Tube Fitting
AssigneeSwagelok Company
InventorsPeter C. Williams, George A. Carlson, Andrew P. Marshall, Mark A. Clason, Mark A. Bennett, Jeffrey M. Rubinski, Mark D. Bearer, Dale C. Arstein
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Fittings are provided for use with different types of tubing. One such fitting includes a gripping member having a sharp tube indenting edge that provides a seal between the tube gripping member and the tube. Another such fitting includes a tube gripping member having a body indenting edge that provides a seal between the tube gripping member and a fitting body.
Claims32
1-86. (canceled)
A tube fitting comprising:
- a fitting body having a central axis;
- a nut assembled with the fitting body, the nut having an annular bore sized to receive a tube;
- and
- an annular tube gripping member assembled between the fitting body and the nut, the tube gripping member comprising first and second spaced apart frustoconical walls extending radially outward and in a first axial direction from a radially inner portion to a radially outer portion, the radially inner portion having an annular tube indenting edge configured to plastically deform the tube along a circumferential ring of engagement when the fitting body and the nut are tightened on the tube to provide a seal between the tube gripping member and the tube.
A tube fitting comprising:
- a fitting body;
- a nut assembled with the fitting body, the nut having an annular bore sized to receive a tube;
- and
- an annular tube gripping member assembled between the fitting body and the nut, the tube gripping member having a annular tube indenting edge configured to pivot into engagement with the tube to plastically deform the tube along a circumferential ring of engagement when the fitting body and the nut are tightened on the tube to provide a seal between the tube gripping member and the tube;
- wherein the tube fitting is configured to limit engagement between the tube gripping member and the tube to the circumferential ring of engagement.
A fitting assembly comprising:
- a fitting body;
- a nut for assembly with the fitting body, the nut having an annular bore sized to receive a tube;
- a thin walled tube for inserting through the annular bore, the thin walled tube comprising one of a tube having a wall thickness less than or equal to 1/10 of an outside diameter of the tube, and a tube having an outside diameter of approximately 0.250 inches and a wall thickness of less than or equal to 0.028 inches;
- and
- an annular tube gripping member for assembly between the fitting body and the nut, the tube gripping member having a sharp annular tube indenting edge that plastically deforms the thin walled tube along a narrow circumferential ring of engagement when the fitting body and the nut are tightened on the tube to provide a seal between the tube gripping member and the tube.
A method of providing a seal between an annular tube gripping member and a tube, the method comprising:
- inserting the tube through the tube gripping member;
- forcing a sharp annular tube indenting edge of the tube gripping member into engagement with the tube such that the annular edge of the tube gripping member plastically deforms the tube along a narrow circumferential ring of engagement to provide a seal between the tube gripping member and the tube, the narrow circumferential ring of engagement having a width of less than approximately 0.030 inches.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.