Reusable fitting for attaching a conduit to a port
AssigneeWaters Technologies Corporation
InventorJoseph D. Michienzi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Described is a reusable fitting for attaching a conduit to a port. The fitting includes a housing, a spring, a retainer and cap. The retainer is capable of locking and unlocking a conduit in the fitting. The fitting provides a high pressure fluid-tight seal and a substantially zero void volume at the junction of two fluidic conduits. The fitting is removable, reusable and replaceable, and allows a user to make and remake connections of a capillary to a fluidic port without permanently binding a ferrule to a specific capillary and thus to a specific port. The fitting can be replaced if part or all of the fitting is damaged during use.
Claims21
A reusable fitting for attaching a conduit to a port, comprising:
- a housing comprising a ferrule portion at a proximal end of the housing;
- a spring in physical communication with the housing;
- a retainer disposed between the spring and the housing, the retainer having an opening for admitting a distal portion of a conduit and a retention feature fixed to a proximal end of the conduit to limit axial movement of the conduit in a distal direction, the retainer defining an off-center opening for passing the retention feature of the conduit;
- and
- a cap in communication with the spring to urge the spring against the retainer to thereby urge the conduit in a proximal direction.
A liquid-chromatography device, comprising:
- a conduit for communicating a fluid;
- a port in fluid communication with the conduit;
- and
- a fitting for attaching the conduit to the port, the fitting comprising:
- a housing having a ferrule portion at a proximal end of the housing;
- a spring in physical communication with the housing;
- a retainer disposed between the spring and the housing, the retainer having an opening for admitting a distal portion of the conduit and being in physical communication with a retention feature fixed to a proximal end of the conduit to limit axial movement of the conduit in a distal direction, the retainer defining an off-center opening for passing the retention feature of the conduit;
- and
- a cap in physical communication with the spring to urge the spring against the retainer so that the retainer urges the conduit in a proximal direction.
A kit having component parts capable of being assembled to form a reusable fitting for attaching a conduit to a port, the reusable fitting comprising:
- a housing having a ferrule portion at a proximal end of the housing;
- a spring in physical communication with the housing;
- a retainer disposed between the spring and the housing, the retainer having an opening for admitting a distal portion of a conduit and being in physical communication with a retention feature fixed to a proximal end of the conduit to limit axial movement of the conduit in a distal direction, the retainer defining an off-center opening for passing the retention feature of the conduit;
- and
- a cap in physical communication with the spring to urge the spring against the retainer so that the retainer urges the conduit in a proximal direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.