Tube coupling
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsNaleen Kumar Verma, Omkar Topkar, Dharmaraj Pachaiappan, Daniel Drew Smith
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Abstract
A tube coupling for coupling a first tube and a second tube. The tube coupling includes an inner shroud including a ball portion and an outer shroud including a socket portion. The socket portion receives the ball portion. The tube coupling includes a compressive ring configured to elastically compress the outer shroud onto the inner shroud. The ball portion and the socket portion form a ball and socket joint. The ball and socket joint allows relative angular movement and relative axial movement between the inner shroud and the outer shroud.
Claims20
A tube coupling for coupling a first tube and a second tube, the tube coupling comprising:
- (a) an inner shroud including a ball portion;
- (b) an outer shroud including a socket portion, the socket portion configured to receive the ball portion;
- and
- (c) a compressive ring configured to elastically compress the outer shroud onto the inner shroud,
- wherein the ball portion and the socket portion form a ball and socket joint, the ball and socket joint configured to allow relative angular movement and relative axial movement between the inner shroud and the outer shroud.
A tube assembly comprising:
- a first tube;
- a second tube;
- and
- a tube coupling for coupling the first tube to the second tube, the tube coupling comprising:
- (a) an inner shroud including a ball portion;
- (b) an outer shroud including a socket portion, the socket portion configured to receive the ball portion;
- and
- (c) a compressive ring configured to elastically compress the outer shroud onto the inner shroud,
- wherein the ball portion and the socket portion form a ball and socket joint, the ball and socket joint configured to allow relative angular movement and relative axial movement between the first tube and the second tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.