Tubing joint

• US 4,747,626 A
• Filed: 03/17/1986
• Issued: 05/31/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nihon Pisuko Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Nihon Pisuko Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Hama, Tomio, Yamazaki, Kiyoyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Arola, Dave W.
• Application Number:
  US06/840,452
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 285/308, 285/340, 285/104, 285/105
• US Class Current: 285/308
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/0915 with a separate member for releasing the coupling

Abstract

A tubing joint comprises a grip-ring whose grip-nails bite the outer wall of a tubing inserted into the joint proper to prevent the inserted tubing from moving in the tubing-detaching direction, and a release-ring which releases the bite of the grip-nails on the outer wall of the inserted tubing. The grip-ring is formed in a zigzag ring having a number of notches cut radially and alternately from the inner and outer circumferences of the ring. The outer extremity side of the grip-ring is bent by a constant width in the tubing-admitting direction and the bent ends, i.e., outer extremities, are inserted into a catching section to hold the grip-ring within the joint proper. The inner extremities of the grip-ring formed by the notches serve as grip-nails.

Claims

1. In a releasable tubing connector comprising:

a joint having at least an opening which is bored on an end face thereof;

a guide-ring having an inner wall and fixed in said opening of said joint;

a deformable ring plate, which is shaped zigzag by a plurality of notches formed alternately in inner and outer peripheral portions, disposed within a groove located on said guide-ring, said inner peripheral portion of said deformable ring plate having a smaller diameter than an outer diameter of a tube inserted into said opening of said joint, and the portions of said ring plate between said notches providing claws to bite into an outer wall of the tube to prevent the inserted tube from moving;

a release-ring disposed within said guide-ring and movable by a prescribed distance at least in the longitudinal direction so as to release the bite of said claws by pushing said claws and displacing them from the outer wall of said inserted tube;

stop means provided between an inner wall of said guide-ring and an outer wall of said release-ring for limiting the outward movement of said release-ring from said guide-ring;

wherein said inserted tube, with said claws biting said outer surface thereof, can be pulled slightly backward in a tube-detaching direction, thereby causing said claws to make an arcuate rotation about the outer periphery of said deformable ring plate acting as a rotational fulcrum until said claws are brought to a position slightly over a position of maximum bite at which said claws are approximately normal to the surface of the inserted tube; and

the front end of said release-ring, when in its outward position, provides a stopper to prevent further deformation of said claws of said deformable ring plate and maintain said claws at a position of slightly over maximum bite upon pulling on the inserted tube in a tube detaching direction.

2. A releasable tubing connector according to claim 1, wherein said groove is formed in said inner wall of said guide ring.

3. A releasable tubing connector according to claim 1, wherein said guide-ring is provided with a thin cylindrical section and said groove is formed by bending the thin-cylindrical section of the front end of said guide ring inwardly.

4. A releasable tubing connector according to claim 1, wherein said outer peripheral portion of said deformable ring plate is bent out of the plane of said ring plate by a constant width in the tube admitting direction, and is inserted in said groove.

5. In a releasable tubing connector comprising:

a joint having at least an opening which is bored on an end face thereof;

an outer sleeve fixed in said opening of said joint and having a groove in its inner periphery;

an inner sleeve, having a first and a second end, slidably received within said outer sleeve;

stop means between said inner and outer sleeves for preventing the total withdrawal of said inner sleeve from said outer sleeve;

a deformable ring plate which is shaped zigzag by a plurality of notches formed alternately in inner and outer peripheral portions, disposed within a groove in said outer sleeve, said inner peripheral portion of the deformable ring plate having a smaller diameter than an outer diameter of a tube inserted into the opening of said joint, and the portions of said ring plate between said notches providing claws to bite into the tube to prevent the inserted tube from moving;

said outer peripheral portion of said deformable ring plate being bent out on a plane of the inner peripheral portion in the direction of admission of the tube;

wherein, by pushing said inner sleeve in the direction of the tube insertion, said first end of said inner sleeve pushes said claws to release said claws from the tube; and

wherein

the inserted tube, with said claws biting the outer surface thereof, can be pulled slightly backward in a tube-detaching direction, thereby causing said claws to make an arcuate rotation about the outer periphery of said deformable ring plate acting as a rotational fulcrum until said claws are brought to a position slightly over a position of maximum bite at which said claws are approximately normal to the surface of the inserted tube; and

the front end of said release-ring, when in its outward position, provides a stopper to prevent further deformation of said claws of said deformable ring plate and maintain said claws at a position of slightly over maximum bite upon pulling on the inserted tube in a tube detaching direction.

6. A releasable tubing connector according to claim 5, wherein said stop means are a control step provided on an inner face of the outer sleeve, and an enlarged diameter step provided on an outer face of the inner sleeve.

7. A releasable tubing connector according to claim 5, wherein the deformable ring plate is made of a thin plate whose thickness is approximately 2mm.