Patent Application
20090058082
This invention relates to a flexible tubing for use in a water supply system having a relatively flexible end form received in a snap-on housing that is part of a quick connect coupling. The snap-on housing is formed of a more rigid plastic than the relatively flexible end form. The snap-on housing is connected through a quick connect connection to a water supply.
Water supply systems, such as typically utilized in a residence, include a number of outlets such as faucets. A faucet is typically provided with a shutoff valve at the wall. A handle can be turned to shut off a water supply heading to the faucet. As known, a separate shutoff handle is typical provided adjacent the faucet. Historically rigid piping connecting the shutoff valve to the faucet. More recently, flexible tubing, such as plastic tubing has been utilized.
Various connections have been proposed to connect this plastic tubing to the standard threaded connections which are utilized in known shutoff valves. As an example, for remodeling a home, it may sometimes be desirable to connect the existing threaded shutoff valve, which is manufactured for use with rigid pipe, to the new flexible tubing.
It would be desirable to utilize a quick connect fluid coupling for this connection. However, the most widely used material for the flexible tubing is such that the connection of an end form to the tubing limits the materials that can be utilized. As an example, a high percentage of the flexible tubing is formed of cross-link polyethylene or PEX. The types of materials that bond easily to the PEX are limited to relatively flexible plastics. As an example, often an end form that is bonded to the PEX tubing is also formed of PEX. Other plastics may be utilized, however, they tend to be too flexible to form a reliable quick connect fluid coupling.
In a disclosed embodiment of this invention, a first material is utilized for an end form on a flexible tubing for a water supply system. A housing is connected to the end form through some form of connection. A water supply connection is then connected into the housing through a quick connect coupling. The housing may be formed of a second material that is more rigid than the first material of the end form. As such, the housing can form an effective fluid coupling to the water supply.
The housing may be a snap-on housing, which snaps onto the end form. Alternatively, the end form may snap into the housing. Further, the two can be simply connected together.
These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description.
The adaptor 34 includes an outwardly extending bead 40 which is received beyond snapping fingers 44 on the quick connect fluid coupling 42. The snapping fingers 44 are shown as one example. As is known, a quick connect fluid coupling typically has some moving element which snaps behind a surface, such as bead 40, on a tube or fitting, such as adaptor 34, to quickly secure the adaptor 34 in a fluid tight manner.
With this embodiment, the adaptor 34 can be easily connected to the nipple 30 such that an existing shutoff valve can be easily and quickly connected to a quick connect fluid connection, and the flexible tubing 31. Of course, the adaptor can be utilized with new construction also. The adaptor is well suited for easily allowing the use of the standard threaded nipple, and to connect it to a quick connect fluid coupling.
More details of other adaptors which may be utilized in this invention are disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ filed on even date herewith, and naming the inventors of the present application, and entitled “Adaptor for Quick Connect Coupling in Water Supply System.”
Since the snap-on housing 66 is formed separately, it can be formed of a rigid material. A retainer 68 may be as shown in
The flexible tubing 31 is typically formed of a plastic such as cross-link polyethylene, or PEX. The end form 60 is typically formed of a plastic that secures easily to the flexible tubing 61. Thus, the end form is often also formed of PEX. The flexible material of the end form is too flexible to form an effective mechanical connection in a quick connect fluid coupling. Thus, the snap-on housing 66 provides the ability for a more rigid plastic to secure the adaptor 34.
The
As an alternative to snapping the housing onto the end form, the housing could be formed with a generally cylindrical rigid component rather than the snapping fingers. The housing can then be placed on the leftward side of the flexible tubing, with the retainer 68 removed. The housing can then be slid along the flexible tubing until it catches on the end 74 of the end form. The retainer 68 may then be moved into the housing to secure the adapter 34.
As shown in
Although an embodiment of this invention has 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.
