Fitting for tube or pipe
AssigneeSwagelok Company
InventorsDale Arstein, Carl Meece, Peter Williams, Edward Pezak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fitting assembly is provided with a first fitting component having a stepped wall surface; and a second fitting component radially spaced from the first fitting component when the fitting assembly is in a finger tight condition prior to pull-up. When the second fitting component is displaced into contact with the stepped wall surface during fitting pull-up, the stepped wall surface assists in separating the first fitting component from the second fitting component upon fitting disassembly.
Claims30
A fitting assembly, comprising:
- a fitting body having a tube capture surface and a stepped wall surface discontinuous with the tube capture surface;
- and
- a conduit radially spaced from the stepped wall surface when the fitting assembly is in a finger tight condition prior to pull-up,
- wherein when the conduit is radially displaced into contact with the stepped wall surface during fitting pull-up, the stepped wall surface assists in separating the fitting body from the conduit upon fitting disassembly.
A fitting assembly, comprising:
- a female threaded drive nut having a tapered longitudinal surface;
- and
- a tube gripping member radially spaced from the tapered longitudinal surface when the fitting assembly is in a finger tight condition prior to pull-up,
- wherein when the tube gripping member is radially displaced into contact with the tapered longitudinal surface during fitting pull-up, the tapered longitudinal surface assists in separating the drive nut from the tube gripping member upon fitting disassembly.
A fitting assembly, comprising:
- a body including a tube socket having a tapered tube capture surface and a recessed wall surface radially spaced from the tube capture surface;
- and
- a tube having an end portion that axially aligns with the tube capture surface prior to fitting pull-up;
- wherein when the fitting assembly is pulled-up, engagement between the tube socket and the tube end portion produces axial and radial reaction force components between the tube socket and tube end portion, such that when the fitting is loosened, the axial force component assists in axially moving the tube relative to the body, causing the tube end portion to separate from the tube capture surface and axially align with the recessed wall surface, which reduces the radial force component between the body and the tube, thereby assisting in separation of the body and the tube during disassembly of the fitting assembly.
A drive nut for a fitting, comprising:
- a female threaded portion configured to assemble with a male threaded fitting body;
- and
- a recessed portion configured to receive at least a portion of a first tube gripping member, the recessed portion including a radial drive surface for driving the first tube gripping member into engagement with a tube during pull-up on a fitting body;
- and an inner wall comprising a tapered longitudinal surface radially outward of said drive surface,
- wherein when the first tube gripping member is radially displaced into contact with the tapered longitudinal surface during fitting pull-up, the tapered longitudinal surface assists in separating the nut from the first tube gripping member during fitting disassembly.
A tube fitting for a tube end, comprising:
- a tube gripping device
- a fitting body having a tube end socket centered on an axis, for receiving a tube end, a camming mouth adjacent to an axially outer end of the tube end socket, for receiving the tube gripping device, and a stepped wall surface axially inward of the camming mouth for assisting in removal of the tube end upon fitting disassembly;
- and
- a drive nut having a recess centered on the axis, the recess being configured to receive the tube gripping device and including a drive surface for driving the tube gripping device into engagement with the tube end;
- and an inner wall including a tapered longitudinal surface radially outward of said drive surface,
- wherein when the tube gripping device is displaced into contact with the tapered longitudinal surface during fitting pull-up, the tapered longitudinal surface assists in separating the nut from the tube gripping device during fitting disassembly.
A method comprising the steps of:
- providing a female threaded drive nut for assembly with a tube fitting body;
- and
- forming a tapered longitudinal surface on an inner wall of the female threaded drive nut for engaging at least a portion of a tube gripping device when the drive nut and tube gripping device are assembled with the tube fitting body and pulled-up.
A fitting component, comprising:
- a tube end socket centered on an axis, for receiving a tube end;
- a tapered tube capture surface for capturing the tube end;
- and
- a camming surface near an axially outer end of the tube end socket,
- wherein the tube end socket includes an intermediate wall surface axially between the tube capture surface and the camming surface, wherein the intermediate wall surface includes a stepped portion that is discontinuous with each of the tube capture surface and the camming surface.
A method comprising the steps of:
- providing a fitting body;
- and
- forming in the fitting body an axially inner tapered tube capture surface;
- forming in the fitting body an axially outer tapered camming mouth;
- and
- forming in the fitting body an intermediate wall surface axially located between the tube capture surface and the camming mouth,
- wherein the intermediate wall surface includes a stepped portion that is discontinuous with each of the tube capture surface and the camming mouth.
A fitting component comprising a socket for receiving a tube end, the socket being defined by an axial longitudinal wall surface and a shoulder comprising a surface extending axially and radially inward from an axially inner end of the axial longitudinal wall surface, wherein when a tube end is inserted in the socket and axially compressed against the shoulder, the shoulder surface is configured to apply radially inward pivoting forces to the tube end to reduce radially outward expansion of the tube end during axial compression.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.