Connector assemblies suitable for attachment to bent tubular conduit
AssigneesKabushiki Kaisha Togo Seisakucho, Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Mitsubishi Jidosha Engineering Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsShigeo Ooi, Yukihiro Hattori, Hiroshi Ooizumi, Kazunori Iida
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A connector assembly 8 may include a connector 10 having flow channel 11 defined therein. One end of the flow channel may engagingly receive a tubular conduit 1. A checker 30 may be coupled to the connector 10. The connection checker 30 may engagingly receive a bent portion 1b of the tubular conduit 1 and ensure a proper connecting condition between the connector 10 and the tubular conduit 1. The connection checker 30 also may prevent the connector 10 from rotating relative to the tubular conduit 1. A holder 20 may detachably and pivotally couple the connection checker 30 to the connector 10.
Claims40
An apparatus, comprising:
- a connector having a flow channel defined therein, wherein one end of the flow channel is arranged and constructed to engagingly receive a tubular conduit having a bent portion, and
- a connection checker coupled to the connector, the connection checker being arranged and constructed to engagingly receive the bent portion of the tubular conduit to ensure that the connector is engagingly joined to the tubular conduit,
- wherein the connection checker engagingly receives the bent portion of the tubular conduit when the tubular conduit is engagingly joined to the connector, and the connection checker does not engagingly receive the bent portion of the tubular conduit when the tubular conduit is not engagingly joined to the connector, whereby an operator can recognize whether or not the tubular conduit is engagingly joined to the connector.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a connector having flow channel defined therein, wherein one end of the flow channel is arranged and constructed to engagingly receive a tubular conduit having a bent portion, said bent portion having an inner configuration and an outer configuration, and
- a connection checker coupled to the connector, the connection checker being arranged and constructed to engagingly receive the bent portion of the tubular conduit to ensure that the connector is engagingly joined to the tubular conduit,
- wherein the connection checker is pivotable between a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position, the connection checker is arranged and constructed so as not to engage the tubular conduit and in the second position the connection checker is arranged and constructed so as to engage the tubular conduit,
- wherein the connection checker further includes a first fitting portion that is arranged and constructed so as to prevent the connection checker from rotating relative to the connector, and
- wherein the connection checker further includes a second fitting portion disposed in series with the first fitting portion, the second fitting portion having a curved configuration or shape so that an inner surface of the second fitting portion (a) will substantially correspond to the outer configuration of the bent portion of the tubular conduit and (b) will engagingly receive the bent portion when the connection checker is in the second position.
An apparatus as in claim wherein the connection checker is arranged and constructed such that the connection checker can not be moved to the second position when the tubular conduit is not engagingly joined to the connector.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a connector a having flow channel defined therein, wherein one end of the flow channel is arranged and constructed to engagingly receive a tubular conduit having a bent portion, and
- a first means for ensuring that the connector is engagingly joined to the tubular conduit, the first means being coupled to the connector and being configured to engagingly receive the bent portion of the tubular conduit,
- wherein the first means engagingly receives the bent portion of the tubular conduit when the tubular conduit is engagingly joined to the connector, and the first means does not engagingly receive the bent portion of the tubular conduit when the tubular conduit is not engagingly joined to the connector, whereby an operator can recognize whether or not the tubular conduit is engagingly joined to the connector.
A method for checking whether a connector has been engagingly joined to a tubular conduit having a bent portion, comprising:
- pivotally moving a connection checker relative to the connector from a first position to a second position within a plane that extends substantially through a longitudinal axis of the connector, wherein the connection checker engages the bent portion of the tubular conduit in the second position if the connector has been engagingly joined to the tubular conduit;
- and
- re-adjusting the fitting of the connector and the tubular conduit, if the connection checker prevented engagement with the bent portion of the tubular conduit in the second position.
An apparatus comprising:
- a connector having a flow channel defined therein, wherein one end of the flow channel is arranged and constructed to engagingly receive a tubular conduit having a bent portion, and
- a connection checker coupled to the connector, the connection checker being arranged and constructed to engagingly receive the bent portion of the tubular conduit to ensure that the connector is engagingly joined to the tubular conduit,
- wherein the connection checker is pivotable between a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position, the connection checker is arranged and constructed so as not to engage the tubular conduit and in the second position the connection checker is arranged and constructed so as to engage the tubular conduit.
An apparatus as in claim further 28, comprising a connecting portion pivotally connecting the connector to the connection checker.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.