Tube coupling

• US 6,969,094 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2003
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Sturm, Stefan, Kröss, Stefan, Kuhn, Peter, Fröhling, Jörn, Obrist, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Nicholson, Eric K.
• Application Number:
  US10/739,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20040178631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 2851241-1255, 285/205, 285/206, 285/363, 285/368, 285/379, 285/328
• US Class Current: 285/205
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 19/0206 the collar not being integral with the pipe
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 23/032 characterised by the shape or composition of the flanges
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 23/18 the sealing means being rings

Abstract

A tube coupling for the detachable coupling of tube line sections of a high-pressure tubing system. The tube coupling includes two coupling blocks held together by a clamping screw, whereby one of the coupling blocks has a coupling plug that engages a plug socket provided on the other coupling block. A sealing ring is formed of a plastically deformable material and is enclosed between a front face of the coupling plug and a bottom-side sealing surface of the plug socket. In order to protect the sealing ring from being lost, damages and/or contaminated during assembly or opening and dosing the coupling, in a preassembled condition it is enclosed within a protective socket. To homogeneously load the sealing ring, the sealing ring is located at one point of a supporting triangle, the two other supporting points of being formed by a pair of supporting surfaces arranged side by side at an outer end of side flanges of the coupling blocks.

Claims

1. A tube coupling for the detachable coupling of tube line sections in a high-pressure tubing system, comprising:

a pair of coupling blocks one of which one has a coupling plug and the other of which has a plug socket for receiving the coupling plug, the coupling blocks including side flanges held together by a clamping screw; and

a sealing ring arranged at a front face of the coupling plug, the sealing ring being supported by a protective socket enclosing the sealing ring and the coupling plug, the protective socket including portions adjacent to a rear end of the protective socket, the portions defining a circumferential sealing lip provided and engaged between the coupling blocks circumferentially around the coupling plug.

2. A tube coupling according to claim 1, wherein the sealing ring includes a ribbed sealing surface engaging at least one of the coupling blocks.

3. A tube coupling according to claim 2 wherein the ribbed sealing surface contacts both a front face of the coupling plug and a radial sealing surface of the plug socket.

4. A tube coupling according to claim 1 wherein the sealing ring is formed of a plastically deformable material.

5. A tube coupling according to claim 1 wherein the sealing ring is made of a soft metal relative to said coupling blocks.

6. A tube coupling according to claim 1 wherein the protective socket is made of an elastically deformable material.

7. A tube coupling according to claim 1 wherein the coupling plug includes portions defining a holding groove, the protective socket including portions defining a retaining profile that engages the holding groove.

8. A tube coupling according to claim 7 wherein the sealing ring is held positively in the protective socket.

9. A tube coupling according to claim 8 wherein to hold the sealing ring positively at the coupling plug, a plurality of inwardly directed holding noses are provided in a front edge region of the protective socket, which grip over the sealing ring in its engaged position.

10. A tube coupling according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the side flanges includes a step defining at their outer end away from the sealing arrangement between the coupling plug sealing ring and coupling socket two partial surfaces, the partial surfaces being separated by a recessed portion therebetween so that the partial surfaces together with a sealing arrangement to form a symmetrical supporting triangle, whereby the clamping screw is provided in the region of the center of this triangle and an axis of the tube lines and an axis of the clamping screw run in a common plane.

11. A tube coupling according to claim 10 wherein a positioning pin is provided between the partial surfaces.

12. A tube coupling for the detachable coupling of tube line sections in a high-pressure tubing system, comprising:

a pair of coupling blocks one of which one has a coupling plug and the other of which has a plug socket for receiving the coupling plug, the coupling blocks including side flanges held together by a clamping screw; and

a sealing ring arranged at the front face of the coupling plug, the sealing ring being supported by a protective socket enclosing the sealing ring and the coupling plug;

wherein at least one of the side flanges includes a step defining two partial surfaces engaging the other of the at least one of the side flanges, the partial surfaces located adjacent to an outer end of the at least one of the side flanges, the partial surfaces being separated by a recessed portion therebetween so that the partial surfaces together with a sealing arrangement to form a symmetrical supporting triangle, whereby the clamping screw is provided in the region of the center of the triangle and an axis of the tube lines and an axis of the clamping screw run in a common plane.

13. A tube coupling according to claim 12 wherein the coupling plug includes portions defining a holding groove, the protective socket including portions defining a retaining profile that engages the holding groove.

14. A tube coupling according to claim 13 wherein the sealing ring is held positively in the protective socket.

15. A tube coupling according to claim 14 wherein to hold the sealing ring positively at the coupling plug, a plurality of inwardly directed holding noses are provided in a front edge region of the protective socket, which grip over the sealing ring in its engaged position.

16. A tube coupling according to claim 12 wherein a positioning pin is provided between the partial surfaces.