AU731246B2

AU731246B2 - Hose fitting

Info

Publication number: AU731246B2
Application number: AU30143/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Ivan Tomich
Original assignee: SWAN CONCRETE WORKS Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Tomich Tony
Priority date: 1998-05-19
Filing date: 1999-05-19
Publication date: 2001-03-29
Anticipated expiration: 2019-05-19
Also published as: AU3014399A

Description

P/00/011 28/5/91 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor Address for service is: SWAN CONCRETE WORKS PTY LTD and IVAN TOMICH IVAN TOMICH WRAY ASSOCIATES 239 Adelaide Terrace Perth, WA 6000 Attorney code: WR Invention Title: "Hose Fitting" Details of Associated Provisional Application No(s): PP3621 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- -2- The present invention relates to a fitting for an end of a flexible tube.

The fitting may be for any suitable purpose. It may, for example, form part of a coupling for connecting an end of a flexible tube to either a fluid inlet which delivers fluid to the tube to be conveyed therealong, or a fluid outlet to which fluid conveyed along the tube is delivered.

The invention provides a fitting for an end of a flexible tube, the fitting comprising an inner member, a clamping ring and a coupling collar, the inner member comprising a body having a fluid flow passage extending therethrough, the body comprising a cylindrical section and a conical section, the cylindrical section being in use adapted to be snugly received in said end of the flexible tube with the adjacent end section of the flexible tube bearing against and being *radially expanded by the conical section, and the clamping ring being positioned about said end section of the flexible tube whereby said end section is clamped between the inner member and the clamping ring, and wherein the coupling 15 collar is received on said end section of.the flexible tube, the coupling collar having a portion adapted to locate against the clamping ring whereby the clamping ring is urged towards the larger end of the conical section.

With this arrangement, the fitting is clampingly retained on the end of the flexible tube.

The fitting may be a female fitting adapted for connection to a male fitting. In such a case, the coupling collar may incorporate a female threaded portion for threadingly engaging a male portion of the male fitting.

The body may further comprise an abutment section at the larger end of the conical section.

The body may further include a sealing section on the side of the abutment opposite to the conical section. The sealing section may comprise a -3circumferential recess adapted to receive an annular sealing element such as a rubber O-ring for providing a fluid seal between the body and the coupling collar.

The clamping ring may have an end thereof bevelled to accommodate the radial expansion of the end section of the flexible tube.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of several specific embodiments thereof as shown in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic side elevational view Of a fitting according to a -first embodiment located on one end of a flexible tube; 10 Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 except that the fitting is shown in section and coupled to a threaded spigot; a Figure 3 is an end view of the fitting accordingto the first embodiment; Figure 4 is a side view of an inner member forming part of the fitting according to the first embodiment; Figure 5 is a sectional view of the inner member shown in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a side view of a clamping ring forming part of the fitting according to the first embodiment; Figure 7 is a sectional side view of the clamping ring shown in Figure 6; Figure .8 is a sectional side view of a coupling collar forming part of the fitting according to the first embodiment; Figure 9 is a perspective view of a fitting according to a second embodiment connecting one end of a flexible tube to a boiler union; -4- Figure 10 is a perspective view of part of the fitting of Figure 9; and Figure 11 is a sectional side view of a fitting according to a third embodiment connecting two flexible tubes together.

Referring to Figures 1 to 8 of the drawings, the first embodiment is directed to a fitting 10 for an end of a flexible tube 11 which provides a hose having a central bore 12 for conveying a fluid therealong. The hose can be of any suitable type such as a liquid line or a gas line.

The fitting 10 comprises an inner member 13, a clamping ring 15, a coupling collar 17 all of which are formed of rigid plastics material, and an O-ring 19.

The inner member 13 comprises a body 21. The body 21 comprises a "cylindrical section 23, an abutment section 25 and a conical section 27 positioned between the cylindrical section23 and the abutment section 25 with the smaller end of the conical section 27 being adjacent the cylindrical section S: 23 and the larger end of the conical section 27 being adjacent the abutment section 25 the cylindrical section 23 and the conical section 27 present smooth o outer surfaces 28 and 30 respectively.

The body 21 is provided with a further cylindrical section 29 disposed on the *side of the abutment section 25 opposite the conical section 27. The further cylindrical section 29 is of smaller diameter than the abutment section 25, the result of which is that there is an annular recess 31 provided in the body 21 about the further cylindrical section 29. A circumferential groove 32 is provided in the cylindrical section 29 adjacent the recess 31.

The body 21 has a central bore 33 extending axially therethrough to provide a fluid flow passage.

The cylindrical section 23 is of a diameter such that it is a snug or friction fit within the bore 12 of the hose 11.

The inner member 13 is fitted onto the end of the hose 11 with the cylindrical section 23 snugly received within the bore 12 of the hose 11 and the adjacent end section 14 of the hose bearing against and being radially expanded by the conical section 27, as illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings. The smooth outer surfaces 28, 30 presented by the cylindrical section 23 and the conical section 27 facilitate fitting of the inner member 13 on the hose.

The clamping ring 15 is positioned about the end section 14 of the hose so that the end section is clamped between the inner member 13 and the clamping ring.

The clamping ring 15 has two opposed ends 35, 36 with the end 35 provided with a bevel 37 for accommodating radial expansion of the end section 14 of the hose 11.

The coupling collar 17 is a female member having an internally threaded region 000 39 by means of which the coupling collar can be screw threaded onto a male spigot 40 as shown in Figure 2. The coupling collar 17 also includes an axial 15 bore 42 which opens on to the internally threaded region 39 and which is of a l S size to receive the hose 11.

A ledge 41 is defined between the internally threaded section 37 and the axial bore 39, the ledge defining a face adapted to bear against the end 36 of the clamping ring When the male spigot 40 is threadedly received within the internally threaded region 37, it bears against the inner member 13. With the coupling collar 17 engaged with the male spigot 40 and bearing against the clamping ring 15, the clamping ring 15 is urged towards the abutment section 25 thereby clamping the end section 14 of the flexible pipe between the conical section 27 and the clamping ring 15 as shown in Figure 2. In this way, the fitting 10 is clampingly retained on the end of the hose 11.

-6- The O-ring 19 is accommodated within the annular recess 31 so as to provide a fluid seal between the coupling collar 17 and the inner member 13. The O-ring 19 is seated in the groove 32 adjacent the recess.

The embodiment provides a fitting which can be conveniently fitted onto an end of a hose 11 in a simple fashion without the need for special equipment. All that is required is to position the coupling collar 17 and the clamping ring 15 onto the hose and then install the inner member 13 onto that end of the tube which requires the fitting. The clamping ring 15 is then moved into a position in which it surrounds the end section 14 of the hose. The coupling collar 17 can then be threaded onto a male spigot after the O-ring 19 has been installed in position to complete installation of the fitting and connection to the male spigot.

The smooth surface 30 presented by the conical section 27 ensures that a good seal can be established between the inner member 13 and the end section 14 of the hose 11 clamped between the conical section 27 and the clamping ring 15 The combination of the cylindrical section 23 and the conical section 27 of the inner member 13 is particularly important. The cylindrical section 23 when fitted snugly in the bore 12 of the hose 11 serves to retain the inner member 13 in place while the clamping ring 15 is moved into position to clamp the end section of the hose to the inner member.

The cylindrical section 23 of the inner member 13 also serves to give shape and form to end of a hose formed of a collapsible material, such as for example a conventional fire hose. This facilitates installation of the fitting on the hose.

Referring now to Figures 9 and 10, there is shown a fitting 50 according to a second embodiment for connecting one end of a hose 51 to a coupling member 53 of the type known as a boiler union. The coupling member 53 has a central bore 54 providing a fluid flow passage.

-7- The fitting 50 comprises a threaded section 55 formed integrally with the coupling member 53. The end of the threaded section 55 is provided with an inner member 57 comprising a cylindrical section 58 and a conical section 59.

The fitting 50 further comprises a coupling collar 56 which is adapted to threadingly engage the threaded section 55 and bear against a clamping ring (not shown), is a similar fashion to the earlier embodiment.

The fitting 50 operates in a similar fashion to the first embodiment in that an end section of the hose 51 is positioned on the inner member 57, with the cylindrical section 58 received within the bore of the hose 51 and the hose clamped 10 between the conical section 58 and the clamping ring (not shown).

Referring now to Figure 11, there is shown a fitting 60 according to a third °•go embodiment for connecting the ends of two hoses 61, 62 together. The fitting comprises a body 63 which has a central bore 65 and which defines an inner member 67 at each end of the bore 65. Each inner member 67 has a cylindrical 15 section 69 and a conical section 71.

SThe ends of the hoses 61, 62 are fitted onto the inner members 67 and clamped in position by clamping rings 70. The ends of the hoses 61, 62 are retained on the inner members 67 by respective coupling collars 73 which are threaded °:*--together. One coupling collar 73 incorporates a male threaded section 75 and the other coupling collar incorporates a complimentary female threaded section 77, whereby the two coupling collars 73 can be threaded together.

From the foregoing, it is evident that the present invention provides a simple yet highly effective arrangement for connecting an end of a flexible tube to another member.

25 It should be appreciated that the scope of the invention is not limited to the scope of the embodiment described.

(I.

-8- Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

o*

Claims

1. A fitting for an end of a flexible tube, the fitting comprising an inner member, a clamping ring and a coupling collar, the inner member comprising a body having a fluid flow passage extending therethrough, the body comprising a cylindrical section and a conical section, the cylindrical section being in use adapted to be snugly received in said end of the flexible tube with the adjacent end section of the flexible tube bearing against and being radially expanded by the conical section, and the clamping ring being positioned about said end section of the flexible tube whereby said end section is 10 clamped between the inner member and the clamping ring, and wherein the ~coupling collar is received on said end section of the flexible tube, the -•icoupling collar having a portion adapted to locate against the clamping ring •9 whereby the clamping ring is urged towards the larger end of the conical section.

2. A fitting according to claim 1 wherein the body further comprises an abutment section at the larger end of the conical section.

3. A fitting according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the body further comprises a sealing section on the side of the abutment opposite to the conical section. 9

4. A fitting according to claim 3 wherein the sealing section comprises circumferential recess adapted to receive an annular sealing element such as a rubber O-ring for providing a fluid seal between the body and the coupling collar.

A fitting according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the clamping ring has an end thereof bevelled to accommodate the radial expansion of the end section of the flexible tube.

6. A fitting according to any one of the preceding claims wherein'it is a female fitting adapted for connection to a male fitting.

7. A fitting according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the conical section presents a smooth outer surface.

8. A fitting according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the cylindrical section presents a smooth outer surface.

9. A fitting substantially as herein- described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10 Dated this nineteenth day of May 1999. S" SWAN CONCRETE WORKS PTY LTD and IVAN TOMICH Applicants Wray Associates Perth, Western Australia Patent Attorneys for the Applicant