US 5,346,264 AGranted

Liquid tight internal snap connector for connecting corrugated plastic conduit

AssigneeHeyco Molded Products, Inc.

InventorsJoseph P. Law, Robert Oehler

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Abstract

A fitting or connecting corrugated tubing has a through opening and a liquid tight corrugated tubing connecting portion. The connecting portion has a shank to receive the corrugated tubing and a collar of greater diameter than the shank. The collar extends along the shank from a shoulder in the fitting and terminates before the end of the shank. Pawls in the connecting portion extend from the shank between the collar and the end of the shank. The pawls are hinged and have bevels and a bearing surface. The collar on the shank has an outside diameter slightly greater than the inside diameter of the corrugated tubing which renders the connector liquid tight when engaged with the corrugated tubing. The pawls resiliently extend to engage themselves in an inner corrugation of the corrugated tubing. Various pawl configurations engage the inside corrugations of corrugated tubing for a quick and firm liquid tight connection.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A fitting connecting non helical plastic corrugated tubing having an alternating small inside diameter and a larger inside diameter of said corrugations, said fitting including an opening therethrough, a liquid tight corrugated tubing connecting portion for receiving one end of said corrugated tubing thereover in liquid tight engagement, said liquid tight corrugated tubing connecting portion including a shank, said shank having an outside diameter and an end, a shoulder, at least one pawl, said at least one pawl including hinge means a bevel and a bearing surface, said at least one pawl resiliently extending to engage itself within said larger inside diameter of said corrugations, and a collar on said shank, said collar having an outside diameter, said collar's outside diameter greater than said shank's outside diameter and slightly greater than said small inside diameter of said corrugations and receiving said last mentioned corrugations thereover in liquid tight engagement, said collar extending along said shank from said shoulder and having a termination spaced away from said shank end, said pawl extending from said shank between said collar termination and said shank end.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.