WO2012004479A1

WO2012004479A1 - Device for protecting the male end fitting of a pipe

Info

Publication number: WO2012004479A1
Application number: PCT/FR2011/000403
Authority: WO
Inventors: Philippe Sene
Original assignee: Maflow France Automotive Société Par Actions Simplifiée
Priority date: 2010-07-09
Filing date: 2011-07-07
Publication date: 2012-01-12
Also published as: FR2962514B1; FR2962514A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device (1, 21, 33) for protecting a male end fitting (2) of a pipe (3) comprising a flange (4) for fixing to an adjacent pipe. The device is formed of a cap (5) that has a cavity (6) for protecting the end fitting made of rigid or semi-rigid plastic equipped with an annular base (8) that can be set over said flange, the end wall (10) of which is designed to form a border to bear against that face (11) of the flange that is to connect with the adjacent pipe, the wall (12) of the base being of a height h and capable of lying a distance d from the lateral external face (13) of the flange when the end wall is resting on it, the base (8) comprising gripping ribs (14, 26, 27, 28, 29) of thickness e, projecting towards the inside of the base and designed to engage frictionally with the external face (13) of the flange when the device is in position on the end fitting.

Description

MALE PIPE PROTECTION DEVICE FOR PIPING

The present invention relates to a protection device male pipe endpiece with or without at least one O-ring sealing and having a fixing flange on an adjoining pipe.

It also relates to a device / tube system implementing such a device.

It finds a particularly important application, although not exclusive, in the field of the protection of the piping connections of air conditioning circuits, cooling circuits, brake circuits or automotive power steering, or any other pipes requiring their handling and / or transport before assembly. It is indeed necessary to protect the tip of such pipes generally provided with a seal, before proceeding with their installation deferred.

We already know the protection of piping tips by means of protective socks, which is put on the end caps, and / or removable housings.

Such systems, which provide effective protection, however, have disadvantages.

Indeed, in addition to the fact that they may damage the tip and including the pre-installed seal (s), when they are put in place and / or removed, they are expensive.

In addition, when one wishes to keep them, it is then necessary to store them which, again, is a disadvantage because they are generally bulky. The present invention aims to provide a protection device better than those previously known to the requirements of practice, in particular in that it allows easy assembly and in that it fully meets the requirements of car manufacturers.

The device according to the invention has in fact excellent resistance to fluids (oil, water, etc.), is 100% recyclable, easy to manufacture and provides perfect forming protection both with regard to soiling (cleanliness) and the shocks.

In one embodiment, the device is totally translucent, which allows to see the tip without removing the protection, for example to check if it is necessary if the seal is present on the tip.

Also, in another embodiment of the invention, the frustoconical or substantially frustoconical shapes of the base and the walls of the cell will allow to embed the devices into each other, thus limiting the storage volumes.

In order to solve these problems, the invention proposes, in particular, a device for protecting a male piping endpiece comprising a fastening flange on an adjacent pipework, characterized in that it is formed of a cap comprising a honeycomb cell. protection of the tip of rigid or semi-rigid plastic material provided with an annular base flush on said flange, whose bottom is arranged to form a sidewalk support on the junction face of said flange with the adjacent pipe, the wall of said base being of a height h and adapted to be located at a distance d from the lateral external face of said flange when the bottom bears on it, said base comprising thickness clamping ribs e, projecting towards the inside of the base, arranged to cooperate frictionally with said outer face of the flange, when the device is in place on the tip.

Thickness means the maximum transverse dimension overall of the rib which may be of square, rectangular, oval or circular cross section.

The thickness e is also variable in the longitudinal direction, for example linearly, between a first maximum value ei on the side of the outer periphery of the base, and a second minimum value e ₂ at the bottom, e ₂ can be zero.

In advantageous embodiments, one and / or the other of the following provisions is also used:

the cap further comprises an end flange extending outwardly of said base;

the cap is symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal plane;

- The cell and the base of each cap have frustoconical shapes arranged so that the caps are recessed into each other, for example over almost their entire height, and without being hampered by the clamping ribs of the top cap;

the base is of substantially oblong shape, provided with a narrower end than the rest of the the base and has two longitudinal clamping ribs of width 1 on either side of the tip of said narrower end;

- The protection device comprises at least four sets of two ribs symmetrically distributed with respect to the axis on the periphery of the base;

- The protection device comprises two symmetrical sets of three ribs symmetrically distributed with respect to the longitudinal plane on the rest of the periphery of the base opposite said end;

- The base is translucent plastic or transparent;

d is between 0.35 mm and 0.45 mm and h is between 9.5 mm and 10 mm;

e is between 1.5 mm and 2 mm;

- the cap is thermoformed.

The invention also provides a tube assembly and protection device as described above.

It also proposes a tube and device assembly as described above, characterized in that the male pipe endpiece is of length L and the thickness fixing flange h_, the protection cell of the material endpiece. semi-rigid plastic is of depth p> L, the annular base being of substantially complementary shape to that of said flange, and the wall of said base is of greater height h than the thickness h_ of the flange (h> hj_ ).

Advantageously, the pipe end is equipped with at least one O-ring seal.

The present invention will be better understood on reading the following description of embodiments given as non-limiting examples. The description refers to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views from above of a device / tube system according to an embodiment of the invention respectively partially exploded and complete.

Figures 3 and 4 are, respectively, a perspective view and a top view of another embodiment of the device according to the invention.

Figure 5 is a sectional view along V-V of Figure 4.

Figure 6 shows detail VI of Figure 5.

Figures 7 and 8 are respectively views in perspective and from above, of another embodiment of the device according to the invention.

Figure 9 is a sectional view along IX-IX of Figure 8.

Figure 10 shows detail X of Figure 9.

Figures 1 and 2 show a device 1 for protecting a male end 2 of pipe 3 comprising a flange 4 for attachment to an adjacent pipe (not shown).

The device 1 is formed of a cap 5 comprising a cell 6 adapted to remotely encompass the tip without touching it, said cell being delimited by a wall 7 of translucent rigid or semi-rigid plastic material provided with an annular base 8 flush mounted on flange 4.

The annular base 8 on the edge 9 of the flange comprises a flat bottom projecting from the wall 7 of the cell, towards the outside, bearing on the face 11 of the junction of the flange with adjacent piping. The outer wall 12 of the base 8 substantially perpendicular to the bottom 10 is of height h and suitable to be located at a distance d from the lateral external face 13 of the flange 4 when the bottom 12 bears on the flange.

The base is slightly frustoconical while being wider towards the outside, which causes a variable distance d between a first value di for example of 2 mm and a second value d2 on the side of the bottom 10, for example 1 mm.

The base 8 comprises ribs 14 clamping thickness e, projecting inwardly of the base, and arranged to cooperate frictionally with the lateral external face 13, when the device is recessed on the flange.

Here again, the thickness e_ is variable between the values ei and e ₂ , with substantially ei = di and e ₂ = d ₂ , to allow the desired friction.

The height or depth P of the cell 6 is greater than the length L of the male end 2 of pipe, the width Y of the bottom 12 of the base 8 being arranged so that the wall 7 of the cell is never in contact with the periphery of the tip. In fact, in this embodiment, the width is greater than the diameter of the tip, which is centered relative to the flange.

Such an arrangement allows excellent protection, always at a distance, of said tip, which will be able to include seals O 15 example of sealing, visible through the cell.

More precisely, the cap 5 is symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal plane 16. It comprises an end flange 17, extending outward from the base parallel to the bottom 10, and will allow both a protection against the possibly cutting character that could have the periphery 18 of the base, and to allow its attachment by the fingers of a user.

In the embodiment more particularly described here, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the base 8 is of substantially oblong shape, provided with an end 19 narrower than the rest 20 of the base.

It has at least two clamping ribs 14 on either side of the tip of one end 19.

FIGS. 3 to 6 show an embodiment of a device 21 according to the invention.

In the remainder of the description, the same reference numbers will be used to designate identical or similar elements.

The device 21 comprises a substantially cylinder-shaped cell 22 crushing towards the end 19, said cell being closed upwards by an upper surface secured to the side walls, forming on the narrower side by a surface 25 of ellipsoidal section. in the shape of a cap.

The device 21 comprises the annular base 8 according to the invention, extending symmetrically on either side of the longitudinal plane 16.

The cell and the base thus have a frustoconical shape decreasing volume from bottom to top which will allow a recess of one device in the other. In this embodiment two ribs 26 extend longitudinally over a length 1 determined, for example 1 cm and a height i_ less than the height h of the base 8, for example hard 1 / 5th to 1/3 of that- this.

Advantageously the base comprises a longitudinal circular rib 27 on the rear (for example 1/3 of the half-circumference) of the base, opposite the end 19, the two ribs 14 symmetrical with respect to the plane 16 located on the side of the end 19, and the opposite side 20, two sets of three ribs, namely a narrow rib 28, a wide rib 29, and a narrow rib 30, symmetrically with respect to the plane 16.

In order to allow the interlocking of the devices in one another, the frustoconical wall of a cell is in the extension of the end of the ribs. For example, the rear wall 23 is in the extension of the end 31 of the rib 27 (mixed line 32 in FIG. 6).

FIGS. 7 to 10 illustrate another embodiment of a device 33 whose base 8 comprises, from the rear, a longitudinal rib 27 on the rear, two sets of two narrow ribs 14, and two ribs. longitudinal on the end.

We will now describe with reference to Figures 1 and 2, the operation of the entire piping / device according to the embodiment of the invention more particularly described here.

After assembling the seals 15 on the tip 2, and to protect the latter, the cap 5 is clipped by a simple pressure, until the face 10 of the bottom 10 of the base comes to bear on the face 11 opposite the flange.

The ribs 14, 26, 27 (FIGS. 4 and 8) are rubbed by their vertices 32 on the external face 13 of the flange, the height h of the base being greater than the thickness h_ of the flange, leaving an overhang x of the base relative to the flange.

The dimensions of the cap are of course adapted to those of the flange. The friction, the shape and the excess x for example from 3 to 10 mm, allow excellent fixation of the device, which is not likely to dislodge, in case of shock.

When it comes to the assembly of the piping, it is then sufficient to remove the cap by pulling it in the longitudinal direction of the piping.

The latter, because of its shape and its characteristics, is indeed easily prehensile and dislodgeable of the flange.

It goes without saying and as it follows from the foregoing, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments more particularly described. On the contrary, it embraces all the variants and in particular those in which the flange has a different shape, those in which the cap is transparent and non-translucent, those in which the ribs are arranged differently, those in which the thicknesses and ribs are different between the ribs. end and those of the base.

Claims

1. Device (1, 21, 33) for protecting a male end (2) of piping (3) comprising a flange (4) for attachment to an adjacent pipe, characterized in that it is formed of a cap (5) comprising a cell (6) for protecting the rigid or semi-rigid plastic tip provided with an annular base (8) recessed on said flange, the bottom (10) is arranged to form a sidewalk of support on the junction face (11) of said flange with the adjacent piping, the wall (12) of said base being of a height h and suitable for being located at a distance d from the lateral external face (13) of said flange when the bottom is supported on said base (8) having ribs (14, 26, 27, 28, 29) clamping thickness e, projecting inwardly of the base, arranged to cooperate with friction with said outer face (13) of the flange when the device is in place on one end.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cap further comprises an end flange extending outwardly of said base.

3. Protection device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cap is symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal plane.

4. Protection device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cell (6) and the base (8) of each cap have frustoconical shapes arranged so that the caps are recessed into each other.

5. Protection device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the base (8) is substantially oblong in shape, provided with an end (19) narrower than the rest (20) of the base and has two clamping ribs (26) on either side of the tip of said narrower end.

6. Protection device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least two symmetrical sets of two ribs (14) distributed symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal plane (16) on the periphery of the base (8). ).

7. Protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises two symmetrical sets of three ribs (28, 29, 30) distributed symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal plane on the rest of the perimeter of 1 ' base.

8. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the base (8) is translucent plastic material.

9. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that d is between 0.35 mm and 0.45 mm and h height between 9.5 mm and 10 mm.

10. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cap (5) is thermoformed.

11. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the thickness e is between 1.5 mm and 2 mm.

12. Tube assembly (3; 1, 21, 33) and protection device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the male end (2) of piping (3) being of length L and the flange ( 4) of fixing thickness h ', the cell (6) for protecting the tip of semi-rigid plastic material is of depth p_> L, the annular base (8) being of a shape substantially complementary to that of said flange, and the wall of said base is of greater height h than the thickness h_ of the flange.

13. The assembly of claim 12, characterized in that the nozzle (2) of piping is equipped with at least one seal (15) toric sealing.