Pipe connection

#The invention is directed to a pipe connection of two pipe ends pushed into a sleeve. Given detachable pipe connections, particularly in the field of the exhaust technology, errors regarding the position, direction or alignment of the pipe ends have a disadvantageous effect. Such errors particularly lead to deviations of position. Given tail pipes of exhaust configurations, for example, these deviations of position are especially undesired when the tail pipe of the exhaust assembly is visibly arranged in a cutout of the back vehicle skirt. The tail pipe or, respectively, the escape opening of the tail pipe then does not lie concentrically in the corresponding cutout of the vehicle skirt, so that the vehicle design is optically impaired, since the observer receives the impression of an incorrectly installed exhaust assembly. Moreover, tail pipes that do not lie concentrically in the cutout of the vehicle skirt can cause a striking noise or such as a result of vibrations.

#Proceeding from these disadvantages, an object of the invention is to fashion a pipe connection such that it is possible, in terms of a correct position, to install the individual pipes forming the exhaust train despite the unavoidable component tolerance. This object is inventively achieved by the pipe combination of two pipe ends pushed into a sleeve according to the invention. The dependent claims partially relate to expedient embodiments of the invention and partially relate to embodiments that are inventive by themselves.

#According to the invention, the pipe ends to be connected to one another are pushed into a sleeve. A spherical shape is provided between the outer case of at least one of the two pipe ends. A sub-area of this spherical shape either is adjacent to the outer case of the pipe end or to the inside case of the sleeve. Due to the spherical fashioning of the shape, namely slightly crowned fashioning of the shape, the pipe end provided with the shape or, respectively, the pipe end borne in the region of the shape in the sleeve can be pivoted vis-à-vis the sleeve in the manner of a ball-and-socket joint in a narrow region without the pipe end having to be warped or deformed. It is thus possible to simply compensate a directional error or, respectively, angle error between the pipe ends with respect to the connecting sleeve, since the spherical shape is partially adjacent to the outer case of the pipe end or, respectively, to the inside case of the sleeve across the entire pivot area of the pipe end prescribed by the spherical shape, so that a flush positioning of the outer case of the pipe end is assured at the inside case of the sleeve.

#FIG. 1 shows a side view of the inventive pipe connection,

#FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the pipe connection shown in FIG. 1,

#FIG. 3 shows a representation according to FIG. 2 with pipe ends having a clearly recognizable angle offset against one another;

#Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown [FIG. 1 shows] two pipe ends 3, 5 protruding from a sleeve 1 in longitudinal direction. A pipe clip 5, 6, which can be prestressed by a straining screw 7, 8, secures the pipe ends 3, 4 regarding their position in the sleeve 1.

#FIG. 2 shows the spherical shapes 9, 10 molded into the pipe ends 3, 4 in the exemplary embodiment, whereby said spherical shapes 9, 10 are convexly fashioned in the exemplary embodiment. The spherical shapes 9, 10 extend around the entire circumference of the pipe ends 3, 4. FIG. 2 shows the fact that the pipe ends 3, 4, only with their spherical shapes, are adjacent to the inside case of the cylindrical sleeve 1.

#Therefore, the invention makes it possible to keep the originally used sleeve 1 and the originally used pipe clips 5, 6. This is particularly advantageous with respect to the automobile manufacture wherein the pipe clips 5, 6, regarding their size, are constructively adapted to the underbody of the vehicle, so that it is possible to promptly use the inventive pipe connection without further constructive changes.