Tube coupling bodies

Details Tube coupling bodies Tube coupling bodies

1998-07-16

2001-02-06

Nicholson, Eric K. (Department: 3627)

Pipe joints or couplings

Movable jaw

C285S340000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06183022

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to tube coupling bodies of the type in which an open ended throughway has a resilient fingered collet to receive and hold an end portion of a tube inserted into the throughway.
2. Background of Prior Art
My UK Patent Specification No 2,172,948 describes and illustrates a tap or valve body having a throughway to receive a tube which is locked in the throughway and is sealed to the bore by O-ring seals. The collet is encircled by an insert sleeve which is locked in the throughway by means of a collet having a plurality of resilient fingers. The collet is encircled by a plastics insert sleeve located in a counterbore at the end of the throughway and held therein by a spring ring embedded in the sleeve with an outwardly angled outer periphery to engage and grip the surface of the counterbore.
The angled outer periphery of the spring ring is almost entirely embedded in the insert sleeve which resists deflection of the ring as it is inserted into the counterbore. As a result, if the coupling body is formed on a soft plastics material, this is likely to be damaged on insertion of the sleeve reducing the effectiveness of the grip of the spring ring with the surface of the counterbore.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides a cylindrical attachment for locking in a bore the attachment having an external surface formed with an annular groove which has one side nearest one end of said attachment, and a metal grab ring embodied in the sleeve, said grab ring having multiple resilient fingers around an outer periphery of said ring projecting radially beyond the outer surface of the attachment and the ring being located adjacent said one side of said groove so that on insertion of the attachment into the throughway, the resilient fingers are flexed away from said one side of said groove and are thereby angled towards the other end of the attachment by engagement with a surface of the throughway, the flexing of the fingers being accommodated by the annular groove and the resilience of the fingers causing the fingers to grip said surface of the throughway to prevent attachment from being withdrawn from the throughway, the open end with one end of the sleeve located within the throughway and the other end at the end open of the throughway, the insert sleeve having a tapered internal cam surface reducing towards said other end of the sleeve with which fingers of a tube gripping collet are engageable to receive and lock a tube inserted into the throughway in the coupling body, the external surface of the sleeve having an annular groove and a metal grab ring embodied in the sleeve adjacent the side of the groove nearest said one end of the sleeve and having multiple fingers around its outer periphery projecting radially beyond the outer surface of the sleeve so that on insertion of the sleeve in the throughway, the resilient fingers are angled towards the other end of the sleeve by engagement with the surface of the throughway, the angling of the fingers being accommodated by the annular groove and the resilience of the fingers causing the fingers to grip with the surface of the throughway to prevent the insert sleeve from being withdrawn from the throughway.
The attachment may have an outwardly projecting encircling flange at said other end thereof which engages with the end face of the coupling body around the open end of the throughway to limit inserting of the sleeve into the throughway.
The attachment may have an external diameter corresponding to the internal diameter of the throughway and said annular groove is formed in the external surface of the attachment midway along the attachment.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2712262 (1955-07-01), Knohl
patent: 3653689 (1972-04-01), Sapy et al.
patent: 3743326 (1973-07-01), Courtot et al.
patent: 3999783 (1976-12-01), Legris
patent: 4606783 (1986-08-01), Guest
patent: 4645246 (1987-02-01), Guest
patent: 4676530 (1987-06-01), Nordgren
patent: 4712810 (1987-12-01), Pozzi
patent: 4722560 (1988-02-01), Guest
patent: 5085472 (1992-02-01), Guest
patent: 5171045 (1992-12-01), Pasbrig
patent: 5230539 (1993-07-01), Olson
patent: 5603532 (1997-02-01), Guest
patent: 5779284 (1998-07-01), Guest
patent: 5799985 (1998-09-01), Murphy
patent: 2527023 (1976-12-01), None
patent: 4234441 (1994-04-01), None
patent: 2034841 (1980-06-01), None

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Tube coupling bodies does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Tube coupling bodies, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Tube coupling bodies will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2600810