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US 2011/0210545 A1Published application
Metal seal fitting constraints
AssigneeVisteon Global Technologies, Inc.
InventorsEric William Kesler, Fred Georg Schroeder
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An air conditioner system fitting is disclosed including a first seal portion comprising a metal material adapted to provide a primary seal, and a second seal portion attached to a free edge of said first seal portion and adapted to provide a secondary seal, wherein the fitting militates against leakage during operation of the air conditioning system. The fitting has certain design constraints that optimize the fitting for considerations such as manufacturing, assembly, sealing, and corrosion resistance.
Claims20
A block fitting for an air conditioning system comprising:
- a male block portion including a first aperture receiving a tube end therein, the male block portion including an annular shoulder surrounding the first aperture of the male block portion, the annular shoulder including an axially extending lip formed at a first end thereof;
- a female block portion including a first aperture receiving a tube end therein, the female block portion including an annular collar surrounding the first aperture of the female block portion and cooperating with the annular shoulder formed by the male block portion, the first aperture of the male block portion and the first aperture of the female block portion being substantially concentrically aligned, the female block portion having an annular groove between the aperture and the annular collar, the annular groove cooperating with the axially extending lip of the male block portion;
- a seal structure disposed radially inward from the axially extending lip of the male block portion and between the male block portion and the female block portion, the seal structure including a first seal portion produced from a plastically deformable metal or plastic material and having a free edge, the first seal portion surrounding the first aperture of the male block portion and the first aperture of the female block portion, and a second seal portion produced from an elastomer disposed on the free edge of the first seal portion;
- and
- a fastener engaging the male block portion and the female block portion, the fastener causing the male block portion and the female block portion to deform the first seal portion and provide a primary seal between the male block portion and the female block portion, and the fastener causing the male block portion and the female block portion to cooperate with the second seal portion and provide a secondary seal between the male block portion and the female block portion, wherein the primary seal and the secondary seal militate against a leakage of a fluid from the block fitting,
- wherein one of the pair of tube ends and the male and female block portions have opposing sealing beads that plastically deform the first seal portion and provide the primary seal between the male block portion and the female block portion, the sealing beads facilitating the formation of the primary seal regardless of the presence of contamination at the seal structure.
3 more elements
A block fitting for an air conditioning system comprising:
- a male block portion including a first aperture receiving a tube end therein, the male block portion including an annular shoulder surrounding the first aperture of the male block portion, the annular shoulder including an axially extending lip formed at a first end thereof;
- a female block portion including a first aperture receiving a tube end therein, the female block portion including an annular collar surrounding the first aperture of the female block portion and cooperating with the annular shoulder formed by the male block portion, the first aperture of the male block portion and the first aperture of the female block portion being substantially concentrically aligned, the female block portion having an annular groove between the aperture and the annular collar, the annular groove cooperating with the axially extending lip of the male block portion;
- a seal structure disposed radially inward from the axially extending lip of the male block portion and between the male block portion and the female block portion, the seal structure including a first seal portion produced from a plastically deformable metal or plastic material and having a free edge, the first seal portion surrounding the first aperture of the male block portion and the first aperture of the female block portion, and a second seal portion produced from an elastomer disposed on the free edge of the first seal portion;
- and
- a fastener engaging the male block portion and the female block portion, the fastener causing the male block portion and the female block portion to deform the first seal portion and provide a primary seal between the male block portion and the female block portion, and the fastener causing the male block portion and the female block portion to cooperate with the second seal portion and provide a secondary seal between the male block portion and the female block portion, wherein the primary seal and the secondary seal militate against a leakage of a fluid from the block fitting,
- wherein a coarse pilot is formed by a gap between the axially extending lip and an inner surface of the annular collar, a fine pilot is formed by a gap between the axially extending lip and a surface of the annular groove disposed opposite the inner surface of the annular collar, and the gap forming the fine pilot is less than the gap forming the coarse pilot, the gap forming the fine pilot militating against an extrusion of the second seal portion therethrough during the engagement of the male block portion and the female block portion,
- wherein one of the pair of tube ends and the male and female block portions have opposing sealing beads that deform the first seal portion and provide the primary seal between the male block portion and the female block portion, the sealing beads facilitating the formation of the primary seal regardless of the presence of contamination at the seal structure.
4 more elements
A block fitting for an air conditioning system comprising:
- a male block portion including a first aperture receiving a tube end therein, the male block portion including an annular shoulder surrounding the first aperture of the male block portion, the annular shoulder including an axially extending lip formed at a first end thereof;
- a female block portion including a first aperture receiving a tube end therein, the female block portion including an annular collar surrounding the first aperture of the female block portion and cooperating with the annular shoulder formed by the male block portion, the first aperture of the male block portion and the first aperture of the female block portion being substantially concentrically aligned, the female block portion having an annular groove between the aperture and the annular collar, the annular groove cooperating with the axially extending lip of the male block portion, wherein the axially extending lip is dual tapered to militate against a binding of the male block portion and the female block portion during an assembly of the block fitting;
- a seal structure disposed radially inward from the axially extending lip of the male block portion and between the male block portion and the female block portion, the seal structure including a first seal portion produced from a deformable metal or plastic material and having a free edge, the first seal portion surrounding the first aperture of the male block portion and the first aperture of the female block portion, and a second seal portion produced from an elastomer disposed on the free edge of the first seal portion;
- and
- a fastener engaging the male block portion and the female block portion, the fastener causing the male block portion and the female block portion to deform the first seal portion and provide a primary seal between the male block portion and the female block portion, and the fastener causing the male block portion and the female block portion to cooperate with the second seal portion and provide a secondary seal between the male block portion and the female block portion, wherein the primary seal and the secondary seal militate against a leakage of a fluid from the block fitting,
- wherein one of the pair of tube ends and the male and female block portions have opposing sealing beads that deform the first seal portion and provide the primary seal between the male block portion and the female block portion, the sealing beads facilitating the formation of the primary seal regardless of the presence of contamination at the seal structure.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.