High-pressure fluid-flow system having compact two-bolt and four-bolt flanged and modular connectors

Apparatus for connecting flanged, fluid-flow connectors, comprising:

• a one-piece block having exactly six surfaces, all of said surfaces having a rectangular shape, wherein at least some of said surfaces comprise apertured mounting surfaces, at least two of said mounting surfaces having a first bore which corresponds with a central port of a fluid-flow connector and a pair of second bores which correspond with mounting apertures of a fluid-flow connector, wherein the block includes at least one fluid-flow channel extending from one mounting surface to another mounting surface of the block,
• wherein said first bores have a nominal diameter S,
• wherein a distance between members of said pair of second bores is designated by Z,
• wherein adjacent first bores of said block are spaced apart by a distance dd, as measured center-to-center,
• and wherein, for given values of S and Z, a value of dd is chosen such that a ratio S/(Z)(dd) is in a range of about 0.19 to about 0.38,
• the apparatus also including a fluid connector comprising:
• a) a base having a generally flat port face mounting surface on one end, and a connection piece fixed to and extending from the other end of said base,
• b) a plurality of mounting tabs fixed to and extending outwardly from said base, each of said tabs having an aperture extending therethrough,
• c) a central, elongate, cylindrical channel extending lengthwise through said connector from a port on said mounting surface to a port on said connection piece,
• wherein said base has a reinforcement portion, said connection piece being contiguously formed with and extending from said reinforcement portion,
• wherein said reinforcement portion comprises a generally conical extension intermediate said tabs and said connection piece, wherein said conical extension transitions continuously from a lesser thickness adjacent one of said tabs to a greater thickness adjacent to said connection piece,
• wherein the connector is affixed to the block by bolts passing through the apertures of said tabs and into said second bores of the block.

Apparatus for connecting flanged, fluid-flow connectors, comprising:

• a one-piece block having exactly six surfaces, all of said surfaces having a rectangular shape, wherein at least some of said surfaces comprise apertured mounting surfaces, at least two of said mounting surfaces having a first bore which corresponds with a central port of a fluid-flow connector and a pair of second bores which correspond with mounting apertures of a fluid-flow connector, wherein the block includes at least one fluid-flow channel extending from one mounting surface to another mounting surface of the block,
• wherein said first bores have a nominal diameter S,
• wherein a distance between members of said pair of second bores is designated by Z,
• wherein adjacent first bores of said block are spaced apart by a distance dd, as measured center-to-center,
• and wherein, for given values of S and Z, a value of dd is chosen such that a ratio S/(Z)(dd) is in a range of about 0.19 to about 0.23,
• the apparatus also including a fluid connector comprising:
• a base having a central port and a pair of tabs located on either side of the central port, each tab including an aperture,
• the base having rounded edge portions intermediate said tabs, each of the rounded edge portions having a radius of curvature R1 which is measured from a center of the central port,
• the apertures being spaced apart by said distance Z,
• wherein a ratio Z/R1 is in a range of about 2.36 to about 2.67,
• wherein the connector is affixed to the block by bolts passing through the apertures of said tabs and into said second bores of the block.

Apparatus for connecting flanged, fluid-flow connectors, comprising:

• a one-piece block having exactly six surfaces, all of said surfaces having a rectangular shape, wherein at least some of said surfaces comprise apertured mounting surfaces, at least two of said mounting surfaces having a first bore which corresponds with a central port of a fluid-flow connector and a pair of second bores which correspond with mounting apertures of a fluid-flow connector, wherein the block includes at least one fluid-flow channel extending from one mounting surface to another mounting surface of the block,
• wherein a distance between members of said pair of second bores is designated by Z,
• wherein adjacent first bores of said block are spaced apart by a distance dd, as measured center-to-center,
• and wherein, for a given value of Z, a value of dd is chosen such that a ratio Z/dd is in a range of about 1.16 to about 1.28,
• the apparatus also including a fluid connector comprising:
• a base having a central port and a pair of tabs located on either side of the central port, each tab including an aperture,
• the base having rounded edge portions intermediate said tabs, each of the rounded edge portions having a radius of curvature R1 which is measured from a center of the central port,
• the apertures being spaced apart by said distance Z,
• wherein a ratio Z/R1 is in a range of about 2.36 to about 2.67,
• wherein the connector is affixed to the block by bolts passing through the apertures of said tabs and into said second bores of the block.