Plastic seal fitting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10378686-B2
Application number	US-201715465005-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2017
Priority date	Jul 8, 2016
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

A seal assembly for an HVAC system includes a first block having a first aperture and a first sealing surface, a second block having a second aperture and a second sealing, and a conduit having a tube portion with an axially extending aperture and a flange extending radially outwardly from an end of the tube portion. The tube portion is disposed within the first aperture of the first block and the flange is disposed between the first sealing surface of the first block and the second sealing surface of the second block and is configured to deform when compressed therebetween. The seal assembly further includes an insert providing fluid communication between the aperture of the tube portion and the second aperture of the second block. A first end of the insert is received in the aperture of the tube portion of the conduit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seal assembly comprising:
a first block having a first aperture and a first sealing surface extending radially outwardly from an end of the first aperture;
a second block having a second aperture and a second sealing surface extending radially outwardly from an end of the second aperture;
a conduit having a tube portion with an axially extending aperture and a flange extending radially outwardly from an end of the tube portion, the tube portion disposed within the first aperture of the first block and the flange disposed between the first sealing surface of the first block and the second sealing surface of the second block and configured to deform when compressed therebetween; and
an insert providing fluid communication between the aperture of the tube portion and the second aperture of the second block, wherein the first sealing surface includes an annular first engaging feature configured to engage a first surface of the flange and wherein the second sealing surface includes an annular second engaging feature configured to engage a second surface of the flange formed opposite the first surface thereof, and wherein each of the first engaging feature and the second engaging feature are inwardly tapered projections extending towards the flange.

2. The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein a first end of the insert is received in the aperture of the tube portion and a second end of the insert is received in the second aperture of the second block.

3. The seal assembly of claim 2 , wherein an annular bead circumscribes an outer surface of the insert intermediate the first end and the second end thereof, the annular bead configured to abut the flange of the conduit to establish a position of the insert relative to the conduit.

4. The seal assembly of claim 2 , wherein the aperture of the tube portion includes a shoulder for abutting the first end of the insert to establish a position of the insert relative to the conduit.

5. The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the insert is an annular projection formed monolithically with the second block and extending axially from the second sealing surface.

6. The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of the inwardly tapered projections is one of sharp and radiused at a distal end thereof.

7. The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first engaging feature is radially aligned with the second engaging feature.

8. The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first block and the second block are formed of a non-polymeric material and the conduit is formed of a polymeric material.

9. The seal assembly of claim 8 , wherein the conduit is formed of at least one of a thermoplastic material, a thermoset material, and a thermoplastic elastomer material.

10. The seal assembly of claim 8 , wherein the conduit is formed from one of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyketone, polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, polyphenylene sulfide, and combinations thereof.

11. The seal assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a clamping feature configured to apply a force to the first block and the second block compressing the flange of the conduit between the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface.

12. The seal assembly of claim 11 , wherein one of the first block and the second block includes a leverage feature projecting therefrom, the leverage feature spaced apart laterally from an axis of the first aperture and configured to engage the other of the first block and the second block when the flange is compressed between the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface.

13. The seal assembly of claim 12 , wherein the clamping feature applies the force to the first block and the second block along an axis formed between the axis of the first aperture and the engagement of the leverage feature and the other of the first block and the second block when the flange is compressed between the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface.

14. The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein one of the first block and the second block includes an axial surface extending from one of the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface toward the other of the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface, wherein the axial surface, the first sealing surface, the second sealing surface, and the insert cooperate to define an annular gland for receiving the flange of the conduit.

15. The seal assembly of claim 14 , wherein the flange is configured to deform to fill an entirety of the annular gland to hydrostatically lock the flange within the annular gland when the flange is compressed between the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface.

16. The seal assembly of claim 1 , wherein one of the first block and the second block is formed integrally with a component of a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system and the other of the first block and the second block is formed independently of the component of the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system.

17. A seal assembly comprising:
a first block having a first aperture and a first sealing surface extending radially outwardly from an end of the first aperture;
a second block having a second aperture and a second sealing surface extending radially outwardly from an end of the second aperture;
a conduit having a tube portion with an axially extending aperture and a flange extending radially outwardly from an end of the tube portion, the tube portion disposed within the first aperture of the first block and the flange disposed between the first sealing surface of the first block and the second sealing surface of the second block and configured to deform when compressed therebetween; and
an insert providing fluid communication between the aperture of the tube portion and the second aperture of the second block, wherein at least one of the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface includes a cavity, the cavity forming an indentation configured to receive at least a portion of the flange of the conduit when the flange is deformed in response to the flange being compressed between the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface.

18. A seal assembly comprising:
a first block having a first aperture and a first sealing surface extending radially outwardly from an end of the first aperture;
a second block having a second aperture and a second sealing surface extending radially outwardly from an end of the second aperture;
a conduit having a tube portion with an axially extending aperture and a flange extending radially outwardly from an end of the tube portion, the tube portion disposed within the first aperture of the first block and the flange disposed between the first sealing surface of the first block and the second sealing surface of the second block and configured to deform when compressed therebetween; and
an insert providing fluid communication between the aperture of the tube portion and the second aperture of the second block, wherein the first block includes an annular rim surrounding the first sealing surface and the second block includes an annular groove surrounding the second sealing surface, the annular rim configured to be received within the annular groove when the flange is compressed between the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface.

Assignees

• Hanon Systems

Inventors

• Kesler Eric
• Sproule Michael
• White Steve

Classifications

• F16L23/22

  made exclusively of a material other than metal · CPC title

• F16L21/022

  used with sleeves or nipples for pipes of the same diameter, or with reduction pieces (F16L21/025 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16L23/16

  characterised by the sealing means · CPC title

• B60H1/00571 Primary

  of liquid ducts, e.g. for coolant liquids or refrigerants · CPC title

• F16L23/032

  characterised by the shape or composition of the flanges · CPC title