Plumbing connector

A method of moulding a collet, the collet having a hollow tubular shape with a central main axis, a first end and a second end, the outer wall extending between the two ends, the outer wall being divided into a plurality of legs extending from the first end by a plurality of slots extending away from the first end;

• the inner diameter of an inner face of the outer wall initially increasing from the first end towards the second end creating a ramp surface on the inner face of the outer wall adjacent to the first end;
• at least one inwardly facing first tooth on the inner face of at least one leg, the first tooth being axially between the second end and the ramp surface;
• the method comprising moulding the collet in a mould comprising a mould body and an axial core which together define a mould cavity in the shape of the collet;
• the core comprising two parts which are axially separable from one another, a first part which forms the inner face of the outer wall towards the first end including the ramp surface up to each first tooth and including one side of each first tooth, a second part forming the inner face of the outer wall including the opposite side of each first tooth;
• the method further comprising drawing the first part axially from the mould cavity while the second part remains in place, such that the interaction between the first part and the ramp surface causes outward deflection of the legs away from the second part to allow the second part to be subsequently removed axially from the mould cavity.

A pipe connector comprising:

• a hollow body having a central throughway defining an axis, the body comprising a tubular part at at least one end, the tubular part having an outer face to seal, in use, with an inner diameter of a pipe placed over the tubular part:
• a collet fitted over the tubular part of the body so as to be axially fixed with respect to the body and being spaced from the tubular part to form a cavity for the pipe, the inner face of the collet having at least one tooth to grip the pipe, in use, and the outer face of the collet having a first screw thread;
• and
• a locking cap having an inner face with a second screw thread which is complementary to the to the first screw thread, wherein screwing the locking cap onto the collet from an unlocked configuration to a locked configuration causes inward deflection of the collet to press, in use, the collet onto the pipe and the pipe onto the tubular part to seal the interface between the body and the pipe;
• wherein the collet has at least one through slot at its distal end which is exposed in the locked and unlocked configurations allowing the end of the pipe to be visible, in use, through the slot when the connector is in the locked and unlocked configurations with the pipe inserted.