Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Plastic coupling
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~his invention relates to a plastic coupling for joining
together two tubes in such a manner that the connection
can be effected and severed repeatedly.
Still more especially the invention relates to a plastic
coupling that is principally manufactured of a material
that is di~ferent from the material of the tu~es.
It is known that with the glues or adhesives existing at
present it is possible to stick very strongly on condition
however that both elements are manufactured of the same
materials.
So for the connection of two tubes until now a coupling
sleeve is used in certain cases in the same material as
the tubes to which this is bonded, for example in the case
of tubes and coupling sleeves in polyvinylchloride.
In other cases, whereby greater demands are put on the
tubes and/or connection it is the desire to utilise other
materials among which composite materials, such as
polyester or similar, come to mind.
In such case the manufacture of coupling sleeves in a
composite material is a difficult if not impossible task
since these for example would not be sufficiently strong
or not be capable of being brought into the desired form.
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So the invention relates to a plastic coupling that does
not have these disadvantages and that consequently is
principally manufactured of a suitable, strong plastic,
whereby this coupling can nevertheless be stuck very
effectively onto a tube of another material.
For this purpose the invention has a plastic coupling as
object that is characterised in that it consists of two
parts which can be coupled to each vther, each of which is
principally formed by a plastic body that is provided with
an axial bore destined to receive the extremity of one of
the two tubes, whereby the inner wall of that bore is at
least partially formed by a ring covering the entire
circumference, for example in metal or plastic, in the
same material as the corresponding tube or in another good
adhesive material and whereby each plastic body may be
still further provided with connecting means with which
both can be directly or indirectly coupled to each other.
A similar plastic ccupling can be stuck ver~ strongly to
the tube with a suitable glue, whereby both tubes can
always be separated again by uncoupling the two parts of
the coupl~ng from each other.
In order to show better the characteristics according to
the present invention, some preferred embodiments are
described hereafter, as examples without any re~trictlve
character, with reference to the enclosed drawings, in
which:
figure 1 shows a front view of one part of a plastic
coupling according to the invention;
figure 2 shows a cross-section according to line
II-II in figure l;
figure 3 shows a cross-section similar to that from
figure 2 but whereby the part of the plaqtic
coupling in question is bonded to a tube;
figure 4 shows a cross-section similar to that from
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figure 3 but in relation to the second part of the
plastic coupling;
figure 5 shows a cross-section similar to that from
figure 4 but for another embodiment;
figure 6 shows a cross-section of a plastic coupling
with the objective of connecting two similar
couplings as figure 4 or 5 shows, to each other.
The plastic coupling represented in the figures 1 through
consists of two parts 1, 2 which can be screwed onto
each other, each of which can be bonded onto a tube 3,
respectively 4, whereby both parts 1 and 2 of the plastic
coupling are manufactured of a material that is different
from the material of the tubes 3, 4.
Part 1 of the plastic coupling that is shown in the
figures 1, 2 and 3 is formed by a cylindrical body 5 in
which an axial bore 6 with internal screw thread 7 and a
smaller axial bore 8 connecting thereon are provided. As
shown in the figures 1 and 2 the body 5 shows at least two
flat surfaces 9 situated opposite each other on the
outside for placing a spanner or similar, in order to
facilitate the later tightening or loosening. These
surfaces 9 can hereby be part of a hexagon or otherwise.
The body 5 is either strengthened or not by an internal
reinforcement formed by a perforated metal tube 10 which
is useful as torsion reinforcement.
On both extremities of the axial bore 8 this shows at
least one peripheral groove 11 and 12 in which an elastic
sealing ring, respectively 13 and 14 is provided, while
between both grooves 11 and 12 in the wall of the axial
bore 8 a chamber 15 is provided in which a circular part
16 is provided that is manufactured in the same materials
as the tube 3.
In the cylindrical body 5 two channels 17 and 1~
preferably situated opposite each other are further
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installed, of which the first shows a greater diameter
than the second.
As appears from figure 4 part 2 of the plastic coupling
has the same component parts as part 1 with as only
difference however the specific form of the cylindrical
body 5 that in this case shows no axial bore 6 but that on
the contrary is provided ~n the outside with a screw
thread 19 which can wor~ together with the screw thread
7. By way of example an embodiment is shown in figure 4
whereby the reinforcement 10 is omitted.
As shown in the variant from figure 5 several circular
parts 16 could be provided whether or not in the body 5.
In the embodiment shown use is made of two parts 16 which
are obtained from a tubular part that is cut through at an
angle. This construction offers the advantage that the
circular parts under the influence of a possible twisting
force cannot rotate in relation to the body 5. Preferably
at the location of each ring or circular part 16 radial
bores 17 and 18 are provided, of which the purpose will
still appear from the rest of the description.
The manufacture of the above described parts 1 and 2 of
the plastic coupling can easily be effected by moulding
the plastic of the body 5 into an adapted form in which
the circular part 16 and the perforated metal tube 10 were
already installed beforehand, whereby the circular part 16
can be obtained by cutting it off a tu~e.
In order to attach the above described parts 1 and 2 of
the plastic coupling onto the respective tubes 3 and 4,
the tube 3, respectively 4, is installed in the axial bore
8 and a suitable glue 20 is injected into the radial
channel 17 until the glue oozes out of the other side
through the channel 18.
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s
The ~lue 20 thus spreads completely over the tangent plane
between the ring or rings 16 and the tube 3, respectively
4, whereby a lateral oozing out through the sealing rings
13 and 14 is prevented and the ring 16 adheres very
strongly to the tube 3, respectively 4.
Both parts 1 and 2 of the plastic coupling can by means of
the respective screw threads 7 and 19 thus be screwed
tight to each other in order by so doing to realise a very
strong coupling of both tubes 3 and 4. It is clear that
this coupling can always be unscrewed again.
In order to be able to make use of two identical parts,
either two parts 1 or two parts 2, connecting means can be
applied which consist in a coupling with which two
identical parts can be screwed to each other. An example
of this is shown in the figure 6, whereby this coupling 21
principally consists of a cylindrical body that is
provided on both extremities with internal screw thread
22, such that this coupling 21 can work together with two
parts 2. The coupling 21 preferably consists of plastic
whether or not provided with a reinforcement 10.
According to the invention the plastic coupling can be
manufactured of any suitable plastic whereby it is however
important that the rings 16 and the corresponding tube 3
or 4 are manufactured of the same material, or of another
well adhering material. The rings 16 will for the
majority of applications consist of a metal, whereby both
a ferrous as well as a non-ferrous metal can be applied; a
composite material or a plastic.
The present invention is in no way restricted to the
embodiments described as examples and shown in the
drawings, but such plastic coupling can be implemented in
all ~inds of forms and dimensions without departing from
the scope of the present invention.
