Patent Publication Number: US-2017350545-A1

Title: Pipeline fitting with vibration compensator

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention describes a pipeline fitting, which comprises connection support elements, for indirectly connecting a first pipe connection to a second pipe connection, wherein compression joints between the first and second connection support elements of the pipeline fitting and a first and a second compression joint flange on a first and a second compression joint connector can be produced in the longitudinal direction of the pipeline fitting, and wherein the first and the second connection support elements respectively can be permanently pressed against the first and the second compression joint flanges by means of a union nut, with the invention furthermore describing a pressfitting system comprising a pipeline fitting according to one of the preceding claims, as well as a first and a second pipe connection. 
     PRIOR ART 
     Different variations of pipeline fittings or pipeline joints for connecting pipelines have been used for quite some time. Nowadays, pressfittings represent the predominant connecting technique in commercial plumbing. In the meantime, numerous variations of pressfittings are known. They typically feature a compression sleeve, which is radially deformed by means of a pressing tool, such that the end of the pipe connection surrounded by the compression sleeve is pressed against a support body of the fitting and sealed. Compression joints between such pressfittings and a copper pipe, steel pipe or multilayer composite pipe are produced by means of compression pliers. This pressing tool ensures that a pipe connection is inseparably mounted on a pipeline fitting, wherein permanent fluid-tight connections can thereby be produced. 
     The advantages of these comparatively expensive fittings can be seen in the time savings and the simple installation. If do-it-yourselfers also want to use these pipeline fittings, they first have to procure corresponding pipeline fittings and the suitable pressing tool. Since the pressing tools and their pressing jaws are respectively adapted to the pipe ends and pipeline fittings to be connected, brand-compatible pressing tools, for example of the firms Geberit, Nussbaum, Viega, Klauke or Novopress, are required for compressing corresponding variations of pipeline fittings. 
     In addition to the problems of requiring pressing tools, which are adapted to the pipeline fittings, and no longer being able to remove the pipeline fittings after their installation, it is likewise disadvantageous that an insufficient and impermanent seal is occasionally produced between the pipeline fittings and the pipelines. Until now, it was also hardly possible to produce a flexible pipe joint for absorbing pipe expansions, pipe deviations, vibrations and noises because the connection should be realized as mechanically stable as possible. 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is based on the objective of developing a pipeline fitting and a pressfitting system, wherein the pipeline fitting can be easily and removably installed, and wherein no special brand-compatible pressing tools are required for the installation. It should be possible to produce a fluid-tight connection between the pipelines such that an absorption of pipe expansions, vibrations and noises is additionally achieved. The pipeline fitting and the pressfitting system respectively make it possible to realize an electrical decoupling, as well as an acoustical decoupling, between the pipelines. 
     This objective is attained by means of a pipeline fitting with the characteristics of claim  1 . 
     The inventive pipeline fitting features an elastic vibration compensator and can be installed and removed with commercially available tools. 
     A pressfitting system, which is adapted to the pipeline fitting, is disclosed in claim  7 . 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other characteristics, details and advantages of the invention can be gathered from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the drawings. In these drawings, 
         FIG. 1  shows a longitudinal view with a partial longitudinal section through a pipeline fitting between a first pipe connection and a second pipe connection, and 
         FIG. 2  shows a detailed section through the transition from the first pipe connection to the pipeline fitting. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     A pressfitting system  0  comprising a first pipe connection  1  and a second pipe connection  3 , which are indirectly connected by means of a pipeline fitting  2  or a pipeline joint, is described in greater detail below. In this case, the pipeline fitting  2  can be installed on and removed from the pipe connections  1 ,  3  due to the construction of the pipeline fitting  2 . The pipeline fitting  2  extends in the direction of a longitudinal axis L between the pipe connections  1 ,  3 . Corresponding means for mounting the pipeline fitting  2  are arranged on the pipe connections  1 ,  3 . 
     The pipeline fitting  2  comprises a vibration compensator  20  that is realized in one piece and made of an elastic material, preferably a rubber-based material. The vibration compensator  20  essentially has a cannular or tubular design with an interior I. Connection support elements  21 ,  21 ′ are respectively arranged on the edge regions of the vibration compensator  20  as parts of the pipeline fitting  2 . 
     The vibration compensator  20  is formed by an elastic bellows  202 , which is particularly realized in the form of a multiple bellows  202  in this case, as well as respective tubular fitting sections  201 ,  201 ′ and sealing rings  200 ,  200 ′ on the ends. The tubular fitting section  201 ,  201  is encompassed by the connection support element  21 ,  21 ′ outside the interior I whereas the multiple bellows  202  is exposed. The multiple bellows  202  is realized in the form of a double bellows in this case. The compression joint is produced in the region of the tubular fitting sections  201 ,  201 ′ and the sealing rings  200 ,  200 ′ and therefore in the edge regions of the vibration compensator  20 . The sealing rings  200 ,  200 ′ radially extend away from the longitudinal axis L at a right angle. 
     The connection support elements  21 ,  21 ′ are realized annularly and surround the tubular fitting sections  201 ,  201 ′ in the edge regions at a radial distance from the longitudinal axis L of the vibration compensator  20 . The connection support elements  21 ,  21 ′ may be integrally mounted in the edge regions of the vibration compensator  20 , particularly by means of bonding or welding, outside the interior I on the outer wall. 
     External threads  210  are respectively arranged on the sides of the connection support elements  21 ,  21 ′, which face away from the tubular fitting sections  201 ,  201 ′, such that they extend away from the tubular fitting sections  201 ,  201 ′. Connecting flanges  211  are arranged on the connection support elements  21 ,  21 ′ such that they extend outward in the direction of the longitudinal axis L. 
     In this case, union nuts  4 ,  4 ′ are used in the edge regions of the pipeline fitting  2  in order to respectively produce a compression joint between the face sections of the pipeline fitting  2  and the first and the second pipe connections  1 ,  3 . The union nuts  4 ,  4 ′ are realized in the form of hexagon nuts in this case and respectively feature an internal thread  40 . An edge  41  extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis L is integrally formed on each union nut  4 ,  4 ′. On this edge, the union nut  4 ,  4 ′ pulls the first pipeline  11  in the direction of the bellows  202  such that a fluid-tight connection can be produced. However, the embodiment may also be modified in such a way that the pipeline fitting  2  is pulled in the direction of the first pipeline  11  and/or the second pipeline  31 . 
     The ends of the pipe connections  1 ,  3  are equipped with inseparable first and second compression joint connectors  10 ,  30  that extend in the direction of the pipeline fitting  2 . In this case, the compression joint connectors  10 ,  30  concentrically surround the first and the second pipeline  11 ,  31  and have a polygonal shape on their outer sides. On the faces that point toward the pipeline fitting  2 , the compression joint connectors  10 ,  30  respectively feature a compression joint flange  100 ,  300 , into which a concentric circumferential rib  101 ,  301  is integrally formed in this case. 
     In order to produce a fluid-tight connection between the first pipeline  11  and the second pipeline  31  by means of the pipeline fitting  2 , the first and the second compression joint connectors  10 ,  30  are flanged on the connection support elements  21 ,  21 ′. For this purpose, the first pipe connection  1  is attached to the sealing ring  200  of the vibration compensator  20  with its first compression joint connector  10 . During this process, the compression joint flange  100  is pressed on the sealing ring  200  in the direction of the connecting flange  211  of the connection support element  21 . The sealing ring  200  is squeezed between the compression joint flange  100  and the connecting flange  211 . In this case, the compression joint is produced due to the flanging in the direction of the longitudinal axis L. 
     The union nut  4  is pushed over the flange section in order to realize this flanging permanently, wherein the internal thread  40  of the union nut  4  cooperates with the external thread  210  of the connection support element  21 . The edge  41  of the union nut  4  presses the first compression joint connector  10  in the direction of the connection support element  21  as indicated by the arrow drawn with broken lines. A fluid-tight connection is produced after the flanging process, wherein the union nut  4  can be tightened with a simple, commercially available tool. Due to the respective elasticity of the vibration compensator  20  and the sealing ring  200 , the connection can also be separated again and produced anew, wherein a fluid-tight connection can always be produced. A slight deformation of the sealing ring  200  takes place during the compression process, wherein the pipeline fitting  2  can be easily replaced. 
     In this case, the circumferential rib  101  in the form of a raised sealing rib is additionally provided on the compression joint flange  100 . This circumferential rib  101  is partially pressed into the opposing elastic sealing ring  200  during the flanging process such that a fluid can be permanently prevented from escaping from the interior I. 
     No special tools are required due to the simple screw-on design of the union nuts  4 ,  4 ′ for producing the flange connection. The seal of the interior I is optimized due to the design of the sealing rings  200 . 
     In this case, the vibration compensator  20  is realized in one piece and made of a rubber material, particularly a synthetic rubber such as nitrile rubber, chloroprene rubber or ethylene-propylene-diene rubber. The vibration compensator  20  absorbs mechanical vibrations, for example in the form of sound, which may originate from the first and second pipelines  10 ,  30 . An electrical decoupling can likewise be realized due to the use of the electrically non-conductive rubber material. 
     Since the connection support elements  21 ,  21 ′ and the compression joint flanges  100 ,  300  of the compression joint connectors  10 ,  30  squeeze the sealing rings  200 ,  200 ′, the connection support elements  21 ,  21 ′ only can be arranged such that they are separably slipped over the tubular fitting sections  201 ,  201 ′. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                   
               
               
                 List of Reference Symbols 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 0 
                 Pressfitting system 
               
               
                   
                 1 
                 First pipe connection 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                   
                 10 
                 First compression joint connector 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                   
                   
                 100 
                 Compression joint flange 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 101 
                 Circumferential rib/raised sealing 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 projection 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                   
                 11 
                 First pipeline 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 2 
                 Pipeline fitting (removable) 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                   
                 20 
                 Vibration compensator (elastic) 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                   
                   
                 200 
                 Sealing ring 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 201 
                 Tubular fitting section 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 202 
                 Elastic bellows (multiple bellows) 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                   
                 21 
                 Connection support element (annular) 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                   
                   
                 210 
                 External thread 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 211 
                 Connecting flange 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                   
                 L 
                 Longitudinal axis 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 3 
                 Second pipe connection 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                   
                 30 
                 Second compression joint connector 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                   
                   
                 300 
                 Compression joint flange 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 301 
                 Circumferential rib/raised sealing 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 projection 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                   
                 31 
                 Second pipeline 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 4 
                 Union nut 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                   
                 40 
                 Internal thread 
               
               
                   
                   
                 41 
                 Edge