Exemplary embodiments of the pipe element according to the invention are described and explained in more detail below with reference to the enclosed drawings. Shown are:
FIG. 1 a schematic section through a flexible pipe element according to the invention;
FIGS. 2 to 11 a few examples for cross-sectional shapes of the metal hose wound sections or metal hose segments; and
FIGS. 12 to 20 schematic section cuts through other embodiments for a flexible pipe element according to the invention.
FIG. 1 shows schematically the construction of an example for a flexible pipe element according to the invention. A metal bellows 1 with cylindrical ends 2 is provided with a coaxially inner, wound metal hose 3. Between the metal hose 3 and the metal bellows 1 there is a spacer 4, which is embodied as a knitted-material hose.
On the end of the flexible pipe element shown at the right in FIG. 1, the metal hose 3 is expanded, so that it comes to lie on the cylindrical end 2 of the metal bellows 1 and can be connected to this bellows at this position. In contrast, the end of the flexible pipe element shown at the left in FIG. 1 is provided with a separate adapter piece 5, which has an outer pipe section 6 and an inner pipe section 7, with both sections being connected by a conical section 8. The inner pipe section 7 of the adapter piece 5 is adapted in its outer diameter to the inner diameter of the metal hose 3, so that this can be set easily on the inner pipe section 7 and can be fixed at this position. In contrast, the outer pipe section 6 of the adapter piece 5 is adapted in its outer diameter to the inner diameter of the cylindrical end 2 of the metal bellows 1, so that this section can be pushed on its side onto the outer pipe section 6 and can be fixed in this position. Simultaneously, the spacer 4 can also be fixed on the adapter piece 5. The adapter piece 5 thus offers an uncomplicated and stable connection of the individual parts of the flexible pipe element, while it advantageously also leads the gas flow through the pipe part.
The metal hose 3 shown in FIG. 1 has a profile, which is shown in detail in FIG. 2.
The FIGS. 2 to 11 each show several wound sections or segments of various metal hoses 3 in section, wherein the extended position of the metal hose is shown on the left and the compressed position of the metal hose 3 is shown on the right in the figures.
The profile 9 shown in FIG. 2 comprises an inner axial section 10, an outer axial section 11, a radial section 12 connecting these axial sections, and also a profiled edge 13, 14 bent away from the axial sections 10, 11, wherein the profiled edges 13, 14 extend radially, but simultaneously have a smaller radial extent than the radial section 12.
The profile 9 shown in FIG. 3 is embodied similar to the profile 9 from FIG. 2; only the profiled edges 13 and 14 are bent back over the radial direction from the axial sections 10 and 11. As can be seen with reference to a comparison with FIG. 2, shortening of the movement possibilities of the metal hose 3 is barely produced, while the stability of the metal hose 3 would be slightly improved.
The profile 9 shown in FIG. 4 completely eliminates bent profiled edges; instead it comprises merely an outer axial section 11, an inner axial section 10, and a radial section 12 connecting these axial sections. The movement of the metal hose 3 is logically considerably increased, but at the price of a lack of protection from separation and significantly increased permeability for gases.
FIG. 5 shows a fourth variant of a profile 9, for which the bent profiled edges 13 and 14 are also bent at their ends into a hook shape in order to increase the stability of the metal hose 3 for angled movements. In comparison with FIG. 2, it can be seen clearly that this leads to loading, especially for the axial movement of the metal hose 3.
FIG. 6 shows a profile 9, which is embodied similar to the profile shown in FIG. 3, wherein, however, the profiled edges 13 and 14 are not bent back, but instead assume an open angle.
The common feature to the profiles shown in FIGS. 2 to 6 is that they have a radial section 12. At this point, it should be mentioned explicitly that this profiled section in no way has to run radially; instead other profiles of the connecting section are also conceivable.
The profiles shown in FIGS. 7 to 10 differ from the profiles shown in FIGS. 2 to 6 in that an inwardly oriented wound section or such a segment is exchanged with an outwards oriented wound section or such a segment.
The profiles shown in FIGS. 7, 9, and 10 are embodied in the broadest sense with a U shape or roof shape or bracket-like shape, with a U base 15 and two bent-away U legs 16 connecting to this base. In FIG. 7, the U legs 16 are at an obtuse, open angle to the U base 15, while in FIG. 9 they form an acute, more closed angle with the U base 15, and in FIG. 10 they are at a right angle. Accordingly, the movement of the metal hose 3 shown in FIG. 10 is the greatest.
FIG. 8 shows a metal hose 3, which comprises two layers of flat metal bands 17 spaced apart in the radial direction.
FIG. 11 finally shows profiles of a metal hose 3, which is embodied corresponding to the profiles in FIG. 4, but have two other bevels in order to reduce the permeability for the gas flow. Correspondingly, these profiles are comprised of an outer axial section 11, an inner axial section 10, an (additional) middle axial section 18, and two radial sections 12 connecting these axial sections 10, 11, 18.
All of the profiles 9 of the metal hose 3 shown in FIGS. 1 to 11 are based on the knowledge according to the invention that in the compressed position of the metal hose 3 shown at the right in FIGS. 2 to 11, a form-fit—thus a radial overlap of the profiled edges 13, 14—is not necessary as in the double-lock profile and by leaving out this feature, significantly increased movement of the metal hose 3 and thus an advantageously short construction of the entire pipe element can be achieved.
FIGS. 12 to 16 show different variants of a pipe element according to the invention, in which a metal hose 3 is used, which is wound from profiles like those shown in FIG. 4. A spacer 4 embodied as a knitted-material hose is positioned over a large surface area between this metal hose 3 and the metal bellows 1.
While FIG. 12 shows a simple metal bellows 1 with cylindrical ends 2, in which sit coaxially on the inside the metal hose 3 and the spacer 4 arranged in-between, wherein the metal hose 3 is fixed with a positive fit, for example, by means of a weld connection, directly to the cylindrical ends 2 of the metal bellows 1; FIG. 13 shows the same pipe element as FIG. 12, but with a knitted-material hose 19, which surrounds the metal bellows 1 on the outside and which is also attached with a positive-fit to the cylindrical ends 2 of the metal bellows 1. In FIG. 14, essentially the same pipe element is shown, but here a different metal bellows 1 is used: it has in the middle a non-corrugated, thus cylindrically formed region 20. Also, in FIG. 15 the metal bellows 1 is changed in comparison with FIGS. 12 and 13, that is, to the extent that its end corrugations are gradually decreased in their radial extent in order to create a softer transition for the surrounding knitted-material hose 19 and in this way to reduce the bending loads acting on the end corrugations due to the knitted-material hose 19. FIG. 16 again shows a pipe element according to FIG. 12, but in which the connection of the metal hose 3 to the cylindrical ends 2 of the metal bellows 1 is not direct, but instead, as already described with reference to FIG. 1, indirect by means of an adapter piece 5 at both ends.
In FIG. 17, a pipe element is shown, which is provided in turn with two adapter pieces 5 for connecting the metal hose 3 to the cylindrical ends 2 of the metal bellows 1 and which corresponds essentially to the pipe element from FIG. 16. Here, however, the spacer 4 is no longer formed as a knitted-material hose, but instead it comprises a helical wound section between the metal bellows 1 and the metal hose 3.
Finally, FIGS. 18 to 20 show different variants of a pipe element according to the invention, in which in turn a metal hose 3 is used with profiles from FIG. 4.
In FIG. 18, the metal hose 3 sits in a metal bellows 1, whose end corrugations are reduced gradually in their radial extent and whose cylindrical ends 2 are connected indirectly to the metal hose 3 by means of an adapter piece 5. A spacer 4 arranged between the metal hose 3 and the metal bellows 1 comprises, in turn, a large area knitted-material hose. Now, in this embodiment another knitted-material hose 21 is positioned surrounding the metal bellows 1 on the outside.
FIG. 19 shows a similar construction to FIG. 16, but here the spacer 4 is embodied as a significantly thinner knitted-material hose and accordingly does contact the outer surface of the metal hose 3 on one side, but does not contact the metal bellows 1 in the resting state.
Finally, FIG. 20 shows a pipe element according to the invention with metal bellows 1, metal hose 3, a spacer 4, which is positioned between these two elements and which is embodied as a knitted-material hose, and an outer knitted-material hose 19. The spacer 4 extends axially up to between the expanded ends of the metal hose 3 and the cylindrical ends 2 of the metal bellows 1.
Patent Application
20080012297
