JPH0988918A - Clamp and clamp body structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily join pipes together in a short time even if a sufficient spatial allowance does not exist by arranging mutually connecting locking parts in both end parts of an end having ring shaped main body part having an almost U-shaped groove part on an inner peripheral surface. SOLUTION: In an end having ring 1 shaped main body part 1 locking parts 2 and 2 to be hookingly locked are formed in respective end parts. For example, a claw-shaped or a hook-shaped locking recessed part 3 is integrally formed in a locking part 2 on one end 1a, and a claw-shaped or hook-shaped locking projection part 4 is integrally formed in the locking part 2 on the other end 1b, respectively. A cross-sectional almost U-shaped groove part 5 is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the main body part 1. On the other hand, a cover member 6 composed of a leaf spring is fixed to an outer peripheral surface of the main body part 1. This clamp is used to connect plural pipes to each other, and butts flange parts of first and second pipes having a flange part on one end against each other, and these flange parts are inserted into a clamp grove part 5, and when the locking parts 2 and 2 are locked on each other, since it can be assembled by simple operation, workability can be improved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a clamp and a clamp structure, and more particularly to an improvement of a clamp structure that can easily support and fix a connecting portion of a pipe for flowing a refrigerant.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a vehicle is equipped with a cooling device for cooling the interior of the vehicle. This device comprises, for example, a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, a capillary tube, and a fan, and is mainly arranged in the engine room.

By the way, in this cooling device, a gaseous refrigerant is compressed by a compressor to a high temperature and high pressure, which is cooled by a condenser to generate condensation heat and liquefy, and is decompressed through a capillary tube to be decompressed. The vaporized liquid refrigerant absorbs a large amount of heat of vaporization in an evaporator to form a low-temperature gas, and operates to send cold air with a fan, but between each element device is a metal pipe such as copper or aluminum. Connected.

Conventionally, these pipes have been connected by the method shown in FIGS. 7 to 8, for example.
Is an example of connection using a cap nut, and FIG. 8 is an example of connection using a tightening bolt.

The clamp structure shown in FIG. 7 has a first pipe A having a flange portion Aa at one end and a protruding portion Ab extending outward from the flange portion Aa, and a first pipe A.
Of the seal ring SR made of an elastic material such as rubber attached to the protruding portion Ab of the first pipe A and the protruding portion Ab of the first pipe A at one end.
A second pipe B having a large-diameter portion Ba into which can be inserted, and a thread portion formed on the outer peripheral surface of the large-diameter portion Ba, and a first pipe A.
And a cap nut D attached to the end portion of the second pipe B between the flange portion Aa and the end face of the second pipe B. The ruling SR is inserted so as to be positioned, and in this state, the cap nut D is screwed onto the second pipe B and tightened, whereby the first and second pipes A and B are airtightly connected.

Further, the clamp structure shown in FIG. 8 has a first coupling member AX integrated with the end portion of the first pipe A and a seal ring mounted on the protruding portion of the first coupling member AX. S
R, a second coupling metal fitting BX integrated with one end of the second pipe B and having a recess for receiving the protruding portion of the first coupling metal fitting AX, and a tightening bolt E. To the second coupling metal fitting BX.
Seal ring SR is attached to each of the fittings A in the recess of
Insert it so that it is located between the wall surfaces of X and BX, and in this state, tighten the first and second coupling fittings AX and BX with the bolt E to make the first and second pipes A and B airtight. Connected.

[0007]

However, according to the above clamp structure, although the respective pipes can be reliably connected while maintaining excellent airtightness, when applied to, for example, an automobile, an engine is used. There is a problem that the time required for incorporation into the room becomes long and the cost becomes high.

That is, in recent years, in order to reduce the cost of automobiles, the space in the engine room has been greatly reduced along with the trend of space saving. For this reason, there is almost no wasted space between various parts and devices arranged in the engine room.

Therefore, when the above-mentioned pipes A, B, etc. are incorporated into an engine room, in the clamp structure shown in FIG. 7, a spanner or the like is mounted on the cap nut D and the spanner is reciprocated within a certain angle range. Although it is necessary to tighten them, it takes a long time to assemble because there is not enough space for reciprocating the spanner.

Also in the case of the clamp structure shown in FIG. 8, the first and second coupling fittings AX and BX must be tightened while reciprocating the tightening bolt E with a spanner, a wrench, etc. within a certain angle range. Therefore, as in FIG. 7, there is not enough space for reciprocating the tightening tool, and it takes a long time to assemble.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a clamp and a clamp structure which can easily connect pipes in a short time even if there is not a sufficient space margin due to a relatively simple structure. .

[0012]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention has an end ring-shaped main body having an approximately U-shaped groove on its inner peripheral surface and an end of the main body. The second invention of the present invention is to fix a cover member including a leaf spring to the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion. is there.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the locking portion is composed of a locking recess and a locking projection that is hooked and locked in the locking recess. The invention is characterized in that the groove portion of the main body portion is provided with an inclined surface whose wall surface is expanded toward the opening portion.

Further, a fifth aspect of the present invention is to provide a clamp having an engaging portion at the end of a ring-shaped main body having an end having a substantially U-shaped groove on the inner peripheral surface, and a flange portion at one end. And a first pipe and a second pipe having the flanges of the first and second pipes, the flanges are inserted into the groove of the clamp, and the respective locking portions of the clamp are engaged. It is characterized by having stopped.

Further, according to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a clamp in which an engaging portion is provided at an end portion of a ring-shaped body portion having an end having a substantially U-shaped groove portion on an inner peripheral surface, and a flange portion at one end. And a seal ring attached to the protruding portion of the first pipe, and a second pipe having a flange portion at one end. Then, the flange portions that are abutted by inserting the protruding portion of the first pipe into the second pipe are inserted into the groove portions of the clamp, and the locking portions of the clamp are locked. Characterize.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Next, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a ring-shaped main body portion, and locking portions 2 and 2 which are hooked and locked are formed at the respective end portions. For example, the locking portion 2 at one end 1a is a claw-shaped or hook-shaped locking concave portion 3
However, the engaging portion 2 at the other end 1b has a claw-like or hook-like engaging protrusion 4
Are integrally formed. Further, a groove portion 5 having a substantially U-shaped cross section is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the main body portion 1,
The wall surface thereof is provided with an inclined surface 5a that expands toward the opening. The inclined surface 5a may be omitted and formed in a substantially right angle shape. Further, the main body portion 1 and the locking portion 2 are integrally formed of a resin material such as Duracon or nylon 66.

On the other hand, a cover member 6 composed of a leaf spring is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the main body 1. The cover member 6 may be fixed to the main body 1 by, for example, forming a projection on the cover member 6 and embedding the projection in the main body 1, or inserting the projection during resin molding. In particular, the cover member 6 is preferably a leaf spring made of phosphor bronze or the like, but a member other than the spring material can be used. In this clamp, as shown in FIG. 3, a locking projection 3 at the other end 1b is hooked and locked in a locking recess 3 at one end 1a of the main body 1.

This clamp is used for connecting a plurality of pipes as shown in FIG. 4, for example. In the figure,
Reference numeral 7 denotes a first pipe made of copper, aluminum or the like, and a flange portion 7a and a projecting portion 7b are integrally formed at the end of the first pipe outside the flange portion 7a. A seal ring 8 made of rubber or the like is provided on the protruding portion 7b of the pipe 7.
Is installed. The protruding portion 7b of the first pipe 7 is the second
Is inserted into the pipe 9. A flange portion 9a is formed at one end of the second pipe 9, and a large diameter portion 9b having an inner diameter into which the protruding portion 7b can be inserted is formed at an end portion including the flange portion 9a.

First, the protruding portion 7b of the first pipe 7
It is inserted in the large diameter portion 9b of the pipe 9. In this state, see
The ring 8 is interposed between the outer peripheral portion of the protruding portion 7b and the inner peripheral portion of the large diameter portion 9b, and both of them are held airtight to each other. Next, the clamp shown in FIG. 1 is attached to the first and second pipes 7 and 9.
And the flange portions 7a and 9a are inserted and arranged in the groove portion 5 while being mounted using the openings of the end portions 1a and 1b of the main body portion 1. Next, the ends 1a and 1b of the main body 1 are closed so that they are coupled to each other. As a result, the locking projection 3 at the other end 1b is locked in the locking recess 3 at the one end 1a as shown in FIG. 3 to complete the assembly. At this time, the respective flange portions 7a and 9a are tightened more strongly by the inclined surface 5a of the groove portion 5.

According to this embodiment, the clamp structure is such that the clamp is attached to the first and second pipes 7 and 9 so that the flange portions 7a and 9a are inserted and arranged in the groove portion 5, and then the ends are attached. Since it can be assembled by a simple operation (one-touch operation) that only locks the locking portions 2 and 2 (the locking recess 3 and the locking projection 4) of the parts, the workability can be improved and the working time can be improved. Can also be shortened.

In assembly, the main body 1 is simply
It suffices that they be closed so that the end locking portions 2 are locked, and a wide space is not required when using a tool such as a spanner as in the conventional case. For this reason, it can be easily mounted on a narrow engine room.

In particular, if a cover member such as a leaf spring 6 is fixed to the outer peripheral portion of the main body 1, the strength of the main body can be reinforced and the weather resistance can be improved.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which one end 1a of the main body 1 has a locking recess 3A formed of a hole.
However, the other end 1b is integrally formed with a locking projection 4A made of a projection. Other configurations are the same as those of the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 shows a further different embodiment of the present invention. One end 1a of the main body 1 has a substantially mushroom-shaped engaging recess 3B, and the other end 1b has a substantially mushroom-shaped projection. The locking protrusions 4B are integrally formed. Other configurations are the same as those of the embodiment shown in FIG.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the cover member may be omitted if the main body portion has sufficient strength. Further, the main body may be formed by only the resin material, or may be reinforced by mixing glass fiber or the like into the resin material. Further, the clamp or the clamp structure according to the present invention can be used not only for a cooling system of an automobile but also for a pipe connection of a cooling system for home use, for example.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the main body is formed in the shape of an end ring, the connecting portion of the pipe is utilized by utilizing the end opening when connecting the pap. Can be easily attached to.

Moreover, the clamp is mounted on the first and second pipes so that the flange portion is inserted and arranged in the groove portion, and the locking portions (locking recesses and locking projections) at the ends are attached. Since it can be assembled by a simple operation of just locking (one-touch operation), workability can be improved, work time can be shortened, and cost can be reduced.

Further, in the assembly, it is sufficient to simply close the main body portion so that the engaging portions of the end portions are engaged, and when using a tool such as a spanner as in the conventional case, a wide work is required. Does not require space. For this reason, it can be easily attached to, for example, a narrow engine room.

In particular, if a cover member such as a leaf spring is fixed to the outer peripheral portion of the main body, the strength of the main body can be reinforced and the weather resistance can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of a clamp according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a closed state of the clamp according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an essential part showing one embodiment of a clamp structure according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a front sectional view showing another embodiment of the clamp according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing still another embodiment of the clamp according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a conventional clamp structure.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a main part of another conventional clamp structure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Main Body 1a One End (End) 1b Other End (End) 2 Locking Part 3, 3A, 3B Locking Recess (Locking Part) 4, 4A, 4B Locking Protrusion (Locking Part) 5 Groove 5a Inclined surface 6 Cover member 7 First pipe 7a, 9a Flange portion 8 Seal ring 9 Second pipe

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An end ring-shaped main body having an approximately U-shaped groove on the inner peripheral surface thereof, and a locking portion formed at the end of the main body so as to connect the respective ends. Clamp characterized by that. 2. An end ring-shaped main body having an approximately U-shaped groove on its inner peripheral surface, a locking portion formed at the end of the main body so as to connect the respective ends, and a main body. A cover member including a leaf spring fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the clamp. 3. The clamp according to claim 1, wherein the locking portion is composed of a locking recess and a locking projection that is hooked and locked in the locking recess. 4. The clamp according to claim 1, wherein the groove portion of the main body portion is provided with an inclined surface whose wall surface expands toward the opening portion. 5. A clamp in which a locking portion is provided at an end portion of an end-shaped ring-shaped main body portion having a substantially U-shaped groove portion on an inner peripheral surface,
A first pipe and a second pipe having a flange portion at one end, the flange portions of the first and second pipes are abutted, and the flange portion is inserted into the groove portion of the clamp; A clamp structure characterized in that a locking portion is locked. 6. A clamp in which a locking portion is provided at an end of a ring-shaped main body having an end having an approximately U-shaped groove on an inner peripheral surface,
A first pipe having a flange portion at one end and having a protruding portion extending outward from the flange portion, a seal ring attached to the protruding portion of the first pipe, and a second pipe having a flange portion at one end. A pipe, wherein each flange portion abutted by inserting the protrusion of the first pipe into the second pipe is inserted into the groove portion of the clamp, and each locking portion of the clamp is engaged. Clamp structure characterized by being stopped.