Fastening device for measuring apparatuses on pipes

Abstract

A device for fastening a measuring apparatus on pipes, in particular a butt weld seam checking measuring apparatus, containing a housing for accommodating the measuring, control, and/or drive units and a clamp, wherein the clamp is designed as a ring segment, wherein the clamp is attached in the radial direction over a pipe external diameter, wherein the clamp has a pre-tension in the installed state.

Claims

1. A device for fastening a measuring apparatus on a pipe comprising a housing for accommodating measuring, control, and/or drive units and a clamp having a pair of elastic ring segments with spaced apart ends, wherein the clamp is attached in the radial direction without tools over a pipe external diameter by pressing the ends over the pipe and clamping the ring segments around the pipe while maintain a recess between the ends of the segments, and wherein the clamp has a pre-tension in the installed state; and wherein the housing and the clamp are separate parts, with housing being configured to be removably attached to clamps of different ring segment sizes so that the same housing can be used with different clamps for pipes of different sizes.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the ring segments have a wraparound angle of greater than 180.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the housing is fastened by a snap closure.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the clamp has two ring segments extending in parallel, which are connected to one another by means of at least one web, wherein the clamp is formed in one piece.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the housing and the clamp are connected to one another in a formfitting manner, by a cam on the clamp or housing and recess on the clamp or housing for receiving the cam.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein markings, which indicate the measurement position, are arranged on the clamp.

7. A device for measuring pipes comprising: a set of clamps, each clamp having a pair of elastic ring segments with spaced apart ends, the ring segments defining an internal diameter, each clamp being attachable in the radial direction without tools over a pipe external diameter by pressing the ends over the pipe and clamping the ring segments around the pipe while maintaining a recess between the ends of the segments, the ring segments of different clamps defining different internal diameters; a housing for accommodating measuring, control, and/or drive units; and wherein the same housing is configured to be removably mounted to each of the clamps whereby the same housing can be used to measure pipes of different diameters using a clamp configured for a particular pipe diameter.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the housing and the clamp are connected to one another in a formfitting manner, by a cam on the clamp or housing and recess on the clamp or housing for receiving the cam.

Description

DRAWINGS

(1) An exemplary embodiment of the invention will be described on the basis of the figures, wherein the invention is not only restricted to the exemplary embodiment. In the figures:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a view during the mounting of the device according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a view of the device according to the invention mounted on the pipe,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a three-dimensional view of a device according to the invention,

(5) FIG. 4 shows a view of a clamp of the device according to the invention,

(6) FIG. 5 shows a partial view of a clamp of the device according to the invention,

(7) FIG. 6 shows a three-dimensional view of a clamp of the device according to the invention,

(8) FIG. 7 shows a three-dimensional view of a clamp of the device according to the invention for a small pipe diameter, and

(9) FIG. 8 shows a three-dimensional view of a clamp of the device according to the invention having grooves instead of pockets.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) The drawing shown in FIG. 1 shows a device 1 according to the invention for fastening a measuring apparatus on a pipe 2 having a housing 3 in which the measuring apparatus is arranged or the units required for this purpose in accordance with the measurement to be carried out are arranged, wherein FIG. 1 shows the device 1 during the mounting. It can be seen well therein that the device 1 is pressed or clipped onto the pipe 2 in the radial direction 5. Because the clamp 4 has a wraparound angle of greater than 180, the ring segments 4 are spread apart as they are pressed on over the pipe diameter and then press against the pipe external circumference 2 when the device 1 is fastened on the pipe 2. Because the internal diameter of the clamp 4 is smaller than the pipe external diameter, the clamp 4 has a pre-tension in the state mounted on the pipe 2, whereby undesired displacement or twisting is avoided. FIG. 2 shows the device according to the invention, which is already fastened on the pipe 2.

(11) The housing 3 is fastened by means of quick-acting closure or snap closure 6 on the clamp 4, wherein the tab 9 of the snap closure and the cam 8 engage in the recesses 7, as can be seen in FIG. 4, whereby the housing 3 is fastened in a formfitting manner on the clamp 4 or on the ring segment.

(12) The clamp 4 is preferably formed by two ring segments extending in parallel, which are connected to one another by means of at least one web 11. Recesses 13, 14 are thus formed between the ring segments, which are used in the upper region or in the region on which the housing 3 is fastened for the accessibility of the measuring apparatus to the pipe, whereby a sensor can directly or indirectly acquire the pipe external diameter or circumference or the weld seam. Moreover, the recess in the lower region or after the two webs 11 is used so that during the attachment of the device 1 on the pipe external diameter, a rough, manual alignment in the axial direction can be performed, for example, by placing the weld seam to be checked approximately in the middle of the recess. Moreover, the edges on the ring segments, which are oriented in the direction of the recesses 13, 14, are used as a stop or guide of the weld seam, whereby the weld seam would line up at the edges and no displacement of the clamp 4 is possible. In the region in which the housing 3 is fastened on the clamp 4, the clamp 4 or the ring segments has/have a reinforcement 15 or a protrusion. This is used for light protection or shielding from the surroundings, whereby the measuring apparatuses cannot be impaired by incident light.

(13) Moreover, the clamp 4 preferably has a marking 10 of the measuring position, which is also used for adjusting the device 1 according to the invention

(14) Furthermore, it is advantageous if markings 10 are arranged at a specific angle in relation to one another on the clamp 4, these enable the controlled rotation of the device 1 along the pipe circumference, whereby a measurement can always take place at a specific angle in relation to the other measurement

(15) A marking at an angle of 90 is preferably to be selected, whereby other positions of the markings are also conceivable.

(16) The housing 3 preferably has an operating unit 16, which is kept as simple as possible, for example, by only one button which triggers different actions by various types of actuation. Moreover, it is advantageous if the operating unit has a display, preferably an LED, which indicates the operating state.

(17) Moreover, the housing 3 preferably has a connecting unit, which enables an external controller to be attached, of course, a wireless connection to control units such as PCs is also conceivable.

(18) It is advantageous if pockets 12 are arranged on the internal diameter of the clamp 4, which are used for accommodating, for example, rubber elements, which have a higher friction resistance and thus suppress an undesired pivot of the device 1.

(19) A further embodiment of the clamp is shown in FIG. 8, in which a continuous groove 19 extends along the ring segment instead of the pockets, wherein the groove 19 preferably extends in the region in which the housing 3 is fastened and is arranged in both ring segments extending in parallel. A sealing profile can be arranged in the groove 19, which increases the friction resistance between pipe and clamp 4, on the one hand, and is also used as light protection or for shielding from the environment for the sensor in the housing 3, so that incident light does not influence the capture of the measurement data.