PIPE COUPLINGS

• US 20180163905A1
• Filed: 12/14/2016
• Published: 06/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASC Engineered Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Mueller International LLC (Mueller Water Products Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ohnemus, Gregory Nicholas Stagliano, Chen, Patrick Chien, Scott, Stephen Eric, McNamara, Matthew William, Borawski, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 11,378,208 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 17/04 with longitudinally split or divided sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 21/005 made of elastic material, e.g. partly or completely surrounded by clamping devices comprising packing adapted to sealing by fluid pressure F16L17/04, F16L11/20; hose clips F16L33/02
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 23/04 the flanges being connected by members tensioned in the radial plane F16L23/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 23/22 made exclusively of a material other than metal
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/1066 with three or more members surrounding the pipe

Abstract

A pipe coupling includes a coupling segment having an inner surface defining a ring groove proximate to an axial end of the coupling segment, the ring groove comprising a groove bottom surface extending from a first end of the coupling segment to a second end of the coupling segment; and a pipe connection ring disposed within the ring groove, the pipe connection ring defining a body with two ring ends and an outer surface, the outer surface of the pipe connection ring contacting the groove bottom surface at a midpoint between the first end of the coupling segment and the second end of the coupling segment when the pipe connection ring is in an uncompressed condition. The pipe connection ring may be a split ring defining an opening between the two ring ends, which may be square, tapered, angled, or stepped.

Claims

1. A pipe coupling comprising:

a coupling segment having an inner surface defining a ring groove proximate to an axial end of the coupling segment, the ring groove comprising a groove bottom surface extending from a first end of the coupling segment to a second end of the coupling segment; and

a pipe connection ring disposed within the ring groove, the pipe connection ring defining a body with two ring ends and an outer surface, the outer surface of the pipe connection ring contacting the groove bottom surface at a midpoint between the first end of the coupling segment and the second end of the coupling segment when the pipe connection ring is in an uncompressed condition.

2. The pipe coupling of claim 1, wherein the coupling segment is deformable between a non-assembled state and an assembled and tightened state.

3. The pipe coupling of claim 1, wherein the groove bottom surface includes a flat portion.

4. The pipe coupling of claim 1, wherein a gap is defined between an outer surface of the pipe connection ring and the groove bottom surface at a one of the first end of the coupling segment and the second end of the coupling segment when the pipe connection ring is in the uncompressed condition.

5. The pipe coupling of claim 1, wherein:

the pipe coupling includes a tightened position and an untightened position;

the pipe connection ring is in the uncompressed condition when the pipe coupling is in the untightened position; and

the pipe connection ring is in a compressed condition when the pipe coupling is in the tightened position; and

an inner diameter of the pipe connection ring is smaller in the compressed condition than an inner diameter of the pipe connection ring in the uncompressed condition.

6. The pipe coupling of claim 1, wherein the body of the pipe connection ring defines an outer surface, an inner surface, a first axial end surface extending from the outer surface to the inner surface, a second axial end surface opposite the first axial end surface and extending from the outer surface to the inner surface a portion of the body proximate to a first ring end of the two ring ends positioned axially adjacent to a portion of the body proximate to a second ring end of the two ring ends.

7. The pipe coupling of claim 6, wherein the portion of the body proximate to the first ring end positioned axially adjacent to the second ring end defines a first stepped portion and the portion of the body proximate to the second ring end positioned axially adjacent to the first ring end defines a second stepped portion, an axial ring thickness of the pipe connection ring measured at the first stepped portion less than or equal to an axial ring thickness measured at a portion of the body between the first stepped portion and the second stepped portion.

8. The pipe coupling of claim 6, wherein the portion of the body proximate to the first ring end defines a first stepped portion and the portion of the body proximate to the second ring end defines a second stepped portion, the first stepped portion and the second stepped portion nested inside one another.

9. The pipe coupling of claim 1, wherein the pipe connection ring is a split ring defining an opening between the two ring ends.

10. The pipe coupling of claim 9, wherein a first ring end of the two ring ends of the pipe connection ring is tapered.

11. The pipe coupling of claim 10, wherein:

the first ring end includes an inside edge and an outside edge;

the inside edge is oriented at a first taper angle with respect to a radial direction of the pipe connection ring; and

the outside edge is oriented at a second taper angle with respect to the radial direction, the first taper angle and the second taper angle measuring less than about 90 degrees.

12. The pipe coupling of claim 9, wherein each of the two ring ends defines a ring end surface, each ring end surface angled with respect to a central axis of the pipe connection ring.

13. The pipe coupling of claim 12, wherein the two ring ends are angled at about 45 degrees from the central axis of the pipe connection ring.

14. A pipe system comprising:

a first pipe element;

a second pipe element; and

a pipe coupling connecting an end of the second pipe element to an end of the first pipe element, the pipe coupling including;

a coupling segment having an inner surface defining a ring groove proximate to an axial end of the coupling segment, the ring groove comprising a groove bottom surface extending from a first end of the coupling segment to a second end of the coupling segment, and

a pipe connection ring disposed within the ring groove and engaged with the first pipe element in a compressed condition, the pipe connection ring defining a body with two ring ends and an outer surface, the outer surface of the pipe connection ring contacting the groove bottom surface between the first end of the coupling segment and the second end of the coupling segment when the pipe connection ring is in an uncompressed condition.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the coupling segment defines a second ring groove proximate to a second axial end of the coupling segment, the system further comprising a second pipe connection ring disposed within the second ring groove, the second pipe connection ring engaged with the second pipe element in the compressed condition.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein an inner diameter of the pipe connection ring is greater than an outer diameter of the first pipe element when the pipe connection ring is in the uncompressed condition.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein an inner diameter of the coupling segment is greater than an outer diameter of the first pipe element when the pipe system is in an assembled and tightened state.

18. A method of installing a pipe coupling to connect a first pipe element to a second pipe element, the method comprising:

sliding an assembled pipe coupling over an end of the first pipe element, the pipe coupling including a coupling segment and a pipe connection ring, the coupling segment having an inner surface defining a ring groove and a groove bottom surface, the pipe connection ring disposed within the ring groove, the pipe connection ring comprising an outer surface and defining a body with two ring ends, a radius of the outer surface of the pipe connection ring smaller than a radius of the groove bottom surface of the coupling segment; and

compressing the pipe connection ring in a radial direction to engage the first pipe element.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising bringing the two ring ends into contact with one another.

20. The method of claim 19,

wherein:

a first ring of the two ring ends defines a first ring end surface,

a second ring of the two rings ends defines a second ring end surface, and

the first ring end surface and the second ring end surface are angled such that the first ring end surface slides against the second ring end surface along a common slip plane when the two ring ends are brought into contact with one another, and

the method further comprising further compressing the pipe connection ring after bringing the two ring ends into contact with one another such that the first ring end and the second ring end disengage from one another and move circumferentially past one another.