Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16L19/00—Joints in which sealing surfaces are pressed together by means of a member, e.g. a swivel nut, screwed on, or into, one of the joint parts
  • F16L19/02—Pipe ends provided with collars or flanges, integral with the pipe or not, pressed together by a screwed member
  • F16L19/025—Pipe ends provided with collars or flanges, integral with the pipe or not, pressed together by a screwed member the pipe ends having integral collars or flanges

Definitions

• a major object of the present invention is to provide a coupling that meets the federal requirements of being "sanitary", in that, the coupling has no interior threads, crevices or recesses in which material may lodge from one operation to contaminate a following operation. Minute particles have been found to remain in interior threads, crevices and recesses even though the coupling is washed and rinsed between the two operations.
• Another object of the invention is to provide a coupling that is adapted to all tube and pipe sizes, even as small as hypodermic tubing, with the coupling being self-aligned and self-supporting, and capable of being disposed in a fluid-tight condition by force exerted from the fingers without the use of tools.
• Yet another object of the invention is to furnish a coupling in which the sealing is accomplished by fluid pressure with venting of pressurized fluid within the coupling occurring before the coupling is disassembled, and the tubing or pipe leading to the coupling capable of being adjusted in three different planes after the coupling is tightened to define a sealed longitudinally extending fluid passage.
• a still further object of the invention is to supply a coupling that has a simple mechanical structure, can be fabricated from conventionally available materials and is inexpensive to manufacture.
• the coupling includes first and second tubular members that are connected to first and second conduits.
• the first tubular member has a first end and a circular rib that projects outwardly therefrom and has the face closest the fitst end located a first distance therefrom.
• An internally threaded collar that includes a second inwardly extending rib is provided with the collar slidably and rotatably mounted on the first. tubular member, and the internal diameter of the second rib substantially greater than the external diameter of the first tubular member.
• the second tubular member has a first end portion of substantially greater diameter than the balance of the second tubular member, with this first end portion having threads on the exterior surface thereof that are engaged by the threaded collar.
• the interior surface of the first end portion of the second tubular member has a transversely disposed circular groove defined on the interior surface thereof, and in which groove a resilient sealing ring is disposed.
• the interior diameter of the first end portion of the second tubular member is substantially greater than the external diameter of the first end portion of the first tubular member over which it extends and with which the resilient ring effects a seal.
• the groove is located from the first end of the second tubular member a second distance that is less than the first distance on the first tubular member.
• the resilient ring When the collar is loosely made up on the threads on the second tubular member, the resilient ring effects a seal with the external surface of the first tubular member, and this seal is not destroyed when the second tubular member is flexed on pivoted laterally on the resilient ring relative to the first tubular member.
• Such flexing of the second tubular member relative to the first tubular member is possible, due to the internal diameters of the second rib and the first end portion of the second tubular member being greater than the external diameter of the first tubular member.
• the interior of the coupling will be placed in communication with the ambient atmosphere to equalize the pressure between the two, when the coupling is partially unscrewed from the threads on the first tubular member and the second tubular member moved away from the first tubular member to the extent the resilient ring no longer seals with the first tubular member. This venting of the interior of the coupling to the ambient atmosphere prior to the first and second change of the pressure of the fluid within the coupling.
• Figure 1 is a perspective view of the coupling in communication with first and second fluid carrying conduits
• Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the coupling taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is the same view as shown in Figure 2, but with the second tubular member moved longitudinally away from the first tubular member to break the seal between the ambient atmosphere and the interior of the coupling, but without the collar disengaged from the second tubular member;
• Figure 4 is the same view as shown in Figure 2 illustrating how the second tubular member may pivot relative to the first tubular member when the first end of the second tubular member is longitudinally spaced from the first rib on the first tubular member.
• the coupling A of the present invention includes a first tubular member B as may best be seen in FIG. 1 that slidably and sealingly engages a second tubular member C, with the two tubular members being removably held together in end to end fluid carrying relationship by a collar D.
• a resilient ring E such as a commercially available O-ring.
• the first and second tubular members B and C are illustrated in FIG. 1 with first and second fluid carrying conduits B' and C connected thereto.
• the first tubular member B as best seen in FIGS. 2 to 4 includes a first rigid tube 10 that has a first end 12, with a first circular rib 14 projecting outwardly from the first tube.
• the first rib 14 has a first ring-shaped face 14a that is located inwardly a distance 16 from the first end 12. The importance of distance 16 will later be explained.
• Second tubular member D includes a second rigid tube 18 that has an enlarged first end portion 20 that has an interior cylindrical surface 22 of a diameter 22a greater than the external diameter 10a of tube 10. Threads 24 are defined on the external surface of first enlarged end portion 20.
• a transverse groove 26 is formed in interior surface 22 as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and has the resilient sealing ring E disposed therein, with the ring projecting outwardly from the groove. The edge of the groove 26 nearest the first end 20a of first end portion 20 is located a second distance 28 therefrom that is substantially less than the first distance 16.
• Collar D as may be seen in FIG. 2-4 includes a cylindrical shell 32 that has internal threads 34 thereon that loosely engage threads 24.
• a second circular rib 36 projects inwardly from one end of shell 32, which second rib has an internal diameter 38 that is greater than the diameter 10a of first tube 10.
• FIG. 2 the coupling A is shown mace up to establish fluid communication between first and second conduits B' and C', with the resilient ring E being in pressure fluid sealing contact with the external surface of tube 10.
• first and second conduits B' and C' may be flexible or pliable hose
• the threads 34 are partially unscrewed from threads 24 as shown in figure 3.
• the second tubular member C is now moved to the right relative to first tubular member B as shown in FIG. 3, and due to the distance 28 being less than the distance 16, the resilient ring E moves out of sealing contact with tube 10 prior to collar D being disengaged from second tubular member C.
• the pressure on the interior of the coupling A may equalize with that of the ambient atmosphere due to the loosely engaging threads 24 and 34 providing an air passage therebetween that is in communication with the space defined between the interior surface 22 and exterior surface of tube 10.
• the second tubular member C may pivot laterally relative to the first tubular member C without destroying the seal therebetween.
• the resilient seal acts as a pivot point.
• Such pivoting may take place due to the diameter 22a of the cylindrical surface 22 being larger than the. diameter 10a of tube 10, and the internal diameter 38 of second rib 36 being greater than the diameter 10a.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Quick-Acting Or Multi-Walled Pipe Joints (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Families Citing this family (7)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1983
  • 1983-11-28 EP EP19840900339 patent/EP0162843A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1983-11-28 WO PCT/US1983/001858 patent/WO1985002450A1/en not_active Ceased

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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