Coupling for connecting pipe ends and bridging for use in a coupling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10184600-B2
Application number	US-201415104455-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2014
Priority date	Dec 17, 2013
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

A coupling for connecting pipe ends, comprising a hollow body with an entrance for each pipe end provided with a radial seat for a pipe end and a coupling nut for clamping the pipe end, whereby an electrically conductive bridge is provided, which at the location of the seats is provided with a clamping element that is elastically deformable in the radial direction with respect to the respective seat, and is provided with a contact section, which in a rest situation is at a distance from the axis of the seat that is smaller than an outside radius of the pipe end for which the seat concerned is intended.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A coupling for connecting pipe ends comprising:
a hollow body comprising at least a first end and a second end, wherein said first end and second end each includes an entrance configured to connect to a first pipe end and a second pipe end, respectively,
wherein each entrance is provided with a radial seat configured to receive the respective pipe end having an outside radius,
wherein a coupling nut is provided at each end of the hollow body configured to clamp one of the pipe ends in the coupling,
wherein the hollow body is provided with a bridge along an inner surface of the hollow body, said bridge comprised partially of electrically conductive material and at least two ends that each include a clamping element at a location of the radial seat, respectively, wherein each said clamping element is elastically deformable in a radial direction with respect to the respective radial seat and is provided with a contact section, which in a rest position is at a distance from an axis of the radial seat that is smaller than the outside radius of the pipe end for which the radial seat concerned is intended.

2. The coupling according to claim 1 , wherein the contact section of at least one of the clamping elements is provided with one or more teeth oriented inwards.

3. The coupling according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the entrances of the hollow body of the coupling is provided with an axial end stop for the insertion of a pipe end.

4. The coupling according to claim 3 , wherein the end stop is formed by a shoulder that is formed by a stepped narrowing of a wide section of the entrance with a radius that is greater than the radius of the pipe end for which the seat of the entrance concerned is intended, and a narrow section with a radius that is smaller than the radius of the pipe end.

5. The coupling according to claim 4 , wherein the seat is provided in the wide section of the entrance and is formed by a series of radial ribs oriented inwards.

6. The coupling according to claim 4 , wherein in the mounted situation the clamping element rests on the inside wall of the wide section of an entrance.

7. The coupling according to claim 1 , wherein the bridge is formed by a clamping bracket that can be clamped or snapped into the body of the coupling.

8. The coupling according to claim 7 , wherein the bridge is provided at at least two ends with a clamping section intended for clamping the bridge in the body of the coupling by snapping these clamping sections in place behind an aforementioned end stop of an entrance.

9. The coupling according to claim 1 , wherein the bridge is folded from one single slat.

10. The coupling according to claim 1 , wherein locking means are provided to prevent the clamping elements turning around the axis of the respective entrances of the coupling.

11. The coupling according to claim 10 , wherein the aforementioned means are formed by ribs or protrusions that are provided in a wide section of an entrance, and between which a clamping element concerned can be held with a close fit.

12. The coupling according to claim 1 , wherein in the axial direction the slat-shaped connecting part of the bridge has the form of the inside wall of the body of the coupling and consequently has a straight, curved or elbow shape depending on whether the bridge is intended for a straight coupling, a curved or elbow coupling or a T-coupling.

13. A coupling for connecting pipe ends comprising:
a hollow body comprising at least a first end and a second end, wherein said first end and second end each includes an entrance configured to connect to a first pipe end and a second pipe end, respectively,
wherein each entrance is provided with a radial seat configured to receive the respective pipe end having an outside radius,
wherein a coupling nut is provided at each end of the hollow body configured to clamp one of the pipe ends in the coupling,
wherein the hollow body is provided with a bridge along an inner surface of the hollow body, said bridge comprised partially of electrically conductive material and at least two ends that each include a clamping element at a location of the radial seat, respectively, wherein each said clamping element is elastically deformable in a radial direction with respect to the respective radial seat and is provided with a contact section, which in a rest position is at a distance from an axis of the radial seat that is smaller than the outside radius of the pipe end for which the radial seat concerned is intended,
wherein the bridge is formed by a clamping bracket that is able to be clamped or snapped into the body of the coupling,
wherein the bridge is provided at at least two ends with a clamping section configured to clamp the bridge in the body of the coupling by snapping each of said clamping sections in place behind an end stop at the entrance,
wherein the bridge in the form of a clamping bracket comprises a slat-shaped connecting part between two aforementioned clamping sections that are formed by a perpendicular folded section at the ends of this slat-shaped connecting part.

14. The coupling according to claim 13 , wherein a protrusion or a notch is provided on at least one end stop, and a notch or protrusion respectively engaging therewith is provided in at least one perpendicular folded clamping section of a bridge to be able to snap the bridge in place.

15. A coupling for connecting pipe ends comprising:
a hollow body comprising at least a first end and a second end, wherein said first end and second end each includes an entrance configured to connect to a first pipe end and a second pipe end, respectively,
wherein each entrance is provided with a radial seat configured to receive the respective pipe end having an outside radius,
wherein a coupling nut is provided at each end of the hollow body configured to clamp one of the pipe ends in the coupling,
wherein the hollow body is provided with a bridge along an inner surface of the hollow body, said bridge comprised partially of electrically conductive material and at least two ends that each include a clamping element at a location of the radial seat, respectively, wherein each said clamping element is elastically deformable in a radial direction with respect to the respective radial seat and is provided with a contact section, which in a rest position is at a distance from an axis of the radial seat that is smaller than the outside radius of the pipe end for which the radial seat concerned is intended,
wherein at least one clamping element of the bridge is formed by a U-shaped or V-shaped folded element whose arms are elastically compressible towards one another, and which is connected by one arm to a clamping section concerned in a position whereby the opening between the arms is oriented away from the opening of the entrance concerned.

16. The coupling according to claim 13 , wherein the bridge is essentially composed of three parts, which are a connecting part that is formed by a slat and two separate heads that are each folded from one metal slat to form a clamping element and a clamping section connected therewith that is folded perpendicularly to form a lip with which such a head is fastened to an end of the connecting part.

Assignees

• Atlas Copco Airpower Nv

Inventors

• CORNE Jan Pieter Robert
• Meul Bert Hendrik Hilda

Classifications

• F16L25/01 Primary

  specially adapted for realising electrical conduction between the two pipe ends of the joint or between parts thereof · CPC title

• H01R4/643

  for rigid cylindrical bodies · CPC title

• H01R13/005

  Electrical coupling combined with fluidic coupling · CPC title

• F16L19/075 Primary

  specially adapted for spigot-and-socket joints {for pipes of the same diameter} · CPC title

• F16L19/086

  with additional sealing means · CPC title