US 7,001,561 B2Granted

Right angle tube connector

AssigneeAutomotive Products (USA), Inc.

InventorsRichard A. Nix, Keith V. Leigh-Monstevens, Michael James Woodard

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for molding a right angle connector onto a tube end portion. The tube end portion is positioned in a mold cavity; an axially extending core is positioned in the mold cavity with the axis of the core at a right angle to the axis of the tube end portion and with an inboard end of the core positioned proximate the open end of the tube end portion; a molten plastic material is injected into the mold cavity in surrounding relation to the core and the tube end portion; and the core is removed to form a connector fixedly secured to the tube end portion and having a central axial bore communicating with the open end of the tube, extending at a right angle to the central axis of the tube end portion, and conforming to the configuration of the core.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A method of forming a right angle connector at an end portion of a tube comprising the steps of:

positioning the tube end portion in a mold cavity;
positioning an axially extending core structure in the mold cavity with the axis of the core structure at a right angle to the axis of the tube end portion and with an inboard end of the core structure positioned in overlying relation to and sealing off the open end of the tube end portion;
injecting a molten plastic material into the mold cavity in surrounding relation to the core structure and the tube end portion;
and
removing the core structure to form a connector fixedly secured to the tube end portion and having a central axial bore communicating with the open end of the tube, extending at a right angle to the central axis of the tube end portion, and conforming to the configuration of the core structure.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.