IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,510,192
Granted Patent B2
US 12,510,192 · App. 18/988,104 · Granted Dec 30, 2025

Seal member and pipe joint using the seal member

Inventors: Ryunosuke Tanaka (Amagasaki, JP); Keita Oda (Amagasaki, JP)
Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
F16L21/03F16J15/022
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,510,192
App. No.
18/988,104
Granted
Dec 30, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A seal member includes a heel fitted into a setting groove of a socket and a bulb-shaped portion to be compressed between the socket and a spigot. The bulb-shaped portion includes a first and a second projecting portion respectively formed on the outer side and the inner circumferential side thereof. A first radius of a first circle of the first projecting portion is smaller than a second radius of a second circle including a circular arc-shaped outline of the second projecting portion. The center of the first circle is located within the second circle. The distance between the center of the first circle and the center of the second circle in the axial direction of the seal member is smaller than the difference between the second radius and the first radius.

Claims (32)

1 . A seal member made of an elastic material, having an annular shape, and used for a pipe joint in which a spigot formed at an end of a first pipe is inserted into a socket formed at an end of a second pipe, the first pipe and the second pipe being connected with each other, the seal member comprising:

a bulb-shaped portion, which includes a first projecting portion formed on an outer circumferential side and a second projecting portion formed on an inner circumferential side,

wherein, in a section of the seal member:

the first projecting portion and the second projecting portion each have a circular arc-shaped outline;

a first circle and a second circle are defined, the first circle including the circular arc-shaped outline of the first projecting portion, the second circle including the circular arc-shaped outline of the second projecting portion;

a first radius of the first circle is smaller than a second radius of the second circle;

a center of the first circle is located within the second circle; and

a center distance between the center of the first circle and the center of the second circle in an axial direction of the seal member is smaller than a difference between the second radius and the first radius.

2 . The seal member according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a heel provided on the outer circumferential side of the bulb-shaped portion,

wherein an inner circumferential surface of the heel and an inner circumferential surface of the second projecting portion are connected together via a slope.

3 . The seal member according to claim 1 , wherein a center distance between the center of the first circle and the center of the second circle in the axial direction of the seal member is zero.

4 . The seal member according to claim 1 , wherein a length of a chord joining two points of intersection between the first circle and the second circle is equal to a diameter of the first circle.

5 . A pipe joint that joins a first pipe and a second pipe, the pipe joint comprising:

a spigot formed at an end of the first pipe and provided with an outer circumferential surface;

a socket formed at an end of the second pipe and adopted to accept insertion of the spigot, the socket comprising:

a setting groove formed in an inner circumference of the socket; and

a sealing surface provided at a deeper side of the socket than the setting groove of the inner circumference of the socket and having an inside diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the setting groove; and

a seal member having an annular shape and used to seal a space between the socket and the spigot, the seal member comprising:

a heel fitted into the setting groove; and

a bulb-shaped portion to be compressed between the sealing surface and the outer circumferential surface of the spigot, the bulb-shaped portion comprising:

a first projecting portion formed on an outer circumferential side of the bulb-shaped portion; and

a second projecting portion formed on an inner circumferential side of the bulb-shaped portion,

wherein, in a section of the seal member, in a state where the seal member is accommodated in the socket and the heel is fitted into the setting groove, but before the spigot is inserted into the socket:

the first projecting portion and the second projecting portion each have a circular arc-shaped outline;

a first circle and a second circle are defined, the first circle including the circular arc-shaped outline of the first projecting portion, the second circle including the circular arc-shaped outline of the second projecting portion;

a first radius of the first circle is smaller than a second radius of the second circle;

a center of the first circle is located within the second circle; and

a center distance between the center of the first circle and the center of the second circle in an axial direction of the seal member is smaller than a difference between the second radius and the first radius.

6 . The pipe joint according to claim 5 , wherein:

an inner circumferential surface of the heel and an inner circumferential surface of the second projecting portion are connected together via a slope; and

the slope inclines inward in a pipe diameter direction by being reduced in diameter along an insertion direction of the spigot into the socket.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 19, 2024
From: TANAKA, RYUNOSUKE; ODA, KEITA
To: KUBOTA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 069642/0387 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2023-220688 · Dec 27, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250216008A1 · Jul 3, 2025
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