Patent Application
20150285418
The present disclosure relates to a joint and more particularly to a joint for a tube.
Tube assemblies are used in various hydraulic, pneumatic and structural joints. Typically, in joints having fixed tube ends, a tube end is rigidly coupled to the joint. The joints require orientation to be aligned to the bends in a tube. A template and/or a jig may be used to assist in the orientation of the joints. However, a single template and/or jig may be used for only one type of tube assembly due to specific requirements of the particular tube assembly. Therefore, multiple templates and/or jigs have to be provided for various types of tube assemblies. Further, storage, transport and maintenance of the templates and/or jigs may also be required. Consequently, costs associated with the assembly may increase.
Typically, joints including a captive member slidably disposed within a flange member do not require orientation of the joint to the bends in the tube. Also, the flange member includes a retaining structure which restricts dis-assembly of the captive member from the flange member. The tube is coupled to the captive member. However, the captive member may slide freely on the tube until the tube is installed and the joint is coupled with the external system. This results in a damage of the paint and/or protective coating on the tube due to interaction of the tube with the captive member.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,419,279 discloses a ball and socket misalignment coupling. The ball and socket misalignment coupling includes a socket flange, ball member, retaining flange, threaded studs, and threaded retaining rings of limited shear strength. The threaded retaining rings function to permit the coupling to be pre-assembled. When the pre-assembled coupling is installed into service by using the threaded studs and associated nuts to bolt the coupling to a standard flange, the threaded rings are stripped out and remain in the assembly without obstructing the function of the coupling. The threaded retaining rings fit into recesses in the flanges through which the studs insert. The threaded retaining rings may made as a single-piece construction made from a material that has a yield and shear strength lower than that of the threaded studs about which they are mounted, or may be made as a two-piece threaded ring having inner threaded portion and a separate outer portion, each with differing material construction. The materials of the two pieces preferably are selected so that once the threaded region strips, the outer geometry can be used as a standard washer.
In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a joint for a tube. The joint includes a flange member including an aperture therethrough. The joint further includes a connecting member received at least partly within the aperture of the flange member. The connecting member includes a first portion retained within the aperture. The first portion includes a substantially spherical segmental surface rotatable relative to the flange member. The connecting member further includes a second portion extending from the first portion, wherein the second portion is substantially tubular.
In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a joint for a tube. The joint includes a flange member. The flange member includes a body portion and an intermediate portion coupled to the body portion. The intermediate portion includes an aperture therethrough. The joint further includes a connecting member received at least partly within the aperture of the intermediate portion. The connecting member includes a first portion retained within the aperture. The first portion includes a substantially spherical segmental surface rotatable relative to the flange member. The connecting member further includes a second portion extending from the first portion. The second portion is substantially tubular.
Other features and aspects of this disclosure will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.
The present disclosure relates to a joint and more particularly to a joint for a tube. References will now be made in detail to specific embodiments or features, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
The joint 104 operatively couples the tube 102 to the external system 106. The joint 104 includes a flange member 108. The flange member 108 includes a body portion 110 and an intermediate portion 112. The intermediate portion 112 includes an aperture 114 therethrough. The joint 104 further includes a connecting member 116 received at least partly within the aperture 114 of the intermediate portion 112. The body portion 110 includes a fastening hole 118. As illustrated in
The connecting member 116 includes a first portion 136 and a second portion 138 extending from the first portion 136. In an embodiment, the first portion 136 and the second portion 138 are integral. The first portion 136 is retained within the aperture 114. Further, the first portion 136 includes a substantially spherical segmental surface 140 rotatable relative to the flange member 108. The second portion 138 is substantially tubular 142. A sealing member 144, such as an O-ring, may be provided between the intermediate portion 112 and the first portion 136 of the connecting member 116.
The intermediate portion 112 includes a substantially conical surface 156 followed by a retaining surface 158. The retaining surface 158 is configured to retain the first portion 136 of the connecting member 116 within the aperture 114. The retaining surface 158 may have a partly curvilinear cross-section 160. The retaining surface 158 and the conical surface 156 converge to form a retaining edge 162. Further, due to the substantially spherical segmental surface 140 of the first portion 136, the first portion 136 has a maximum diameter (D1) at a section B-B′ and a smaller diameter (D2) at a section C-C′. The retaining edge 162 abuts the first portion 136 at the section C-C′. Thus, due to the abutment of the retaining edge 162 with the first portion 136 along the section C-C′, a longitudinal movement of the connecting member 116 along the axis A-A′ may be substantially prevented. Further, a surface of the sealing member 144 may be chamfered to conform to the spherical segmental surface 140 of the first portion 136. Thus, the sealing member 144 provided at the bottom surface 148 of the first cavity 126 may also retain the first portion 136 within the aperture 114.
As shown in
Furthermore, a clearance for rotation of the first portion 436 relative to the flange member 408 may be provided due to the substantially linear cross-section 464 of the retaining surface 458, and the substantially spherical segmental surface 440 of the first portion 436. When the joint 404 is coupled to the external system 106 (not shown), the second cavity 450 provides a clearance between the joint 404 and the external system 406. The second cavity 450 has a diameter (D3) which is greater than the diameter (D4) of a section of the first portion 436. Due to the diameter (D3) of the second cavity 450, the first portion 436 may be partly accommodated within the second cavity 450 upon rotation of the connecting member 416 within the aperture 414. However, in an alternative embodiment, the intermediate portion 412 may be integral to the body portion 410 of the joint 404.
Although, a curvilinear cross-section 160, 460, and a substantially linear cross-section 164, 464 are disclosed in conjunction with the embodiments depicted in
The aperture 514 defines the first cavity 526 and the second cavity 550. The flange member 508 includes the substantially conical surface 556 followed by the retaining surface 558. The retaining surface 558 is configured to retain the first portion 536 of the connecting member 516 within the aperture 514. The retaining surface 558 and the conical surface 556 converge to form the retaining edge 562. In the embodiment, as shown in
The intermediate portion 612 includes the substantially conical surface 656 followed by the retaining surface 658. The retaining surface 658 is configured to retain the first portion 636 of the connecting member 616 within the aperture 614. The retaining surface 658 may have the partly curvilinear cross-section 660. The retaining surface 658 and the conical surface 656 converge to form the retaining edge 662. Further, due to the substantially spherical segmental surface 640 of the first portion 636, the first portion 636 has a maximum diameter (D1) at a section B-B′ and a smaller diameter (D2) at a section C-C′. The retaining edge 662 abuts the first portion 636 at the section C-C′. Thus, due to the abutment of the retaining edge 662 with the first portion 636 along the section C-C′, a longitudinal movement of the connecting member 616 along the axis A-A′ may be substantially prevented. Further, the groove 645 may be provided at the bottom end 651 to accommodate the sealing member 644 therein. Thus, the sealing member 644 provided at the bottom end 651 of the bottom surface 648 may also retain the first portion 636 within the aperture 614.
As shown in
The intermediate portion 712 is received at least partly within the first cavity 726 and defines the aperture 714 therethrough. In an embodiment, the intermediate portion 712 may be retained within the first cavity 726 of the body portion 710 by an interference fit. The intermediate portion 712 includes the attachment portion 728. The attachment portion 728 is received at the bottom surface 748 of the first cavity 726. The attachment portion 728 may include a chamfered surface 729 and a linear surface 731. The chamfered surface 729 may conform to the spherical segmental surface 740 of the first portion 736. When the chamfered surface 729 of the attachment portion 728 abuts the first portion 736, the linear surface 731 defines the second cavity 750 due to the substantially spherical segmental surface 740 of the first portion 736.
The first portion 736 has a maximum diameter (D1) at a section B-B′ and a smaller diameter (D2) at a section C-C′. The retaining edge 762 abuts the first portion 736 at the section C-C′. Thus, due to the abutment of the retaining edge 762 with the first portion 736 along the section C-C′, a longitudinal movement of the connecting member 716 along the axis A-A′ may be substantially prevented. As shown in
In an embodiment, the flange member 708 may be a split flange, i.e., the flange member 708 may be split axially about the section Z-Z′. The flange member 708 thus includes a first flange 713 and a second flange 715. The connecting member 716 may be received within the first cavity 726 when the first flange 713 and the second flange 715 are not bolted together. After receiving the connecting member 716, the intermediate portion 712 may be accommodated within the aperture. Following this, the first flange 713, the second flange 715 and the external system 106 may be bolted together. However, in alternative embodiment, the connecting member 716 may be accommodated within the first cavity 726 by removing the intermediate portion 712 from the first cavity 726. After receiving the connecting member 716 in the first cavity 726, the intermediate portion 712 may be accommodated in the first cavity 726 and the joint 704 may then be bolted to the external system 106.
In an embodiment, the joint 104 of the present disclosure may be employed for coupling the tube 102 to an elbow member 868 associated with the external system 106.
Although, it is disclosed herein that the joint 104, 404, 504, 604, 704, 804 may be implemented in various hydraulic, pneumatic, and structural couplings, and in lateral and orthogonal orientations, a person having ordinary skill in the art may acknowledge that the implementation of the joint 104, 404, 504, 604, 704, 804 with respect to the application areas disclosed herein and various orientations as depicted through the respective figures are merely exemplary in nature and hence, non-limiting of this disclosure. Any machine and/or industry employing tubes for transmission of fluid in liquid and/or gaseous phase, or for coupling structural tube components may employ the joint 104, 404, 504, 604, 704, 804 disclosed herein. Further, it is to be noted that various cross-sections and designs of the components such as the connecting member 116, 416, 516, 616, 716, the intermediate portion 112, 412, 512, 612, 712 the first cavity 126, 426, 526, 626, 726, 826, the groove 545, 645, 745, 845, and the sealing member 144, 444, 544, 644, 744, 844 as explained with reference to specific embodiments, may be conveniently provided with other embodiments of the present disclosure as well. For example, in all the embodiments, the connecting member 116, 416, 516, 616, 716 may be formed by receiving the second portion 138, 438, 538, 638, 738, 838 within the first portion 136, 436, 536, 636, 736, 836. Further, the attachment portion 128, 428, 528, 628, 728 of the intermediate portion 112, 412, 512, 612, 712 as explained in
Conventional tube assemblies require additional jigs/fixtures for orientation of a joint to the bends of the tube, and for alignment of one or more bolt holes disposed on the joint to corresponding bolt holes provided on an external system. As discussed in the present disclosure, the first portion 136 associated with the connecting member 116 is retained within the aperture 114 of the flange member 108 and is rotatable with respect to the flange member 108. During coupling of the joint 104 to the external system 106, the flange member 108 may be rotated to align the fastening holes 118 disposed on the body portion 110 to the bolt holes disposed on the external system 106.
Therefore, along with the rotational movement of the first portion 136, 436, 536, 636, 736 within the aperture 114, 414, 514, 614, 714 the connecting member 116, 416, 516, 616, 716 additionally has an increased degree of freedom due to the tilt motion of the second portion 138, 438, 538, 638, 738 within the aperture 114, 414, 514, 614, 714 i.e., the second portion 138, 438, 538, 638, 738 has a wider angular range of displacement about the axes D-D′. It is to be noted that the connecting member 116, 416, 516, 616, 716 may articulate within the aperture 114, 414, 514, 614, 714 to orient the joint 104, 404, 504, 604, 704 to bends in the tube 102. Further, the flange member 108, 408, 508, 608, 708 may also articulate with respect to the connecting member 116, 416, 516, 616, 716. Thus, during coupling of the joint 104, 404, 504, 604, 704 to the external system 106, the joint 104, 404, 504, 604, 704 of the present disclosure may therefore allow the flange member 108, 408, 508, 608, 708 and the coupling surface 170 of the external system 106 to be substantially parallel to each other. Hence, sealing between the joint 104, 404, 504, 604, 704 and the external system 106 is increased. Moreover, with the joint 104, 404, 504, 604, 704 of the present disclosure, re-orientation of the connecting member 116, 416, 516, 616, 716 even after the joint 104, 404, 504, 604, 704 is coupled to the external system 106 is possible. Thus, the joint 104, 404, 504, 604, 704 provides for a greater flexibility to the tube assembly 100, 400.
In an alternative scenario where the joint 104, 404, 504, 604, 704 is not coupled to the external system 106, the tube 102 may be rigidly coupled to the joint 104, 404, 504, 604, 704 at the tube coupling surface 172. With the first portion 136, 436, 536, 636, 736 being retained within the aperture 114, 414, 514, 614, 714, a longitudinal movement of the connecting member 116, 416, 516, 616, 716 along the axis A-A′ is prevented. Thus, the connecting member 116, 416, 516, 616, 716 cannot slide over the tube 102 and damage to the paint on the tube 102 is prevented.
As explained in various embodiments of the present disclosure, components such as the intermediate portion 112, 412, 512, 612, 712 the connecting member 116, 416, 516, 616, 716, and the sealing member 144, 444, 544, 644, 744, 166, 466 associated with the joint 104, 404, 504, 604, 704 may be easily manufactured and assembled to form the joint 104, 404, 504, 604, 704. Thus, the joint 104, 404, 504, 604, 704 may be easily assembled. Further, the joint 104, 404, 504, 604, 704 may also be used with various types of tube assemblies.
From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications or variations may be made without deviating from the spirit or scope of inventive features claimed herein. Other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and figures and practice of the arrangements disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and disclosed examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true inventive scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.
