A device for sealing an annular space

Abstract: A device for sealing a space between an annular wall defining an opening and a pipe end portion introduced into the opening consists of a sleeve (2) having at one end thereof a flange (4) for restricting the introduction of the sleeve into the opening and having at its other end a flange (6) for restricting the introduction of the pipe end portion into the sleeve.

Description: The present invention relates to a device for sealing a space between an annular wall defining an opening and a pipe end portion introduced into the opening. The device according to the invention is of the kind comprising a sleeve consisting of rubber-elastic material, which is adapted at its outer surface sealingly to engage the annular wall and at its inner surface sealingly to engage the outer surface of the pipe end portion introduced into the opening. Devices of this kind can be used for example for connecting a plastic pipe with an opening formed in a well ring or a pipe consisting of concrete and extending transversely to the axis of the well ring or the pipe. A device of said kind can be used also for axially connecting two pipes with each other in the case that one of the pipes has an outer diameter which is less than the inner diameter of the other pipe, one of the pipes being constituted by a plastic pipe and the other pipe being constituted by a concrete pipe. A device of said kind can be used also for connecting a socket of a first pipe with a spigot end of a second pipe. Certain previously known devices of the kind in question have drawbacks in respect of the determination of the correct position of the sleeve in relation to the opening in which the sleeve is positioned and/or the determination of the position of the pipe end portion introduced into the opening in relation to the sleeve. Deficiencies in respect of the determinations of the correct positions usually result in deficiencies in respect of the sealing of the space between the wall of the opening and the pipe end portion introduced into the opening. FR 1 448 157 A describes a sealing device in which at least some of said drawbacks have been rectified. The sealing device according to FR 1 448 157 A comprises a sleeve which at one end has an outwardly directed flange for restricting the introduction of the sleeve into the opening defined by the annular wall. At its other end the sleeve of the sealing device according to FR 1 448 157 A has an inwardly directed flange for restricting the introduction of the pipe end portion into the sleeve. This inwardly directed flange has a stop surface adapted to engage the end surface of the pipe end portion. The object of the invention is to provide a device for sealing a space between an annular wall defining an opening and a pipe end portion introduced into the opening according to the preamble of claim 1, the device being improved especially with regard to its capacity of defining a correct position of the pipe end portion in relation to the sleeve. In order to comply with this object the sealing device according to the invention is characterized in that the stop surface of the inwardly directed flange for restricting the introduction of the pipe end portion into the sleeve forms with the axis of the sleeve an angle which is smaller than 90° and preferably amounts to about 70° and that the flanges taper in the direction of their free edges. It is preferred that the sleeve of the device according to the invention has at least one continuous, radially inwardly or outwardly directed sealing lip and that the sleeve axially inside one of the flanges has a radially directed, continuous support bead extending in the same direction as the sealing lip and has at the end of the sleeve at which the other flange is positioned a radially directed, continuous support strip extending in the same direction as the sealing lip and the support bead. As a consequence of the presence of the support bead and the support strip the sleeve will take an exactly centered position in relation to the surface engaged by the sealing lip which in turn secures the correct function of the sealing lip. In a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention the sleeve has at its surface opposite to the sealing lip continuous ridges securing the tightness between the sleeve and the annular wall defining the opening. When using the device according to the invention for connecting a pipe end portion to an opening of a pipe or a well ring manufactured from reinforced concrete the ridges also prevent water from getting into contact with the reinforcing irons of the concrete pipe or the well ring, which reinforcing irons are uncovered at the annular wall defining the opening when the opening is provided. The invention is described in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is an axial section of a first embodiment of a device according to the invention. Fig. 2 is a section of a joint established between a pipe end portion and an opening of a wall of for example a well ring consisting of concrete, provided by means of the device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an axial section corresponding to Fig. 1 of a modified embodiment of the device according to the invention. The device according to the invention shown in Fig. 1 is constituted by a sleeve 2 consisting of rubber-elastic material having at one end an outwardly directed flange 4 and at its other end an inwardly directed flange 6. The outwardly directed flange 4 has a stop surface 8 forming a right angle with the axis of the sleeve 2. The side surface 10 of the flange 4, opposite to the stop surface 8 is inclined in such a way that the flange 4 tapers outwardly. The flange 4 is at its outer free edge surface defined by a cylindrical surface portion 12. The inwardly directed flange 6 has a stop surface 14 forming an angle of about 70° with the axis of the sleeve. The side surface 16 of the flange 6, opposite from the stop surface 14 forms a smaller angle with the axis of the sleeve than the stop surface 14 which means that the flange 6 tapers towards the interior of the sleeve. At its inner, free edge portion the flange 6 is defined by a cylindrical surface portion 18. At the end at which the outwardly directed flange 4 is positioned the sleeve 2 has at its inner surface an inwardly directed support strip 20 defined by two inclined side surfaces 22 and 24 connecting with each other at an inner, peripheral edge of the support strip 20. The surface 22 forms a conical entering surface facilitating the introduction of a pipe end portion into the sleeve 2. Axially inside the support strip 20 the sleeve has an inwardly directed sealing lip 26 which at the side facing the support strip 20 is defined by an inclined surface 28 forming an angle with the axis of the sleeve of about 55° while the opposite side surface 30 of the sealing lip 26 forms a substantially right angle with the axis of the sleeve. Between the sealing lip 26 and the inwardly directed flange 6 the sleeve has an inwardly directed support bead 32 defined by a side surface 34 facing the sealing lip 26 and forming an angle with the axis of the sleeve of about 45° and by a side surface 36 facing the inwardly directed flange 6 and forming an angle of about 60° with the axis of the sleeve. At its inner free edge the support bead 32 has a cylindrical surface portion 38. The sleeve 2 is at its outer surface formed with peripheral ridges 40 and 42. The ridges 40 are arranged within a portion of the sleeve 2, which is positioned radially outside the sealing lip 26 while the ridges 42 are arranged within a portion of the sleeve, which is positioned radially outside the support bead 32. Fig. 2 illustrates the use of the sleeve 2 shown in Fig. 1 for connecting an end portion 44 of a plastic pipe with an opening 48 defined by a wall 46, the opening being formed in a well ring 50 or the like consisting of concrete. The sleeve 2 is positioned in the space between the wall 46 and the outer surface 52 of the pipe end portion 44 and engages by means of the stop surface 8 of the outwardly directed flange 4 the outer surface of the well ring 50 surrounding the opening 48. This provides for a correct and exact determination of the position of the sleeve 2 in relation to the well ring 50. When the pipe end portion 44 is introduced into the sleeve 2 the pipe end portion is guided into a centered position by the surface 22 of the support bead 20. During the continuing displacement of the pipe end portion 44 into the sleeve 2 the end surface of the pipe end portion engages the lip 26 which is folded to its sealing position as shown in Fig. 2. At the same time the engagement of the pipe end portion 44 with the sealing lip 26 provides for a compression of the sleeve 2 at the portion of the sleeve 2 positioned radially outside the sealing lip 26 providing that the ridges 40 are sealingly forced against the wall 46 of the well ring 50. The continuing displacement of the pipe end portion 44 into the sleeve 2 provides that the end of the pipe end portion 44 engages the support bead 32 in turn causing a radial compression of the sleeve 2 in the area of the support bead 32 and an accompanying sealing pressure of the ridges 42 against the wall 46 of the well ring 50. When the end surface of the pipe end portion 44 hits the stop surface 14 of the inwardly directed flange 6 the pipe end portion 44 is defined with regard to its correct position in relation to the well ring 50. In the position shown in Fig. 2 the pipe end portion 44 is supported in the centered position in the sleeve by the support strip 20 and by the support bead 32 providing that the sealing lip 26 is in a correct and efficient sealing position around the whole sleeve 2. The ridges 40 and 42 efficiently prevent leakage between the sleeve 2 and the wall 46 of the well ring 50 and also prevent liquid from contacting such reinforcement irons (not shown) which are exposed when the opening 48 is bored or is in any other way provided in the concrete material of the well ring 50. In Fig. 3 there is shown a modified embodiment of the sleeve-shaped device according to the invention. The sleeve shown in Fig. 3 differs from the sleeve according to Fig. 1 in the respect that it has less wall thickness than the sleeve according to Fig. 1 and that it is provided with a further radially inwardly directed sealing lip 52. The rest of the parts of the sleeve shown in Fig. 3 corresponds to the design of the sleeve according to Fig. 1 and are designated with the same reference numerals as in Fig. 1 with the addition of "a". The sleeve according to Fig. 3 is intended for connecting a pipe end portion with an opening, wherein the space between the wall of the opening and the outer surface of the pipe end portion is smaller. The invention can be modified within the scope of the following claims.

Claims: A device for sealing a space between an annular wall (46), defining an opening (48), and a pipe end portion (44) introduced into the opening, said device comprising a sleeve (2) consisting of rubber-elastic material and adapted by its outer surface sealingly to engage the annular wall and by its inner surface sealingly to engage the pipe end portion introduced into the opening, the sleeve (2) having at its one end an outwardly directed flange (4) for restricting the introduction of the sleeve into the opening (48) and having at its other end an inwardly directed flange (6) for restricting the introduction of the pipe end portion (44) into the sleeve (2), the inwardly directed flange (6) for restricting the introduction of the pipe end portion (44) into the sleeve (2) having a stop surface (14) adapted to engage the end surface of the pipe end portion, characterized in that the stop surface (14) of inwardly directed flange (6) for restricting the introduction of the pipe end portion (44) into the sleeve (2) forms with the axis of the sleeve an angle which is smaller than 90° and preferably amounts to about 70° and that the flanges (4, 6) taper in the direction of their free edges. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the sleeve (2) has axially inside one of the flanges a peripheral support bead (32) extending in the same radial direction as the flange. A device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the support bead (32) has a cylindrical support surface (38). A device as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the support bead (32) has increasing width in direction of its base. A device as claimed in any of claims 2 - 4, characterized in that the side surface (34) of the support bead (32) turned from said one flange (6) forms an angle of about 45° with the axis of the sleeve (2). A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sleeve (2) has between its ends at least one peripheral, radially directed sealing lip (26). A device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the sleeve (2) has two peripheral, radially directed sealing lips (26) which are positioned at a small axial distance from each other. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sleeve has at its one end a radially directed, peripheral support strip (20). A device as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the support strip (20) has a sharp edge and is defined by side surfaces (22, 24) forming angles with the axis of the sleeve less than 45°. A device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the sleeve has peripheral ridges (40, 42) at its surface opposite to the sealing lip (26). A device as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the ridges are arranged within surface portions which are positioned radially opposite to the sealing lip (26) or the sealing lips (26) and/or radially outside the peripheral support bead (32).

Inventors: EKHOLM KENNETH, EKHOLM, KENNETH
Applicants: FORSHEDA AB
Application year: 1995
Main classification: F16L21
IPC codes: F16L21, F16J15, F16L5