Plug-type connection for a tubular body

• US 5,240,289 A
• Filed: 05/08/1992
• Issued: 08/31/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mannesmann AG (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Mannesmann AG (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: Muller, Peter, Moller, Rudolf, Scharnowski, Gerhard, Gottling, Helmut
• Primary Examiner(s): Arola, Dave W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHACKELFORD, HEATHER CHUN
• Application Number:
  US07/880,425
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 288/322, 288/323, 288/330, 288/331, 288/328, 288/24, 288/177
• US Class Current: 285/24
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/133 using flexible hooks F16L37/1215 takes precedence

Abstract

A plug-type connection for a tubular body comprising a tubular holding element (1) slit in crown-like manner to form tongues (2) to receive the tubular body (30), and an annular collet (20) to be inserted onto the holding element (1) to clamp the end region of the tubular body (30) to the holding element (1). The collet (20) is a single piece and U-shaped in longitudinal section and has an inner arm (21) which is slit in crown-like manner and an outer arm (22). A circumferential shoulder (8) is formed on the holding element (1) outside the central bore (3). A pin (26) on the end of the outer arm (22) of the collet (20) fits into a depression (9) in the shoulder (8) of the holding element (1). A spherically shaped projection (27) fits into spherically shaped recess (10) in the shoulder (8) of the holding element (1). The recess (10 ) is staggered by an angle of rotation with respect to the depression (9). The spherically shaped projection (27) is located on the end of the pin (26).

Claims

1. A plug type connection for a tubular body, comprising:

a tubular single-piece holding element (1) having an upper end a central bore (3) extending longitudinally through said holding element (1), the central bore (3) having a diameter sufficient to receive the tubular body and having a plurality of stepped shoulders therein, said holding element (1) comprising;

a plurality of tongues (2) formed by a plurality of crown-like slits that extend down from said upper end of said holding element (1) a predetermined depth, the tongues (2) having an inner surface and an outer surface, and an undercut (7) in the inner surface of the tongues (2) forming a bevelled surface causing the diameter of said central bore to decrease in the direction of said upper end; and

a shoulder (8) about an outer circumference of the holding element (1) outside of said central bore (3) and positioned a distance from the upper end of said holding element (1), the distance being greater than the predetermined depth of the slits forming the tongues (2), the shoulder (8) having a depression (9) and a spherically shaped recess (10) therein, the spherically shaped recess (10) being staggered by an angle of rotation with respect to the depression (9); and

a single-piece annular collect (20) having a U-shape in longitudinal section and capable of being mounted onto said holding element (1) to clamp an end region of the tubular body to said holding element (1), said collect (20) comprising;

an outer arm (22) shaped so as to be capable of surrounding the tongues (2) of said holding element (1) on the outer surface of the tongues (2) when said holding element (1) and said collect (20) are in an assembled condition, the outer arm (22) having a pin (26) positioned so as to fit into the depression in the shoulder (8) of said holding element (1), the pin (26) having a spherically shaped projection (27) extending therefrom and shaped so as to fit into the spherically shaped recess (10) in the shoulder (8) of said holding element (1); and

an inner arm (21) shaped so as to be capable of extending into the central bore (3) of said holding element (1) when said holding element (1) and said collect (20) are in an assembled condition, the inner arm (21) having a plurality of crown-like slits that form a plurality of tongues in the inner arm (21) and that are provided with a complementary contour (25) which engages into the undercut (7) of the tongues (2) of said holding element (1), the inner arm (21) having an inner surface that contacts the tubular body when the tubular body is inserted into said plug-type connection and said arms are moved toward said upper end so that said complementary contours on said tongues engage said bevelled surface.

2. The plug-type connection of claim 1, wherein the complementary contour (25) of the inner arm (21) of said collect (20) is S-shaped.

3. The plug-type connection of claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the inner arm (21) of the collect (20) has raised teeth (24) extending perpendicular to the inner surface of the inner arm (21).

4. The plug-type connection of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of shoulders within the central bore (3) of said holding element (1) is a packing ring shoulder (4), and further comprising an annular packing ring (6) mounted within the central bore (3) of said holding element (1) and on the packing ring shoulder (4), said packing ring (6) being of a size sufficient to provide a seal between said holding element (1) and the tubular body.

5. The plug-type connection of claim 1, wherein said collet (20) has a projection (23) extending downward and positioned between the outer arm (22) and the inner arm (21) of said collet (20) and being shaped so as to be insertable between two adjacent tongues (2) of said holding element (1).

6. The plug-type connection of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of shoulders within the central bore (3) of said holding element (1) is a reducer ring shoulder (5), and further comprising a reducer ring (40) mounted within the central bore (3) of said holding element (1) and on the reducer ring shoulder (5), said reducer ring (40) having an L-shape in longitudinal section and being of a size sufficient to reduce the diameter of the central bore (3).

7. The plug-type connection of claim 1, wherein said collet (20) is comprised of metallic material.

8. The plug-type connection of claim 1, wherein the inner arm (21) of said collet (20) is comprised of an elastic and wherein the outer arm (22) of said collet (20) is comprised of a metal.