BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an example tooling set-up for a manufacturing process according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 1A is another schematic illustration of the example tooling set-up of FIG. 1;
FIG. 1B is a schematic illustration of another example tooling set-up for a manufacturing process according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 1C is schematic illustration of yet another example tooling set-up for a manufacturing process according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a feeding position of the manufacturing process according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a compression position of the manufacturing process according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of an example in-process regionally thickened tube blank manufactured according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of a final retracted position of the manufacturing process according to one embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of an example one-piece tube connector manufactured according to one embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an example tooling set-up 10 for manufacturing a one-piece flexible tube connector (FIG. 6) according to the present invention. A forming machine 12, for example a spinning tool, includes a spinning collar 14 attached to a powered spindle 16, which in this example, rotates in a clockwise manner about an axis A-A. A tube blank 18 is secured in a first horizontal position P1, in which a first end 20 of the tube blank 18 is spaced away from an open end 22 of the spinning collar 14 longitudinally along the axis A-A. The tube blank 18 is secured in the first horizontal position P1 by a clamping device 24, such as a split set of clamp blocks or compressive jaws. In the first horizontal position P1, a leading face 26 of the clamping device 24 is spaced a distance D1 away from the open end 22 of the spinning collar 14. A stop block 28 including a stop surface 30 is disposed within the spinning collar 14. A pilot 32 extends longitudinally outward from the stop surface 30 toward the open end 22 of the spinning collar 14 along the axis A-A.
In the above example set-up 10, the forming machine 12 is a spinning tool that includes the spinning collar 14, which spins clockwise about the axis A-A while the forming machine 12 remains stationary longitudinally along the axis A-A. As schematically illustrated in FIG. 1A, the tube blank 18, secured by the clamping device 24, moves longitudinally along the axis A-A toward the stationary rotating forming machine 12.
In another example tooling set-up 10B, schematically illustrated in FIG. 1B, a forming machine 12B is a spinning tool that includes the spinning collar 14, which rotates clockwise about the axis A-A. A tube blank 18B, secured by a clamping device 24B, remains stationary longitudinally along the axis A-A, while the forming machine 12B rotates and moves longitudinally along the axis A-A toward the stationary tube blank 18B.
In yet another example tooling set-up 10C, schematically illustrated in FIG. 1C, a forming machine 12C is a non-rotating tool that does not rotate about the axis A-A. A tube blank 18C is secured by a clamping device 24C, for example a collet, which is installed into a spinning machine 25C, for example a lathe. The spinning machine 25C spins the tube blank 18C clockwise about the axis A-A, while the spinning machine 25C including the tube blank 18C remain stationary longitudinally along the axis A-A. The forming machine 12C moves longitudinally along the axis A-A toward the spinning machine 25C including the tube blank 18C.
Referring back to FIG. 1, the tube blank 18 includes an overall length L, an outer diameter DO and an inner diameter DI, which smaller than the outer diameter DO. The overall length L is equal to an initial length L1. An initial wall thickness T1 of the tube blank 18 is equal to one-half of the outer diameter DO minus the inner diameter DI. The pilot 32 includes a pilot diameter DP, which is smaller than the outer diameter DO.
The tube blank 18 is fed longitudinally along the axis A-A toward the spindle 16, which is rotating clockwise about the axis A-A. As the tube blank 18 approaches the open end 22 of the spinning collar 14, the pilot 32 is received within the inner diameter DI of the tube blank 18. The first end 20 of the tube blank 18 then enters the open end 22 of the spinning collar 14 and continues to travel longitudinally until the first end 20 of the tube blank 18 contacts the stop surface 30, as shown in FIG. 2. At this point in the manufacturing process, the distance D (FIG. 1) is decreased to a second distance D2 (FIG. 2), and the overall length L, the outer diameter DO and the inner diameter DI remain constant.
Once the first end 20 of the tube blank 18 contacts the stop surface 30, as shown in FIG. 2, the clamping device 24 continues to fed the tube blank 18 longitudinally along the axis A-A, compressing the tube blank 18 longitudinally, as shown in FIG. 3, to form a thickened portion 112. During the compression portion of the process, the overall length L is decreased from the initial length L1 to a final length L2, and the initial wall thickness T1 is increased to a second wall thickness T2 creating a regionally thickened tube blank 118, as shown in FIG. 4. The second wall thickness extends along a third length L3, which is less than the final length L2. The initial inner diameter DI is decreased to a reduced inner diameter DR while controlling the outer diameter DO The reduced inner diameter DR gradually increases along a fourth length L4 to the initial inner diameter DI.
The clamping device 24, including the regionally thickened tube blank 118, retracts longitudinally along the axis A-A. A portion 120 of the thickened portion 112 of the regionally thickened tube blank 118 is subsequently formed or machined by conventional means to create a barbed feature 122, as shown in FIG. 6. Additionally, a shoulder portion 124 having a shoulder diameter DS, which is greater that the outer diameter DO, is formed on the tube blank 18 to provide a positive stop to be used when assembling the example one piece flexible tube connector to, for example, another tube or connector in a water supply system.
The example one-piece piece flexible tube connector produced according to the present invention is used, for example, as flexible supply tubing for plumbing applications including water supply systems. The example one-piece flexible tube connector of the present invention includes a thickened portion that is machined into a barbed configuration, which acts as an attachment feature, eliminating the need to attach fittings onto an end of a thin wall tube. As such, the example one-piece configuration also eliminates the potential risk of mechanical failure and/or leakage associated with the known two-piece design.
Although preferred embodiments of this invention have been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.
Patent Application
20080053177
