AU2018202127B2

AU2018202127B2 - Pressing means for pressing a fitting

Info

Publication number: AU2018202127B2
Application number: AU2018202127A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Phillipp DASBACH; Reiner Mester; Jörg Rosenthal
Original assignee: Viega Technology GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Viega Technology GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2017-03-29
Filing date: 2018-03-26
Publication date: 2019-10-17
Anticipated expiration: 2038-03-26
Also published as: EP3381618A1; AU2018202127A1; EP3381618B1; DE102017106744A1

Abstract

Abstract The invention relates to a pressing means for pressing a fitting for sealed connection with a pipe, having at least two pressing elements (2, 4) with a receiving region for receiving a fitting with a pipe and having a pressing contour (10) formed on the inside of the pressing 5 elements (2, 4), the pressing elements (2, 4) being pivotably connected to one another, are spaced apart in an open position at the end (20, 22) comprising the pressing contour and have a smaller gap following completion of the pressing operation or abut against one another and in doing so form a closing plane (24) and the pressing contour (10) having a pressing region (26, 28, 30) for the sealed pressing of the fitting and pressing braces (36, 38) for the fixed 10 pressing of the fitting. The technical problem to improve the pressing of fittings with thin walled metal pipes is solved by at least one pressing brace (36, 38) of one of the pressing elements (4, 6) having a cam (40, 42) extending radially inwards. Fig. 5 10109531 (GHMatte) P108358.AU -4-24 Fig.5

Description

The invention relates to a pressing means for pressing a fitting for sealed connection with a pipe, having at least two pressing elements (2, 4) with a receiving region for receiving a fitting with a pipe and having a pressing contour (10) formed on the inside of the pressing elements (2, 4), the pressing elements (2, 4) being pivotably connected to one another, are spaced apart in an open position at the end (20, 22) comprising the pressing contour and have a smaller gap following completion of the pressing operation or abut against one another and in doing so form a closing plane (24) and the pressing contour (10) having a pressing region (26, 28, 30) for the sealed pressing of the fitting and pressing braces (36, 38) for the fixed pressing of the fitting. The technical problem to improve the pressing of fittings with thinwalled metal pipes is solved by at least one pressing brace (36, 38) of one of the pressing elements (4, 6) having a cam (40, 42) extending radially inwards.

Fig. 5

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Fig.5

Pressing means for pressing a fitting

The disclosure relates to a pressing means for pressing a fitting for sealed connection with a pipe, having at least two pressing elements with a receiving region for receiving a fitting with a pipe and having a pressing contour formed on the inside of the pressing elements, wherein 5 the pressing elements are pivotably connected to one another, are spaced apart in an open position at the end comprising the pressing contour and have a smaller gap following completion of the pressing operation or abut against one another and in doing so form a closing plane, and wherein the pressing contour has a pressing region for the sealed pressing of the fitting, in particular a bead of a fitting comprising a sealant, and pressing braces for the 0 fixed pressing of the fitting.

The technical field relevant for the present disclosure is the installation of pipeline systems at the construction site, in which a pipeline system consisting of pipe sections and fittings is generally installed for conducting and guiding a fluid. A connection piece of a pipeline system is basically understood as a fitting and is most often used to connect two or a plurality of pipe sections. The fitting accordingly has two or more pressing sections. The most common fittings include straight connections, change of direction in the form of pipe bends, reducing parts, feeders such as T-pieces or curves. A fitting is, however, also understood as a pipe connection of a valve or another component. For example, thermometers or manometers as valves have only one connection for a pipe section. This fitting thus has only one pressing section in order to connect a pipe section to the valve.

Pressing connections are used to connect the pipe sections to the fittings and other components in which a pressing section of a fitting is formed radially inwards by means of a 25 pressing tool in the case of an inserted pipe section such that a permanent and tight, possibly even undetachable connection is established. The fittings can be provided with a sealant, for example with an O-ring which ensures the tightness of the connection or can even be formed by means of direct contact of the materials of the pipe section and the fitting, for example metallic sealing.

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Radially acting pressing systems are used as pressing technology for radially forming the pressing section, in which the pressing elements mentioned in the introduction are used. By pivoting the pressing elements towards each other, the material of the fitting, possibly together with sealant and thereby also the material of the pipe is formed such that an extraction-proof and tight connection results between the fitting and the pipe.

The previously generally described pipeline systems serve in particular to transport drinking or hot water, gas to operate a heating system or industrial gases.

When using thin-walled metal pipes, in particular thin-walled copper pipes, with a wall thickness of for example less than 1.2 mm and a conventional pressing tool for metallic pressing systems, the pipe tends to form bulges, in particular in the region of the closing plane. In the case of pipes made of tougher metals, these problems occur less severely if the same tool is used with the same sealants for pressing fittings.

The closing plane of the pressing elements is understood as the plane in which the two open ends of the pressing elements abut against one another or are arranged at least adjacent following completion of a pressing operation. No material of the fitting is initially radially 0 pressed in the region of the closing plane at the beginning of the pressing operation due to the gap of the ends of the pressing elements to one another. In addition, when the pressing elements are closed further, material of the fitting is pushed into the open region of the closing plane, i.e. in the circumferential direction of the fitting. Due to the geometry of the pressing elements and the movement course, material is thus mainly formed in the region of 25 the closing plane such that the pipe pressed with the fitting is exposed to a particular stress in this region. The mentioned bulge formation thus occurs frequently in the region of the closing plane.

Leaking pressing connections may result from the bulge formation. In order to help solve this 30 problem, the degree of forming may be reduced by changing the pressing contour of the pressing elements. However, the burst pressure strength may also reduce due to the lower degree of forming, i.e. also the pull-out strength of the connection. This in turn may apply

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2018202127 24 Sep 2019 preferably for the use of the tool in combination with pipes made of a tougher metal such as steel and stainless steel systems.

It may be desirable for embodiments of the disclosure to improve the pressing of fittings with 5 thin-walled metal pipes.

Embodiments provide at least one pressing brace of one of the pressing elements having a cam extending radially inwards, i.e. into the receiving region.

By introducing at least one additional cam into the pressing contour, selective, stronger forming may be introduced into the connection between the fitting and the pipe during the pressing operation. The forming is preferably outside of the region critical for the bulge formation close to the closing plane. The burst pressure strength may thus be increased without influencing the region critical for the bulge formation.

In embodiments, the at least one cam may be arranged in an angle range of more than 90° to the closing plane, the centre axis of the pressing contour forming the vertex of the angle measurement and an arm of the angle abutting on the end of the pressing element. It may thus ensure that the at least one cam is positioned with sufficient angular gap from the closing plane and may not stress the region of the closing plane.

In the case of the pressing means, both pressing braces of both pressing elements may have at least one cam, respectively. In total, at least four cams may thus be provided which are arranged evenly distributed and may be remote from the closing plane. The burst pressure strength may thus be further improved.

In embodiments, at least one pressing brace, preferably all pressing braces, have a radial extension to result in a profile of the pressing brace, or all pressing braces, having an eccentric shape, the eccentric shape extending over an angle range between 10° and 90° to the closing 30 plane. As a result, even the pressing brace or the pressing braces, may have a course, which approximates a tangent slope, relative to the outer form of the fitting in the region of the closing plane. The amount of the displaced material of the fitting may thereby be reduced in

11500175_2 (GHMatters) P108358.AU the region of the closing plane and the pressing may shift to a more radial direction. Less material of the fitting may thus be shifted in the circumferential direction and the danger of bulge formation may be further reduced.

In a first preferred configuration of the described pressing means, the pressing elements can form a pressing collar of a pressing tool. The pressing collar may be used for pipes with larger diameters and prior to pressing may be placed around the fitting that is not yet pressed. The pressing elements may be connected to one another at respectively one end by means of a rotational axis and form a gap to one another at the other free end in the open position. These ends may thus delimit the closing plane of both sides. The free ends may have coupling means, mainly in the form of depressions, into which corresponding coupling means of a pressing tool can engage. In order to press the fitting, the free ends of the pressing collar may be compressed by means of the coupling means driven by a pressing tool, whereby the fitting and the pipe are formed.

In a second preferred configuration of the described pressing means, the pressing elements may form pressing jaws of a pressing tool. To this end, two pressing elements of pressing jaws are preferably pivotable around at least one axis by means of retaining elements, they are provided at one end with the pressing contour and at the other end with an inflow contour.

The ends of the retaining elements with the inflow contour may be pressed away from one another by means of a feed piston of a pressing machine such that the other ends close with the pressing contour and effect the pressing operation.

The disclosure will be explained below based on exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing. In the drawing is shown

Fig. 1 an exemplary embodiment of a first pressing element of a pressing collar according to the disclosure in a partially cut side view,

Fig. 2 a second pressing element in a side view,

Fig. 3 a view of the pressing contour of the pressing element,

Fig. 4 a detailed representation of the pressing element with a cam,

Fig. 5 a perspective representation of the pressing collar according to the disclosure with inserted fitting with pipe in the open state,

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Fig. 6 a sectional representation along the line VI-VI according to Fig. 5,

Fig. 7 a perspective representation of the pressing collar according to the disclosure with inserted fitting with pipe in the pressed state,

Fig. 8 a sectional representation along the line VIII-VIII according to Fig. 5 and

Fig. 9 an exemplary embodiment of pressing jaws according to the disclosure.

In the following description of the different exemplary embodiments according to the disclosure, components and elements with the same function and the same operating principle are provided with the same reference numerals even though the components and elements for 0 different exemplary embodiments may have differences in their dimension and form.

An exemplary embodiment of a pressing collar 2 according to the disclosure is represented in Fig. 1 to 4 for pressing a fitting for sealed connection to a pipe.

Fig. 1 shows a first (upper) pressing element 4 in a partially cut view, while Fig. 2 represents a second (lower) pressing element 6 in a side view.

The pressing collar 2 thus has the two pressing elements 4 and 6 which both have a receiving region 8 for receiving a fitting with a pipe. In this case, the receiving region 8 defines an axial 0 direction perpendicular to the drawing plane which substantially corresponds with the axis of the fitting to be pressed and of the pipe received by the fitting. In addition, the receiving region is formed substantially round in sections in order to receive the fitting to be pressed with the pipe.

A pressing contour 10 is formed on the inside of the pressing elements 4 and 6 which surrounds the receiving region 8 radially outwards. The pressing contour 10 can be discerned in particular in Fig. 3.

The pressing elements 4 and 6 can be pivotably connected to one another and also have a borehole 16 or 18 at one end 12 or 14 in which a rotational axis, not represented, is arranged in the assembled state. In an open position, the pressing elements 4 and 6 are spaced apart at

11500175_2 (GHMatters) P108358.AU the ends 20 and 22 and have a smaller gap following completion of the pressing operation or abut against one another. The ends 20 and 22 thus define a closing plane 24 between them.

The pressing contour 12 has the negative form of the outer form to be adopted by the fitting after the pressing operation. The centre section 26 of the pressing contour 10 is formed deepened in order to receive the bead of a fitting and to press. The circumferential edges 28 and 30 of the centre section 12 run inclined such that a substantially trapezoidal inner contour results overall. Axially aligned cylindrical sections 32 and 34 adjoin the centre section 12 in both axial directions, in Fig. 3 at the top and at the bottom. The sections 32 and 34 do not abut 0 against the fitting during the pressing operation and thus also do not lead to forming of the fitting.

The pressing contour 12 thus forms, on the inside, a pressing region 26, 28 and 30 running in the axial direction for pressing a bead of a fitting comprising a sealant, as is explained further 5 below with reference to Fig. 5 to 8. In addition, the pressing contour 12 has pressing braces 36 and 38 at both sides of the previously described pressing region. The pressing braces 36 and 38 serve in particular to form the fitting with respect to fixing the fitting on the pipe to be pressed.

According to the disclosure, the pressing braces 36 and 38 respectively have a cam 40 or 42 which is directed radially inwards and lead to a selective additional depression of the fitting in the direction of the pipe. These additional depressions lead to an increased pull-out or burst pressure strength. As emerges in particular from Fig. 4 using the example of the cam 42, the outer flank of the cam 42 is chamfered such that a shape tapering inwards results. The inner 25 flank of the cam 42 can of course also be similarly chamfered.

The cams 40 and 42 are also arranged at an angle of more than 90° to the closing plane 24, the angle a being measured such that the vertex of the angle a matches the axis A. Therefore the position of the cams 40 and 42 may have a sufficient gap to the closing plane 24.

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As is shown in the exemplary embodiment represented in the figures, the pressing braces 36 and 38 of both pressing elements 4 and 6 respectively have a cam 40 or 42. An additional depression is thus introduced at four different positions during pressing of the fitting.

An additional features of the present pressing collar 2 is that the pressing braces 36 and 38 have a radial extension 44 or 46 in an angle range β between 10° and 90° to the closing plane 24, as emerges from the gap to the dashed lines in Fig. 1 and 2. These radial extensions 44 and 46 lead to the slope of the pressing braces 36 and 38 in the region of the closing plane 24 running steeper than in a round form, preferably even virtually tangentially to the outer form of the fitting, virtually perpendicular in Fig. 1 and 2. The forming of the fitting occurring in the circumferential direction of the fitting is reduced or largely avoided during pressing of the fitting through the radial extensions 44 and 46.

Figs. 1 to 4 show pressing elements 4 and 6 for a pressing means in the form of a pressing collar 2 of a pressing tool. The assembled pressing collar 2 is shown in Figs 5 to 8 together with an inserted fitting 52 and a pipe 54 introduced therein.

The two pressing elements 4 and 6 are connected to one another at the ends 12 and 14 by means of a rotational axis 56 and form a gap to one another at the other ends 20 and 22 in the open position, as is represented in Fig. 5 and 6. The fitting 52 is arranged between the two pressing elements 4 and 6, into which the pipe 54 to be connected is pushed up to a stop 58. The fitting 52 has a bead 60 to receive an O-ring 62.

The two ends 20 and 22 have a depression 64 and 66 at the outer sides into which corresponding coupling means of a pressing tool can engage and the two ends 20 and 22 are pressed towards one another.

Figs. 7 and 8 show the arrangement following the pressing operation. The forming 67 by the pressing braces 36 and 38 can be discerned inside the pipe 54 around the circumference on the inside. It can be discerned at the positions marked with the reference numerals 68 and 70 that the cams 40 of the braces 36 have penetrated further into the material of the fitting 52 such that the pipe 54 was also more strongly deformed in a punctiform manner at this point. The

11500175_2 (GHMatters) P108358.AU position 68 can be discerned in the cross-section in Fig. 8 in the upper half, the lower half perspectively showing the position 70. It can be discerned in the section in the lower half that the braces 38 cause only a smaller deformation of the fitting 52 than is the case for the cams

40. It is similarly represented in Fig. 7 and 8 that the bead 60 has been deformed inwards and the O-ring 62 has been compressed.

Fig. 9 shows a second exemplary embodiment of a pressing means in the form of pressing jaws 80 which are part of a pressing tool. The two pressing elements 4 and 6 are arranged pivotable around two axes 86 and 88 by means of laterally arranged retaining elements 84.

The pressing elements 4 and 6 have a pressing contour 10 at one end 20 and 22 which is formed in a similar manner as has been described previously. Cams 40 and 42 as well as radial extensions 44 and 46 are in particular present.

The pressing elements 4 and 6 are provided with an inflow contour 90 at the ends 12 and 14.

A pressing tool can thus press the two ends 12 and 14 apart using a feeding means in order to thus compress the ends 20 and 22 with the pressing contour 10.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the disclosure, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word 0 “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” is used in an inclusive sense,

i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the disclosure.

It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does 25 not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

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Claims

1. Pressing means for pressing a fitting for sealed connection with a pipe,

5 - having at least two pressing elements with a receiving region for receiving a fitting with a pipe and

- having a pressing contour formed on the inside of the pressing elements,

- wherein the pressing elements are pivotably connected to one another, are spaced apart in an open position at the end comprising the pressing contour, and have a

0 smaller gap following completion of the pressing operation or abut against one another and in doing so form a closing plane and

- wherein the pressing contour has a pressing region for the sealed pressing of the fitting and pressing braces for the fixed pressing of the fitting, wherein

5 - at least one pressing brace of one of the pressing elements has a cam extending radially inwards, and

- at least one pressing brace having a radial extension to result in a profile of the pressing brace having an eccentric shape, the eccentric shape extending overan angle range (β) between 10° and 90° to the closing plane.

2. Pressing means according to Claim 1, wherein the cam is arranged in an angle range (a) of more than 90° to the closing plane.

3. Pressing means according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the two pressing braces of both

25 pressing elements respectively have at least one cam.

4. Pressing means according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein all pressing braces have a radial extension to result in a profile of the pressing brace having an eccentric shape, the eccentric shape extending over an angle range (β) between 10° and 90° to

30 the closing plane.

5. Pressing means according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein

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- the pressing elements form a pressing collar of a pressing tool and

- the pressing elements are connected to one another at respectively one end by means of a rotational axis and at the other end form a gap to one another in the open position.

5

6. Pressing means according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein

- the pressing elements form pressing jaws of a pressing tool and

- the pressing elements are pivotable around at least one axis by means of retaining elements, are provided at one end with the pressing contour and at the other end with an inflow contour.