Pipe joint structure and method for fabricating the same
A pipe joint structure capable of reducing the joint height (H) and fabrication costs has a connection flange member provided with a through hole piercing the thickness of the flange member. A polygonal enlarged recess greater than the inner diameter of the through hole is formed at one end of the through hole. Meanwhile, an annular protrusion protruding radially outward is formed near an end of a pipe having an outer diameter capable of insertion into the through hole. This annular protrusion has an outer diameter greater than the incircle diameter of the polygonal enlarged recess. The annular protrusion is press-fitted and fixed to the polygonal enlarged recess.
1. A pipe joint structure comprising:
a connection flange member defining a through hole and an enlarged recess greater than an innermost diameter of said through hole, wherein said enlarged recess is located at one end of said through hole, the walls of said through hole and of said recess being substantially parallel to the central axis of said through hole; and
a pipe having an outer diameter extending through said innermost diameter of said through hole and having a circular protrusion protruding radially outward from said pipe near an end of said pipe; wherein
said enlarged recess has a serrated shape with a plurality of serrations and spaces disposed between adjacent serrations, an innermost diameter of said serrations being greater than said innermost diameter of said through hole; and
said circular protrusion is press-fitted and fixed radially and axially to said enlarged recess such that an outer periphery of said circular protrusion is deformed into the serrated shape of said enlarged recess such that portions of the deformed circular protrusion are pushed into the spaces between the adjacent serrations and fixed in close relation against the serrations due to the deformation caused by the press-fitting fixation.
2. The pipe joint structure according to claim 1 , wherein:
said pipe and said connection flange member are made of an aluminum alloy; and
the aluminum alloy constituting said connection flange member has a hardness higher than that of said pipe.
3. The pipe joint structure according to claim 1 , wherein said through hole and said enlarged recess are provided with an opening directly to an exterior of said connection flange member in part of a circumferential direction.
4. The pipe joint structure according to claim 3 , wherein said connection flange member is configured to hold a plurality of pipes.
5. The pipe joint structure according to claim 3 , wherein:
the opening is defined at least by two opposed flat portions; and
the diameter of the circular protrusion is greater than a distance between the two opposed flat portions defining the opening.