Connectors

• US 3,880,452 A
• Filed: 04/19/1973
• Issued: 04/29/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Diba Industries Ltd. (Halma PLC)
• Original Assignee: Robert E. Fields
• Inventors: Fields, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schroeder, Werner H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cohen, Moshe I.
• Application Number:
  US05/352,796
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 285/177,234,334.3,346,351,352,332.3,334.5,369,423
• US Class Current: 285/148.23
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 47/04 with a swivel nut or collar engaging the pipe

Abstract

A connector which can be used to interconnect tubes of different diameters, for example, for use with laboratory equipment. The connector comprises an inner tubular member with a central through passage and a concave frusto-conical orifice at one or both ends. One or more ring seals surround the tube in the orifice. A cup-shaped outer cap has a central aperture to accommodate the tube and a side wall which surrounds the ring seal(s) and the inner tubular member. The cup-shaped member is retained on the inner tubular member, for example, by cooperating respective female and male threads formed on such members.

Claims

1. A connector for receiving and sealing the end of a hollow tube and used to interconnect tubes of different diameter comprising:

a flexible inner tubular member having a central through passage having a diameter approximately equal to that of the smallest tube to be accommodated with a concave frustro-conical orifice at one end thereof opening from the central through passage to a diameter approximately equal to the largest tube to be accommodated to receive the end of the tube;

at least one cylindrical, resilient ring seal surrounding the tube and disposed within a portion of the frusto-conical orifice;

a substantially cup-shaped, flexible outer cap having a central aperture of a diameter approximately that of the largest tube to be accommodated to receive the tube, and a side wall for surrounding the inner tubular member;

a male screw thread formed on the outer surface of the inner tubular member; and

a cooperating female screw thread formed on the inner surface of the cup-shaped member for retaining said cup-shaped member in position on said tubular member so that said at least one ring seal will be compressed both axially with respect to said tubular member, and radially due to the surface defined by the fustro-conical orifice.

2. A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inner tubular member is formed with similar orifices at both ends, each accommodating at least one ring seal and each having cooperating cup-shaped members.

3. A connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said at least one ring seal comprises a plurality of O-ring seals of resilient material.

4. A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein each inner tubular member and cup-shaped member are formed of polytetrafluoroethylene.

5. The connector as recited in claim 1 comprising an additional cup-shaped outer cap having a central aperture, and wherein the opposite end of said inner tubular member includes a concave frusto-conical orifice joined to said additional outer cap, and further ring seals disposed in the orifice between the additional cap and the opposite end of said tubular member.