Joint for coupling small-diameter pipes

• US 5,114,250 A
• Filed: 03/18/1991
• Issued: 05/19/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Usui Kokusai Sangyo Kaisha Limited
• Original Assignee: Usui Kokusai Sangyo Kaisha Limited
• Inventors: Usui, Masayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nicholson, Eric K.
• Application Number:
  US07/670,993
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 285/319, 285/921
• US Class Current: 285/319
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/098 by means of flexible hooks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 285/921 Snap-fit

Abstract

A joint for coupling small-diameter pipes comprises a body. The body includes a cylindrical joint wall defining a bore and a continuous cylindrical wall defining a stepped enlarged chamber in communication with the bore. The cylindrical wall includes a plurality of rearwardly extending holder walls having pawls. The enlarged chamber is configured to receive a seal and a bushing. A support includes a central hole, and a plurality of holes in surrounding relation to the central hole. When a pipe extends through the central hole, the peripheral wall of the central hole is engaged with an annular projection wall formed adjacent one end of the pipe, and the pawls are engaged with the holes of the support. The support may be in the form of a disk or in the form of a flanged cylindrical member.

Claims

1. A joint for a visually monitored coupling for a small-diameter pipe, said pipe having an end and an annular projection wall in proximity to said end, said joint comprising:

a body including opposed said front rear ends, a cylindrical joint wall adjacent the front end and defining a bore extending rearwardly from the front end, and a continuous cylindrical chamber wall rearwardly of the joint wall and defining a stepped enlarged chamber in communication with said bore, a plurality of spaced apart holder walls extending rearwardly from the cylindrical chamber wall, said holder walls having pawls at ends thereof remote from the cylindrical chamber wall said enlarged chamber being dimensioned and configured to receive a seal, a bushing and a portion of the pipe extending from the end thereof to the annular projection wall; and

a support comprising a disk including a central hole, said pipe being mounted through the central hole in the disk of the support such that the disk is adjacent the annular projection wall of the pipe and on the side thereof opposite the end of the pipe, and a plurality of holes passing through the disk in surrounding relation to the central hole;

said pawls being engaged with the holes of the support such that the disk of the support urges the annular projection wall against the bushing in the stepped enlarged chamber of the joint body and retains the pipe in the joint body, whereby the spaced apart rearwardly extending holder walls and the disk of the support enable the coupling to be visually monitored.

2. The joint of claim 1, wherein the body is made of resin.

3. The joint of claim 1, wherein the support consists of the disk.

4. The joint of claim 1, wherein the support is in the form of a flanged cylindrical member, the disk defining a flange at one end of the flanged cylindrical member.

5. The joint of claim 1, wherein the body is made of metal.