PIPELINE FITTING WITH VIBRATION COMPENSATOR

Abstract

A pipeline fitting, which comprises connection support elements and can be easily installed and removed, for indirectly connecting a first pipe connection to a second pipe connection. Compression joints between the first and second connection support elements of the pipeline fitting and a first and a second compression joint flange on a first and a second compression joint connector can be produced in the longitudinal direction of the pipeline fitting. This is achieved in that the pipeline fitting features a vibration compensator with an elastic bellows, as well as a respective tubular fitting section and a sealing ring integrally formed thereon to both sides of the bellows in the longitudinal direction, wherein the sealing ring can be clamped between a connecting flange of the connection support element and the compression joint flange of the compression joint connector.

Claims

1. A pipeline fitting, which comprises connection support elements, for indirectly connecting a first pipe connection to a second pipe connection, wherein compression joints between the first and second connection support elements of the pipeline fitting and a first and a second compression joint flange on a first and a second compression joint connector can be produced in the longitudinal direction of the pipeline fitting, and wherein the first and the second connection support elements respectively can be permanently pressed against the first and the second compression joint flanges in the longitudinal direction by a union nut, wherein the pipeline fitting features a vibration compensator with an elastic bellows, as well as a respective tubular fitting section and a sealing ring integrally formed thereon to both sides of the bellows in the longitudinal direction, wherein the sealing ring can be clamped between a connecting flange of the connection support element and the compression joint flange of the compression joint connector, and wherein the union nut produces a functional connection between the compression joint flange and the connection support element and ensures a separability of the flange connection.

2. The pipeline fitting according to claim 1, wherein the vibration compensator is realized in one piece and made of a rubber material, particularly a synthetic rubber such as nitrile rubber, chloroprene rubber or ethylene-propylene-diene rubber.

3. The pipeline fitting according to claim 1, wherein the connection support elements are integrally mounted in the edge regions of the vibration compensator such that they surround the tubular fitting sections, namely outside the interior on the outer wall, particularly by bonding, welding or vulcanizing.

4. The pipeline fitting according to claim 1, wherein the sealing rings are arranged such that they radially extend away from the longitudinal axis of the tubular fitting sections at a right angle.

5. The pipeline fitting according to claim 1, wherein the bellows is realized in the form of a multiple bellows, particularly a double bellows.

6. The pipeline fitting according to claim 1, wherein the respective sealing ring is elastically deformable in such a way that a circumferential rib on the compression joint flange can be pressed into the sealing ring.

7. A pressfitting system comprising a pipeline fitting according to claim 1, a first pipe connection and a second pipe connection, wherein the first compression joint connector has a compression joint flange and the second compression joint connector has a compression joint flange, wherein said compression joint flanges are respectively equipped with a circumferential rib such that these circumferential ribs can be engaged with the sealing rings.

8. The pressfitting system according to claim 7, wherein the union nut has an internal thread that can be screwed on and thereby functionally connected to the external thread of the connection support element, wherein an edge of the union nut presses the compression joint flange of the compression joint connector in the direction of the connection support element parallel to the longitudinal axis such that the sealing ring is elastically deformed and holds the compression joint flange in position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Other characteristics, details and advantages of the invention can be gathered from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the drawings. In these drawings,

[0010] FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal view with a partial longitudinal section through a pipeline fitting between a first pipe connection and a second pipe connection, and

[0011] FIG. 2 shows a detailed section through the transition from the first pipe connection to the pipeline fitting.

DESCRIPTION

[0012] A pressfitting system 0 comprising a first pipe connection 1 and a second pipe connection 3, which are indirectly connected by means of a pipeline fitting 2 or a pipeline joint, is described in greater detail below. In this case, the pipeline fitting 2 can be installed on and removed from the pipe connections 1, 3 due to the construction of the pipeline fitting 2. The pipeline fitting 2 extends in the direction of a longitudinal axis L between the pipe connections 1, 3. Corresponding means for mounting the pipeline fitting 2 are arranged on the pipe connections 1, 3.

[0013] The pipeline fitting 2 comprises a vibration compensator 20 that is realized in one piece and made of an elastic material, preferably a rubber-based material. The vibration compensator 20 essentially has a cannular or tubular design with an interior I. Connection support elements 21, 21′ are respectively arranged on the edge regions of the vibration compensator 20 as parts of the pipeline fitting 2.

[0014] The vibration compensator 20 is formed by an elastic bellows 202, which is particularly realized in the form of a multiple bellows 202 in this case, as well as respective tubular fitting sections 201, 201′ and sealing rings 200, 200′ on the ends. The tubular fitting section 201, 201 is encompassed by the connection support element 21, 21′ outside the interior I whereas the multiple bellows 202 is exposed. The multiple bellows 202 is realized in the form of a double bellows in this case. The compression joint is produced in the region of the tubular fitting sections 201, 201′ and the sealing rings 200, 200′ and therefore in the edge regions of the vibration compensator 20. The sealing rings 200, 200′ radially extend away from the longitudinal axis L at a right angle.

[0015] The connection support elements 21, 21′ are realized annularly and surround the tubular fitting sections 201, 201′ in the edge regions at a radial distance from the longitudinal axis L of the vibration compensator 20. The connection support elements 21, 21′ may be integrally mounted in the edge regions of the vibration compensator 20, particularly by means of bonding or welding, outside the interior I on the outer wall.

[0016] External threads 210 are respectively arranged on the sides of the connection support elements 21, 21′, which face away from the tubular fitting sections 201, 201′, such that they extend away from the tubular fitting sections 201, 201′. Connecting flanges 211 are arranged on the connection support elements 21, 21′ such that they extend outward in the direction of the longitudinal axis L.

[0017] In this case, union nuts 4, 4′ are used in the edge regions of the pipeline fitting 2 in order to respectively produce a compression joint between the face sections of the pipeline fitting 2 and the first and the second pipe connections 1, 3. The union nuts 4, 4′ are realized in the form of hexagon nuts in this case and respectively feature an internal thread 40. An edge 41 extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis L is integrally formed on each union nut 4, 4′. On this edge, the union nut 4, 4′ pulls the first pipeline 11 in the direction of the bellows 202 such that a fluid-tight connection can be produced. However, the embodiment may also be modified in such a way that the pipeline fitting 2 is pulled in the direction of the first pipeline 11 and/or the second pipeline 31.

[0018] The ends of the pipe connections 1, 3 are equipped with inseparable first and second compression joint connectors 10, 30 that extend in the direction of the pipeline fitting 2. In this case, the compression joint connectors 10, 30 concentrically surround the first and the second pipeline 11, 31 and have a polygonal shape on their outer sides. On the faces that point toward the pipeline fitting 2, the compression joint connectors 10, 30 respectively feature a compression joint flange 100, 300, into which a concentric circumferential rib 101, 301 is integrally formed in this case.

[0019] In order to produce a fluid-tight connection between the first pipeline 11 and the second pipeline 31 by means of the pipeline fitting 2, the first and the second compression joint connectors 10, 30 are flanged on the connection support elements 21, 21′. For this purpose, the first pipe connection 1 is attached to the sealing ring 200 of the vibration compensator 20 with its first compression joint connector 10. During this process, the compression joint flange 100 is pressed on the sealing ring 200 in the direction of the connecting flange 211 of the connection support element 21. The sealing ring 200 is squeezed between the compression joint flange 100 and the connecting flange 211. In this case, the compression joint is produced due to the flanging in the direction of the longitudinal axis L.

[0020] The union nut 4 is pushed over the flange section in order to realize this flanging permanently, wherein the internal thread 40 of the union nut 4 cooperates with the external thread 210 of the connection support element 21. The edge 41 of the union nut 4 presses the first compression joint connector 10 in the direction of the connection support element 21 as indicated by the arrow drawn with broken lines. A fluid-tight connection is produced after the flanging process, wherein the union nut 4 can be tightened with a simple, commercially available tool. Due to the respective elasticity of the vibration compensator 20 and the sealing ring 200, the connection can also be separated again and produced anew, wherein a fluid-tight connection can always be produced. A slight deformation of the sealing ring 200 takes place during the compression process, wherein the pipeline fitting 2 can be easily replaced.

[0021] In this case, the circumferential rib 101 in the form of a raised sealing rib is additionally provided on the compression joint flange 100. This circumferential rib 101 is partially pressed into the opposing elastic sealing ring 200 during the flanging process such that a fluid can be permanently prevented from escaping from the interior I.

[0022] No special tools are required due to the simple screw-on design of the union nuts 4, 4′ for producing the flange connection. The seal of the interior I is optimized due to the design of the sealing rings 200.

[0023] In this case, the vibration compensator 20 is realized in one piece and made of a rubber material, particularly a synthetic rubber such as nitrile rubber, chloroprene rubber or ethylene-propylene-diene rubber. The vibration compensator 20 absorbs mechanical vibrations, for example in the form of sound, which may originate from the first and second pipelines 10, 30. An electrical decoupling can likewise be realized due to the use of the electrically non-conductive rubber material.

[0024] Since the connection support elements 21, 21′ and the compression joint flanges 100, 300 of the compression joint connectors 10, 30 squeeze the sealing rings 200, 200′, the connection support elements 21, 21′ only can be arranged such that they are separably slipped over the tubular fitting sections 201, 201′.

TABLE-US-00001 List of Reference Symbols 0 Pressfitting system 1 First pipe connection 10 First compression joint connector 100 Compression joint flange 101 Circumferential rib/raised sealing projection 11 First pipeline 2 Pipeline fitting (removable) 20 Vibration compensator (elastic) 200 Sealing ring 201 Tubular fitting section 202 Elastic bellows (multiple bellows) 21 Connection support element (annular) 210 External thread 211 Connecting flange L Longitudinal axis 3 Second pipe connection 30 Second compression joint connector 300 Compression joint flange 301 Circumferential rib/raised sealing projection 31 Second pipeline 4 Union nut 40 Internal thread 41 Edge