portion 25B of the detection pieces 25B. It is in contact with a region on the regulation edge 27 and in the slip stopper recess 28. In the temporary holding position, the detection leg 9 stands by outside the area through which the flange F of the pipe P passes.

  When the pipe P is inserted into the sub-housing 2 from the rear surface side insertion port 18 of the main housing 1, the tip of the pipe P is connected to the free end of the locking portion 24 </ b> B of the both retaining pieces 24 as shown in FIG. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, they come into contact with the free ends of the detection portions 25 </ b> B of both detection pieces 25. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, after the insertion of the pipe P progresses and the flange F comes into contact with the midway position of the locking portion 24 </ b> B of the retaining piece 24, the retaining piece 24 moves along with the advancement of the flange F. Both the locking portion 24B and the extending portion 24A are elastically deformed outward. The insertion resistance during this period is effectively reduced because the lightening hole 26 is opened in the extended portion 24A of the retaining piece 24. Then, when the pipe P is inserted to the proper position, as shown in FIG. 6, the locking portions 24B of the retaining pieces 24 are elastically restored and are latched to the rear surface side of the flange F to prevent the piping P from coming off. Is made.

  While the above-described retaining piece 24 is bent and deformed, the flange F also abuts on an intermediate portion of the detecting portion 25B of the detecting piece 25. Thereafter, as the flange F advances, the detection piece 25 and the base portion 25A are bent outward and deformed. During this time, the contact position of the distal end of the detection leg 9 with the displacement recess 28 formed on the side edge of the detection unit 25B is gradually displaced toward the free end of the detection unit 25B. When the pipe P is inserted to the normal position, as shown in FIG. 9, the flange F reaches a position where it abuts against the free end of the locking portion 24B. As a result, the detection portion 25B is in the most expanded state. As a result, the detection unit 25B is released from the locking of the checker 4 with the detection leg 9, thereby allowing the detection leg 9 to pass.

  As described above, when the pipe P is inserted to the normal position, the insertion resistance is drastically reduced by passing through the locking portion 24B of the retaining piece 24 in which the flange F is elastically deformed. With this, it can be known that the pipe P has reached the normal position. Subsequently, when the operator presses the operation portion 31 of the checker 4, the interference between the detection leg 9 and the detection piece 25 is eliminated as described above. 11 is moved along the inclined surface 11 to release the locked state with the temporary holding receiver 11. When the push-down of the checker 4 proceeds as it is, both the lock legs 29 are opened, and the lock claws 30 are slid downward along the bottom surface of the guide groove 10 of the main housing 1. When the lock claw 30 reaches the main locking receiver 12, both lock legs 29 are elastically restored and locked to the main locking receiver 12. At the same time, the lower surface of the operation unit 31 abuts against the upper surface wall 1A of the main housing 1, so that the checker 4 is restricted from being pushed further.

  On the other hand, in a state where the checker 4 has reached the detection position, both the locking legs are positioned behind the flange F while sandwiching the general portion of the pipe P as shown in FIG. As a result, the pipe P is double-stopped by locking with the detection leg 9 as well as locking with the retaining piece 24. In addition, in the case of this embodiment, since the detection leg 9 is made of metal, an effect that a high retaining force can be obtained can also be exhibited.

  By the way, in this embodiment, since the interference state of the flange F and the detection part 25B of the detection piece 25 is maintained when the piping P has not reached the normal position, the pushing operation of the checker 4 is impossible. At this time, the tip of the detection leg 9 is in contact with the edge of the detection unit 25B, that is, from the direction orthogonal to the bending direction of the detection unit 25B, and the detection unit 25B is wider than the base unit 25A. Since it is formed and has increased rigidity, even if a relatively strong force is applied to the operation unit 31 of the checker 4, the detection unit 25 </ b> B hardly deforms such as torsion, and the maintenance of the interference state is effectively ensured.

  Since the interference between the detection leg 9 and the detection unit 25B is released only when the pipe P reaches the normal position, the pipe P has reached the normal position because the checker 4 can be pushed down. Guaranteed. Further, when the checker 4 is in the temporary holding position, the checker 4 protrudes greatly upward from the housing, so that it is detected from the appearance that the checker 4 is forgotten to be operated or that the pipe P has not reached the normal position. can do. If the detection position has been reached, the operation portion 31 of the checker 4 abuts against the upper surface wall 1A of the main housing 1 and fits between the front flange 5 and the rear flange 6 without protruding from these wall surfaces. The operation unit 31 is not inadvertently released.

  On the other hand, when it becomes necessary to remove the pipe P for maintenance or the like, the lock claw 30 and the lock receiving portion 12 are forcibly released to bring the checker 4 to the temporary holding position. To reach. In this state, an appropriate releasing jig is forcibly elastically deformed in the expansion direction through the rear insertion port 18 of the main housing 1 and the rear opening of the expansion cylinder 17 in the sub housing 2. When the pipe P is pulled in the extending direction in this expanded deformation state, the flange F is displaced rearward while deforming the two detecting portions 25B back in the returning direction, and thus the pipe P can be extracted.

  As described above, according to the piping connector of this embodiment, the following effects can be exhibited. That is, the retainer 3 is held at a fixed position throughout from the insertion of the pipe P to the completion of the push-in of the checker 4, and is not accompanied by any movement in the axial direction of the housing. Therefore, unlike the conventional case, there is no need to secure a moving space in the housing, and accordingly, the housing can be made compact in the axial direction.

  Further, since the retaining piece 24 and the detection piece 25 are integrated by the retainer 3, the number of parts can be reduced. Further, the retainer 3 is engaged with a bush 22 that prevents the retainer 3 from coming off from the seal ring 21 or the like. That is, since the retainer 3 is locked using the existing structure, the housing structure can be simplified as compared with the case where the dedicated structure is provided.

  Further, when a pushing force is applied to the checker 4 in a state where the checker 4 is in the temporary holding position, the tip of the detection leg 9 comes off from the side edge of the detection unit 25B even though the pipe P has not reached the normal position. There is a concern that the checker 4 can be pushed in. The reason why this occurs is that the detection leg 9 is expected to be displaced to the free end side of the detection unit 25B, but in the case of this embodiment, the side edge (regulation edge 27) of the detection unit 25B. Is formed with a slip stopper recess 28 that is inclined upward toward the free end side, so that the resistance of the detection leg 9 to move toward the free end side of the regulating edge 27 is increased, so that the disengagement is effective. Can be regulated. Therefore, the fitting detection function of the checker 4 can be maintained.

  Furthermore, since the checker 4 is assembled at the temporary holding position, the checker 4 can be carried into the pipe connection site in an integrated state including the checker 4. Therefore, it can be excellent in handleability.

<Embodiment 2>
FIG. 14 shows a retainer 50 according to the second embodiment. The difference between the retainer 50 of the second embodiment and the retainer 3 of the first embodiment is that reinforcing ribs 52 are formed on the locking portions 51 </ b> A of the both retaining pieces 51. The reason for reinforcing the locking portion is to obtain the necessary retaining strength for the pipe P by the retainer 50 alone without cooperating with the checker 4.
Specifically, the rib 52 is formed over a predetermined length range along the length direction at the center of the locking portion 51 in the width direction. The rib 52 is formed by being knocked out so as to protrude toward the extending portion 53 on the outer surface of the locking portion.
In addition, since the other structure is the same as that of the retainer of Embodiment 1, such as the point where the lightening hole 26 is opened in the extension part 53, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 15, when the pipe is inserted to the normal position, the locking portion of the retaining piece that has elastically returned is locked to the rear surface of the flange F, thereby preventing the pipe from coming off. In this case, as described above, since the bending rigidity of the locking portion is reinforced by the rib, a necessary retaining force for the pipe is ensured even when the checker is in the temporary holding position.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
(1) In the above embodiment, the retaining piece 24 and the detecting piece 25 are integrated by the retainer 3, but the detecting piece 25 may be a separate component from the retaining piece 24.
(2) In the above embodiment, the sub-housing 2 is made of metal so as to be protected from stepping stones and the like, but may be a resin part depending on the use site of the connector. In such a case, the sub housing 2 and the main housing 1 may be integrally formed. Furthermore, if both housings are integrated with a resin material, the retaining piece 24 can be integrated by insert molding.
(3) In the second embodiment, reinforcing ribs are formed in order to increase the bending rigidity of the locking portion. However, instead of this, a method of increasing the thickness of the entire retainer may be adopted.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Main housing 2 ... Sub housing 3 ... Retainer 3A ... Base part 4 ... Checker 9 ... Detection leg 22 ... Bushing 24 ... Stopping piece 24A ... Extension part 24B ... Locking part 25 ... Detection piece 25A ... Base part 25B ... Detection Part 26 ... Meat removal hole 28 ... Slip prevention recess part 29 ... Lock leg 31 ... Operation part 32 ... Base end part P ... Piping F ... Flange

Claims (7)

A pipe connector that can detect that the pipe has been inserted to the proper position,
A housing to which the piping can be connected;
The base is disposed inside the housing and has a base attached to the housing at a fixed position, and the base is attached to a flange formed near the end of the pipe while the pipe is being inserted. The flange is elastically deformed while being held at the fixed position, retreats to the outside of the pipe insertion path to allow passage of the flange, and when the pipe is inserted to the normal position of the housing, the flange is restored and deformed. A retaining piece that can be locked to
A checker that is mounted so as to be displaceable with respect to the housing and detects whether the pipe is inserted into the housing to a normal position;
It is disposed inside the housing and is in a restricting state in which the displacement of the checker is restricted by interference with the checker during the insertion of the pipe, and when the pipe is inserted to a normal position, the flange is elastically displaced to a detection state. A detection piece that releases the interference with the checker and allows the displacement of the checker,
A retainer incorporated in the housing and integrally formed with the retaining piece and the detection piece;
The detection piece is bent inward from the base portion extending from the base portion toward the rear in the pipe insertion direction and from the tip of the base portion to the inside, and can be bent in a direction approaching the base portion by the flange. On the other hand,
A displacement recess is formed at a portion of the detection unit that interferes with the checker at the side edge to prevent the checker from coming off from the side edge when the checker is in interference with the side edge. A connector for piping. The checker has a detection leg, and the detection leg penetrates the housing, and when the pipe is not in the normal position, the tip can interfere with the side edge of the detection piece, and the pipe is in the normal position. When it reaches, the interference between the detection leg and the side edge is released and the checker can be displaced,
2. The pipe connector according to claim 1 , wherein, in a state where the checker is displaced to a detection position, the detection leg is positioned behind the flange to prevent the pipe from coming off . The retainer is provided in a pair of symmetrical positions with the retaining pieces sandwiching the center from the periphery of the base portion formed in a ring shape through which piping can be inserted, and a pair of the detecting pieces is disposed in a symmetrical position substantially orthogonal to the retainer pieces. 3. The piping connector according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the detection piece that interferes with the checker is formed wider than the retaining piece . 4. A seal ring is inserted into the housing, and a bush for preventing the seal ring from being detached is assembled in a state of being positioned with respect to the housing,
The piping connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the base portion is locked to the bush . The retaining piece extends from the base portion so as to bend toward the rear in the insertion direction of the pipe, and the latching portion is folded back inward from the distal end of the extending portion and can be latched to the flange. The piping connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the extension portion is formed with a lightening hole . The checker is attached to the housing so that it can be pushed in between the temporary holding position and the detection position along the radial direction of the pipe, and the temporary holding position allows the pipe to be inserted into the housing. The displacement of the detection leg to the detection position is restricted by the interference of the tip of the detection leg with the side edge of the detection piece, and the interference with the side edge of the detection piece is released at the detection position. The pipe connector according to claim 1, wherein the pipe connector enters the housing . The checker includes a pair of lock legs that are engaged with the housing at the temporary holding position and the detection position, and both lock legs are operated to displace the checker from the temporary holding position to the detection position. Connected together by
The detection leg is made of a metal material, while the operation part and the lock leg are made of a synthetic resin material, and the detection leg is embedded in the operation part by insert molding. The piping connector according to claim 2 , wherein the piping connector is provided.

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