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US 4,659,116 AGranted
Pipe union for cryogenic fluids
AssigneeDowell Schlumberger Incorporated
InventorDonald C. Cameron
Life of this patent
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AssigneeDowell Schlumberger Incorporated
InventorDonald C. Cameron
Estimating the term…
A union for joining pipes, tubing, or other fluid conduits in a fluidtight manner includes male and female parts having respective inner fluid passages. The male part has a contoured lead end that slidably engages the female lead end which has a complementary contour with respect to the male lead end. The male lead end has a circumferential recess which retains a resilient sealing member which is radially compressed between the mated, contoured lead ends when the male and female parts are joined together. Clamping means is provided to hold the male and female parts together, but the fluidtight seal is independent of the clamping means. The mated contoured lead ends substantially eliminate transverse movement at the sealing interface and permit a camming action when the male and female parts are joined so as to self-align the respective inner passages.
A union useful for joining cryogenic fluid conduits in a fluidtight manner, comprising a male part and a female part adapted to be mounted on respective ends of the fluid conduits, said male part having a first inner fluid passage and said female part having a second inner fluid passage, said male and female parts providing respective complementary contoured lead ends, said male contoured lead end having a rounded convex portion extending from the open end, and said female contoured lead end having a rounded convex portion extending from the open end, one of said male and female contoured lead ends having a continuous outer circumferential slot with a resilient sealing member disposed therein, the male and female ends also having a rounded concave portion, said male and female contoured lead ends cooperating by having the convex portions initially cam against one another when joined together to self-align said first and second fluid passage and the concave portion of the female part receiving and engaging the convex portion of the male part and the concave portion of the male part receiving and engaging the convex part of the female part and forming a fluidtight seal by substantially radial compression of the resilient sealing member by the male and female parts, said fluidtight seal being formed independently of operation of a clamping means, and means for releasably clamping the male and female parts together by utilizing a flange portion to prevent longitudinal separation of the male and female parts.
A fluidtight union useful for cryogenic fluids comprising a male part and a female part both providing respective inner fluid passages and cooperating contoured mating portions, said male contoured portion being longitudinally flared and having a convex portion extending from the open end to a concave portion and said female part having a convex portion extending from the open end to a concave portion, the female convex and concave portions receiving and engaging the concave and convex portions respectively of the male part, a continuing circumferential recess retaining a resilient sealing element on the one of the male and female parts, said cooperating contoured mating portions permitting a sliding engagement to self-align said fluid passages in fluid communication by the camming of said convex portions if the parts are not initially aligned and forming a fluidtight seal by radial compression of said resilient element between the male and female parts, and means for releasably holding the male and female parts together to prevent longitudinal separation thereof including a flange on one part and a grasping means on the other, wherein said fluidtight seal is formed during said sliding engagement.
A separable fluidtight union for joining fluid conduits comprising a male part and a female part both providing respective inner fluid passages and cooperating ends, the male end being longitudinally flared and having a convex portion and a concave portion bridged by a straight portion, said female end being longitudinally tapered and having a convex and concave contour complementary to receive and engage the male end, and sealing means associated with the male mating end, said male and female mating ends forming an elongated-S sealing interface when joined together which self-aligns said inner fluid passages and minimizes lateral movement at said interface, and means for holding the male and female parts together and preventing longitudinal separation thereof, said sealing interface being formed by the male and female mated ends independently of said holding means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.