Method and apparatus for retaining a flange on a fluid meter

• US 9,568,129 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2012
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micro Motion Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Micro Motion Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Griffin, Clinton Ray
• Primary Examiner(s): DUNWOODY, AARON M
• Application Number:
  US14/366,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20150001846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,869 Days
• Field of Search: 285/412, 285/415, 285/414
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 23/02 the flanges being connected by members tensioned axially F16L23/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 23/0286 the shoulder not being formed from the pipe
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/185 Connecting means, e.g. bypass conduits
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49947 by applying separate fastener

Abstract

A sensor assembly (5) for a fluid meter (100) is provided. The sensor assembly (5) comprises a sensor assembly body (6) and one or more circumferential grooves (303) formed in the sensor assembly body (6). Two or more retaining components (105, 106) are removably coupled together around at least one of the one or more circumferential grooves (303) with a portion of the two or more retaining components engaging the circumferential groove. A flange (104) is also provided that surrounds at least a portion of the sensor assembly body (6) and is retained around the sensor assembly body (6) by the first and second retaining components (105, 106).

Claims

1. A sensor assembly (5) for a fluid meter (100), comprising:

a sensor assembly body (6);

one or more circumferential grooves (303) formed in the sensor assembly body (6);

two or more retaining components (105, 106) removably coupled together and engaging at least one of the one or more circumferential grooves (303);

one or more threaded mechanical fasteners engaging the two or more retaining components to removably couple the two or more retaining components to one another; and

a flange (104) surrounding at least a portion of the sensor assembly body (6) and retained around the sensor assembly body (6) by the first and second retaining components (105, 106);

wherein the two or more retaining components (105, 106) are clamped together around the one or more circumferential grooves (303).

2. The sensor assembly (5) of claim 1, wherein the flange (104) comprises a step (414) extending from an inner surface (417) with a portion of the inner surface (417) extending over the two or more retaining components (105, 106) and the step (414) abutting the two or more retaining components (105, 106).

3. The sensor assembly (5) of claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly body (6) comprises a case (101), a pipeline interface (103), and a transition ring (102) coupling the pipeline interface (103) to the case (101).

4. The sensor assembly (5) of claim 3, wherein the one or more circumferential grooves (303) are formed in the transition ring (102).

5. The sensor assembly (5) of claim 3, further comprising an O-ring groove (404) formed in a face of the pipeline interface (103).

6. The sensor assembly (5) of claim 1, wherein each of the two or more retaining components (105, 106) includes a lip (415, 416) sized and shaped to be received by the circumferential groove.

7. A method for retaining a flange on a sensor assembly, comprising steps of:

positioning the flange around a portion of a sensor assembly body such that the flange is located closer to a mid-portion of the sensor assembly body than a circumferential groove formed in the sensor assembly body; and

removably coupling two or more retaining components around the circumferential groove by clamping the two or more retaining components together using one or more retaining components together using one or more threaded mechanical fasteners to provide an outer diameter of a ring that is larger than at least a portion of an inner diameter of the flange, thereby preventing the flange from moving past the two or more retaining components.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the flange comprises a step extending from an inner surface with a portion of the inner surface extending over the two or more retaining components and the step abutting the two or more retaining components.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the sensor assembly body comprises a case, a pipeline interface, and a transition ring coupling the pipeline interface to the case.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the circumferential groove is formed in the transition ring.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the pipeline interface comprises an O-ring groove.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the two or more retaining components includes a lip sized and shaped to be received by the circumferential groove.