Component retaining structure for conduit fitting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10648595-B2
Application number	US-201815912632-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2018
Priority date	Feb 4, 2016
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

A preassembly for a conduit fitting includes an annular fitting component and a conduit gripping device. The annular fitting component has an interior wall extending along a central axis from an inboard end to an outboard end. The interior wall includes an inboard surface having a first diameter, an outboard surface having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter, and an intermediate surface recessed from the inboard surface by an outward facing inboard radial wall and recessed from the outboard surface by an inward facing outboard radial wall. The conduit gripping device is retained within the annular fitting component and includes a projection extending radially outward of an outer circumferential surface of the conduit gripping device, and axially toward an inboard end of the conduit gripping device, with an end portion of the projection being axially captured between the inboard radial wall and the outboard radial wall.

First claim

We claim:

1. A preassembly for a conduit fitting, the preassembly comprising:
an annular fitting component having an interior wall extending along a central axis from an inboard end to an outboard end, the interior wall including an inboard surface, an outboard surface and an intermediate surface recessed from the inboard surface by an outward facing inboard radial wall extending radially inward to a first diameter at an outboard edge of the inboard surface, and recessed from the outboard surface by an inward facing outboard radial wall extending radially inward to a second diameter at an inboard edge of the outboard surface, the second diameter being smaller than the first diameter; and
at least a first conduit gripping device retained within the annular fitting component and including a projection extending radially outward of an outer circumferential surface of the first conduit gripping device; wherein when the projection is bent axially toward an inboard end of the first conduit gripping device, an end portion of the projection is configured to be axially captured between the inboard radial wall and the outboard radial wall;
wherein when the projection is bent axially toward an outboard end of the first conduit gripping device to a predetermined angle between about 30° and about 70° with respect to the central axis, the end portion extends radially outward to a diameter greater than the second diameter and smaller than the first diameter.

2. The preassembly of claim 1 , wherein the projection extends at an angle between about 90° and about 130° with respect to the central axis.

3. The preassembly of claim 1 , wherein the projection extends around an entire circumference of the outer circumferential surface of the first conduit gripping device.

4. The preassembly of claim 1 , wherein the projection is plastically deformable about a radially inward hinge portion of the projection.

5. The preassembly of claim 4 , wherein the hinge portion has a first thickness and the end portion has a second thickness greater than the first thickness.

6. The preassembly of claim 1 , wherein when an outward axial force is applied to the first conduit gripping device to force the end portion of the projection against the outboard radial wall, the projection is bent axially inward to position the end portion of the projection at a third diameter smaller than the first diameter, to permit removal of the first conduit gripping device from the annular fitting component.

7. The preassembly of claim 1 , further comprising a second conduit gripping device axially captured between the first conduit gripping device and an annular shoulder at the outboard end of the annular fitting component.

8. The preassembly of claim 7 , wherein when the second conduit gripping device is axially positioned such that an outboard end surface of the second conduit gripping device abuts the annular shoulder of the annular fitting component, and the first conduit gripping device is axially positioned such that the end portion of the projection abuts the outboard radial wall of the annular fitting component, an outboard end surface of the first conduit gripping device abuts an inboard end surface of the second conduit gripping device.

9. The preassembly of claim 1 , wherein the outboard radial wall extends at an angle between about 90° and about 135° with respect to the central axis.

10. The preassembly of claim 1 , wherein the projection comprises a circumferential skirt having an inboard wall surface and an outboard wall surface together defining a thickness of the skirt.

11. The preassembly of claim 10 , wherein the inboard wall surface and the outboard wall surface diverge from each other in a radially outward direction, such that an inner radial portion of the skirt has a smaller thickness than an outer radial portion of the skirt.

12. The preassembly of claim 10 , wherein the inboard wall surface extends radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the first conduit gripping device, and the outboard wall surface extends radially outward from an outboard end surface of the first conduit gripping device at a location radially inward of the outer circumferential surface.

13. The preassembly of claim 10 , wherein when an outward axial force is applied to the first conduit gripping device to force an inner radial portion of the skirt axially outward of the outboard radial wall, the skirt is bent to engage a portion of the outboard wall surface with the outboard surface of the interior wall.

14. The preassembly of claim 10 , wherein the outboard surface of the annular fitting component interior wall is tapered radially inward from the outboard radial wall.

15. The preassembly of claim 1 , wherein the projection is plastically deformable about a radially inward first hinge portion of the projection and about a second hinge portion disposed radially between the first hinge portion and the end portion.

16. The preassembly of claim 15 , wherein the first hinge portion has a first property and the second hinge portion has a second property different from the first property, such that when an outward axial force is applied to the conduit gripping device, engagement of the projection end portion against the outboard surface causes the second hinge portion to initially bend to a greater extent than the first hinge portion.

Assignees

• Swagelok Co

Inventors

• Williams Peter C
• Bearer Mark D
• Brown Cal R
• Zaborszki Stephen J
• Welch Douglas S
• Campbell Ronald P
• Kalata Gregory S
• Mcclure Douglas J

Classifications

• F16L13/146 Primary

  by an axially moveable sleeve · CPC title

• F16L19/02

  Pipe ends provided with collars or flanges, integral with the pipe or not, pressed together by a screwed member · CPC title

• F16L19/103 Primary

  with more than one ring per pipe end being used · CPC title