Patent Application
20090079187
The present invention relates, in general, to fluid couplings used to fluidically couple one or more fluid components and, more specifically, to test caps used in building plumbing for system pressure tests.
In plumbing, copper pipes are mounted within the building walls, floor, and/or ceiling and connect a water supply source to each individual fluid discharge outlet, such as to toilets, sinks, tubs, showers, etc.
During construction of a building or home, the pipes are connected or soldered in fixed locations within the building walls. An extension known as a “stub out” is connected to the wall-mounted pipes and projects laterally from the pipes outward through a wall surface where a discharge outlet is provided to a sink, toilet, tub, etc.
Building codes require that the entire plumbing system be checked for leaks. This is accomplished by sweating or soldering test caps on each stub out at the completion of the rough plumbing stage to enable the entire plumbing system to be pressurized.
After successful completion of the pressure test, the test caps are removed from the stub outs, typically by cutting the test caps off the stub out or applying heat to melt the solder. The individual plumbing fixtures are then attached to each stub out.
The use of such test caps is time consuming which adds to the overall plumbing cost for a building or home. Although a skilled plumber can quickly solder a test cap onto a stub out and/or remove the same test cap from the stub out, the number of stub outs in a typical building or home still makes this process a time consuming and costly task.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a new fluid connection which simplifies and reduces the cost of mounting and removing test caps on building and home plumbing systems.
Generally, fluid connectors are known which provide a quick connection between two fluidic components, such as fuel filters, manifolds, pumps, and conduits as well as the two conduits themselves.
Snap-fit or quick connectors are employed in a wide range of applications, particularly, for joining fluid carrying conduits in automotive and industrial applications. Such quick connectors utilize retainers or locking elements for securing one connector component, such as a tubular conduit, within a complimentary bore of another connector component or housing. Such retainers are typically of either the axially-displaceable or radially-displaceable type. The terms “axially displaceable” or “radially displaceable” are taken relative to the axial bore in another component.
In a typical snap-fit quick connector with an axially displaceable retainer, the retainer is mounted within a chamber in a housing of one connector component. The retainer has a plurality of radially and angularly extending legs which extend inwardly toward the axial center line of the bore in the housing. A tube or conduit to be sealingly mounted in the bore in the housing includes a radially upset portion or flange which engages an inner end of the retainer legs. Seal and spacer members as well as a top hat are typically mounted in the bore ahead of the retainer and the conduit to form a seal between the housing and the conduit when the conduit is lockingly engaged with the retainer legs in the housing.
Radially displaceable retainers are also known in which the retainer is radially displaceable through aligned bores or apertures formed transversely to the main throughbore in the housing. The radially displaceable retainer is typically provided with a pair of depending legs which are sized and positioned to slip behind the radially upset portion or flange on the conduit only when the conduit is fully seated in the bore in the housing. This ensures a positive locking engagement of the with the housing as well as providing an indication that the conduit is fully seated since the radially displaceable retainer can be fully inserted into the housing only when the conduit has been fully inserted into the bore in the housing.
Regardless of the type of retainer, the housing portion of a fluid connector typically includes an elongated stem having one or more spaced, annular barbs. The barbs provide secure engagement with a tube or conduit which is forced over the barbs to connect the housing with one end of the conduit.
Although such quick connectors are reliable in operation, the retainers represent an additional, separate component which adds to the manufacturing cost and assembly time of the quick connector as well as requiring a final installation step to move the retainer in a case of transversely moveable retainers, from a partially inserted, stored position to a fully latched position in the connector housing.
Quick connectors are known which have the retainer integrally formed as part of the housing. The retainer elements which engage the endform, such as angularly inward extending arms or fingers, are coupled to one end of a rigid portion of the housing by flexible bears. The beams enable a ring carrying the endform engagement elements or fingers to be flexed out of engagement with the endform to separate the endform from the connector body.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a fluid coupling having a quick connector which is constructed of a minimum number of separate components; while, at the same time, being easily mountable on a fluid component in a single continuous action. It would also be desirable to provide a fluid coupling which can be adaptable for use in many different applications, including connecting two separate fluid components in fluid communication and to attach a closed end test cap to a plumbing stub out.
In one aspect, a fluid coupling includes a tubular endform having a bore extending from a first open end. An annular groove is formed in an exterior surface of the endform spaced from the first end. A connector body has first and second ends, with a bore extending from the first end. Initially spaced latch engagement and latch members are carried on the housing. A collapsible portion is formed in the housing between the latch engagement members and the latch members. The collapsible portion deforms radially inward into the annular groove on the endform after the endform engages the first end of the body to fixedly couple the body to the endform.
In another aspect, a test cap is provided for closing an open bore in a tubular fluidic endform having an annular groove spaced from the first open end. The test cap includes a connector body having first and second ends. A bore extends from the first end of the body. Initially spaced latch engagement and latch members are carried on the housing. A collapsible portion is formed in the housing between the latch engagement members and the latch members. The collapsible portion deforms radially inward into the annular groove on the endform after the endform engages the first end of the body to fixedly couple the body to the endform.
In yet another aspect, a fluid quick connector is attachable to a tubular fluid endform having a bore extending from a first open end and an annular groove formed in an exterior surface spaced from the first end. The fluid quick connector includes a connector body having first and second ends. A bore extends from the first ends. Initially spaced latch engagement and latch members are carried on the housing. A collapsible portion is formed in the housing between the latch engagement members and the latch members. The collapsible portion deforming radially inward into the annular groove on the endform after the endform engages the first end of the body to fixedly couple the body to the endform.
The quick connector described herein provides all of the functions of a fluid quick connector, but is formed with a minimal number of components for reduced manufacturing cost and less assembly and installation time. This results in a reliable quick connector which is versatile in application. The quick connector can act as a test cap for a building plumbing system pressurization test when the second end of the connector body is closed. Alternately, the connector body can have an open second end to establish fluid flow between the end form and a fluid component coupled to the second end of a connector body.
The various features, advantages and other uses of the present invention will become more apparent by referring to the following detailed description and drawing in which:
Referring to
By way of example only, the stub out 22 is typically in the form of a tubular member, such as a pipe. An end form profile 23 on the stub out 22 includes a tip portion 26 with a tip end 24. A surface engagement feature 28 is formed in the endform 23 at a position spaced from the tip end 24. Although the surface engagement feature 28, in one example, is depicted as being an annular recess or groove formed in the end form 23, it will be understood that the surface engagement feature 28 may also be a raised bead or flange projecting radially outward from the exterior surface of the end form 23.
A bore 30 is formed in the stub out 22 and extends from the end of the stub out 22 connected to the building plumbing system, not shown, to an opening 32 in the tip end 24.
By way of example only, a transition surface 29 is formed in the endform 23 between the surface engagement feature 28 and an adjacent large diameter portion 31 of the endform 23. The transition surface 29 can be formed with a step-like flat wall, a smoothly curved radius, or an arcuate shape as shown by example in
The fluid coupling 18 includes a housing or body 40 typically formed of a one-piece, molded or formed plastic. The body 40 is formed of generally rigid material, such as a polymeric material.
The body 40 includes a first end 42 having an aperture 44 formed therein fluidically opening to a bore 46 extending from the first end 42 to an opposed second end 48. Although in certain applications, the body 40 could be designed for fluid flow completely through the aperture 44 in the first end 42 through an aperture in the second end 48, the body 40 shown in
Seal members 50 and 52 disposed in the bore 46 of the body 40 sealingly engage the exterior surface of the end form 23 when the body 40 is mounted over the tip portion 26 of the end form 23 on the stub out 22 to sealingly couple the body 40 to the stub out 22. The seal members may include a resilient O-ring 50, and a rigid ringer, or spacer 52 which is press fit in the bore 46.
The body 40 has a generally constant outer diameter over a portion of its overall length between the first and second ends 42 and 48. At least one or more latch members, with two latch members 60 and 62 shown by way of example only and spaced 180° apart about the circumference of the body 40 are formed in the body 40 and project radially outward from a position spaced from the first end 42. Each projection 60 has a leading surface 62, such as an inclined ramp, which extends radially outward in increasing thickness toward the first end 42.
A latch engagement surface 64 is formed on one end of each projection 60. The latch engagement surface 64 may be either flat or arcuate and may be perpendicular to the exterior surface of the body 40 or disposed at an acute angle as shown by example only in
The one or more projections 60 can be replaced by a continuous 360° annular projection having the same cross-section shape as each individual projection 60 described above and shown in
One latch engagement member 70 is provided on the body 40 for each discrete latch member 60, for example. Each latch engagement member 70 includes a stem 72 which projects radially outward from the body 40, and a flexible or bendable arm 74 which extends substantially concentric with the exterior surface of the body 40 from the stem 72 toward the first end 42. A hook or projection 76 extends radially inward from one end of each arm 74. The hook 76 includes a ramp surface which engages and slides along the ramp surface 62 on the corresponding projection 60, and an engagement surface 80 which is adapted to lockingly engage the latch engagement surface 64 on each projection 60.
Referring back to
As shown in
During the initial engagement of the body 40 with the tip end 26 of the endform 22, such as by movement of the body 40 in the direction of arrow 84 in
Continued insertion force in the direction of arrow 96 in
In order to remove the quick connector 20 from the endform 22, it is necessary to disengage the latch engagement member(s) 70 from one or more projections 60 and then forcibly disengage the projection 92 from the groove 28.
In the fixed or latched position shown in
Another aspect of a quick connector 20′ is shown in
In the fixedly latched position of the body 40 or 40′ and the endform 23, the one or more seal elements 50 and 52, as shown in
Referring to another aspect shown in
In this aspect, the closed second end 48 of the connectors 20 and 20′, as shown in
The stem 102 includes conduit retention surfaces in the form of one or more barbs or radially outward extending ramp surfaces 110, 112 and 114, with three barbs 10, 112 and 114 being described and illustrated by example only. The endmost barb 110 contiguous with the end 102 of the stem 100 may be formed with a radially larger dimension than the remaining barbs 112 and 114 so as to expand the open end of the conduit 108 outward over the end 102 of the stem 100. A seal element, such as an O-ring 120, may be mounted on the stem 100 adjacent to an axially inner end of the first barb 110, either on the exterior surface of the stem 100 or in a shallow annular groove formed in the stem 100 adjacent to the endwall portion of the barb 110
In summary, there has been disclosed a unique fluid quick connector which contains a minimal number of separate components for a low manufacturing cost and reduced assembly and installation time, while at the same time provides reliable and easy attachment to an endform. The quick connector is usable in many different applications, such as a plumbing system pressurization test cap where the quick connector has a closed second end or as a flow through connector connecting two fluidic elements such as conduits, etc.
