AU731428B2

AU731428B2 - Fitting with two tubular members rotatable relative to each other

Info

Publication number: AU731428B2
Application number: AU31576/97A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Waterson Chen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-07-28
Filing date: 1997-07-28
Publication date: 2001-03-29
Anticipated expiration: 2017-07-28
Also published as: AU3157697A

Description

V'

S F Ref: 386607

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

99 9 9* *9

S

*9 *9 Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: Waterson No. 477, Taichung

TAIWAN

Chen Kuo-Kuang Rd.

City Waterson Chen Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia Fitting with Two Tubular Members Rotatable Relative to Each Other t 8 The following statement is a full description of this Invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5845 1-- TITLE: FITTING WITH TWO TUBULAR MEMBERS ROTATABLE RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER The invention relates to a fitting, more particularly to a fitting with two tubular members which are rotatable relative to each other.

Referring to Figure 1, a conventional fitting is shown to includes a one-piece tubular member 10 having a first tubular portion 101 adapted to be connected to a first hose in use, and a second tubular portion 102 which extends integrally and axially from the first tubular portion 101 and which is adapted to be .::connected threadedly to a second hose in use so as to permit passage of a fluid through the conventional o.

e fitting. The conventional fitting further includes a eoooo 15 pair of press arms 12 each of which is mounted pivotally to the pivot ears 13 of the first tubular portion 101 near a respective one of the radial openings 1011 formed through the first tubular portion 101. Each of the press arms 12 has a cam face and is pivotable to a locking position in which the cam face extends into the respective radial opening 1011 and 1 presses against an external surface of the first hose thereby securing the hose in the first tubular portion 101 of the conventional fitting.

Because the tubular member 10 cannot be idly rotated relative to the hoses in the event either of the hoses Q) is twisted relative to the 2one-piece tubular member 10, flow speed of fluid is partially and even wholly hindered in the conventional fitting.

An object of this invention is to provide a fitting which includes two tubular members rotatable relative thereto.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fitting including two tubular members whigh can be easily interconnected.

Accordingly, a fitting of this invention includes first and second tubular members which are connected :rotatably to each other. In case two hoses are connected to the first and second tubular members respectively and are twisted relative to each other, 15 the twisted hose can be straightened by relative rotation of the first and second tubular members, thereby permitting smooth flow of fluid through the fitting.

Other features and advantages of this invention will become more apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a conventional fitting in use; Figure 2 is an exploded view of a fitting of this invention; Figure 3 is a sectional view of the fitting of this invention; 3-- Figure 4 is a schematic view illustrating engagement of two tubular members of the fitting according to this invention; and Figure 5 is a sectional view of the fitting of this invention in use.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, a fitting of this invention includes a first tubular member 30, a second tubular member 40, an annular seal ring 311, and a pair of press arms 34.

As illustrated, the first tubular member 30 has a connecting end portion 31, and a receiving end portion :37 having an inner peripheral surface which is formed oooo with a first inward flange 371 and a second inward flange 372 that project therefrom. The first and a..

15 second inward flanges 371, 372 are adjacent to each other so as to cooperatively define an annular first small groove 370 therebetween. The inner peripheral surface of the receiving end portion 37 further has an annular large groove 375 formed therein near the first inward flange 371 in such a manner that the first inward flange 371 is located between the second inward flange 372 and the large groove 375. The first inward flange 371 defines the smallest inner diameter of the first tubular member 30 thereat. The second inward flange 372 defines a large inner diameter of the first tubular member 30 thereat which is larger than the smallest inner diameter.

4-- The second member 40 has an engaging end portion 401 adapted to be connected to a first hose 200 in use, and an insert end portion 402 which extends into the receiving end portion 37 of the first tubular member 30 and which has an annular flat end face 402A, and an outer peripheral surface 402B formed with a first outward flange 41 and a second outward flange 42 that project therefrom. The first and second outward flanges 41, 42 are adjacent to each other and define cooperatively an annular second small groove 44 therebetween. The first outward flange 41 defines the largest outer diameter of the second tubular member oooo thereat which is larger than the smallest inner diameter of the first tubular member 30. The second 15 outward flange 42 defines a small outer diameter of the second tubular member 40 thereat which is larger than the smallest inner diameter of the first tubular member but smaller than the largest outer diameter of the second tubular member 40. A gap 45 is located between the second inward and outward flanges 372, 42. The o first inward flange 371 is located between the first and second outward flanges 41, 42. The first inward and outward flanges 371, 41 have inclined surfaces 3710, 410 which engage each other so as to enable the first inward flange 371 to move into a space between the first and second outward flanges 41, 42 of the second tubular member 40 during assembly of the members The rubber seal ring 311 is received within the large groove 375 of the first tubular member 30 and presses against the annular end surface 402A of the second tubular member 40 so as to establish a liquidtight seal between the inclined surfaces 3710, 410 of the first inward and outward flanges 371, 41.

A C-shaped retaining ring 43 of stainless steel is received within the first and second small grooves 370, 44 of the first and second tubular members 30, 40 and has a diameter larger than the gap 45 which is defined between the second inward and outward flanges 372, 42 oooo so as to retain the first and second tubular members 30, 40 together and so as to prevent removal of the 15 ring 43 from the first and second small grooves 370, 44 of the first and second tubular members 30, The connecting end portion 31 of the first tubular 0.0 member 30 has two opposite radial openings 312 formed through a wall thereof. Each of the press arms 34 is mounted pivotally on the pivot ears 313 of the first S. tubular member 30 adjacent to the respective radial opening 312. Each of the press arms 34 further has a positioning seat 341 formed with an axial positioning bore 341A therethrough, and a spring-loaded retaining bolt 35 disposed in the positioning bore 341A of the seat 341.

Referring to Figure 5, in use, after threadedly 6connecting the first hose 200 to the engaging end portion of the second tubular member 40, a second hose 100 is inserted into the connecting end portion 31 of the first tubular member 30. The press arms 34 are pressed onto the second tubular member 40 so as to be in the locking position such that the cam faces 342 of the press arms 34 extend through the radial openings 312 so as to engage within an outer peripheral groove 100A of the hose 100. Under this condition, the distal ends 351 of the retaining latches 35 extends into the holes 33 of the plates 32 interconnecting the :.::ears 313 (see Fig. thereby locking the hose 100 in ooo. the first tubular member 30. The latches 35 are provided with two pull rings 36 respectively so that 15 outward pull of the rings 36 permits the press arms 34 to be pivoted to the unlocking positions.

Because the hose 100 is inserted into the first tubular member 30 so that when flowing through the ~connector of this invention, the fluid does not contact with the first tubular member 30. Thus, the first S tubular member 30 can be made from a cheap material, such as cast iron, while the second tubular member can be made from stainless steel so as to reduce manufacturing cost of the fitting of this invention.

In the event either one of the hoses 100, 200 is twisted, thereby hindering or blocking flow of fluid through the fitting, the first and second tubular 7members 30, 40 can be rotated relative to each other so as to straighten the twisted portion of the hoses 100, 200 and so as to permit flow of fluid through the first and second tubular~member 100, 200.

Claims

8-- The Claims defining the invention are as follows: 1. A fitting including a first tubular member and a second tubular member coupled with the first tubular member, wherein the improvements comprise: the first and second tubular members being formed separately, the first tubular member having a connecting end portion adapted to be connected to a first hose in use, and a receiving end portion having an inner peripheral surface formed with a first inward flange and a second inward flange projecting therefrom which are adjacent to each other so as to cooperatively define an annular first small groove therebetween, the inner peripheral surface of the receiving end portion further having an annular large groove formed therein ooooe 15 near the first inward flange in such a manner that the first inward flange is located between the second ooo inward flange and the large groove, the first inward flange defining the smallest inner diameter of the first tubular member thereat, the second inward flange defining a large inner diameter of the first tubular member thereat which is larger than the smallest inner diameter; the second member having an engaging end portion adapted to be connected to a second hose in use, and an insert end portion extending into the receiving end portion of the first tubular member and having an annular flat end face, and an outer peripheral surface
9-- formed with a first outward flange and a second outward flange projecting therefrom which are adjacent to each other and which define cooperatively an annular second small groove therebetween, the first outward flange defining the largest outer diameter of the second tubular member thereat which is larger than the smallest inner diameter of the first tubular member, the second outer flange defining a small outer diameter of the second tubular member thereat which is larger than the smallest inner diameter of the first tubular member but smaller than the largest outer diameter of :the second tubular member, a gap being located between the second inward and outward flanges, the first inward flange being located between the first and second 15 outward flanges, the first inward and outward flanges having inclined surfaces which engage each other so as to enable the first inward flange to move into a space between the first and second outward flanges during assembly of the first and second tubular members; *0*9 a seal ring received within the large groove of the .first tubular member and pressing against the annular end surface of the second tubular member so as to establish a liquid-tight seal between the inclined surfaces of the first inward and outward flanges; and a C-shaped retaining ring received within the first and second small grooves and having a diameter larger than the gap defined between the second inward and outward flanges so as to retain the first and second tubular members together and so as to prevent removal of the retaining ring from the first and second small grooves. 2. The fitting as defined in Claim 1, wherein the connecting end portion of the first tubular member has a radial opening formed through a wall'thereof, the connector further including a press arm which is mounted pivotally on the first tubular member, the press arm extending through the the radial opening and having a cam face which is adapted to pressagainst an external surface of the first hose so as to secure the first hose in the first tubular member. 3. The fitting as defined in Claim 1, wherein the first 15 tubular member is made from cast iron, the second tubular member being made from stainless steel so as to reduce manufacturing cost of the fitting. 4. The fitting substantially as described hereinbefore with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 2 to *5* g 20 of the accompanying drawings. DATED this TWENTY FIRST day of JULY 1997 Waterson Chen Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON