Abstract:
The invention relates to a plastic corrugation corrugated pipe with corrugation peaks and corrugation valleys for household apparatus or motor vehicles, which pipe has at least one connecting portion and, in accordance with the invention, a container monolithically or integrally molded with the corrugated pipe and having a shape different from the shape of the plastic corrugation corrugated pipe.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention relates to plastic corrugation corrugated pipes with corrugation peaks and corrugation valleys.  
         BACKGROUND ART  
         [0002]    It is known in the prior art in various fields of application to connect hoses or plastic corrugation corrugated pipes or plastic corrugation corrugated pipes to compensation containers, for instance for the installation of strainers, to strain foreign objects from a flow of liquid, or for the collection of condensation water or the like. Such containers are also connected to corrugated pipes in order to create an intermediate liquid storage. They are also used for the changing of the volume flow at different pipe cross-sections, for example when a liquid is to be accelerated or decelerated. Furthermore, such containers are connected to plastic corrugation corrugated pipes as transition containers or filling containers. Such containers are also useful in the automotive field, for example as storage containers or compensation containers for brake fluid, motor oil or various other liquids, which have to be taken up, for example, because of a temperature expansion, or which simply have to be stored in order to be available when needed.  
           [0003]    In all these fields of applications, it is currently necessary to manufacture corresponding containers as injection molded parts and to connect them to corrugated pipes of plastic by way of hose clips, fittings, or the like.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    It is accordingly an object of the invention to overcome the above mentioned disadvantages of the prior art as much as possible. Especially, an object is to be provided which helps to reduce the previous installation cost and the previous multiplicity of parts.  
           [0005]    At least one of the mentioned objects is solved in accordance with the invention at least in part by a container monolithically or integrally formed with the corrugated pipe with a shape different from that of the plastic corrugation corrugated pipe.  
           [0006]    Plastic corrugation corrugated pipes according to the invention are manufactured by way of a corrugator, in which molding path half molds circulating on endless, circulating molding chains are brought together into a closed molding channel. A thermoplastically deformable plastic tube is guided into the molding channel for the manufacture of a plastic corrugation corrugated pipe, whereby the latter is provided in accordance with the invention with the integral or monolithic container. This means that the container is manufactured in one piece with the plastic pipe by way of a corrugation process.  
           [0007]    Preferably, a monolithically or integrally co-molded transition section of plastic is provided between the container and the corrugated pipe, which transitions the corrugated pipe cross-section into the container cross-section. Such a construction guarantees that the container can be transitioned into the corrugated pipe and vice-versa without a loss in wall thickness. However, it must be considered thereby that the corrugation process is run slower during the manufacture of the container, if it has a larger outer diameter, to guarantee an even wall thickness. This means that per unit surface area of the container wall more plastics material is offered for a larger diameter container, than is required for the forming of the corrugated pipe. Of course, the extruder can also be operated with a higher material flow or an additional plastics layer can be regionally offered by coextrusion, in order to offer more material for the corrugation process in the region of the container.  
           [0008]    A plastics corrugation corrugated pipe with monolithically or integrally provided container can thereby be provided in accordance with the invention in which no abutment or sealing surfaces occur between the container and the plastic corrugation pipe so that on the one hand material is saved because of the obviated overlap between the corrugated pipe and the container and on the other hand no sealing problems occur. Furthermore, no fastening elements such as pipe clips, flange clips or the like are necessary and sealing elements such as O-rings can also be saved.  
           [0009]    The container is preferably at least partially provided with a rigid wall. Depending on the intended use, the container can of course also be at least partially formed as a bellows or corrugated pipe. Depending on whether the container is to be designed as a compensation container with variable volume, the wall or the container can be formed with a rather flexible, which means at least partially bellows type or corrugated pipe type wall.  
           [0010]    Accordingly, if, for example, a pressure relief or pressure increase is desired, a constriction can be provided in accordance with the invention in the transition region between the container and the plastic corrugation corrugated pipe. In the interior region, the transition section can also be provided with a sealing surface which can be engaged, for example, by a sealing disk so that the region between the corrugated pipe and the container at the same time can be supplemented by way of a simple plastic valve disk to form a sealing valve.  
           [0011]    For certain applications, for example when the container is to be connected to any apparatus portion, the container can be constructed open on one side. In order to thereby guarantee sealing in the region of connection, the container can be provided close to the opening associated therewith with at least one groove shaped structure to receive a sealing device, for example an O-ring.  
           [0012]    In order to enable an advantageous fastening of the object of the invention by way of its container to an apparatus, a drain, a water inlet, or the like, fastening portions can be integrally formed into the container. These can also be produced by the corrugation process. For example, locking portions in the form of locking catches or locking lugs, or the like, can be provided.  
           [0013]    According to another technique of connection, the container at its open side can also be provided with a union portion or flange portion to allow, for instance the flanging of a drain or the like. For example, such a flange can easily be flanged onto a drain by way of a flange clip, whereby a strainer can be inserted into the container so that components which would clog the conduit are not allowed into the conduit. Because of the increased cross-section in the region of the strainer, a conduit secured in this way has a significantly longer service period before the strainer must be cleaned.  
           [0014]    For certain applications, it is preferred to provide a plastic corrugation corrugated pipe to both sides of the container. Here again, no sealant whatsoever is required, since the whole structure can be monolithically or integrally manufactured.  
           [0015]    The corrugated pipe on one side of the container can thereby be provided with a different cross-sectional shape and/or wall thickness than on the other side. The most different requirements can be fulfilled in this way and the structure in accordance with the invention can also be used as adapter.  
           [0016]    Furthermore, it is possible to provide the container with several sections which have different cross-sections, of different length and have different wall thicknesses. This is advantageous, for example, when restricted space is to be completely used. A storage container or pressure equalization container or the like can here be installed, for example, in a compact engine compartment, with optimal size in such a way that intermediate spaces can be used as much as possible. Correspondingly, the use of space can also be optimized elsewhere, for example, in kitchen appliances, dishwashers, washing machines or the like.  
           [0017]    Especially in the case where the object of the invention is used in connection with volatile or diffusive materials, for example fuels for motor vehicles, the wall of the corrugated pipe and/or the container can be made of several layers, possibly with a diffusion blocking layer.  
           [0018]    It is further possible to provide a corrugated pipe with several containers of equal or different cross-section or different length. Correspondingly, corrugated pipe sections of equal and/or different cross-section, equal and/or different corrugation shape and/or equal or different wall thickness can be provided between containers in order to achieve an optimization with respect to the purpose of the structure in accordance with the invention. A use, for example, as toner cartridge in copiers can also be considered.  
           [0019]    The respective connection regions of the container or the corrugated pipe can also be provided with threaded portions, which are equally integrally or monolithically provided. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]    The invention will be further described in the following by way of preferred embodiments, whereby further features, goals and advantages according to the invention are disclosed.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 1 a  shows an end view of a preferred embodiment in direction of the container;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 1 b  is a side elevational view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 2 a  shows another embodiment in accordance with the invention in end elevational view;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 2 b  is a side elevational view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 a;    
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 3 a  is an end elevational view of another embodiment in accordance with the invention with a flange portion;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 3 b  is a side elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 3 a;    
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 4 a  is a further embodiment in accordance with the invention in end elevational view;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 4 b  is a side elevational view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 a;    
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 5 a  is an end elevational view of still another embodiment in accordance with the invention; and  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 5 b  is a side elevational view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 a.   
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0031]    Equal or at least functionally equally components are designated in the Figures with the same or corresponding reference numerals.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 1 b  shows a side elevational view of an article in accordance with the invention with a corrugated pipe section  10  and a container section  20 . A transition section  14  is provided between the corrugated pipe section  10  and the container section  20 , which adapts the diameter or cross section of the corrugated pipe  10  to the cross-section or diameter of the container  20 . A smooth wall portion  12  is provided between the transition section  14  and the corrugated pipe section  10  which can be used to initiate by process technology the slow running phase of the corrugator during manufacture, which is necessary to manufacture the container  20  with the same wall thickness as, for example, the pipe  10  or with even larger wall thickness than the pipe  10 . More material per unit time is offered to the corrugation process in the region of the container than in the region of the plastic corrugation corrugated pipe section  10 . In the region of the transition section  14 , the speed of the corrugation process can be gradually reduced.  
         [0033]    The container  20  can be provided with stabilizing grooves  22 . Of course, the container can also be constructed with a completely smooth wall, although a deforming from the molding channel of the corrugator can be carried out more easily with respect to process technology when grooves  22  are incorporated.  
         [0034]    The illustration of FIG. 1 a  shows that the container  20  has an essentially rectangular cross-section, whereby the transition section  14  transitions the rectangular cross-section to the round cross section of the region  12 .  
         [0035]    It is apparent from FIG. 2 a  that the compensation container  20 ′ is here constructed with a round cross-section. Otherwise, the compensation container and the pipe portion  10  are constructed principally in correspondence with the embodiment of FIGS. 1 a  and  1   b . Only in the region of the opening of the container  20 ′, two O-ring grooves  24  are formed in a different manner into which O-rings  26  can be inserted. Furthermore, latching lugs  30  are provided beyond the O-rings in a connection region  28  of the container  20 ′. Deviating from the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 a  and  1   b , the embodiment according to FIGS. 3 a  and  3   b  on the one hand also includes a container  20 ″ with circular cross-section but in addition divergently includes a union section  34  which is followed by a flange section  36 . The flange section of course has an opening  38  through which liquid can be filled in or drained. A transition region  32  is here also provided which adapts the diameter or cross-section of the container  20 ″ to the diameter or cross-section of the union section  34 .  
         [0036]    The embodiment according to FIGS. 4 a  and  4   b  is distinguished from the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 a  and  1   b  on the one hand in the round cross-section of the container  20 ′″ and further in that the container  20 ′″ is provided on both ends with transition sections  14 ′, whereby plastic corrugation corrugated pipe sections  10  follow on both sides.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIGS. 5 a  and  5   b  illustrate a structure with the features according to the invention which include several corrugated pipe sections  10 ,  10 ′. Furthermore, several container sections  20 ″″,  20 ′″″ are provided. As is apparent from FIG. 5 a , the container  20 ″″ has a round or circular cross-section. The container  20 ′″″ has an essentially rectangular cross-sectional shape. The connecting pipe between the two containers  20 ″″ and  20 ′″″, which is identified by reference numeral  10 ′ has an oval cross-section. The two plastic corrugation corrugated pipes  10  on this side and the other side of the container arrangement are respectively constructed with a round cross-section. Of course, the different cross-sections and diameters of the components of this structure are again adapted and connected to one another by transition sections not further referenced here.