Anti-rotation fluid connection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11988307-B2
Application number	US-201917270649-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2019
Priority date	Sep 18, 2018
Publication date	May 21, 2024
Grant date	May 21, 2024

Abstract

Disclosed is a connector for connecting one fluid handling device (52) such as a conduit to another fluid handling device (70) such as another conduit in which the faces of fittings (54) attached to glands (50) in the connector are given complementary mating configurations (58, 60, 82) so they can mesh that lack circular symmetry so that the faces do not rotate with respect to one another when the faces are subjected to torque when a connection is being made.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus comprising:
a first coupling subassembly extending in an axial direction, the first coupling subassembly including a fitting arranged at an axial end of the first coupling subassembly; and
a rotational coupling element rotatably surrounding the first coupling subassembly and adapted to be engaged with the fitting such that the rotational coupling element is rotatable with respect to the fitting but axially engageable with the fitting to apply an axial compressive force to the fitting,
the fitting comprising a refractory metal and having a face with a first configuration such that when the fitting is received in a second fitting when the fitting and the second fitting are brought into axial engagement by rotation of the rotational coupling element, the fitting and the second fitting at least partially rotationally engage to inhibit axial rotation of the fitting with respect to the second fitting.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first configuration lacks circular symmetry.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the rotational coupling element comprises an externally threaded sleeve.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first configuration is a singly truncated circle.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the refractory metal comprises a tantalum tungsten alloy.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the tantalum tungsten alloy comprises TaW10.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the tantalum tungsten alloy comprises ten percent tungsten.

8. Apparatus comprising:
a first rotational coupling element;
a first fitting adapted to be axially engaged with the first rotational coupling element;
a second rotational coupling element;
a second fitting adapted to be axially engaged with the second rotational coupling element and with the first fitting,
the first fitting having a first configuration and the second fitting having a second configuration, the first and second configurations being such that the first fitting is received in the second fitting when the first fitting and the second fitting are brought into axial engagement by relative rotation of the first and second rotational coupling elements, wherein the first fitting and the second fitting at least partially rotationally engage to prevent axial rotation of the first fitting with respect to the second fitting;
a conduit; and
a device having a structure defining an orifice,
the first fitting being connected to the conduit and the second fitting being disposed in the structure defining the orifice in the device.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein the first configuration and the second configuration lack circular symmetry.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein the first configuration is complementary to the second configuration.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein the first configuration and the second configuration lack circular symmetry.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein the first rotational coupling element comprises an externally threaded sleeve and the second rotational coupling element comprises an internally threaded sleeve.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein the first configuration is a singly truncated circle and wherein the second configuration comprises a pocket having an internal outline of a singly truncated circle.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein the first configuration and wherein the second configuration comprises a pocket having an internal outline of a doubly truncated circle.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein the device is a valve.

16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein the device is a pump.

17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein the device is a vacuum chamber.

18. Apparatus comprising:
a conduit comprising a first refractory metal;
a first fitting comprising a second refractory metal different from the first refractory metal and connected to the conduit, the first conduit having a sealing element with an external configuration, the sealing element having a sealing face;
a second fitting having an aperture having a second configuration which is complementary to the first configuration, the first configuration and the second configuration being such that the sealing element is not rotatable with respect to the aperture when the sealing member is inserted into the aperture.

19. Apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein the external configuration is a singly truncated circle.

20. Apparatus as claimed in claim 18 further comprising a first rotational coupling element adapted to rotate around the sealing element and to engage with a second rotational coupling element arranged around the second fitting and to apply a compressive sealing force to the sealing element when engaged with the second rotational coupling element.

21. Apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein the first rotational coupling element has an external thread and the second rotational coupling element has an internal thread and wherein the first rotational coupling element is adapted to engage with the second rotational coupling element by having the external thread engaged with the internal thread.

22. Apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein the first refractory metal comprises a first tantalum tungsten alloy and wherein the second refractory metal comprises a second tantalum tungsten alloy.

23. Apparatus as claimed in claim 22 wherein the first tantalum tungsten alloy comprises TaW2.5 and wherein the second tantalum tungsten alloy comprises TaW10.

Assignees

• Asml Netherlands Bv

Inventors

• Tedrow Jon David

Classifications

• F16L21/04 Primary

  in which sealing rings are compressed by axially-movable members · CPC title

• F16L37/101 Primary

  in which the coupling is coaxial with the pipe · CPC title