CONNECTING ELEMENT FOR A PIPE ARRANGEMENT AND ARRANGEMENT

Abstract

A connecting element for a pipe arrangement, comprising a base body with at least one through channel, a receiving bore for receiving a pipe end of a pipe, wherein the receiving bore corresponds with the through channel, wherein the receiving bore has a larger cross section than the through channel, wherein a transition step is introduced into the base body between the through channel and the receiving bore, and an arrangement and a method for manufacturing an arrangement.

Claims

1. A connecting element for a pipe arrangement including a pipe, comprising: a base body with a through channel, the base body having a receiving bore for receiving a pipe end of the pipe, wherein the receiving bore corresponds with the through channel, wherein the receiving bore has a larger cross section than the through channel, and wherein a transition step is formed in the base body between the through channel and the receiving bore.

2. The connecting element according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the transition step is larger than the diameter of the through channel and smaller than the diameter of the receiving bore.

3. The connecting element according to claim 1, wherein the transition step has a radial section and an axial section, and wherein a transition between radial section and axial section is rounded.

4. The connecting element according to claim 1, wherein the bottom of the receiving bore is tapered.

5. The connecting element according to claim 1, wherein the receiving bore opens into a cross section expansion on a side facing away from the transition step.

6. An arrangement, comprising a connecting element according to claim 1, and a pipe whose pipe end is inserted into the receiving bore.

7. The arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the pipe end has a circumferential burr at an inner circumferential edge, wherein the burr protrudes into the transition step.

8. The arrangement according to claim 6, wherein an end face of the pipe end is tapered.

9. The arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the connecting element and the pipe are connected in a substance-to-substance manner by way of a soldered connection.

10. A cooling circuit of a motor vehicle, comprising at least one arrangement according to claim 6.

11. A method of manufacturing an arrangement according to claim 6, the method comprising: cutting a pipe to size by way of a pipe cutter; adding a solder ring ; inserting the pipe end of the pipe into the receiving bore, wherein a burr of the pipe end protrudes into the transition step; and heating the arrangement such that the solder melts and rises between an inner wall of the receiving bore and an outer wall of the pipe.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein after the heating step, excess solder is accommodated in the cross-section expansion.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the solder ring is inserted into the receiving bore and then the pipe is inserted into the receiving bore.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the solder ring is pushed onto the pipe and the pipe is subsequently inserted into the receiving bore, wherein the solder ring rests in the cross-section expansion before the heating step.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Some embodiments of the connecting element according to the disclosure and of the arrangement according to the disclosure will be explained in more detail below with reference to the figures. These show, each schematically:

[0022] FIG. 1 a sectional view of an arrangement with connecting element, pipe and solder ring before joining;

[0023] FIG. 2 the arrangement according to FIG. 1 with the pipe and solder ring inserted in the receiving bore;

[0024] FIG. 3 the arrangement according to FIG. 1 with the solder ring pushed onto the pipe;

[0025] FIG. 4 the arrangement shown in FIG. 1 after the soldering process has been completed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The figures show an arrangement 10 having a connecting element 1 and a pipe 9. The arrangement 10 is part of an air conditioning system using CO2 as coolant.

[0027] The connecting element 1 comprises a base body 2 made of metallic material, for example steel, stainless steel or aluminium. The base body 2 is provided with a through channel 3, wherein the through channel 3 corresponds with a receiving bore 4 for receiving a pipe end 5 of the pipe 9. In this case, the receiving bore 4 has a larger cross section than the through channel 3. The diameter of the receiving bore 4 is designed such that the pipe end 5 of the pipe 9 can be received with clearance. The diameter of the through channel 3 corresponds substantially with the internal diameter of the pipe 9. In alternative embodiments, it is also conceivable that the pipe end 5 of the pipe 9 is received in the receiving bore 4 via a press fit. The pipe 9 is also formed of metallic material, for example steel, stainless steel or aluminium.

[0028] A transition step 6 is introduced into the base body 2 between the through channel 3 and the receiving bore 4. In this case, the diameter of the transition step 6 is larger than the diameter of the through channel 3 and smaller than the diameter of the receiving bore 4. The transition step 6 has a radial section and an axial section, and the transition between the radial section and the axial section is rounded.

[0029] The bottom 7 of the receiving bore 4 is tapered. The receiving bore 4 opens into a cross section expansion 8 on the side facing away from the transition step 6.

[0030] The pipe end 5 has a circumferential burr 11 on the inner circumferential edge, wherein the burr 11 protrudes into the transition step 6. The end face 12 of the pipe end 5 is tapered.

[0031] FIG. 1 shows the arrangement 10 before the pipe 9 is inserted into the receiving bore 4.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows the arrangement 10 according to FIG. 1, wherein the pipe 9 is inserted into the receiving bore 4. A solder ring 13 is located in the receiving bore 4 between the pipe 9 and the transition step 6.

[0033] FIG. 3 shows the arrangement 10 according to FIG. 1, wherein the pipe 9 is inserted into the receiving bore 4. A solder ring 13 is pushed onto the pipe 9, wherein the solder ring 13 rests in the cross-section expansion 8.

[0034] FIG. 4 shows the arrangement 10 according to FIG. 1, in which the pipe inserted into the receiving bore 4 is connected to the connecting element 1 by a substance-to-substance bond by means of a soldered connection. In this case, excess solder is accommodated in the transition step 6 and in the cross-section expansion 8. Based on the amount of solder taken up in the cross-section expansion 8, a non-destructive quality check of the solder connection can be carried out.

[0035] To manufacture the arrangement 10, the pipe 9 is first cut to size using a pipe cutter. The pipe cutter has cutting wheels which are guided over the outer circumference of the pipe 9. Due to the cutting process, a circumferential burr 11 is formed on the inner circumferential edge of the pipe 9. Due to the geometry of the cutting wheels, the end face 12 of the pipe end 5 is tapered.

[0036] In the next step, a solder ring 13 is inserted into the receiving bore 4 of the connecting element 1, and the pipe end 5 of the pipe 9 is inserted into the receiving bore 4 so that the solder ring 13 is arranged between the end face 12 of the pipe 9 and the transition step 6. The arrangement 10 is then heated so that the solder melts and fills the gap between the inner wall of the receiving bore 4 and the outer wall of the pipe 9. In doing so, the solder rises in the gap and excess solder is absorbed by the cross-section expansion 8. If, after soldering is completed, the cross-section expansion 8 is evenly filled with solder, this is an indication of a proper soldering process.

[0037] In an alternative method, a solder ring 13 is pushed onto the pipe 9 and then the pipe 9 is inserted into the receiving bore 4 of the connecting element 1. In this case, the solder ring 13 comes to rest in the cross-section expansion 8. The arrangement 10 is then heated so that the solder melts and fills the gap between the inner wall of the receiving bore 4 and the outer wall of the pipe 9.