Connecting device

A connecting device for sealing in flow of fluid therethrough, said connecting device comprising;

• a male coupling having an external surface;
• a female coupling having an internal surface;
• said male coupling and said female coupling being configured for being coaxially disposed with said male coupling at an initial position relative to said female coupling;
• said male coupling also being configured for being at least partially inserted in a sealed position relative within said female coupling by axial movement in a first direction from said initial position;
• resilient O-ring means;
• said resilient O-ring means being configured for being disposed at a first position between said external surface of said male coupling and said internal surface of said female coupling when said male coupling is at said initial position;
• said O-ring means further being configured for being disposed at a second position between said external surface of said male coupling and said internal surface of said female coupling when said male coupling is at said sealed position;
• said resilient O-ring means also being configured for encircling said male coupling in both said first and said second positions;
• said O-ring means at said second position being resiliently compressed between said external surface of said male coupling and said internal surface of said female coupling when said male coupling is at said sealed position to provide sealing to substantially prevent loss of the fluid by fluid flow between said external surface of said male coupling and said internal surface of said female coupling;
• said O-ring means being configured for being rolled over on itself between said first position and said second position by said axial movement, in said first direction of said male coupling into said female coupling, by providing rolling friction between said O-ring means and, each of, said external surface of said male coupling and said internal surface of said female coupling and without relative sliding movement between said O-ring means and said external surface and without relative sliding movement between said O-ring means and said internal surface;
• wherein at least one of said external surface of said male coupling and said internal surface of said female coupling has a substantially conical surface portion that defines a conically shaped portion;
• wherein said conically shaped portion of said at least one of said external surface of said male coupling and said internal surface of said female coupling converges toward the other of said external surface of said male coupling and said internal surface of said female coupling during said axial movement;
• wherein in the converging of said conically shaped portion toward the other surface is for applying an increasing contact force on said O-ring means when said O-ring means moves from said first position to said second position;
• said converging of said conically shaped portion toward the other surface being for decreasing the distance between the surfaces adjacent said O-ring means during said axial movement in said first direction;
• said converging of said conically shaped portion toward the other surface is for applying an increasing contact force on said O-ring means, said contact force for causing said O-ring means to stop at said second position when said axial movement is completed;
• wherein the separation between said first position and said second position is equal to the distance said O-ring means moves when it completes at least one complete integral rollover turn on itself;
• said converging of said conically shaped portion toward the other surface and the uncompressed diameter of said O-ring means being configured such that said O-ring means is in a substantially internally relaxed stress orientation, which stress results from said O-ring rolling over on itself, when at said first position and said second position;
• said converging of said conically shaped portion toward the other surface and said uncompressed diameter of said O-ring means being configured such that said O-ring means is out of said relaxed orientation when out of either of said first position and said second position and has not rolled over an integral number of rollover turns on itself;
• said converging of said conically shaped portion toward the other surface and said distance said O-ring moves from said first position to said second position being configured such that said O-ring means completes at least one complete rollover turn on itself when moved from said first position to said second position;
• and
• said converging of said conically shaped portion toward the other surface and said uncompressed diameter of said O-ring means being configured such that said O-ring means has internal stresses that are substantially smaller when said O-ring means is in said relaxed orientation than when said O-ring means is out of said relaxed orientation.