Pipe joints or couplings – Having plural independent paths – Parallel paths
Patent
1998-03-25
2000-06-20
Nicholson, Eric K
Pipe joints or couplings
Having plural independent paths
Parallel paths
2851243, F16L 3900
Patent
active
060768630
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a coupling assembly for multi-duct conduits in which a plurality of tubular ducts are disposed within a tubular outer body of each conduit. Such a coupling assembly is particularly, although not exclusively, suitable for underground use, for example in cable television networks or telecommunication networks.
A known coupling assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,825, and serves to connect in aligned end to end relationship a pair of bores, each of which accommodates four inner conduits, so that the inner conduits of each bore are aligned to provide four continuous channels to accommodate transmission lines therein. The coupling assembly comprises a moulded coupler body member having four bores therethrough, each of the bores having internal dimensions corresponding to the outer dimensions of the conduits to be received, the body member also having a plurality of pins moulded thereon to enable an end cap having apertures corresponding to the bores therethrough to be mounted to each end of the body member so that a sealing gasket is held between each end cap and the body member.
This known coupling assembly suffers from the drawback that the moulded main body member requires very complicated mouldings, involving substantial differences in thickness in the various sections or parts of the moulding. Also, the pins which hold the end caps in place are moulded onto the main body portion, which is the heaviest part of the assembly. To minimise costs, the main body portion should be moulded from a relatively inexpensive material, but which would generally have a lower tensile strength than is desirable in situations in which the assembly is subjected to high air pressure in use, for example for the purpose of cable blowing.
Embodiments of the present invention seek to overcome the above disadvantages of the prior art.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a coupling assembly for connecting first and second multi-duct conduits in aligned end to end relationship, the assembly comprising first and second end caps, each said end cap having a plurality of apertures therethrough for receiving a respective duct of one of said first and second conduits, and a respective mounting portion arranged adjacent each said aperture; and a plurality of open-ended tubular members, each said tubular member having an internal bore for receiving a duct of said first and second conduits in respective ends thereof, wherein when the assembly is in use, said tubular members are arranged substantially parallel to each other between said first and second end caps, and said end caps are mounted via said mounting portions to the ends of the tubular members such that the apertures of the first and second end caps are aligned with respective bores of the tubular members.
By constructing the coupling assembly from a plurality of tubular members mounted between two end caps, the constituent parts of the assembly can be moulded more simply than in the case of the prior art. This provides the advantage of enabling the mould costs to be reduced and better control of tolerances in manufacture to be achieved. The use of a plurality of separate tubular members also enables the assembly to be easily adapted to connect conduits carrying different numbers of ducts, thus making the assembly more versatile than the known assemblies.
Preferably, each said mounting portion comprises one or more resilient clips for resiliently engaging an end portion of a respective tubular member to prevent axial separation of the end cap and tubular member.
The provision of resilient means on the end caps, as opposed to the tubular members provides the advantage that the end caps, which involve the use of less material than the tubular members, can be moulded from an engineering polymer with very high tensile strength but at relatively low cost.
The assembly may be adapted to permit limited axial relative movement between the mounting portions and the corresponding tubular members when mounted thereto.
This
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Brown George Henry Platt
Gajos Bernard
Mainetti Technology Limited
Nicholson Eric K
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