Tool device for the connection of a plastic pipe or of a composite metal/plastic pipe to a fitting by way of a sliding sleeve or compression sleeve

Abstract

A tool device for connecting a plastic pipe or composite metal/plastic pipe to a fitting using a sliding sleeve or compression sleeve. The device includes a housing; a flaring device for flaring the ends of the plastic pipe or composite metal/plastic, pipe; a sliding device for sliding the sliding sleeve on or a pressing device for pressing the compression sleeve on; and a mechanically operable drive element. The drive element can be switched to drive the flaring device or to drive the sliding device or pressing device. The flaring device includes a first piston-cylinder unit, whose working piston has a piston axis and which has an inner end and an end oriented away from the tool device. The sliding device or pressing device includes a second piston-cylinder unit, whose working piston has a second piston axis and which has an inner end and an end oriented away from the tool device.

Claims

1. A tool device for connecting a plastic pipe or composite metal/plastic pipe to a fitting by means of a sliding sleeve or compression sleeve, including: a housing; a flaring device for flaring the ends of the plastic pipe or composite metal/plastic pipe; a sliding device for sliding the sliding sleeve on or a pressing device for pressing the compression sleeve on; and a mechanically operable drive element which can be switched to drive the flaring device or to drive the sliding device or pressing device, wherein the flaring device includes a first piston-cylinder unit, whose working piston has a piston axis and which has an inner end and an end oriented away from the tool device, and the sliding device or pressing device includes a second piston-cylinder unit, whose working piston has a second piston axis and which has an inner end and an end oriented away from the tool device; the piston axes extend parallel to each other and a perpendicular projection of the inner end of the flaring device onto the piston axis of the sliding device and or pressing device lies between the inner end of the sliding device or pressing device and the end oriented away from the tool device.

2. The tool device according to claim 1, wherein the two piston/cylinder units have different cylinder diameters.

3. The tool device according to claim 2, wherein the piston/cylinder unit of the flaring device has a smaller cylinder diameter than the piston/cylinder unit of the sliding device or pressing device.

4. A use of the tool device according to claim 1 for connecting a plastic pipe or composite metal/plastic pipe to a fitting, the use steps including the steps of: (a) positioning the sliding sleeve or compressing sleeve and the fitting; and (b) activating the sliding sleeve or compression sleeve to connect the pipe to the fitting.

5. A use of the tool device according to claim 2 for connecting a plastic pipe or composite metal/plastic pipe to a fitting, the use steps including the steps of: (a) positioning the sliding sleeve or compression sleeve and the fitting; and (b) activating the sliding sleeve or compression sleeve to connect the pipe to the fitting.

6. A tool device for connecting a plastic pipe or composite metal/plastic pipe to a fitting by means of sliding a sleeve or compression sleeve, including: a housing; a flaring device for flaring the ends of the plastic pipe or composite metal/plastic pipe; a sliding device for sliding the sliding sleeve on or pressing device for pressing the compression sleeve on; and a mechanically operable drive element which can be switched to drive the flaring device or to drive the sliding device or pressing device, wherein the flaring device includes a first piston-cylinder unit, whose working piston has a piston axis and which has an inner end and an end oriented away from the tool device, and the sliding device or pressing device includes a second piston-cylinder unit, whose working piston has a second piston axis and which has an inner end and an end oriented away form the tool device; the piston axes extend parallel to each other and a perpendicular projection of the inner end of the sliding device or pressing device onto the piston axis of the flaring device lies between the inner end of the flaring device and the end oriented away from the tool device.

7. The tool device according to claim 6, wherein the two piston/cylinder units have different cylinder diameters.

8. The tool device according to claim 7, wherein the piston/cylinder unit of the flaring device has a smaller cylinder diameter than the piston/cylinder unit of the sliding device or pressing device.

9. A use of the tool device according to claim 6 for connecting a plastic pipe or composite metal/plastic pipe fitting, the use steps including steps of: (a) positioning the sliding sleeve or compression sleeve and the fitting; and (b) activating the sliding sleeve or compression sleeve to connect the pipe to the fitting.

10. A use of the tool device according to claim 7 for connecting a plastic pipe or composite metal/plastic pipe to a fitting, the use steps including the steps of: (a) positioning the sliding sleeve or compression sleeve and the fitting; and (b) activating the sliding sleeve or compression sleeve to connect the pipe to the fitting.

Description

(1) The present invention will be explained in detail below with reference to the embodiment shown in the figures. In this case, the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to a tool device according to the invention for connecting pipes to a fitting by means of a compression sleeve. It is understood, however, that the present invention is likewise also suitable for the use of a tool device for connecting a pipe to a fitting by means of a compression sleeve through the use of a corresponding pressing device.

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tool device according to an embodiment of the present invention, with a press-fitting yoke.

(3) FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, without the press-fitting yoke.

(4) FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the tool device shown in FIG. 2 along the line A-A in FIG. 2, viewed in the direction of the arrow,

(5) FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the tool device shown in FIG. 2 along the line B-B in FIG. 2, viewed in the direction of the arrow.

(6) FIG. 5 is a side view in which the tool device shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on a drive unit with a hydraulic drive.

(7) The figures show an embodiment of a tool device 1 according to the invention for connecting a plastic pipe or composite metal/plastic pipe to a fitting by means of a sliding sleeve or compression sleeve. The tool device 1 according to the invention includes a housing 2, a flaring device 3 for flaring the ends of the plastic pipe or composite metal/plastic pipe, a sliding device 4 for sliding the sliding sleeve on, and a mechanically operable drive element 5. The mechanically operable drive element 5 can be switched by means of a switch device 17 in order to drive the flaring device 3 in a first position of the switch device 17 or to drive the sliding device 4. By means of the switch device 17, the tool device 1 according to the invention is thus equipped to selectively operate either the flaring device 3 in order to flare the ends of a plastic pipe or a composite metal/plastic pipe or to operate the sliding device 4 in order to slide on the sliding sleeve. A slide element 18 is fastened to the sliding device 4 by means of a fastening pin 19. Sliding elements 18 of this kind are known, for example, from DE 20 2008 010 080 U1, whose disclosure content with regard to the design and function of slide elements is included herein by reference.

(8) FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment of the tool device 1 according to the invention shown in FIG. 1 from which the slide element 18 has been removed. The drawing clearly shows the flaring device 3 with the associated first piston/cylinder unit 6, which has a piston axis 9 as well as an inner end 10 and an end 11 oriented away from the tool device 1 (FIG. 3).

(9) The sliding device 4 likewise includes a second piston/cylinder unit 12. This unit has a working piston 13 with a second piston axis 14 as well as an inner end 15 and an end 16 oriented away from the tool device 1 (FIG. 4).

(10) The two piston axes 9, 14 extend parallel to each other, but do not coincide with each other. In addition, the two piston/cylinder units 6, 12 are offset and shifted relative to each other. Correspondingly, a perpendicular projection of the inner end 10 of the flaring device 3 onto the piston axis 14 of the sliding device 4 lies between its inner end 15 and its end 16 oriented away from the tool device 1. Alternatively or preferably additionally, a perpendicular projection of the inner end 15 of the sliding device 4 onto the piston axis 9 of the flaring device 3 lies between the inner end 10 of the flaring device 3 and the end 11 oriented away from the tool device 1.

(11) FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the tool device shown in FIG. 1 along the line A-A in FIG. 2, viewed in the direction of the arrow. The drawing shows the flaring device 3 with the first piston/cylinder unit 6. The working piston 8 of the piston/cylinder unit 6 in this case extends out from one end of the cylinder 7 and is embodied in the form of a flaring mandrel. A flaring head or expansion head (not shown) can be attached to the flaring device 3 by means of a connecting element 20. Such a flaring head is known, for example, from DE 20 2010 004 948 U1 whose disclosure content with regard to the design and function of slide elements is included herein by reference.

(12) FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the tool device 1 according to the invention along the line B-B in FIG. 2, viewed in the direction of the arrow. The drawing shows the design of the sliding device 4 with the second piston/cylinder unit 12, in the corresponding position of the switch device 17, the drive piston 13 of the piston/cylinder unit 12 drives a moving slide element 18 in the direction toward another slide element. The slide elements are only indicated here by their fastening bolts 19, 19; the working piston 13 slides the slide element 18 indicated by the fastening bolt 19 (FIG. 1) against the slide element indicated by the fastening bolt 19, which has a stable position during the pressing procedure. The movement of the slide element 18 against the other slide element causes a sliding sleeve to slide over a pipe end of a plastic pipe or composite metal/plastic pipe that has been flared by the flaring device 3, into which a fitting is inserted, producing a non-detachable connection. The inner diameter of the first piston/cylinder unit 6 differs from the diameter of the second piston/cylinder unit 12.

(13) In a first position of the switch device 17, when a hydraulic pump contained in a hydraulic tool 21 (FIG. 5) is activated by means of a switch 22, the piston 8 of the flaring device 3 is advanced in the direction of the end 11 of the flaring device 3 oriented away from the tool device 1. The mandrel-shaped end of the piston 8 then penetrates into the expansion head, thus flaring the pipe end that has been slid onto the expansion head, In the other position of the switch device 17, the piston 13 is moved in the direction of the end 16 of the sliding device 4 oriented away from the tool device 1 according to the invention. As a result, a sliding sleeve, which has been slid in over the flared pipe end with the inserted fitting, is slid onto the pipe end with the inserted fitting, thus producing a non-detachable connection.