US 12,644,552 B1Granted

Sanitary tee having pipe hangers

AssigneeVacuum Technologies, LLC

InventorsJustin Taylor Heaps, Steve W. Lieneman, Jared Leroy Meacham, Clay D. Price, Eldered Tom Tucker, John F. Tucker

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A tee coupling for coupling a handheld vacuum line to a main vacuum line of a commercial vacuum system without the need for external adapters includes a cylindrical main body portion with an axis, an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the main vacuum line segments, a downstream end and an upstream end extending in opposite directions from the main body portion along the same axis, the downstream end and the upstream end each having an inner diameter at least as large as the outer diameter of a main vacuum line segment. a third end extending from the main body portion at an angle that is typically not a right angle from the axis; and a throat between the third end and the main body portion. The throat meets the main body portion at an angle that is not 90 degrees and is biased toward the downstream end.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A commercial vehicle vacuum system comprising:

a vacuum source;
a main vacuum line connected to the vacuum source, the main vacuum line comprising a plurality of main vacuum line segments each having a main line outer diameter;
a handheld vacuum line coupled to the main vacuum line;
a filtration element disposed between the handheld vacuum line and the main vacuum line, the filtration element comprising an inlet attached to the handheld vacuum line, a filtration element outlet, and an outlet pipe attached to the filtration element outlet having an outlet outer diameter;
and
a tee coupling for coupling the handheld vacuum filtration element to the main vacuum line, the tee coupling comprising:
a main body portion having a substantially cylindrical shape with a central longitudinal axis, the main body portion having a main body inner diameter and a main body outer diameter;
a downstream end portion and an upstream end portion extending in opposite directions away from the main body portion and concentric with the central longitudinal axis of the main body, the downstream end portion having a downstream inner diameter and a downstream outer diameter and the upstream end portion having an upstream inner diameter and an upstream outer diameter;
a vacuum inlet portion that engages the outlet pipe attached to the filtration element outlet and wherein the vacuum inlet portion extends downwardly from the main body portion at an angle from the central longitudinal axis and wherein the vacuum inlet portion has a vacuum inlet portion inner diameter and a vacuum inlet portion outer diameter;
a throat portion between the vacuum inlet portion and the main body portion wherein the throat portion has an interior diameter that is less than the vacuum inlet portion inner diameter and wherein an interior surface of the throat portion has a curved interior surface such that it directs an intake airflow into the main body portion from the throat portion in a direction of a main vacuum line airflow through the main body portion during use and at an angle that is not perpendicular to the direction of the main vacuum line airflow;
and
at least one tab integrally formed with the tee coupling and extending away from the main body portion perpendicularly or substantially perpendicularly to the main body,
wherein the at least one tab defines a planar surface and the at least one tab has a hole or slot therein passing through the planar surface,
wherein a plane that is coplanar with the planar surface of the at least one tab does not pass through the vacuum inlet portion, and
wherein the main body inner diameter is less than the upstream inner diameter and the downstream inner diameter.

12 more elements

A tee coupling comprising:

a main body portion having a substantially cylindrical shape with a central longitudinal axis, the main body portion having a main body inner diameter and a main body outer diameter;
a downstream end portion and an upstream end portion extending in opposite directions away from the main body portion and concentric with the central longitudinal axis of the main body, the downstream end portion having a downstream inner diameter and a downstream outer diameter and the upstream end portion having an upstream inner diameter and an upstream outer diameter;
a vacuum inlet portion that engages an outlet pipe attached to the filtration element outlet and wherein the vacuum inlet portion extends downwardly from the main body portion at an angle from the central longitudinal axis and wherein the vacuum inlet portion has a vacuum inlet portion inner diameter and a vacuum inlet portion outer diameter;
a throat portion between the vacuum inlet portion and the main body portion wherein the throat portion has an interior diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the vacuum inlet portion inner diameter and wherein the interior surface of the throat portion has a curved interior surface such that it directs an intake airflow into the main body portion from the throat portion in the direction of a main vacuum line airflow through the main body portion during use and at an angle that is not perpendicular to the direction of the main vacuum line airflow through the main body portion;
and
at least one tab integrally formed with the tee coupling and extending away from the main body portion perpendicularly or substantially perpendicularly to the main body,
wherein the at least one tab defines a planar surface and the at least one tab has a hole or slot therein passing through the planar surface,
wherein a plane that is coplanar with the planar surface of the at least one tab does not pass through the vacuum inlet portion, and
wherein the main body inner diameter is less than the upstream inner diameter and the downstream inner diameter.

6 more elements

A tee coupling comprising:

a main body portion having a substantially cylindrical shape with a central longitudinal axis, the main body portion having a main body inner diameter, a main body outer diameter, and a stiffening rib located vertically along a periphery of the main body portion;
a downstream end portion and an upstream end portion extending in opposite directions from the main body portion concentric with the central longitudinal axis, the downstream end portion having a downstream inner diameter and a downstream outer diameter, the upstream end having an upstream inner diameter and an upstream outer diameter wherein the downstream inner diameter is larger than the main body inner diameter and the upstream inner diameter is larger than the main body inner diameter, and the downstream end portion and the upstream end portion each have a chamfered exterior facing edge;
wherein the main body outer diameter of the main body portion is not as large as the upstream outer diameter and the downstream outer diameter;
and
a third end extending downwardly from the main body portion at an angle from the central longitudinal axis, the third end having a third inner diameter;
and
a throat portion between the third end and the main body portion wherein the throat portion has an interior diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the third end inner diameter and wherein the interior surface of the throat portion has a curved interior surface configured to direct an intake airflow into the main body portion from the throat portion in the direction of airflow through the main body portion during use and at an angle that is not perpendicular or parallel to the direction of the airflow through the main body portion;
wherein the third end extends from the main body portion perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis and wherein the tee coupling comprises a glass filled polypropylene;
wherein the tee coupling further comprises a first visible circumferential groove on an exterior surface of the downstream end portion and proximate the main body portion and a second visible circumferential groove on an exterior surface of the upstream end and proximate the main body portion,
at least one tab integrally formed with the tee coupling and extending away from the main body portion perpendicularly or substantially perpendicularly to the main body,
wherein the at least one tab defines a planar surface and the at least one tab has a hole or slot therein passing through the planar surface, and
wherein a plane that is coplanar with the planar surface of the at least one tab does not pass through the third end.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/131,241Filed 5 Apr 2023 · us provisional application
Priority: 5 Apr 2022
Granted: 2 Jun 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

F16L 41/021
Branch units, e.g. made in one piece, welded, riveted: t- or cross-pieces
A47L 5/38
With rotary fans: built-in suction cleaner installations, i.e. with fixed tube system to which, at different stations, hoses can be connected
A47L 7/0076
Suction cleaners adapted for additional purposes ; Tables with suction openings for cleaning purposes; Containers for cleaning articles by…:…
A47L 9/1658
Arrangement or disposition of cyclones or other devices with centrifugal action: construction of outlets