Patent ID: 7004671
Filing Date: 2006-02-28
Classification: A47L,B25G,F16B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A pipe connecting structure for integrally connecting a pair of pipes, comprising: a male side end portion of a first pipe, said male side end portion having an insertion hole on a peripheral surface thereof, said first pipe having a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion, said first portion of said first pipe including said male side end portion; a female side end portion of a second pipe, said female side end portion having an insertion hole on a peripheral surface thereof, wherein said male and female side end portions are sized and shaped such that said male side end portion can be inserted into said female side end portion until said insertion hole of said male side end portion aligns with said insertion hole of said female side end portion; an engagement retainer including an engagement protrusion, wherein said engagement retainer is positionable relative to said male side end portion inserted into said female side end portion such that said engagement protrusion can be inserted into said aligned insertion holes to retain the insertion of said male side end portion into said female side end portion; and a first guide part extending on said male side end portion from a distal end of said male side end portion to said insertion hole of said male side end portion, wherein said engagement retainer further comprises a second guide part which is mateable with said first guide part, said second guide part being located at a portion of said engagement protrusion which can extend through said insertion hole of said female side end portion to mate with said first guide part to guide said engagement protrusion towards said insertion hole of said male side end portion, wherein said engagement retainer comprises a sleeve adapted to cover said female side end portion, wherein said engagement protrusion extends radially inwardly from said sleeve, wherein said sleeve includes a resilient portion configured to bias said engagement protrusion farther into said aligned insertion holes when said engagement protrusion is inserted into said aligned insertion holes, wherein said first portion of said male side end portion of said first pipe has an outside diameter less than an inside diameter of said female side end portion, said third portion of said first pipe has an outside diameter approximately equal to an outside diameter of said female side end portion, said outside diameter of said third portion of said first pipe is reduced with a steep gradient portion to an outside diameter of said second portion of said first pipe, said outside diameter of said second portion is reduced with a gentle gradient portion to said outside diameter of said first portion of said first pipe, a base end of said steep gradient portion of said first pipe is configured to abut an opening edge portion of said female side end portion to form a seam portion when said engagement protrusion is inserted into said aligned insertion holes, and wherein said sleeve is integrally joined with an auxiliary sleeve which is connected in an axial direction and adapted to cover said seam portion.