# US 10,865,921 B2 · Device for coupling a rigid male endpiece to a flexible female pipe, and production method therefor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,865,921 B2 - Document ID: US10865921B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/524,022 - Filed: 2014-11-05 - Published: 2018-01-18 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2014-11-05 - Assignees: Hutchinson - Applicants: Hutchinson - Inventors: Philippe Grouillet; Denis Godeau - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865921B2 ## CPC - F16L 33/227: {the hose being introduced into or onto the connecting member and automatically locked (F16L37/084 takes precedence)} - B29C 65/568: {using a swaging operation, i.e. totally deforming the edge or the rim of a first part to be joined to clamp a second part to be joined} - B29C 66/12441: {being a single wall} - B29C 66/5344: {said single elements being substantially annular, i.e. of finite length, e.g. joining flanges to tube ends (B29C66/5346 takes precedence)} - B29C 66/612: {Making circumferential joints} - B29C 66/7392: {characterised by the material of at least one of the parts being a thermoplastic} - B29C 66/742: {to metals or their alloys} - F16L 17/032: {the sealing rings having only one lip} - F16L 33/213: only a sleeve being expanded inside the hose - F16L 37/088: by means of a split elastic ring - F16L 37/144: {the securing element being U-shaped} - F16L 47/24: for joints between metal and plastics pipes - B29C 66/71: {characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined (welding bar compositions B29C65/125)} - B29C 66/721: {Fibre-reinforced materials (B29C66/729 takes precedence)} - B29L 2031/24: Pipe joints or couplings (B29L2031/26 takes precedence) - F16L: PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES ## Abstract A fluid-transfer coupling device designed to couple a rigid male endpiece to a flexible female pipe and to the production method therefor. The device includes a sleeve for gripping around the pipe and locking the endpiece, the sleeve having a radially inner part surrounding an annular sealing lining mounted in abutment on the endpiece; and a metal socket having a tubular portion gripped by the pipe and ending in a collar formed by a radial step which extends in an axial end and has a radial height, the axial end being mounted inside and in contact with the radially inner part and forming the base of a groove receiving the lining, the device comprising means for fitting the sleeve to the collar and comprising a continuous peripheral projection formed in one piece with the sleeve. According to the invention the projection projects radially in abutment against the step aver most of the radial height. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A coupling device suitable for connecting a rigid male endpiece to a flexible female pipe, the device comprising: a sleeve suitable for gripping the pipe and axially locking the endpiece, the sleeve having a radially inner part configured to surround at least one annular seal, said at least one annular seal being configured to bear on the endpiece, a socket comprising a tubular portion which is configured to be gripped by the pipe and which includes a collar at one of its ends, said collar comprising a radial step and a tubular axial end portion, said radial step having a radial step height and that extending radially from said tubular portion to said tubular axial end portion, said tubular axial end portion being mounted radially inside said radially inner part and comprising a cylindrical outer surface in contact with said radially inner part, said tubular axial end portion further including a cylindrical inner surface forming a bottom of an annular groove, said at least one annular seal comprising a cylindrical outer surface in contact with said radially inner part, said tubular axial end portion further including a cylindrical inner surface, an assembly that is configured to mechanically assemble the sleeve to said collar, the assembly comprising a continuous circumferential protuberance formed in a single piece with the sleeve, wherein said protuberance protrudes inwardly from said radially inner part so as to bear against said radial step, over a majority of said radial step height. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The coupling device according to claim 1, wherein said protuberance extends radially elongated and inwardly from said radially inner part of the sleeve, over substantially all of said radial step height. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The coupling device according to claim 1, wherein said protuberance extends over all of said radial step height and has, in axial section, an oblong or profiled geometry that is radially elongated and that ends with a radially inner rim bearing against said tubular portion of the socket. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The coupling device according to claim 3, wherein said geometry is oblong and substantially in a shape of a truncated rectangle that has two radial large sides and two axial and rounded small sides. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The coupling device according to claim 3, wherein said geometry is profiled with an axial width that decreases radially inward over said radial step height, said protuberance having a convex outer contour with an axial section substantially in the shape of an arc of circle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The coupling device according to claim 1, wherein said protuberance comprises: a radially outer portion extending radially toward the outside of said axial end of the socket up to a radially outer edge of said protuberance, and a radially inner portion extending radially toward the inside of said axial end of the socket up to a radially inner edge of said protuberance. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The coupling device according to claim 6, wherein the sleeve has a radially outer part that is situated across from said tubular portion of the socket and that is intended to surround said pipe, said protuberance extending protruding radially outward up to said radially outer edge, which is substantially mounted in contact with said radially outer part. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The coupling device according to claim 7, wherein said radially inner edge and said radially outer edge of said protuberance have a convex shape. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The coupling device according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve has a base of a plastic or a composite material with a plastic matrix that is injection molded. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The coupling device according to claim 9, wherein the sleeve said protuberance is obtained by hot plastic deformation of an axial annular protrusion that said radially inner part of the sleeve initially has in place of said protuberance, across from said tubular portion of the socket. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The coupling device according to claim 1, wherein for the socket, said radial step is connected to said tubular axial end portion by a first rounded transition and to said tubular portion by a second rounded transition. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The coupling device according to claim 1, wherein said radially inner part of the sleeve can have an axial circumferential zone and a radial circumferential zone extending it radially inward, and said tubular axial end of the socket is mounted radially inside and in contact with said axial zone, said annular groove comprising two circumferential and radial side walls respectively formed by said radial step and by said radial zone. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The coupling device according to claim 1, wherein said tubular portion of the socket has at least one circumferential bulge obtained by rolling and suitable for cooperating with an inner face of said pipe intended to be gripped by the sleeve. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The coupling device according to claim 1, wherein the device incorporates said at least one annular seal and includes an O-ring or a lip seal. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The coupling device according to claim 1, wherein the device incorporates said pipe, said protuberance having a radial protuberance height that exceeds said radial step height and that is substantially equal to that of the pipe, which is mounted axially against said protuberance. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) A method for producing a device according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises the following steps: a) placing, around the socket, a blank of the sleeve with a base of a plastic or a composite material with a plastic matrix that is injection molded, in order for said tubular axial end portion of the socket to be jammed in said radially inner part of the sleeve, which extends axially by an axial annular protrusion of said blank across from said tubular portion of the socket, then b) heating and hot plastic deformation of said axial annular protrusion to transform it into said protuberance of the sleeve. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein the heating and plastic deformation are implemented in step b) using an ultrasound generator associated with a sonotrode returning the vibrational energy from the generated ultrasounds to said axial annular protrusion. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein the heating is implemented in step b) using a technique chosen from the group made up of rotational friction, vibrational friction, an electrically heated mirror, hot air blast, infrared radiation and laser radiation.