Coupling with rotating retaining ring having cam surfaces

• US 5,356,183 A
• Filed: 03/26/1993
• Issued: 10/18/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cable Management Products Ltd. (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: Smiths Industries Public Limited Company
• Inventors: Cole, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Nicholson, Eric K.
• Application Number:
  US08/037,165
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 285/305, 285/308, 285/314, 285/317, 285/903, 285/921, 285/423, 285/321, 285/312, 285/178, 403/350, 403/351, 403/352, 403/DIG. 7, 403/DIG. 8
• US Class Current: 285/305
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 25/0045 of the quick-acting type
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/084 combined with automatic locking
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/103 the connection being maintained by the eccentricity of the two parts of the joint
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 285/903 Corrugated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7009 Rotary binding cam or wedge

Abstract

A coupling for a corrugated conduit has a body with a rotatable retaining ring. The ring has inwardly-projecting locking bars with two finger grips which project outwardly through slots in the body. When the finger grips are held and the ring is rotated, the locking bars are displaced inwardly to lie between adjacent corrugations of the conduit and retain it in the coupling.

Claims

1. A coupling for fitting to an externally corrugated elongate member, the coupling comprising:

a body having one end adapted to receive the elongate member and an opposite end provided with coupling means by which the coupling can be connected with a cooperating coupling; and

annular retaining means carried by the body, at least part of said annular retaining means being rotatable in a plane transverse to an axis of the elongate member and fixed relative to the body, the retaining means and the body having cooperating cam surfaces, the retaining means having at least one internally-projecting surface formation and at least one manually-engageable member that projects from the body such that by engaging the manually-engageable member and rotating it in said plane, the cam surfaces rotate relative to one another and thereby displace the surface formation between a first position in which the surface formation is located relatively outwardly to enable entry of the corrugated member into the body and within the retaining means, and a second position in which the surface formation is located relatively inwardly to lie between adjacent corrugations on the elongate member and lock it in the body, and wherein the retaining means cannot be removed from the body while the elongate member is inserted within the body.

2. A coupling according to claim 1, wherein the retaining means has two internally-projecting surface formations, located diametrically opposite one another, which in the second position lie between adjacent corrugations on the elongate member.

3. A coupling according to claim 1, wherein the retaining means and the body have cooperating detents, and wherein said detents are arranged to resist rotation of the retaining means to the first position.

4. A coupling according to claim 1, wherein the retaining means has two manually-engageable members located opposite one another.

5. A coupling according to claim 1, wherein the body has a slot in a wall, and wherein the manually-engageable member projects radially outwardly of the body through the slot.

6. A coupling according to claim 1, wherein the manually-engageable member is a radially-projecting collar, and wherein the collar projects from one end of the body.

7. A coupling according to claim 1, wherein the body has an internal annular groove, and wherein the retaining means is located in the groove.