Lockable swivel fitting assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12092245-B2
Application number	US-202218056850-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2022
Priority date	Dec 8, 2021
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

A swivel fitting assembly includes a female body providing a first connection end portion, and a male fitting body providing a second connection end portion. The male body and the female body are operatively coupled together to form a fluid passage between the first and second connection end portions, and are configured to permit relative rotation of the bodies relative to each other. A swivel lock mechanism is provided to rotationally lock or release the male body relative to the female body in response to a fluid pressure level in the fitting. The swivel lock includes a collar that transitions to a lock state and holds the male body when fluid pressure is at or above a predefined level. The collar transitions to a release state to enable relative rotation of the bodies when the pressure is below the predefined level.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A swivel fitting assembly, comprising:
a female body providing a first connection end portion and a receiving end portion opposite the first connection end portion;
a male fitting body providing a second connection end portion and a stud end portion opposite the second connection end portion, the stud end portion being arranged in the female receiving end portion to rotatably support the female body and form a fluid passage between the first connection end portion and the second connection end portion;
a swivel lock configured to rotationally lock or release the male fitting body relative to the female body, the swivel lock comprising at least one collar arranged radially between the stud end portion and the female receiving end portion, the at least one collar being configured to transition between a lock state and a release state in response to fluid pressure in the fluid passage, such that fluid pressure in the fluid passage that meets or exceeds a predefined level generates a force that transitions the at least one collar to the lock state in which the at least one collar engages against the stud end portion of the male fitting body and generates a compressive force that rotationally locks the male fitting body relative to the female body, and such that fluid pressure in the fluid passage that is below the predefined level, or the absence of fluid pressure, enables the at least one collar to transition to the release state in which the male fitting body and the female body are rotatable relative to each other.

2. The swivel fitting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein, in the lock state, the at least one collar is configured to apply a radial compressive force against the stud end portion of the male fitting body to rotationally lock the male fitting body relative to the female body.

3. The swivel fitting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein, in the lock state, the compressive force generates a friction force at an interface between the at least one collar and the stud end portion of the male fitting body, wherein the friction force frictionally rotationally locks the male fitting body relative to the female body.

4. The swivel fitting assembly according to claim 3 , wherein, in the lock state, the at least one collar holds the stud end portion of the male fitting body to restrict rotation without the use of radially overlapping interlocking elements.

5. The swivel fitting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one collar is a split collar that radially contracts toward the stud end portion in the lock state, and radially expands away from the stud end portion in the release state.

6. The swivel fitting assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the split collar has resiliency that biases the split collar toward radially expanding away from the stud end portion, whereby the split collar automatically radially expands in the release state.

7. The swivel fitting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein an axial engagement interface between the at least one collar and the stud end portion includes a radial protrusion within a radial groove.

8. The swivel fitting assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the stud end portion has the radial groove in a radially outer surface of the stud end portion, and
wherein the at least one collar has the radial protrusion formed at a radially inner portion of the at least one collar.

9. The swivel fitting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein, in the lock state, the force generated by the fluid pressure in the fluid passage is transmitted to the at least one collar via an inclined interface to provide a component of radial and axial compressive force.

10. The swivel fitting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one collar is a first collar, the swivel lock including a second collar arranged radially between first collar and the receiving end portion of the female body, wherein the second collar is operatively attached to or unitary with the female body.

11. The swivel fitting assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the second collar includes a tapered surface at a radially inner portion of the second collar that slidingly interfaces with a complementary tapered surface at a radially outer portion of the first collar, wherein the respective tapered surfaces form an inclined interface that, in the lock state, transmits force from the second collar into both radial and axial components of force to the first collar, in which the compressive force applied by the first collar to the stud end portion includes corresponding radial and axial components of force.

12. The swivel fitting assembly according to claim 11 , wherein, in the lock state, the force generated by the fluid pressure in the fluid passage includes a separation force that forces the female body and male fitting body apart, and wherein the second collar is operatively attached to the female body such that the separation force is transmitted through the female body to the second collar, and transmitted from the second collar to the first collar via the inclined interface.

13. The swivel fitting assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the first collar provides a mechanical advantage and serves as a force-amplification device in cooperation with the second collar.

14. The swivel fitting assembly according to claim 13 ,
wherein the second collar has a tapered surface at a radially inner portion of the second collar that forms a wedge-shaped gap, in cross-section, in a space between the second collar and the stud end portion, and
wherein the first collar has a tapered surface at a radially outer portion of the first collar that forms a wedge, in cross-section, that is further wedged into the wedge-shaped gap in the lock state, and is further moved out of the wedge-shaped gap in the release state.

15. The swivel fitting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first connection end portion of the female body is configured as a push-to-connect connector, and wherein the female body is made with plastic.

16. The swivel fitting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the second connection end portion of the male fitting body is configured as a threaded male nipple.

17. A swivel fitting assembly comprising:
a fitting body having a threaded end opposite a stud end, the stud end of the fitting body rotatably supporting a push to connect fitting, the stud end having a male portion positioned within a female portion of the push to connect fitting;
an annular seal positioned on an exterior cylindrical surface of the male portion of the stud end and sealing against an interior cylindrical surface of the female portion of the push to connect fitting;
a retaining mechanism comprising a first collar member attached to the interior cylindrical surface of the female portion of the push to connect fitting and a second collar member positioned about the exterior cylindrical surface of the male portion of the stud end of the fitting body and having a radially inward extending portion extending partially into a slot in the exterior cylindrical surface of the male portion of the stud end;
wherein the second collar being configured to transition between a lock state and a release state in response to fluid pressure in the fluid passage, such that fluid pressure in the fluid passage that meets or exceeds a predefined level generates a force that transitions the second collar to the lock state in which the second collar engages against the stud end portion of the male fitting body and generates a compressive force that rotationally locks the male fitting body

Assignees

• Parker Hannifin Corp

Inventors

• Meisner Zackary
• Woods Andrew

Classifications

• F16L37/144 Primary

  the securing element being U-shaped · CPC title

• F16L37/092

  by means of elements wedged between the pipe and the frusto-conical surface of the body of the connector · CPC title

• F16L37/088

  by means of a split elastic ring · CPC title

• F16L27/0845 Primary

  forming an angle of 90 degrees · CPC title