JPH11190477A - Connection structure of pipe material - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To use even a thin soft pipe for piping of an air conditioner for an automobile by thickly working the end part of the pipe, and brazing or calking this end part to a mating member. SOLUTION: The end part 2a on the side brazed to a joint flange 5 of a pipe 2 is thickly worked toward the inner peripheral surface side. This area is L1, so that the pipe 2 and the joint flange 5 can be firmly joined together to prevent the occurrence of a crack of a pipe at the root of the joint flange 5. A flexible hose is integrated into the pipe 2 by being calked from the outside of a socket by fitting one end part of the flexible hose between the socket and the pipe 2 by penetrating/inserting the socket into the end part 2a of the pipe material after performing base work by rolling (or cutting) after thickly working the end part 2a of the pipe 2. Therefore, the flexible hose can secure slipping-out preventive performance and sealing performance for the pipe 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connection structure for pipe members, and more particularly, to a connection structure for pipe members that can be used for piping of an air conditioner for an automobile.

[0002]

FIG. 8 shows a conventional connection structure between a flexible hose 1 and a pipe member 2. As shown in FIG. This connection structure is applied to, for example, a piping of an air conditioner for an automobile as shown in FIG. 9, and connects flexible hoses 1 provided on a low pressure side and a high pressure side of a compressor 3 of the air conditioner to a pipe. It is connected to the material 2. In the connection structure, first, the end 2a of the pipe member 2 is subjected to a die-forming process by rolling (or cutting), and then the socket 4 is inserted into the end portion 2a of the pipe member. The flexible hose 1 is integrated with the pipe member 2 by fitting the one end 1a of the flexible hose 1 between them and crimping it from outside the socket. Thereby, the flexible hose 1 secures the pipe member 2 from falling off and sealing. The socket 4 has a flange 4a formed at one end thereof toward the center. In FIG. 9, 5 is a joint flange for connecting the other end of the flexible hose 1 to the low-pressure side and high-pressure side connection ports of the compressor 3, respectively, and 6 is a capacitor to which the high-pressure side flexible hose 1 is connected. .

[0003]

In the connection structure described above, the pipe member 2 is formed of a relatively hard aluminum thick member (about 1.5 to 2.0 mm). Thus, the deformation of the pipe material at the time of caulking the socket 4 is suppressed as much as possible. However, the thicker wall thickness increases the price of the pipe material 2. Therefore, it was considered to adopt a thin (about 1.2 mm) pipe material from the viewpoint of cost reduction, but the deformation at the time of caulking was large, and it was difficult to form a die by rolling (or cutting). ,
Thin-walled pipe material could not be adopted. The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connection structure of a pipe material that can be used in a pipe of an air conditioner for an automobile, even if the pipe material is thinner and softer.

[0004]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, in a pipe connection structure for connecting an end of a pipe member to a counterpart member, the end of the pipe member is made thicker. After processing, the thick end is brazed or crimped to the above-mentioned counterpart member.

[0005]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a connecting structure of a pipe member according to the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a first connection structure of a pipe material according to the present invention.
1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. For convenience of explanation, in FIG. 1, components having the same functions as those shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the present embodiment, the end 2a of the pipe material 2 on the side brazed to the joint flange 5 (see FIG. 8) is thickened toward its inner peripheral surface. This thick region is indicated by L1 in FIG. Thereby, the joining between the pipe member 2 and the joint flange 5 can be strengthened, and the occurrence of a pipe crack at the base of the joint flange 5 can be prevented. The present invention is not limited to the piping of an air conditioner for an automobile, and can be applied to processing of an end portion of any pipe material.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the pipe member connection structure according to the present invention. For convenience of explanation, in FIG. 2, components having the same functions as those shown in FIG. 8 are denoted by the same reference numerals. This embodiment is applied to, for example, a piping of an air conditioner for an automobile as shown in FIG. 9, and a flexible hose 1 provided on a low pressure side and a high pressure side of a compressor 3 of the air conditioner is connected to a pipe. It is connected to the material 2. In the present embodiment, the end 2a of the pipe material 2 is processed into a thick wall as in the above-described embodiment, and then the die is processed by rolling (or cutting). The socket 4 is inserted, one end 1a of the flexible hose 1 is fitted between the socket and the pipe member 2, and the flexible hose 1 is integrated with the pipe member 2 by caulking from outside the socket. Thereby, the flexible hose 1
The retaining property and the sealing property for the pipe material 2 are secured.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a method of thickening the end portion 2a of the pipe material 2, which can be applied to both the above embodiments. In this processing method, a cylindrical fixed mold 11 having a hole 11a having substantially the same diameter as the outer diameter of the pipe material 2 and a rod-shaped movable mold 12 having a tip portion 12a having a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe material 2 are provided. Is used. Tip 1 of movable mold 12
The base 12b of 2a is formed to have substantially the same diameter as the hole 11a of the fixed die 11, and a step 12c is formed between the base and the tip 12a. Also, as the pipe material 2,
A relatively thin one (approximately 1.2 mm) is used.

In this processing method, the end 2a of the pipe material 2
Is inserted into the hole 11a of the fixed mold 11, and the distal end 12a of the movable mold 12 is inserted into the pipe member 2 in the fixed mold and pressurized and compressed by an appropriate distance L2 along the hole 11a of the fixed mold. As a result, the end 2a of the pipe material is processed to a thickness (about 2 mm), and at the same time, work hardening at the end is achieved. After the end portion 2a of the thick pipe material 2 is subjected to a die-forming process by rolling, a conventional socket 4 is inserted into the end portion 2a of the pipe material, and between the socket and the pipe material. By fitting the flexible hose 1 and crimping it from outside the socket, the flexible hose 1 can be integrated with the pipe material 2. In this case,
Since the end 2a of the pipe member 2 is made thicker to achieve work hardening, deformation of the pipe member when the socket 4 is crimped can be minimized. This makes it possible to use the thin pipe material 2 as it is,
The cost of piping can be reduced.

FIG. 5 shows a case where the end portion 2a of the pipe member 2 is formed thick so as to protrude outward. In this case, a step (not shown) having a diameter larger than the diameter of the hole 11a may be formed in the fixed mold 11. In the present embodiment, the same operation and effect as those in the above embodiment can be obtained. However, the pipe member 2 can be crimped to the flexible hose 1 having a different inner diameter without any change.

When the end portion 2a of the pipe member 2 is processed to be thick, a plurality of beads 13 extending in the axial direction may be formed on the inner peripheral surface (see FIG. 6).
In this case, the fixed die 11 is the same as that shown in FIG. 1, and a plurality of grooves 14 extending in the axial direction may be formed around the tip 12a of the movable die 12 (see FIG. 7). The number and cross-sectional shape of the beads 13 and grooves 14 are
It may be appropriately determined in consideration of the diameter and purpose of use, and is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the same operation and effect as in the above embodiment can be obtained, but since the strength of the end portion 2a of the pipe member 2 can be increased by the bead 13, the crimping of the flexible hose 1 with the flexible hose 1 is possible. The deformation of the pipe member can be prevented. In the above embodiment, the joint flange 5 is used as a mating member to which the pipe member 2 is connected. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the silencer 7 (see FIG.
And any other member such as a union.

[0011]

As described above, according to the pipe connection structure of the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, a pipe member for connecting an end of the pipe member to a counterpart member is provided. In the connection structure, the end of the pipe material is processed to be thick, and the thick end is brazed or caulked to the counterpart member, so even a thin and softer pipe material, It can be used in piping of air conditioners for automobiles.

[0012] With this arrangement, when the mating member is a joint flange, the end of the pipe material on the side brazed to the joint flange is thickened, so that the pipe material and the joint material are joined together. The joint with the flange can be strengthened, and the occurrence of a pipe crack at the base of the joint flange can be prevented.

When the counterpart member is a flexible hose, a socket is inserted through the end of the pipe material, a flexible hose is fitted between the socket and the pipe material, and a flexible hose is inserted from outside the socket. By tightening, when the flexible hose is integrated with the pipe material, deformation of the pipe material at the time of caulking the socket can be suppressed. Thus, the sealing performance and the fixed holding force at the connecting portion between the flexible hose and the pipe material can be increased, and the thin pipe material can be used as it is, so that the cost of the piping can be reduced. . In addition, the end of the pipe material is hardened by the thick processing, and the strength at the end can be increased.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a first embodiment of a pipe member connection structure according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a second embodiment of the connection structure for pipe members according to the present invention.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show a method of processing an end portion of a pipe material to be thick, in which FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of a pipe material processed thereby.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line AA of the pipe member in FIG. 3 (b).

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which an end portion of a pipe material is processed to be thick so as to protrude outside thereof.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a plurality of beads extending in the axial direction are formed on an inner peripheral surface of an end portion of a pipe material when the end portion is processed to be thick.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a movable die used to form a plurality of beads extending in the axial direction on an inner peripheral surface of an end portion of a pipe material when the end portion is thickened.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional connection structure between a pipe member and a flexible hose.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the piping of the automotive air conditioner.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Flexible hose 2 Pipe material 2a End 4 Socket 5 Joint flange 11 Fixed type 11a Hole 12 Movable type 12a Tip 12b Base 12c Step 13 Bead 14 Groove

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Shigeru Kuroda 1-7-19 Minamishinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Inside Otsuka Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Akimitsu Sugita 1-7-17 Minamishinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Otsuka Co., Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] In a pipe connection structure for connecting an end of a pipe material to a member of a counterpart, the end of the pipe is processed to be thick, and the thick end is used as the member of the counterpart. A pipe material connection structure characterized by being attached or crimped. 2. The pipe member connecting structure according to claim 1, wherein the counterpart member is a member for brazing the pipe member. 3. The connection structure according to claim 1, wherein the counterpart member is a flexible hose.