US 6,598,906 B2Granted

Fluid couplings

AssigneeDana Corporation

InventorDonald Howard Brugmann

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Abstract

A fluid coupling for coupling a hose to a metal tube, of primary interest in hydraulic brake systems, provides dynamic strain relief so that hoses having stainless steel braided reenforcing layers are made usable for normal highway use because the hoses can withstand Department of Transportation Whip Test while meeting thermal requirements. This is accomplished by a coaxial strain relief element which is integral with an eyelet-type tube fitting wherein the strain relief element is captured by a pocket disposed in the end of a crimping cup. A crimping cup directly engages the stainless steel braided wire reenforcement to clamp the hose against a projecting nipple of the eyelet while having an annular lip portion which seats in the groove in the eyelet and presses the coaxial strain relief element into and direct engagement with the braided reenforcement layer.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A fluid coupling for coupling a hydraulic hose of a selected outside diameter to a device, wherein the hose includes a deformable resilient polytetrafluoroethylene inner layer;

a stainless steel wire reinforcement layer over the polytetrafluoroethylene inner layer, and a deformable resilient outer layer over the stainless steel wire reenforcement layer, the fluid coupling comprising:
an eyelet having first and second portions;
the first portion having a bore adapted to communicate with the device and the second portion having a projecting nipple adapted for receipt in the hose, the eyelet further having an annular exterior groove therein;
a crimping cup having first and second ends, the crimping cup being disposed around the projecting nipple and initially having an inside diameter greater than the outside diameter of the hose, the crimping cup further having an inwardly projecting lip aligned with the annular exterior groove in the eyelet and a bell-shaped pocket adapted to be disposed adjacent to an end portion of the hose which has been stripped of the outer layer, and
a coaxial strain-relief element configured as an annular ring made of thermoplastic polyamide and having a contoured exterior surface with a bulge disposed in the bell-shaped pocket, the coaxial strain relief element being urged against the stainless steel wire reenforcement when the crimping cup is deformed radially inwardly to press the polytetrafluoroethylene inner layer of the hose against the nipple and to press the inwardly projecting lip into the exterior groove in the eyelet.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.