Connector for small-diameter piping

• US 5,112,084 A
• Filed: 02/05/1990
• Issued: 05/12/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: USUI Kokusai Sangyo Kaisha Limited 131-2 Nagasawa Shimizu-Cho Sunto-Gun Shizuoka Prefecture Japan
• Original Assignee: Usui Kokusai Sangyo Kaisha Limited
• Inventors: Washizu, Katsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Arola, Dave W.
• Application Number:
  US07/475,434
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 285/319, 285/921, 285/351, 285/24
• US Class Current: 285/24
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/098 by means of flexible hooks
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/0987 the flexible hook being progressively compressed by axial tensile loads acting on the coupling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 285/921 Snap-fit

Abstract

A connector used in connecting a resin tube and a metallic pipe of comparatively small diameter comprises a connector body and a socket member. The connector body has a through hole and an accepting chamber axially formed therein. A rear wall portion of the accepting chamber defines a lock wall. The socket member adapted to be seated in the accepting chamber has an axial cutoff formed in a peripheral wall thereof to assume a substantial C-shape in section. The peripheral wall of the socket member, whose one end is adapted to abut on an expanded portion of the pipe, has a pair of pawl portions integral therewith extending obliquely outward on the side of the other end. The distal end of each of the paired pawl portions is adapted to resiliently engage with the lock wall.

Claims

1. A connector for a small-diameter pipe having an expanded portion in proximity to one end thereof, said connector comprising:

a connector body having opposed front and rear ends, a through hole extending axially therethrough from the front end to the rear end, a small-diameter chamber defined in the connector body contiguous to the through hole therein, portions of the through hole adjacent said rear end defining an accepting chamber, said accepting chamber being an extension of the small diameter chamber, a peripheral wall portion of the accepting chamber being formed with elongate lock openings, a rear wall portion of the accepting chamber adjacent the lock openings defining a lock wall, and at least one sealing element being fitted to the inner surface of the small-diameter chamber, and

a socket member comprising a peripheral wall defining opposed front and rear axial ends and a through hole extending therebetween, the through hole being dimensioned to fit over the small-diameter pipe such that the front end of the peripheral wall engages the expanded portion of the pipe, the socket member being dimensioned to be seated in the accepting chamber of the connector body, said socket member being made of elastic material and having an axial cutoff formed in the peripheral wall thereof and extending from the front end to the rear end to assume a substantial C-shape in section, the peripheral wall of the socket member having a pair of resilient pawl portions integral therewith and cantilevered from a location intermediate the front and rear ends to extend obliquely outward toward the rear end, portions of the rear end of the peripheral wall in alignment with the pawl portions being discontinuous to facilitate inward deflection of the pawl portions, and the distal end of each of the paired pawl portions having means adjacent the rear end of the peripheral wall for resilient engagement with the lock wall of the connector body.

2. A connector according to claim 1, wherein the reilient engagement means is the end face of the distal end of each of the paired pawl portions.

3. A connector according to claim 1, wherein the resilient engagement means is a groove formed in the outer face of the distal end of each of the paired pawl portions.

4. A connector according to claim 1, wherein the socket member is made of metallic spring plate.

5. A connector according to claim 1, wherein the pipe has another annularly expanded portion spaced apart from the first annularly expanded portion.

6. A connector according to claim 5, wherein the substantially C-shaped peripheral wall of the socket member is dimensioned to be attached between the two annularly expanded portions of the pipe.

7. A connector according to claim 6, wherein the end face of the distal end of each of the paired pawl portions is dimensioned to be positioned in front of the second annularly expanded portion of the pipe.

8. A connector according to claim 1 wherein the socket member is made of resin.

9. A connector according to claim 1 wherein the socket member is made of rubber.

10. A connector for a small-diameter pipe having an expanded portion in proximity to one end thereof, said connector comprising:

a connector body having opposed front and rear ends, a through hole extending axially therethrough from the front end to the rear end, portions of the through hole adjacent said rear end defining an enlarged diameter accepting chamber, a rear wall portion of the accepting chamber defining a lock wall, and at least one sealing element being fitted to the inner surface of the through hole,

a socket member comprising a peripheral wall defining opposed front and rear axial ends and a through hole extending therebetween, the through hole being dimensioned to fit over the small-diameter pipe such that the front end of the peripheral wall engages the expanded portion of the pipe, the socket member being dimensioned to be seated in the accepting chamber, of the connector body, said socket member being made of elastic material and having an axial cutoff formed in the peripheral wall thereof and extending from the front end to the rear end to assume a substantial C-shape in section, the peripheral wall of the socket member having a pair of resilient pawl portions integral therewith and cantilevered from a location intermediate the front and rear ends to extend obliquely outward toward the rear end, portions of the rear end of the peripheral wall in alignment with the pawl portions being discontinuous to facilitate inward deflection of the pawl portions, and the distal end of each of the paired pawl portions having means adjacent the rear end of the peripheral wall for resilient engagement with the lock wall of the connector body, and

positioning/keying means being provided between the outer surface of the substantially C-shaped peripheral wall of the socket member and the inner surface of the accepting chamber of the connector body for ensuring a selected rotational alignment between the socket member and the connector body.

11. A connector according to claim 10, wherein the through hole comprises an annular groove contiguous thereto, the sealing element being fitted in the groove.

12. A connector according to claim 10, wherein the through hole comprises a small-diameter chamber contiguous thereto, the sealing element being fitted in the small-diameter chamber.

13. A connector according to claim 12, wherein said at least one sealing element comprises a plurality of sealing elements, and wherein a spacer is interposed between the sealing elements.

14. A connector according to claim 12, wherein a bush is provided in the rear of the sealing element.

15. A connector according to claim 12, wherein the accepting chamber is an extension chamber of the small-diameter chamber, a peripheral wall portion of the extension chamber being formed with elongate lock openings, whose rear portion defines the lock wall.

16. A connector according to claim 10, wherein the accepting chamber is a large-diameter chamber contiguous to the through hole, a rear wall portion of the large-diameter chamber being bent inward to define the lock wall.