Releasable connect/disconnect fitting connection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11506316-B2
Application number	US-202117220302-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2021
Priority date	Mar 6, 2017
Publication date	Nov 22, 2022
Grant date	Nov 22, 2022

Abstract

A connection to releasably connect and disconnect to a pipe to a fitting provides a pipe fitting body for receiving a pipe and a retaining ring assembly located within the fitting body for retaining and releasing the pipe. The retaining ring assembly has axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tabs, each of which has a pipe retaining portion. When the pipe is inserted into the fitting body to an inserted position, the pipe retaining portions engage an indentation on the pipe to retain the pipe in the inserted position. Relative movement of the axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tabs with respect to the fitting body from the first locked position to a second unlocked position causes each axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tabs to disengage from the indentation on the pipe permitting removal of the pipe from the inserted position in the fitting body.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A connection to connect and disconnect a pipe to a fitting, the connection comprising:
a fitting body having a pipe opening for axially receiving a pipe along a longitudinal axis;
a retaining ring assembly having a grip ring defining a plurality of axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tabs, each axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tab having a pipe retaining portion;
wherein the retaining ring assembly further comprises a retainer clip having a grip ring engagement surface which mates with a retainer engagement surface of the grin ring to retain the grip ring, said retainer clip comprises a fitting body engagement portion for engaging an internal sidewall of the pipe opening;
wherein said pipe retaining portions engage an indentation on the pipe when the pipe is in an inserted position in the pipe opening and the axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tabs have moved to a first locked position to retain the pipe in the inserted position;
wherein relative movement of the axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tabs of the retaining ring assembly with respect to the fitting body from the first locked position to a second unlocked position causes the pipe retaining portions of each axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tab to disengage from the indentation on the pipe and to permit removal of the pipe from the inserted position in the fitting body.

2. The connection as defined in claim 1 , wherein the retaining ring assembly is substantially contained within the fitting body and fixed to an inner sidewall of the pipe opening with said retaining ring assembly located within or flush with the pipe opening of the fitting body.

3. The connection as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a removal tool to relatively move the axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tabs of the retaining ring assembly with respect to the pipe from the first locked position to the second unlocked position;
wherein said removal tool engages the axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tabs of the retaining ring assembly to move them from the first locked position, engaged with the indentation on the pipe, to the second unlocked position, disengaged from the indentation on the pipe.

4. The connection as defined in claim 3 , wherein the retaining ring assembly comprises an annularly shaped main body with the axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tabs extending from the main body, said retaining ring assembly is substantially contained within the fitting body;
wherein said retaining ring assembly comprises removal tool engaging surfaces which are located on the axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tabs facing the pipe opening when the pipe in the inserted position and the retaining ring assembly is located within or flush with the pipe opening of the fitting body; and
wherein said removal tool fits within the pipe opening between the pipe in the inserted position and the main body of the retainer ring assembly to engage the removal tool engaging surfaces on each of the axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tabs of the retaining ring assembly and move the axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tabs from the first locked position to the second unlocked position.

5. The connection as defined in claim 3 wherein the removal tool to relatively axially move the axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tabs of the retaining ring assembly with respect to the fitting body from the first locked position to the second unlocked position comprises a first part and a second part which together encompass an outer perimeter of the pipe;
wherein substantially simultaneous relative axial movement of said first part and second part of the removal tool between the pipe and the retaining ring assembly from the pipe opening axially past the indentation on the pipe causes the removal tool to engage the axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tabs of the retaining ring assembly to move them from the first locked position to the second unlocked position permitting removal of the pipe from the inserted position in the pipe opening.

6. The connection as defined in claim 1 further comprising a gasket to seal the fitting, said gasket located axially between an insertion end of the pipe and the retaining ring assembly when the pipe is in the inserted position and the axially extending inwardly angled resilient tabs are in the first locked position.

7. The connection as defined in claim 1 wherein axial insertion of the pipe into the fitting opening of the fitting body causes the pipe to resiliently radially outwardly deform the axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tabs of the resilient retaining assembly permitting axial insertion of the pipe into the pipe opening of the fitting body; and
wherein continued insertion of the pipe into the pipe opening to the inserted position causes the axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tabs of the retaining ring assembly to move to the first locked position engaging the indentation on the pipe to retain the pipe in the inserted position.

8. The connection as defined in claim 7 , wherein the indentation on the pipe comprises at least one external groove on the pipe which operatively engages the pipe retaining portions of the axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tabs when the pipe is in the inserted position and the axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tabs are in the first locked position.

9. The connection as defined in claim 8 , wherein the at least one external groove has an inner wall facing the pipe opening when the pipe is in the inserted position such that insertion of the pipe into the pipe opening to the inserted position causes the pipe retaining portions of the axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tabs to operatively engage the inner wall of the at least one external groove and retain the pipe in the inserted position while the axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tabs remain in the first locked position.

10. The connection as defined in claim 9 , wherein the axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tabs are substantially identical and the corresponding pipe retaining portions define a perimeter of an engagement circle having an inner diameter which is less than the outer diameter of the pipe such that, when the axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tabs are resiliently inwardly deformed into the external groove, the pipe retaining portions engage the pipe to retain the pipe in the inserted position.

11. The connection as defined in claim 10 wherein each of the axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tabs have a pipe engaging portion facing the pipe opening of the fitting body which engages the pipe during axial insertion thereof to resiliently outwardly deform the axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tabs permitting axial insertion of the pipe to the inserted position in the fitting body.

12. The connection as defined in claim 11 wherein the removal tool engaging surfaces located on the axially extending inwardly angled resilient retaining tabs substantially coincide with the pipe engaging portions.

13. The connection as defined in claim 1 further comprising a stop wall extending inwardly from an internal sidewall of the pipe opening, said stop wall limiting axial insertion of the pipe into the fitting body

Assignees

• Ipex Tech Inc

Inventors

• Simon Jis
• Martino Filippo

Classifications

• F16L37/0982 Primary

  with a separate member for releasing the coupling · CPC title

• F16L37/0985

  the flexible hook extending radially inwardly from an outer part and engaging a bead, recess or the like on an inner part (F16L37/0982 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16L37/0845

  by means of retaining members associated with the packing member · CPC title

• F16L21/08

  with additional locking means (F16L21/06 takes precedence; couplings of the quick-acting type F16L37/00) · CPC title

• F16L37/0915 Primary

  with a separate member for releasing the coupling · CPC title