HK1225094A1 - Quick connector assembly - Google Patents

Description

Quick connector assembly

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This chinese generic invention patent application claims benefit and priority to U.S. patent application serial No. 14/548741 filed on 11/20/2014, the entire disclosure of which is considered to be part of the disclosure of this application and is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a connector assembly for fluidly connecting pipes (pipe) or tubes (tube) made of materials similar to or different from each other.

Background

Piping installation (plumbing) systems in many buildings in the united states include one or more of copper, chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC), and/or cross-linked Polyethylene (PEX) pipe or tubing. Many plumbers (plumbers) prefer to use tubes constructed of PEX over other materials for a variety of reasons including, for example, flexibility, cost savings, corrosion resistance, and freeze-fracture resistance. Some pipe manufacturers make copper or CPVC to PEX adapters (adapters) to fluidly connect PEX piping (tubing) with copper or CPVC piping (piping). However, many of these adapters are expensive in design, laborious to install (e.g., some designs require adhesive or welding), or otherwise unreliable. For example, some known adapters are subject to failure when exposed to fluid flowing through the connected pipes at very high pressures.

There remains a significant and continuing need to improve connector assemblies to overcome any or all of the deficiencies associated with other known adapters.

Disclosure of Invention

One aspect of the present invention provides a connector assembly for establishing fluid communication between a first tube and a second tube, which may be the same or different material as the first tube. The connector assembly includes a housing having a through bore extending along an axis from a first open end to a second open end. The housing further includes a plurality of fingers circumferentially spaced from one another and radially deflectable. At least one of the fingers has a plurality of teeth axially spaced from one another that extend into the through bore in the housing for engaging or biting into the first pipe to resist withdrawal of the first pipe from the through bore. Each tooth also extends a height toward a leading edge of an upper surface that also includes an angled portion that extends at an angle relative to the axis. The axially spaced teeth have at least one of the angled portions at different angles and different heights.

The improved connector assembly has been shown to provide enhanced pull-out resistance and can withstand pressures of up to 800psi transmitted between the first and second pipes, which is significantly higher than other known connector assemblies.

According to another aspect of the invention, the second open end of the housing is configured to receive the second tube, and the housing has an outer surface configured to seal the first tube proximate the first open end.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the at least one finger has at least three axially spaced teeth including a first tooth proximate the second open end of the housing, a second tooth, and a third tooth furthest from the second open end.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the at least three teeth decrease in angle away from the second open end, the first tooth angle is about 38 degrees, the second tooth angle is about 33 degrees, and the third tooth angle is about 28 degrees.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the height and angle of the at least three teeth each decrease with distance from the second open end.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, the at least three axially spaced teeth are a total of six teeth integrally connected to each other in two and three rows and in over-molded engagement with the at least one finger.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, the upper surface of each tooth additionally includes a flat portion extending in parallel relationship with the axis and disposed proximate the leading edge.

Drawings

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an exemplary quick connector assembly attached to copper or CPVC pipe and PEX pipe;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the quick connector assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the quick connector assembly of FIG. 1 engaged with copper or CPVC pipe and PEX pipe;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the housing of the quick connector assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of an exemplary member including a plurality of teeth of the quick connector assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the exemplary member of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the exemplary member of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a portion of one tooth of the member shown in FIG. 7; and

fig. 9 is an isometric view of the example quick connector assembly of fig. 1.

Detailed Description

Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, FIGS. 1 and 3 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a quick connector assembly 20 that engages and establishes fluid communication between a first tube 24 of a first material and a second tube 22 of a second material. In an exemplary embodiment, the first tube 24 of the exemplary embodiment is a cross-linked Polyethylene (PEX) material, and is hereinafter referred to as "PEX tube 24". The second material of the second pipe 22 is a copper or chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) material and is hereinafter referred to as "copper or CPVC pipe 22". In this way, the example quick connector assembly 20 can be used in plumbing systems in many residential, industrial, or commercial buildings by acting as a bridge between existing copper or CPVC piping in the building and the new PEX piping. However, it should be understood that the first and second materials may be similar (e.g., both tubes may be PEX) and that the quick connector assembly 20 may also be used for some other purpose than the plumbing system of a building.

Referring now to fig. 4, an exemplary quick connector assembly includes a housing 26 having a through bore (opening bore) extending along an axis a from a first open end 28 for receiving the PEX pipe 24 to a second open end for receiving the copper or CPVC pipe 22. The housing 26 presents an inner surface 32 that defines the through-hole and an outer surface 34. Between the first and second ends 28, 30, the housing 26 extends through a first end portion 36, a first intermediate portion 38, a second intermediate portion 40, and a second end portion 42, in that order. The outer surface 34 of the first end portion 36 is formed in accordance with the astm f-1960 standard to establish a fluid connection (shown in fig. 1 and 3) with the PEX pipe 24 through a standard expansion connection (shown in fig. 1 and 3) with the PEX expansion ring 44. However, it should be understood that the first end 36 may be configured to attach with the PEX tubing 24 by any suitable type of connection, including, for example, a shark biting connection (sharkbits connection), a compression connection (compressive connection), a crimp connection (crimpingconnection), a clamp connection, or a compression connection (compressive connection). The housing 26 is preferably made of a polymeric material as a unitary piece and is preferably formed by an injection molding process. However, it should be understood that the housing 26 may be made from any suitable material and by any suitable molding process.

The inner surface 32 of the housing 26 includes a first shoulder 46 facing the second open end 30 and separating the first end 36 from the first intermediate portion 38. As shown in fig. 3, the first shoulder 46 defines a stop point for inserting the copper or CPVC pipe 22 into the throughbore of the housing 26.

The inner surface 32 of the housing 26 also includes a second shoulder 48 that also faces the second open end 30 and separates the first and second intermediate portions 38, 40 of the housing 26. As shown in fig. 3, in use, the second shoulder 48 receives and supports an O-ring 50 (or any suitable type of seal) that is positioned in the second intermediate portion 40 of the throughbore to establish a fluid tight seal between the copper or CPVC pipe 22 and the housing 26 as discussed above. An annular gasket 52 is also provided in the second intermediate portion 40 of the through hole on the other axial side of the O-ring 50 for holding the O-ring 50 in contact with the second shoulder 48.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, a generally cylindrical insert 54 is also provided in the second intermediate portion 40 of the housing 26 and includes a pair of tabs 56, the tabs 56 extending radially outwardly through windows in the housing 26 for retaining the spacer 52 and O-ring 50 in a predetermined position, as shown in fig. 3. The tab 56 allows the housing 26, O-ring 50, gasket 52 and insert 54 to be pre-assembled and packaged as a single assembly, which can then be removed from the package and used without any additional assembly steps.

Referring back to fig. 4, the second end portion 42 of the exemplary housing 26 includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced slits 58, the slits 58 extending in an axial direction from the second open end 30 of the housing 26 to the second intermediate portion 40. Between adjacent slots 58, the housing 26 has fingers (fingers) 60, the fingers 60 extending axially from the second end 28 to living hinges 61 interconnecting the fingers 60 with the second intermediate portion 40 of the housing 26. The living hinge 61 allows the fingers 60 to deflect radially inward and outward.

The finger 60 of the example quick connector assembly 20 includes a plurality of teeth 62a, 62b, 62c that extend radially inward from the inner surface 32 of the finger 60 to engage or bite into the copper or CPVC pipe 22 to limit the pulling of the copper or CPVC pipe 22 from the throughbore of the housing 26. In other words, the teeth 62a, 62b, 62c lock the copper or CPVC pipe 22 in the position of fig. 3. The teeth 62a, 62b, 62c of the exemplary embodiment are partially embedded in the finger 60. For example, the teeth 62a, 62b, 62c may be partially embedded in the finger 60 by an over-molding process.

The fingers 60 are angled radially outwardly toward the second open end 30 of the housing or away from the axis a so that during insertion of the copper or CPVC pipe 22 into the through bore of the housing 26, the teeth 62a, 62b, 62c either do not contact the copper or CPVC pipe 22 or touch the copper or CPVC pipe 22 to prevent or limit scratching of the copper or CPVC pipe 22. Depending on the slope of the fingers 60, if the teeth 62a, 62b, 62c do contact the copper or CPVC pipe 22 during insertion, the fingers 60 flex outward to prevent scratching of the copper or CPVC pipe 22.

In another embodiment, the fingers 60 are concavely (convavely) curved away from the axis a, as opposed to the slanted fingers 60 in the preferred embodiment described above. Similar to the function associated with the angled fingers 60 in the preferred embodiment, the fingers 60, which are concavely curved away from the axis a, also cause the teeth 62a, 62b, 62c to either not contact the copper or CPVC pipe 22 or to touch the copper or CPVC pipe 22 to prevent or limit scratching of the copper or CPVC pipe 22 upon insertion.

In this exemplary embodiment, the fingers 60 are concavely curved to increase the opening for receiving the copper or CPVC pipe 22. Alternatively, the fingers 60 may be angled outwardly relative to the axis a. For example, the fingers 60 may be angled at about 3 degrees relative to the axis a.

Referring now to fig. 3 and 5-9, the teeth 62a, 62b, 62c are disposed on clips (clips) 64, each of the clips 64 including six teeth 62a, 62b, 62c disposed in two three rows. Specifically, each clip 64 includes a first row of teeth 62a disposed proximate the second end 30 of the housing 26, a second row of teeth 62b, and a third row of teeth 62c disposed furthest from the second end 30. The teeth 62a, 62b, 62c are preferably formed of a corrosion resistant metal, such as stainless steel, but may be formed of any suitable metal or any other suitable type of material.

Referring now to fig. 3, 7 and 8, each tooth 62a, 62b, 62c has an engagement surface extending from a leading (or biting) edge 66 to a trailing edge 68. The leading edges 66 of the teeth 62a, 62b, 62c face the first end 28 of the housing 26 for biting into the copper or CPVC pipe 22 to prevent withdrawal of the copper or CPVC pipe 22 from the throughbore of the housing 26. In one embodiment, the engagement surface of each tooth includes a substantially flat portion 70 and an angled portion 72, the angled portion 72 being at an angle θ relative to the axis and the base of the clip 64_a、θ_b、θ_cAnd (4) extending. It should be understood that such flats 70 may also be formed as acute or rounded corners. In the exemplary embodiment, each finger 60 includes one of the clips 64 having teeth 62a, 62b, 62c for biting into the copper or CPVC pipe 22. The angled portion 72 of the engagement surfaces 72 of the living hinge 61 and the teeth 62a, 62b, 62c allows the copper or CPVC pipe 22 to be easily inserted through the teeth 62a, 62b, 62c with little force by allowing the fingers 60 to deflect radially outward at the living hinge 61 when the copper or CPVC pipe 22 encounters the angled portion 72 of the teeth 62a, 62b, 62 c.

In each row, the teeth 62a, 62b, 62c are shaped similarly to each other, but with the angle θ of the engagement surfaces between the rows_a、θ_b、θ_cAnd a height H to the leading edge 66_a、H_b、H_cDifferent. Specifically, the angle θ of the joining surfaces_a、θ_b、θ_cDecreasing in height H from the first row of teeth 62a to the third row of teeth 62c_a、H_b、H_cDecreasing from the first row of teeth 62a to the third row of teeth 62 c. In an exemplary embodiment, the first angle θ_aIs about 38 deg., and the second angle theta_bIs about 33 deg., and the third angle theta_cIs about 28. This particular configuration has been found to allow the fluid connector assembly 20 to maintain an effective seal between the copper or CPVC pipe 22 and the PEX pipe 24 at pressures up to 800 psi.

In the exemplary embodiment, the PEX expansion ring 44 biases the fingers 60 radially inward to increase the engagement or gripping force of the teeth 62a, 62b, 62c against the copper or CPVC pipe 22. A PEX expansion ring 44 is inserted around the outer surface 34 of the fingers 60 and self-contracts around the fingers to bias the leading edges 66 of the teeth 62a, 62b, 62c into the copper or CPVC pipe 22. Alternatively, a crimp or clamp ring may be used to bias the teeth into the copper or CPVC pipe 22.

The process of using the exemplary quick connector assembly 20 to fluidly connect a copper or CPVC pipe 22 to a PEX pipe 24 is described below. First, the user inserts the copper or CPVC pipe 22 into the housing 26 through the second open end 30 until it contacts the first shoulder 46. This ensures that a fluid tight seal with the copper or CPVC pipe 22 is achieved by the O-ring 50. During this process, the fingers 60 will resiliently deflect outwardly as the end of the copper or CPVC pipe 22 passes the teeth 62a, 62b, 62 c. The user then deploys one PEX expansion ring 44 and slides over the housing 26 until the PEX expansion ring 44 is aligned with the fingers 60. The PEX expansion ring 44 is then allowed to contract around the fingers 60 to bias the copper or CPVC pipe 22 against the teeth 62a, 62b, 62 c. The PEX tubing 24 may then be fluidly connected with the first end 36 of the housing 26 by any suitable process. The overall process is very fast and does not require adhesives, welding or other special tools other than PEX dilators, which are already available to many plumbers who use PEX tubing. The final connection between the copper or CPVC pipe 22 and the PEX pipe 24 is more secure and fluid tight than connections established using other known adapter or connector assemblies. Even further, the connector assembly 20 does not require any brass, lead or other metal that may contaminate the fluid flowing between the copper or PVC tubing 22 and the PEX tubing 24.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings, and may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described while within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (15)

1. A connector assembly for connecting and establishing fluid communication between a first tube and a second tube, comprising:

a housing having a through bore extending along an axis from a first open end to a second open end;

the housing includes a plurality of fingers circumferentially spaced from one another and radially deflectable;

at least one finger having a plurality of teeth axially spaced from one another and extending into the through bore of the housing for engaging the first pipe to resist pulling the first pipe out of the through bore;

each of said teeth extending a height toward a leading edge of the engagement surface, the engagement surface further including an angled portion extending at an angle relative to said axis; and

wherein the axially spaced teeth have at least one of the angled portions at different angles and different heights.

2. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one finger has at least three teeth axially spaced apart including a first tooth proximate the second open end of the housing, a second tooth, and a third tooth furthest from the second open end.

3. The connector assembly of claim 2, wherein the angle of the at least three teeth decreases away from the second open end.

4. The connector assembly of claim 3, wherein the angle of the first tooth is about 38 degrees, the angle of the second tooth is about 33 degrees, and the angle of the third tooth is about 28 degrees.

5. The connector assembly of claim 2, wherein the height of the at least three teeth decreases away from the second open end.

6. The connector assembly of claim 2, wherein the angle and height of the at least three teeth both decrease away from the second open end.

7. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least three axially spaced teeth are further defined as six teeth integrally connected together in a clip and arranged in two three rows.

8. The connector assembly of claim 7, wherein the integrally connected teeth are partially embedded in the at least one finger.

9. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein said engagement surface of each tooth further comprises a flat corner formed as a flat extending in parallel relation to said axis.

10. The connector assembly of claim 9, wherein the flat corner of each tooth is disposed adjacent the leading edge and is formed as one of a flat edge, a rounded edge, or an acute edge.

11. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein each of said fingers includes a plurality of said axially spaced teeth.

12. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the fingers of the housing are separated from each other by slots.

13. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein said fingers are angled radially outwardly away from said axis for enlarging said second open end of said housing to prevent or limit scratching of said first tube during insertion thereof into said through bore of said housing.

14. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein said fingers are concavely curved away from said axis for enlarging said second open end of said housing to prevent or limit scratching of said first tube during insertion of said first tube into said through bore of said housing.

15. The connector assembly of claim 1, further comprising a first tube of a first material and a second tube of a different second material.