The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 01, 2000
Filed:
Aug. 21, 1998
Kikuo Saito, Hyogo-ken, JP;
Yasushi Shimonaka, Takatsuki, JP;
Hideki Yoneyama, Sanda, JP;
Akihito Totsugi, Sanda, JP;
Abstract
A pipe connecting apparatus for connecting a first pipe with a second pipe inserted into the first pipe member is disclosed. The apparatus includes an elastic seal to be disposed within a gap formed between an inner peripheral face of the first pipe and an outer peripheral face of the second pipe, the elastic seal being compressed in an axial direction along the axis of the first pipe for sealing the gap, a press ring fitted on the second pipe, the press ring being movable on the outer peripheral face of the second pipe in the axial direction, and a retainer member fitted on the second pipe, the retainer member having a locked condition in which the retainer member is pressed against the second pipe and a released condition in which the retainer member is radially expanded to be released from the locked condition, the retainer member being switched over from the released condition to the locked condition in association with a movement thereof relative to the press ring. A sequentially operative mechanism is operative to press the elastic seal alone in the axial direction while the retainer member is at the released condition in a first state where the compressive force is low, the sequentially operative mechanism being operative to allow the retainer member to be switched over to the locked condition in a second state where the compressive force is high.