US 6,742,815 B2Granted

Fluid line connector assembly

AssigneeDormont Manufacturing Company

InventorsTodd R. McCurdy, Alfred Daniel Novak, Jr., Jerome J. Segal, Michael Lyon

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Abstract

A fluid line connector assembly for connecting between two fluid transmission lines or between a transmission line and an appliance or other apparatus, such as a commercial fryer. The assembly includes a length of thin-walled, flexible tubing having helical corrugations extending therealong and opposing non-corrugated and generally cylindrical ends. A braided sheath extends along the exterior of the tubing and is secured at the tubing ends. A base ring is received on a tubing end and includes a first groove. An end fitting, including an interior passage having a second groove, is retained on and cooperable with the tubing end due to a retaining ring captured within a portion of each groove, allowing the end fitting to remain rotatable relative to the tubing. One or more o-rings are compressively positioned between the end fitting and the tubing end to form a fluid-tight seal therebetween.

Claims32

Dependent claims

A fluid line connector assembly comprising:

a length of flexible tubing having a generally cylindrical tubing end;
a base ring having a pair of opposing ends, an outside surface, an inside bore extending therethrough between said pair of opposing ends, and a base ring first groove in said outside surface extending radially into said base ring, said base ring supported on said flexible tubing such that said bore is adjacent said tubing end;
a braided sheath extending axially along the exterior of said length of flexible tubing and along at least a portion of said outside surface of said base ring;
a braid retaining collar having a pair of opposing ends and an inside surface extending between said ends, said braided sheath being compressively positioned between at least a portion of said inside surface of said braid retaining collar and said portion of said outside surface of said base ring;
an end fitting body having a pair of opposing ends, an exterior surface, an interior passage extending through said body between said opposing ends, and an end said tubing end such that said end fitting body first groove of said interior passage is adjacent said base ring first groove of said base ring;
a retaining ring at least partially captured within each of said base ring first groove and said end fitting body first groove;
and,
a sealing member compressively associated between said end fitting body and said tubing end.

5 more elements

A fluid line connector assembly comprising:

a length of flexible tubing having a generally cylindrical tubing end;
a base ring supported on said tubing end and having a base ring first groove;
a sheath extending along the exterior of said length of flexible tubing and along at least a portion of said base ring;
a retaining collar positioned along said tubing end such that said sheath is compressively positioned between at least a portion of said retaining collar and said portion of said base ring;
an end fitting body having an end fitting body first groove, said end fitting body positioned along said tubing end such that said end fitting body first groove is adjacent said base ring first groove of said base ring;
a retaining ring at least partially captured within each of said base ring first groove and said end fitting body first groove;
and,
a sealing member compressively associated between said end fitting body and said tubing end.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.