PIPE CONNECTING SYSTEM

Abstract

A pipe connecting system for first and second pipe pieces extending along a common longitudinal axis includes a clamp. The pipe pieces each have first end and first clamping surfaces. The clamp has first and second contact surfaces lying against respective clamping surfaces to prevent the clamping surfaces from moving away from one another, while leaving a space between the first and second end surfaces. A retaining ring has a sealing connection attachment to the second pipe piece, and on which a sealing ring is mounted, the sealing ring lying against a circumferential first sealing surface of the first pipe piece. An interior of the first and second pipe pieces between the two pipe pieces is sealed against the surrounding environment by the sealing connection. The two pipe pieces can move towards one another without the first sealing ring moving out of contact with the first sealing surface.

Claims

1. A pipe connecting system having a first pipe piece and a second pipe piece that extend along a longitudinal axis, and having a clamp, the clamp being configured to connect the first and the second pipe piece to one another and to prevent them from moving away from one another along the longitudinal axis, a retaining ring being provided that is attached to the second pipe piece by a sealing connection, and on which a first sealing ring that runs around the longitudinal axis is mounted, a circumferential first sealing surface that extends along the longitudinal axis and against which the first sealing ring lies being provided on the first pipe piece, an interior of the first and of the second pipe piece between the first pipe piece and the second pipe piece being sealed against a surrounding environment by the sealing connection and the lying of the first sealing ring against the first sealing surface, when a first clamping surface on the first pipe piece and a second clamping surface on the second pipe piece lie against the clamp, an open space being formed between a first end surface on the first pipe piece and a second end surface on the second pipe piece, and the first and second pipe pieces being able to move towards one another without the first sealing ring moving out of contact with the first sealing surface, and the first sealing surface being provided on the outer side, oriented away from the longitudinal axis, of the first pipe piece.

2. The pipe connecting system according to claim 1, wherein the first end surface is provided on the first pipe piece and the second end surface is provided on the second pipe piece, and wherein the first end surface is situated opposite the second end surface.

3. The pipe connecting system according to claim 1, wherein the first clamping surface provided on the first pipe piece is oriented away from the first end surface, and wherein the second clamping surface provided on the second pipe piece is oriented away from the second end surface.

4. The pipe connecting system according to claim 1, further comprising: the clamp having a first contact surface and a second contact surface, the first contact surface being configured to lie against the first clamping surface, and the second contact surface being configured to lie against the second clamping surface, the clamp being configured to prevent the first and second clamping surfaces from moving away from one another when the first clamping surface lies against the first contact surface and the second clamping surface lies against the second contact surface, and when the first clamping surface lies against the first contact surface and the second clamping surface lies against the second contact surface, the open space being formed between the first end surface and the second end surface, and the first and second pipe piece being able to move towards one another without the first sealing ring moving out of contact with the first sealing surface.

5. The pipe connecting system according to claim 1, wherein the first sealing surface is situated between the first end surface and a free end of the first pipe piece.

6. The pipe connecting system according to claim 1, there being provided on the first pipe piece a first stop element that is connected fixedly to the first pipe piece, and on which the first end surface is formed.

7. The pipe connecting system according to claim 6, wherein the first stop element is connected fixedly to the first pipe piece by pressing on, soldering or welding.

8. The pipe connecting system according to claim 6, wherein the first clamping surface is formed on the first stop element.

9. The pipe connecting system according to claim 1, wherein the retaining ring is connected to the second pipe piece fixedly.

10. The pipe connecting system according to claim 9, wherein the retaining ring is connected to the second pipe piece by pressing on, soldering, or welding.

11. The pipe connecting system according to claim 9, wherein the second end surface is formed on the retaining ring.

12. The pipe connecting system according to claim 9, wherein the second clamping surface is formed on the retaining ring.

13. The pipe connecting system according to claim 1, wherein a circumferential second sealing surface that extends along the longitudinal axis is provided on the second pipe piece, and wherein a second sealing ring that runs around the longitudinal axis is mounted on the retaining ring, the second sealing ring lying against the second sealing surface, so that the sealing connection is formed between the retaining ring and the second pipe piece by the second sealing ring and the second sealing surface.

14. The pipe connecting system according to claim 13, wherein a second stop element is provided on the second pipe piece and is connected to the second pipe piece fixedly, and on which the second end surface is formed, and wherein the retaining ring is situated between the first and the second end surface.

15. The pipe connecting system according to claim 14, wherein the second stop element is connected to the second pipe piece by pressing on, soldering or welding.

16. The pipe connecting system according to claim 14, wherein the second clamping surface is formed on the second stop element.

17. The pipe connecting system according to claim 14, wherein the second sealing surface is situated between the second end surface and a free end of the second pipe piece.

18. The pipe connecting system according to claim 14, further comprising: the clamp having a first contact surface and a second contact surface, the first contact surface being configured to lie against the first clamping surface, and the second contact surface being configured to lie against the second clamping surface, the clamp being configured to prevent the first and second clamping surfaces from moving away from one another when the first clamping surface lies against the first contact surface and the second clamping surface lies against the second contact surface, and when the first clamping surface lies against the first contact surface and the second clamping surface lies against the second contact surface, the open space being formed between the first end surface and the second end surface, and the first and second pipe piece being able to move towards one another without the first sealing ring moving out of contact with the first sealing surface, wherein there is a distance between the first end surface and the second end surface in a direction of the longitudinal axis that is greater than a length of the retaining ring along the longitudinal axis when the first clamping surface lies against the first contact surface and the second clamping surface lies against the second contact surface, and wherein the first and the second pipe piece are capable of being moved towards one another relative to the clamp in the direction of the longitudinal axis without the first sealing ring moving out of contact with the first sealing surface and without the second sealing ring moving out of contact with the second sealing surface.

19. The pipe connecting system according to claim 1, wherein said clamp is configured to permit the first pipe piece to pivot relative to said second pipe piece about a pivot axis perpendicular to said longitudinal axis.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In the following, the present invention is explained on the basis of a drawing, which shows only preferred exemplary embodiments.

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a first exemplary embodiment of a pipe connecting system according to the present invention,

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a partial sectional view of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, and

[0027] FIG. 3 shows a partial sectional view of a second exemplary embodiment of a pipe connecting system according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first exemplary embodiment of a pipe connecting system 1 according to the present invention, pipe connecting system 1 having a first pipe piece 3 and a second pipe piece 5 that are connected to one another with the aid of a clamp 7 in such a way that pipe pieces 3, 5 can move towards one another inside clamp 7. In addition, clamp 7 is dimensioned such that pipe pieces 3, 5 can be pivoted relative to one another to a limited extent, as indicated by the cone in FIG. 1.

[0029] Pipe pieces 3, 5 can be part of pipe conduits that do not necessarily have to extend in rectilinear fashion. Only pipe pieces 3, 5, which are coupled to one another in the region of their free ends 9, 11, extend along a common longitudinal axis 13 in the immediate vicinity of these free ends 9, 11. Thus, a pipe connecting system 1 according to the present invention does not have to have pipe pieces 3, 5 that extend in rectilinear fashion over a longer length along a longitudinal axis. Rather, it is completely sufficient if, in the immediate vicinity of free ends 9, 11, thus, for example, in the region surrounded by clamp 7, in each case a rectilinear segment is provided, these segments extending along a common longitudinal axis 13, so that the segments then form pipe pieces 3, 5 in the sense of the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 2 further shows that a first stop element 15 is welded onto first pipe piece 3, but here it is, however, also conceivable for first stop element 15 to be simply pressed onto first pipe piece 3, or to be soldered thereto. In any case, there is to be a fixed connection between first stop element 15 and first pipe piece 3, which connection ensures that stop element 15 cannot be displaced relative to first pipe piece 3.

[0031] On first stop element 15 there is provided a first end surface 17 that, in the preferred exemplary embodiment shown here, extends substantially perpendicular to longitudinal axis 13 and runs around first pipe piece 3. In addition, first end surface 17 is oriented towards second pipe piece 5. In addition, on first stop element 15 there is also provided a first clamping surface 19 oriented away from first end surface 17, which clamping surface, in the preferred exemplary embodiment shown here, also runs perpendicular to longitudinal axis 13. Finally, in FIG. 2 it can be seen that between first end surface 17 and free end 9 of first pipe piece 3, on the outer side thereof oriented away from the inner side of first pipe piece 3, there is formed a first sealing surface 21; i.e., this segment of the outer side of first pipe piece 3 is realized such that a sealing connection is created in cooperation with a sealing ring.

[0032] In addition, FIG. 2 shows that on second pipe piece 5 a retaining ring 23 is fastened to the end segment of second pipe piece 5 by welding, a sealing connection being created between second pipe piece 5 and retaining ring 23 by the welded connection between them, the connection preventing fluid inside pipe pieces 3, 5 from being able to move outward through the connecting surface between retaining ring 23 and the outer side of second pipe piece 5. In retaining ring 23, there is fashioned an inward-facing circumferential groove 25 in which, in turn, a first sealing ring 27 is accommodated that also runs around longitudinal axis 13 and lies against first sealing surface 21, so that a sealing connection is formed between first sealing ring 27 and first sealing surface 21.

[0033] In addition, on the free end of retaining ring 23 a second end surface 29 is formed that runs perpendicular to longitudinal axis 13 and also runs around longitudinal axis 13, the second end surface here being situated immediately opposite first end surface 17.

[0034] Finally, retaining ring 23 has a second clamping surface 31 that is oriented away from second end surface 29 and also runs perpendicular to longitudinal axis 13 and runs around longitudinal axis 13.

[0035] FIG. 2 also shows that clamp 7, which is formed from two half-shells in a known manner, has a first contact surface 33 and a second contact surface 35 that, in the preferred exemplary embodiment described here, also run perpendicular to longitudinal axis 13 and are realized in such a way that first contact surface 33 can lie against first clamping surface 19, while second contact surface 35 can lie against second clamping surface 31. When contact surfaces 33, 35 lie against clamping surfaces 19, 31 in this way, pipe pieces 3, 5 are prevented from moving away from one another along longitudinal axis 13. In addition, retaining ring 23 and first stop element 15 are dimensioned such that when clamping surfaces 19, 31 lie against contact surface 33, 35, an open space 37 is formed between first end surface 17 and second end surface 29. Due to this open space 37, pipe pieces 3, 5 can move towards one another to a certain degree inside clamp 7, so that in this way changes in length, for example due to thermal expansion of the pipe conduits connected to pipe pieces 3, 5, can be compensated. When there is such a movement, first sealing ring 27 remains in contact with first sealing surface 21, but slides along it. In addition, due to open space 37 it is possible for pipe pieces 3, 5 to pivot relative to one another at least to a limited extent, so that a change of the angle between pipe pieces 3, 5 is possible. This is indicated by the cone in FIG. 1. Because, moreover, first sealing surface 21 is formed on the side of pipe pieces 3, 5 oriented away from the inside of pipe pieces 3, 5, this sealing surface 21 comes into contact with the fluid conducted in pipe pieces 3, 5 only to a small extent. As a result, the risk of deposits on first sealing surface 21 is low.

[0036] Finally, the surfaces running perpendicular to longitudinal axis 13 on first and second pipe piece 3, 5 are comparatively small, so that a pressurized fluid in the interior of pipe pieces 3, 5 can exert only a low force on them by which pipe pieces 3, 5 would be moved away from one another. Thus, a pressing apart of pipe pieces 3, 5 inside clamp 7 takes place only to a very small extent in the exemplary embodiment described here.

[0037] In order to connect the two pipe pieces 3, 5 of the first exemplary embodiment to one another to form a pipe connecting system 1 according to the first exemplary embodiment, first the first pipe piece 3 is pressed into retaining ring 23 with its free end 9, so that first sealing surface 21 formed on first pipe piece 3 comes to lie against first sealing ring 27, first pipe piece 3 then being pushed in far enough that the distance between first and second clamping surfaces 19, 31 is smaller than or equal to the distance between contact surfaces 33, 35 on clamp 7. Subsequently, clamp 7 is placed around retaining ring 23 and first stop element 15, so that pipe pieces 3, 5 can no longer move away from each other. In this way, a connection is produced between the two pipe pieces 3, 5 that, due to open space 37, can in addition accommodate changes in length and angle of the pipe conduits connected to pipe pieces 3, 5.

[0038] FIG. 3 shows a second exemplary embodiment of a pipe connecting system 1 according to the present invention in a partial cross-sectional view, this exemplary embodiment also having a first pipe piece 3 and a second pipe piece 5 that extend along a common longitudinal axis 13 in the region of the connecting system and the region surrounded by clamp 7.

[0039] Similar to the first exemplary embodiment, on first pipe piece 3 there is welded a first stop element 15 on which a first end surface 17 and a first clamping surface 19 are formed that, as is also the case in the first exemplary embodiment, run substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis 13, and run around it.

[0040] In addition, first pipe piece 3 has a first sealing surface 21 that is situated on the side of the wall of first pipe piece 3 oriented away from the interior of first pipe piece 3, and is thus situated on the outer side, and is made so as to run around first pipe piece 3 between first end surface 17 and free end 9 of first pipe piece 3.

[0041] Differing from the first exemplary embodiment, a second stop element 39 is also welded onto second pipe piece 5. However, it is also conceivable for second stop element 39 to be pressed onto or to be soldered to second pipe piece 5, adjacent to free end 11. In each case, however, a fixed connection is provided between second pipe piece 5 and second stop element 39. On second stop element 39, there is fashioned a second end surface 29, oriented towards first end surface 17, which in this exemplary embodiment runs substantially perpendicular to longitudinal axis 13, and runs around it. Moreover, second stop element 39 has a second clamping surface 31 that is oriented away from second end surface 29, and is also made perpendicular to longitudinal axis 13, and runs around it.

[0042] Finally, between second end surface 29 and free end 11 of second pipe piece 5 there is formed a second sealing surface 41 that is provided on the outer side of second pipe piece 5, oriented away from the inner space thereof.

[0043] In addition, FIG. 3 shows that a retaining ring 23 is provided that has an inward-facing first groove 25 and a likewise inward-facing second groove 43. In first groove 25 there is situated a first sealing ring 27 that surrounds first sealing surface 21 and lies against it. In second groove 43 there is situated a second sealing ring 45 that runs around second sealing surface 41 formed on second pipe piece 5, and lies in sealing fashion against it. In this way, a sealing connection is produced between retaining ring 23 and second pipe piece 5, because the lying of second sealing ring 45 against second sealing surface 41 brings it about that the interior of first and of second pipe piece 3, 5 between first pipe piece 3 and second pipe piece 5 is sealed against the surrounding environment. In particular, the seating of second sealing ring 45, as well as its accommodation in second groove 43, ensures that, between second sealing ring 43 and second sealing surface 41 on the one hand and between second sealing ring 45 and second groove 43 on the other hand, no fluid can exit from the interior of pipe pieces 3, 5 through the region between the two end surfaces 9, 11.

[0044] Finally, in this exemplary embodiment a clamp 7 is also provided on which a first contact surface 33 is provided that is situated opposite first clamping surface 19. In addition, here as well a second contact surface 35 is also fashioned on clamp 7, which contact surface is situated opposite second clamping surface 31 provided on second stop element 39 when clamp 7 is placed around pipe pieces 3, 5.

[0045] When clamping surfaces 19, 31 lie against contact surfaces 33, 35, end surfaces 17, 29 on first stop element 15 and second stop element 39 are far enough from one another that this distance is greater than the axial length, measured in the direction of longitudinal axis 13, of retaining ring 23. Because free ends 9, 11 of pipe pieces 3, 5 are also at a distance from one another, the pipe pieces can move towards one another due to the open space formed between end surfaces 17, 29 and retaining ring 23 when the pipe conduits connected to pipe pieces 3, 5 expand thermally. Moreover, here as well a limited change is possible in the angle between pipe pieces 3, 5. During this, however, first sealing ring 27 always remains in contact with first sealing surface 21, and second sealing ring 45 always remains in contact with second sealing surface 41.

[0046] In this second exemplary embodiment as well, sealing surfaces 21, 41 are formed on the side of pipe pieces 3, 5 oriented away from the fluid, so that these sealing surfaces come into contact with the fluid only to a small extent, and only small quantities of dirt, which could impede a displacement of sealing ring 27, 45 relative to sealing surfaces 21, 41, are deposited there.

[0047] In order to connect pipe pieces 3, 5 to one another in this second exemplary embodiment, the free ends 9, 11 thereof are first pushed into the inside of retaining ring 23 until clamping surfaces 19, 31 on stop element 15, 39 have a smaller distance from one another than do contact surfaces 33, 35 on clamp 7. Subsequently, the shells of clamp 7 are placed around stop elements 15, 30 and are closed, thus producing the connection.

[0048] While at least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention(s) is disclosed herein, it should be understood that modifications, substitutions and alternatives may be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art and can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This disclosure is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the exemplary embodiment(s). In addition, in this disclosure, the terms “comprise” or “comprising” do not exclude other elements or steps, the terms “a” or “one” do not exclude a plural number, and the term “or” means either or both. Furthermore, characteristics or steps which have been described may also be used in combination with other characteristics or steps and in any order unless the disclosure or context suggests otherwise. This disclosure hereby incorporates by reference the complete disclosure of any patent or application from which it claims benefit or priority.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0049] 1 pipe connecting system [0050] 3 first pipe piece [0051] 5 second pipe piece [0052] 7 clamp [0053] 9 free end—first pipe piece [0054] 11 free end—second pipe piece [0055] 13 longitudinal axis [0056] 15 first stop element [0057] 17 first end surface [0058] 19 first clamping surface [0059] 21 first sealing surface [0060] 23 retaining ring [0061] 25 first groove [0062] 27 first sealing ring [0063] 29 second end surface [0064] 31 second clamping surface [0065] 33 first contact surface [0066] 35 second contact surface [0067] 37 open space [0068] 39 second stop element [0069] 41 second sealing surface [0070] 43 second groove [0071] 45 second sealing ring