Patent ID: 7350834

Claim:
A coupling device for holding together a coupling joint, said device comprising: two coupling halves which are articulated relative to one another and which may be joined together, said coupling device being arranged in an active position to engage portions of two interconnected pipes adjacent said coupling joint, wherein one of the coupling halves is formed with a catch and the other half with a holding portion that cooperates with the catch, one of the halves being provided with at least one protrusion that protrudes from said one of the halves in a first direction and the other half with at least one recess, said at least one protrusion and said at least one recess arranged to cooperate to guide the catch into a position so that the at least one protrusion engages the holding portion, at least one of the at least one protrusion and the at least one recess being beveled on at least one side to guide the two coupling halves into an intended position of engagement by a wedging effect, said wedging effect bringing said coupling halves to move in relation to each other in a radial direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and the distance between the two coupling halves in the radial direction decreases due to the wedging effect as the two coupling halves are brought into engagement.