Rod section of a ground drilling rod

Abstract

The invention relates to a rod section of a ground drilling rod, wherein the rod section is configured at the end to form a plug connection and has (a) a male connector or (b) a female connector at at least one end, wherein the male connector has at least one circular portion and at least one more straight-line-like portion in cross section on the outside, or the female connector has at least one circular portion and at least one more straight-line-like portion in cross section on the inside.

Claims

1. A rod section or ground drilling tool of a ground drilling rod, wherein the rod section or the ground drilling tool is configured at a first end to form a plug connection and wherein the rod section or ground drilling tool has a male connector or a female connector at the first end, wherein the male connector has at least one circular portion and at least one more straight-line-like portion in a cross section on the outside, or the female connector has at least one circular portion and at least one more straight-line-like portion in a cross section on the inside.

2. The rod section of claim 1, wherein the rod section has a male connector and the circular portion of the male connector and the more straight-line-like portion of the male connector are continuously or smoothly interconnected.

3. The rod section of claim 1, wherein the more straight-line-like portion has a radius of curvature which is more than 1.5 times larger than the radius of the circular portion.

4. The rod section of claim 1, wherein the more straight-line-like portion intersects the circular portion and wherein the more straight-line-like portion has a radius less than the radius of the circular portion.

5. The rod section of claim 1, wherein the cross section is at least partially configured to be P4C-shaped.

6. The rod section or ground drilling tool of claim 1 wherein the cross section has at least one portion on which a contact surface is configured for a securing element of the plug connection.

7. The rod section of claim 6, wherein the female connector has a through-hole for inserting the securing element.

8. The rod section of claim 1, wherein the rod section has a transmitter.

9. The rod section of claim 1, wherein the rod section has a second end with a second connection that is spaced apart from the first end, the second connection being configured for connection to a further rod section.

10. The rod section of claim 1, wherein the rod section is a double-pipe rod section.

11. The rod section of claim 10, wherein the plug connection is present on the outer rod section of the double-pipe rod section.

12.-14. (canceled)

15. A method for drilling a borehole in the ground comprising: providing a rod section or ground drilling tool, wherein the rod section or a ground drilling tool is configured at a first end to form a plug connection and wherein the rod section (a) has a male connector or (b) a female connector, and wherein a cross section of the male connector has at least one circular portion and at least one more straight-line-like portion on the outside, or a cross section of the female connector has at least one circular portion and at least one more straight-line-like portion on the inside.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the cross section has at least one portion on which a contact surface is configured for a securing element of the plug connection.

Description

[0059] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings in which:

[0060] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a male connector;

[0061] FIG. 2 is a view of a female connector in the direction of the center line of the female connector;

[0062] FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the female connector of FIG. 2;

[0063] FIG. 4 is a side view of an interlocking plug connection of the male connector according to FIG. 1 and female connector of FIGS. 2 and 3;

[0064] FIG. 5 is a front-side portion of a double-pipe ground drilling rod in partial section; and

[0065] FIG. 6 is a detailed view of FIG. 5.

[0066] FIG. 1 is a schematic isometric view of a male connector 1, as can be formed at the end of a rod section or a ground drilling tool. The end of the rod section or ground drilling tool is configured to form a plug connection. In the embodiment shown, the male connector 1 is part of a pair which also has a female connector 2, as is described in particular in connection with FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0067] FIG. 1 shows a cross section 3 on the outside of the male connector over a length Q, which cross section is adapted to a cross section 4 on the inside of the female connector 2.

[0068] The outside cross section 3 of the male connector 1 and the inside cross section 4 of the female connector 2 have four circular portions 17, 17a and four more straight-line-like portions 18, 18a. The four circular portions 17, 17a and the four more straight-line-like portions 18, 18a of a circumference and cross section respectively result in a P4C-shaped configuration. Over the length Q, the male connector 1 and the female connector 2 interact by means of the P4C-shaped cross section to transmit a torque from the male connector 1 to the female connector 2 and vice versa.

[0069] A pressing force can be transmitted between the female connector 2 and the male connector 1 by means of abutment surfaces 5, 6 which lie against one another when plugged together.

[0070] In order to form a securing mechanism for the plug connection, bores are made in the male connector 1 and the female connector 2 into which a securing element can be inserted.

[0071] The bores are formed in the female connector 2 by means of through-holes 7, 8, 9, 10. In the outer edge region, the through-holes come out at the holes 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b. In the female connector 2, open recesses are formed by the bores in the inside cross section 4, of which bores a recess 9c is shown in FIG. 3.

[0072] On the male connector 1, the bores lead to recesses 11, 12 with a corresponding contact surface for the securing element.

[0073] The bores or recesses 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 are formed in the cross-sectional portion or region in which the P4C-shaped cross section does not have the function of torque transmission.

[0074] FIGS. 5 and 6 show a double-pipe rod section 16, comprising an inner rod section 13 and an outer rod section 14. The outer rod section 14 of the double-pipe rod section 16 is connected to a ground drilling tool 15 by means of a plug connection as described above.