CN113775836A

CN113775836A - Joint

Info

Publication number: CN113775836A
Application number: CN202010522880.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 蔡良; 卢傲傲; 邹锦荣; 林发勇
Original assignee: York Guangzhou Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Co Ltd; Johnson Controls Technology Co
Current assignee: York Guangzhou Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Co Ltd; Johnson Controls Technology Co
Priority date: 2020-06-10
Filing date: 2020-06-10
Publication date: 2021-12-10
Anticipated expiration: 2040-06-10
Also published as: CN113775836B

Abstract

The present application provides a coupling for fluidly connecting a threaded pipe to a light pipe, comprising: a main body portion having a cavity; a deformable connecting portion having one end connected to the main body portion, the deformable connecting portion being capable of contracting and expanding relative to the one end to change an outer circumferential dimension of the deformable connecting portion; a sealing ring disposed around the deformable connection; the pressing piece is at least partially accommodated in the accommodating cavity of the main body part and is configured to be inserted into the deformable connecting part to expand the deformable connecting part so as to press the sealing ring on the inner wall of the light pipe through the deformable connecting part, the pressing piece can be fixed relative to the main body part so as to keep the deformable connecting part in an expanded state, and the fluid passage of the pressing piece can communicate the threaded pipe with the light pipe; and one end of the threaded connecting part is connected with the main body part or the pressing part and is provided with a thread matched with the threaded pipe.

Description

Joint

Technical Field

The present application relates to couplings, and more particularly to couplings that fluidly connect a threaded pipe to a light pipe.

Background

It is often desirable in the industry to connect a threaded pipe to a light pipe, such as the inlet pipe of an air conditioner (typically a standard threaded pipe) to the water supply pipe of a customer (typically a light pipe). The prior art generally needs to weld or adhere a threaded joint on a water supply pipe (light pipe) and then connect a water inlet pipe (standard threaded pipe) of an air conditioner with the threaded joint in a threaded manner, so as to connect the water supply pipe (light pipe) with the water inlet pipe (standard threaded pipe). The whole process is complex, corresponding welding equipment and accessories are needed, time consumption is high, and efficiency is low.

Disclosure of Invention

The present application provides a joint that is easy to install and remove. The joint includes: a main body portion having a cavity; a deformable connecting portion having one end connected to the main body portion, the deformable connecting portion being capable of contracting and expanding relative to the one end to change an outer circumferential dimension of the deformable connecting portion; a sealing ring disposed around the deformable connecting portion; a compression member having a fluid passage therein, the compression member being at least partially received in the receptacle of the body portion and configured to be insertable into the deformable coupling portion to expand the deformable coupling portion to enable compression of the sealing ring against the inner wall of the light pipe by the deformable coupling portion, the compression member being securable relative to the body portion to enable retention of the deformable coupling portion in an expanded state and the fluid passage of the compression member being capable of communicating the threaded tube with the light pipe; and one end of the threaded connecting part is connected with the main body part or the pressing part, and the threaded connecting part is provided with a thread matched with the threaded pipe.

A joint according to the present application, the deformable coupling portion includes a plurality of spaced apart resilient segments arranged around an axis of the deformable coupling portion, each of the plurality of resilient segments including a connecting end connected to the body portion and a free end opposite the connecting end, outer surfaces of the plurality of resilient segments collectively forming a periphery of the deformable coupling portion, inner surfaces of each of the plurality of resilient segments collectively forming a tapered space that tapers from the connecting end toward the free end of the plurality of resilient segments.

In the coupling according to the present application, the compression member has a tapered portion and a shank portion connected to a thicker end of the tapered portion, the tapered portion being at least partially receivable in the tapered space.

According to the joint of the present application, the main body portion includes a first subsection and a second subsection connected to the deformable connection portion and the threaded connection portion, respectively, the first subsection and the second subsection being connected to each other by a thread.

In the joint according to the present application, the tapered portion and the shank together form an umbrella shape, so that an end of the tapered portion connected to the shank forms a driving surface at the periphery of the shank; the coupling further includes a plurality of drivers threadably connected to the body portion and having one end capable of abutting the drive surface to drive the compression member to expand the deformable coupling portion.

According to the joint, a partition plate is arranged in the containing cavity of the main body part, an opening and a plurality of threaded holes arranged around the opening are formed in the partition plate, and the size of the opening is configured to accommodate the handle part of the pressing piece; the driving piece is configured to pass through the plurality of threaded holes to drive the pressing piece.

A fitting according to the present application, the deformable coupling portion includes a plurality of spaced apart resilient segments disposed about an axis of the deformable coupling portion, each of the plurality of resilient segments including a connecting end connected to the body portion and a free end opposite the connecting segment, outer surfaces of the plurality of resilient segments collectively forming an outer periphery of the deformable coupling portion, inner surfaces of each of the plurality of resilient segments collectively forming a tapered space that tapers from the free end of the plurality of resilient segments toward the connecting end.

According to the joint of the application, the pressing piece has a tapered portion and a shank portion, the shank portion being connected to the thinner end of the tapered portion, the tapered portion being at least partially receivable in the tapered space in the pre-mounted state of the joint.

According to the joint of the application, the periphery of stalk portion is equipped with the external screw thread, the main part be equipped with the external screw thread matched with internal thread of stalk portion, compress tightly the piece and can move for the main part through screw-thread fit in order to expand deformable connecting portion.

According to the joint of the present application, the lower end of the seal ring is bonded to the main body portion.

Drawings

Fig. 1A is a perspective view of a joint 100 according to a first embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 1B is an exploded view of the joint 100 shown in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the deformable coupling portion 120 and the first sub-portion 102 of the body portion 110 shown in FIG. 1B taken along line A-A of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the second sub-portion 109 and the threaded connection 105 of the body portion 110 shown in FIG. 1B;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1A when the fitting 100 shown in FIG. 1A is in a pre-installed state;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1A when the coupling 100 shown in FIG. 1A connects a light pipe 590 and a threaded pipe 591;

fig. 6A is a perspective view of a joint 600 according to a second embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 6B is an exploded view of the joint 600 shown in FIG. 6A;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 6A when the fitting 600 shown in FIG. 6A is in a pre-installed state;

fig. 8A is a perspective view of a joint 800 according to a third embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 8B is an exploded view of the fitting 800 shown in FIG. 8A;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of FIG. 8A when the fitting 800 shown in FIG. 8A is in a pre-installed state;

fig. 10A is a perspective view of a joint 1000 according to a fourth embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 10B is an exploded view of the fitting 1000 shown in FIG. 10A;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D in FIG. 10A of the fitting 1000 shown in FIG. 10A in a pre-installed state;

fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a joint 1200 according to a fifth embodiment of the present application in a pre-installed state.

Detailed Description

Various embodiments of the present application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. It should be understood that although directional terms such as "front," "rear," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and the like may be used herein to describe various example structural portions and elements of the application, these terms are used herein for convenience of description only and are to be determined based on the example orientations shown in the drawings. Because the embodiments disclosed herein can be arranged in a variety of orientations, these directional terms are used for purposes of illustration only and are not to be construed as limiting.

Fig. 1A is a perspective view of a joint 100 according to a first embodiment of the present application, and fig. 1B is an exploded view of the joint 100 shown in fig. 1A, for illustrating the overall structure and specific components of the joint 100. As shown in fig. 1A and 1B, the fitting 100 has an axis X, and includes a body portion 110, and a deformable coupling portion 120 and a threaded coupling portion 105 coupled to opposite ends of the body portion 110, respectively. The deformable coupling 120 is used to couple the fitting 100 to the light pipe 590 (see FIG. 5) and the threaded coupling 105 is used to couple the fitting 100 to the threaded pipe 591 (see FIG. 5). The joint 100 further comprises a sealing ring 101, a compression member 103 and a drive member 104. Wherein a sealing ring 101 is disposed at the periphery of the deformable connecting portion 120 for sealing the gap between the joint 100 and the light pipe 590. The driving member 104 applies a driving force to the pressing member 103 to expand the deformable connecting portion 120 outward by the pressing member 103, so that the connection between the joint 100 and the light pipe 590 is achieved by the deformation of the deformable connecting portion 120.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 1B, the main body portion 110 includes a first section 102 and a second section 109. The first and

second sections

102 and 109 are each cylindrical, with the first section 102 having external threads (not shown) on an outer surface thereof and the second section 109 having internal threads (not shown) on an inner surface thereof. The outer diameter of the first section 102 and the inner diameter of the second section 109 are sized to match such that the first section 102 and the second section 109 can be threadably connected to each other. The joined first and

second sections

102, 109 together form a pocket 111 in the body portion 110.

A deformable connecting portion 120 is provided at the upper end of the first subsection 102, which has eight resilient segments 121. The eight resilient segments 121 are arranged spaced apart from each other around the axis X of the deformable connecting portion 120 (i.e., the axis X of the joint 100). Each of the eight resilient segments 121 comprises a connected end 122 connected to the first subsection 102 and a free end 123 opposite the connected end 122, the free end 123 being pivotable about the connected end 122 towards or away from the axis X, so that the eight resilient segments 121 can be collapsed or expanded relative to each other. Such that the deformable coupling portion 120 can contract or expand relative to the coupling end 122 to change the outer circumferential dimension of the deformable coupling portion 120. In the expanded position of the deformable coupling 120, the deformable coupling 120 is capable of coupling the coupling 100 with the light pipe 590 (see FIG. 5). In other embodiments, the number of the elastic segments 121 may be two or three … …, and is not limited to the eight shown in the figure.

The sealing ring 101 is made of rubber and is fitted around the deformable connecting portion 120. The seal ring 101 is cylindrical, and the size of the seal ring 101 is configured to be slightly larger than the outer circumferential size of the deformable connecting portion 120 when undeformed, and can be changed as the outer circumferential size of the deformable connecting portion 120 is changed. The inner surface of the lower end of the sealing ring 101 is bonded with the outer surface of the upper end of the first section 102 by using a sealant, so that the positioning of the sealing ring 101 is facilitated and the sealing ring 101 is prevented from falling off in the transportation process of the joint 100. In some embodiments, the height of packing ring 101 in the X-axis direction is greater than the height of deformable coupling portion 120 such that the upper end of packing ring 101 extends beyond the free end of deformable coupling portion 120, such that packing ring 101 is able to fully contain deformable coupling portion 120 within the cavity of packing ring 101. In some embodiments, the upper end of seal ring 101 is aligned with at least the free end of deformable coupling portion 120 to ensure that seal ring 101 can function as a seal.

The pressing member 103 is generally umbrella-shaped having a tapered portion 106 and a shank portion 107, the shank portion 107 being cylindrical. The cone portion 106 is at least partially received in the deformable coupling portion 120 and the stem portion 107 is at least partially received in the pocket 111 of the body portion 110. The thicker end of the tapered portion 106 is connected to one end of the shank portion 107, wherein the area of the bottom surface of the tapered portion 106 is larger than the area of the end surface of the shank portion 107 connected to the tapered portion 106, and further the portion of the bottom surface of the tapered portion 106 that exceeds the end surface of the shank portion 107 forms the driving surface 130. The drive element 104 bears against the drive surface 130 and thereby drives the pressure element 103 into movement, so that the pressure element 103 expands the deformable connecting part 120. A fluid passage 108 is provided in the compression member 103, the fluid passage 108 extending through the tapered portion 106 and the handle portion 107 along the length of the compression member 103 such that fluid may flow from the threaded tube 591/light pipe 590 into the light pipe 590/threaded tube 591 (shown more clearly in FIG. 5) via the fluid passage 108.

A threaded connection 105 is provided at the lower end of the second section 109. The threaded connection 105 includes a standard threaded configuration having standard internal or external threads to mate with external or internal threads of the threaded pipe 591. This arrangement of the threaded connection 105 facilitates direct operator selection of the fitting 100 based on the specifications of the threaded pipe 591. Threaded connection 105 has a cavity 442 (shown more clearly in fig. 4) in which cavity 442 an operator operates actuator 104 to actuate movement of compression member 103. In the present embodiment, the threaded connection portion 105 has a structure like a hexagonal nut having an internal thread. In some embodiments, the threaded connection 105 is cylindrical, having external threads.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the deformable connecting portion 120 and the first sub-portion 102 of the main body portion 110 shown in fig. 1A taken along the line a-a in fig. 1A. The deformable connecting portion 120 is in a free state, that is, the deformable connecting portion 120 is not deformed. As shown in fig. 2, each of the eight elastomeric segments 121 has an outer surface 224 and an inner surface 225. The outer surfaces 224 of the eight resilient segments 121 together form the outer perimeter of the deformable connecting portion 120. In an axial cross-section of the deformable connecting portion 120, the outer surface 224 extends obliquely outward and upward relative to the axis X and then extends upward for a distance in a direction parallel to the axis X of the joint 100. That is, the outer surface 224 is rounded above surface 227 and tapered below surface 228. Thus, the outer surfaces 224 of the eight resilient segments 121 cooperate to form the outer peripheral surface of the deformable connecting portion 120 collectively comprising a lower conical section and an upper cylindrical section. When the deformable connecting portion 120 is expanded by the pressing member 103 to deform, only a portion of the circular arc surface 227 of each resilient segment 121 contacts the inner surface of the sealing ring 101, i.e., only a portion of the upper cylindrical segment of the deformable connecting portion 120 contacts the inner surface of the sealing ring 101 (shown more clearly in fig. 5). Since the cylindrical section is located away from the connecting end 122, the amount of deformation is also greatest relative to the remainder of the deformable connecting portion 120, which facilitates increasing the range of the fitting 100 to accommodate different sized light pipes 590.

Still referring to fig. 2, each of the eight elastomeric segments 121 has an inner surface 225 extending obliquely inwardly from the attached end 122 toward the axis X of the joint 100. The inner surfaces 225 of the eight resilient segments 121 together define a tapered space 226 inside the deformable connecting portion 120, the tapered space 226 tapering from the connecting end 122 towards the free end 123 and configured to receive at least a portion of the tapered portion 106 of the compression member 103. The connecting end 122 of the deformable connecting portion 120 is not fully connected to the first section 102 but is offset such that a portion of the connecting end 122 projects inwardly from the inner surface of the first section 102. This arrangement makes it easier for the deformable connecting portion 120 to pivot about the connecting end 122. As can be seen from fig. 1B, the upper end of the first sub-portion 102 of the main body 110 is provided with a plurality of gaps, which correspond to the intervals between the eight elastic segments 121 to form extension segments of the intervals between the eight elastic segments 121, and the deformable connecting portion 120 can be deformed more easily by the arrangement of the first sub-portion 102.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the second subsection 109 and the threaded connection 105 of the main body portion 110 shown in fig. 1B, for more clearly illustrating the structure of the connection of the second subsection 109 and the threaded connection 105. As shown in fig. 3, the lower end of the second section 109, which is connected to the threaded connection 105, is provided with a partition 317, the partition 317 being arranged transversely to the axis X to separate the internal space of the second section 109 from the internal space of the threaded connection 105. The partition 317 has an opening 315 in the center, the inner diameter of the opening 315 matching the size of the shank 107 of the pressure element 103, so that the pressure element 103 can be limited by the opening 315 to be movable only in the direction of the axis X of the joint 100. In addition, a retaining portion 441 (shown more clearly in fig. 4) is provided around the opening 315 and extends upwardly from the upper surface of the partition 317 for a distance, the retaining portion 441 forming an annular guide wall that guides the direction of movement of the presser member 103. The provision of the holding portion 441 can better restrict the pressing member 103 from deflecting when moving along the axis X of the joint 100.

Four threaded holes 316 (threads not shown) are also provided around the opening 315 of the partition 317. Each threaded hole 316 mates with a driver 104, and the diameter of the threaded hole 316 is configured to match the size of the driver 104. In the present embodiment, the driving member 104 is a bolt, and includes a rod portion 161 having an external thread, and the lower end of the rod portion 161 has a screw portion 162 having an outer circumferential dimension larger than that of the rod portion 161 and protruding from the rod portion 161. The driver 104 is threaded into the threaded bore 316 of the spacer 317 and extends into the cavity 111 of the body 110. The upper end of the rod 161 of the driving member 104 abuts against the driving surface 130, and the screwing portion 162 of the driving member 104 is rotated to push the pressing member 103 to move upward. The threaded engagement of the driver 104 with the threaded bore 316 ensures the positioning of the driver 104 in a direction parallel to the axis X of the fitting 100. In other embodiments, the drivers 104 may be screws, and the number of drivers 104 may also be two, three … …, rather than being limited to the four shown in the figures.

In some embodiments, the partition 317 may be provided inside the second section 109 or inside the threaded connection 105, as long as the partition can cooperate with the compression member 103 and the driving member 104 as described above.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1A of the fitting 100 of FIG. 1A in a pre-installed state to better illustrate the relationship between the components. As shown in fig. 4, the sealing ring 101 surrounds the deformable connecting portion 120, and the sealing ring 101 also surrounds and contacts the upper end of the first sub-portion 102 of the main body portion 110. The sealing ring 101 may be connected to the outside of the upper end of the first section 102, for example, by being bonded with a sealant, or may be disconnected. In other embodiments, the sealing ring 101 may surround only the deformable connecting portion 120, or even only the upper cylindrical section of the deformable connecting portion 120.

With continued reference to fig. 4, in the pre-installed state, the hold down member 103 passes from the receptacle 442 of the threaded connection 105, through the receptacle 111 of the body portion 110, and into the tapered space 226 of the deformable connection 120. The tapered outer surface of the tapered portion 106 of the compression member 103 conforms to the inner surface 225 of the undeformed deformable coupling portion 120. The end of the shank 107 of the pressure-exerting element 103 facing away from the taper 106 projects into the receptacle 442 of the threaded connection 105, which makes it possible to define the direction of movement of the pressure-exerting element 103 by means of the opening 315 and the retaining portion 441 therearound, which prevents the pressure-exerting element 103 from deflecting during the movement. The upper end of the shank 161 of the driver 104 abuts against the driving surface 130 with its screw 162 located in the receptacle 442 of the threaded connection 105. The driver 104 is able to remain stationary relative to the body portion 110 in a direction parallel to the axis X of the joint 100 by engagement with the threaded bore 316. This allows the components of the connector 100 to be positioned with respect to each other in the pre-installed state, which is advantageous in preventing scattering of the connector 100 during transportation and noise generated by collision between the components. In other embodiments, other pre-mounting arrangements may be used, for example, the tapered portion 106 of the compression member 103 may be located in the cavity 111 of the body portion 110 without extending into the tapered space 226 of the deformable coupling portion 120.

It should be noted that, in some embodiments, the pressing member 103 may have other shapes as long as the pressing member 103 can move along the axis X of the joint 100 and can support the deformable connecting portion 120. In some embodiments, the deformable connecting portion 120 may have other shapes as long as it can be expanded by the pressing member 103. Further embodiments of the deformable connecting portion 120 will be explained below. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the shape of the compression member 103 does not have to match the shape of the deformable connecting portion 120, as long as the compression member 103 can spread the deformable connecting portion 120 apart.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along a line a-a of fig. 1A when the joint 100 shown in fig. 1A connects the light pipe 590 and the threaded pipe 591, for illustrating the working principle of the joint 100. As shown in fig. 5, the driving member 104 drives the pressing member 103 to move along the axis X of the joint 100, so that the deformable connecting portion 120 deforms, the joint 100 is fixedly connected to the light pipe 590, and the threaded pipe 591 is connected to the joint 100, so as to connect the light pipe 590 to the threaded pipe 591.

Specifically, the coupling 100 is first coupled to the light pipe 590. The operator inserts the sealing ring 101 of the joint 100 in the pre-installed state into the light pipe 590, and then rotates the screw portion 162 of the driving member 104 to drive the pressing member 103 to move upward along the axis X direction of the joint 100. Since the lower end of the conical portion 106 of the pressure piece 103 is thicker than the upper end of the deformable connecting portion 120, as the lower end of the conical portion 106 of the pressure piece 103 enters up into the upper end of the deformable connecting portion 120, the conical portion 106 of the pressure piece 103 presses the resilient section 121 of the deformable connecting portion 120 from the inside, so that the resilient section 121 is spread open outwards, i.e. pivots outwards about the connecting end 122. That is, the deformable connecting portion 120 is outwardly expanded as a whole. The deformable coupling portion 120 presses the upper end of the sealing ring 101 outward due to the outward expansion, so that the upper end of the sealing ring 101 presses the inner wall of the light pipe 590 until the sealing ring 101 is pressed against the inner wall of the light pipe 590 by the deformable coupling portion 120. To this end, the coupling 100 is securely coupled to the light pipe 590. Due to the thread fit structure of the rod portion 161 of the driving member 104 and the threaded hole 316, the driving member 104 can hold the pressing member 103 at a position of spreading the elastic section 121 of the deformable connecting portion 120, so that the connector 100 and the light pipe 590 are kept in a fastening connection state.

The fitting 100 is then connected with the threaded pipe 591. The operator connects threaded tube 591 with threaded connection 105 of fitting 100, thereby completing the connection of light pipe 590 with threaded tube 591.

According to the present application, the driving member 104 of the coupling 100 has a driving distance H (shown more clearly in fig. 4), which is the maximum distance that the driving member 104 can drive the pressing member 103 to move, and which is used to limit the tapered portion 106 of the pressing member 103 from passing completely through the deformable coupling portion 120, so as to ensure that the tapered portion 106 of the pressing member 103 can provide a continuous pressing force to the deformable coupling portion 120. Specifically, in the first embodiment, the driving distance H is the distance from the top of the screw part 162 to the bottom of the partition 317 when the driving member 104 is at the initial position in the pre-installation state shown in fig. 4.

When it is desired to separate the light pipe 590 and the threaded pipe 591, an operator first separates the threaded pipe 591 from the threaded connection 105, and then, by rotating the screw 162 of the driving member 104 in the reverse direction, the driving member 104 is separated from the driving surface 130 of the pressing member 103, which makes the pressing member 103 no longer receive the upward driving force of the driving member 104 and can not press against the deformable connection 120 any more, which makes the elastic section 121 of the deformable connection 120 gradually contract inward, causing the pressing member 103 to move downward along the axis X of the joint 100 until the deformable connection 120 returns to the pre-installation state. Thus, the sealing ring 101 is separated from the inner wall of the light pipe 590, so that the joint 100 can be taken out of the light pipe 590.

In the process of installing and removing the joint 100, an operator does not need to use an additional tool other than the joint 100, such as a welding machine, and the like, and the operation process of installing and removing is simple and reliable, which can greatly improve the efficiency of installing and removing the joint 100. In addition, the joint 100 of the present application can be adapted to accommodate multiple specifications of light pipes 590. This is because, in the range of the height of the tapered portion 106, as the distance by which the pressing member 103 moves upward in the direction of the axis X of the joint 100 changes, the magnitude of deformation of the deformable connecting portion 120 also changes. Therefore, the connector 100 can be adapted to different specifications of light pipes 590 by properly setting the height of the taper 106.

Other embodiments of the joint of the present application will be described below, which are similar to the operation principle, the mounting and dismounting process of the joint 100 of the first embodiment, and therefore, the repetitive parts of the structure will not be specifically explained.

Fig. 6A is a perspective view of a joint 600 according to a second embodiment of the present application, and fig. 6B is an exploded view of the joint 600 shown in fig. 6A. As shown in fig. 6A and 6B, the joint 600 also includes a body portion 610, a deformable connecting portion 620, a seal ring 601, a compression member 603, and a threaded connecting portion 605. The joint 600 according to the second embodiment mainly differs from the joint 100 according to the first embodiment in that: the joint 600 is not provided with a driving member, the main body portion 610 is not divided into two parts, the screw-coupling portion 605 is coupled to the lower end of the pressing member 603, and the pressing member 603 has a different structure and the like.

Specifically, the hold down 603 has a tapered portion 606 and a shank portion 607, the shank portion 607 being cylindrical. The thicker end of the tapered portion 606 is connected to one end of the shank portion 607 and is as thick as the shank portion 607. That is, the area of the bottom surface of the tapered portion 106 is equal to the area of the end surface of the shank 607 that contacts the tapered portion 606. Thus, there is no drive surface between the taper 606 and the shank 607 as in the first embodiment. The cross-sectional diameter of the shank portion 607 matches the cross-sectional diameter of the inner surface of the body portion 610. The outer surface of the shank 607 has external threads, the inner surface of the body portion 610 has internal threads (not shown), and the pressing member 603 is moved and positioned relative to the body portion 610 by a screw-fit.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of fig. 6A of the fitting 600 shown in fig. 6A in a pre-installed state to better illustrate the relationship between the components. As shown in fig. 7, in the pre-installed state, the tapered portion 606 of the hold down 603 is received in the deformable coupling portion 620, and the lower end of the body portion 610 is at a certain driving distance H from the upper end of the threaded coupling portion 605, the distance H being the maximum distance that the hold down 603 can move relative to the body portion 610. When mounting, by rotating the pressing member 603 to move upward along the axis X of the joint 600, the tapered portion 606 presses the deformable connecting portion 620 from the inside, so that the upper end of the sealing ring 601 presses the inner wall of the light pipe 590, until the joint 600 is tightly connected with the light pipe 590 by the deformable connecting portion 620. The working principle and process of the coupling 600 for connecting a light pipe and a threaded pipe are similar to those of the coupling 100 according to the first embodiment, and are not described herein in detail.

Fig. 8A is a perspective view of a joint 800 according to a third embodiment of the present application, fig. 8B is an exploded view of the joint 800 shown in fig. 8A, and fig. 9 is a sectional view taken along line C-C in fig. 8A when the joint 800 shown in fig. 8A is in a pre-installed state. As shown in fig. 8A-9, fitting 800 includes a body portion 810, a deformable coupling portion 820, a sealing ring 801, a compression member 803, and a threaded coupling portion 805. The joint 800 according to the third embodiment is similar to the joint 600 according to the second embodiment, except that the deformable connecting portion 820 and the tapered portion 806 of the joint 800 have different structures from the deformable connecting portion 620 and the tapered portion 606 of the joint 600.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 8B and 9, the deformable connecting portion 820 has eight elastic segments 821. The eight resilient segments 821 are spaced apart from one another about the axis X of the joint 800. Each of the eight resilient segments 821 includes a connecting end 822 connected to the main body portion 810 and a free end 823 opposite to the connecting end 822, the free end 823 being pivotable about the connecting end 822 toward or away from the axis X, so that the eight resilient segments 821 can be collapsed or expanded with respect to each other. Thus, deformable connector portion 820 can be contracted or expanded relative to connecting end 822 to change the outer circumferential dimension of deformable connector portion 820. In the expanded position of the deformable connector 820, the deformable connector 820 is able to connect the fitting 800 with the light pipe 590. In other embodiments, the number of the elastic segments 821 may be two, three … … instead of being limited to the eight shown in the figure. Each of the eight resilient segments 821 has an outer surface 824 and an inner surface 825. The outer surfaces 824 of the eight resilient segments 821 collectively form the outer perimeter of the deformable connecting portion 820. The outer circumference of the deformable connecting portion 820 is similar in shape to the outer circumference of the deformable connecting portion 620 in the second embodiment.

For each resilient segment 821, its inner surface 825 extends in the same direction as the outer surface 824. Specifically, the inner and

outer surfaces

825, 824 extend from the connecting end 822 obliquely upwardly and outwardly away from the axis X of the fitting 800 and then upwardly in a direction generally parallel to the axis X of the fitting 800. Thus, each resilient segment 821 forms a resilient flap. The inner surfaces 825 of the eight resilient segments 821 define a tapered space 826 within the deformable connecting portion 820, the tapered space 826 tapering from the free end 823 towards the connecting end 823 and being capable of receiving the tapered portion 806 of the compression member 803. The tapered portion 806 is shaped similarly to the tapered space 826, and is also of an inverted cone shape. The tapered portion 806 is connected at its thinner lower end to a cylindrical shank 807, and the area of the bottom surface of the lower end of the tapered portion 806 is equal to the area of the cross section of the shank 807. Of course, the diameter of the cross-section of the stem 807 can be set smaller than the diameter of the base of the taper 806.

For the joint 800, by rotating the pressing member 803 to make the tapered portion 806 move downwards along the axis X direction of the joint 800, the thicker upper end of the tapered portion 806 can be made to press the deformable connecting portion 820 from the inner side, so that the elastic section 821 of the deformable connecting portion 820 is expanded, and the deformable connecting portion 820 is deformed to press the upper end of the sealing ring 801 outwards, so that the upper end of the sealing ring 801 presses the inner wall of the light pipe 590, until the sealing ring 801 is pressed on the inner wall of the light pipe 590 by the deformable connecting portion 820. In making the fitting 800, the tapered portion 806 is separate from the stem portion 807, and the deformable connecting portion 820 is also separate from the body portion 810. In pre-installation, shank portion 807 is inserted into body portion 810, then tapered portion 806 is welded to shank portion 807, and deformable connecting portion 820 is welded to body portion 810 to achieve the pre-installation condition shown in FIG. 9.

Fig. 10A is a perspective view of a joint 1000 according to a fourth embodiment of the present application, and fig. 10B is an exploded view of the joint 1000 shown in fig. 10A. As shown in fig. 10A and 10B, the joint 1000 includes a main body portion 1010, a deformable connecting portion 1020, a seal ring 1001, a pressing member 1003, and a screw connecting portion 1005. The joint 1000 according to the fourth embodiment is similar to the joint 600 of the second embodiment except that in the fourth embodiment, the screw-coupling portion 1005 is directly coupled to the lower end of the body portion 1010, and the lower end of the pressing member 1003 has a prism portion 1050 for facilitating gripping and rotation with a tool.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D in fig. 10A of the fitting 1000 shown in fig. 10A in a pre-installed state to better illustrate the relationship between the components. As shown in fig. 11, in the pre-installed state, the prism portion 1050 of the pressing member 1003 is located in the threaded connection portion 1005 and has a driving distance H from the top inner surface of the threaded connection portion 1005, the driving distance H being the maximum distance that the pressing member 1003 can move relative to the main body portion 1010. When the connector is installed, an operator rotates the prism 1050 of the pressing member 1003 by using a tool to move the pressing member 1003 upwards along the axis X direction of the connector 1000, the tapered portion 1006 presses the deformable connecting portion 1020 from the inner side, so that the deformable connecting portion 1020 expands outwards, and the upper end of the sealing ring 1001 presses the inner wall of the light pipe 590 until the connector 1000 and the light pipe 590 are fixedly connected together through the deformable connecting portion 1020.

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a joint 1200 according to a fifth embodiment of the present application in a pre-installed state. As shown in fig. 12, fitting 1200 includes body portion 1210, deformable coupling portion 1220, sealing ring 1201, compression member 1203, and threaded coupling portion 1205. Joint 1200 of the fifth embodiment is similar to joint 1000 of the fourth embodiment, except that deformable coupling portion 1220 and tapered portion 1206 of joint 1200 of the fifth embodiment are implemented using the structures of deformable coupling portion 820 and tapered portion 806 of the third embodiment.

Although the present application will be described with reference to the particular embodiments shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the joints of the present application may be susceptible to many variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the teachings of the present application. Those of ordinary skill in the art will also realize that there are different ways of varying the details of the structures in the embodiments disclosed in this application that fall within the spirit and scope of the application and the claims.

Claims

1. A fitting (100) for fluidly connecting a threaded pipe (591) with a light pipe (590), characterized by: the method comprises the following steps:

a main body part (110), wherein the main body part (110) is provided with a cavity (111);

a deformable connecting portion (120), one end of the deformable connecting portion (120) being connected to the main body portion (110), the deformable connecting portion (120) being capable of contracting and expanding relative to the one end to change an outer circumferential dimension of the deformable connecting portion (120);

a sealing ring (101), the sealing ring (101) being arranged around the deformable connection portion (120);

a compression member (103), the compression member (103) having a fluid passage (108) therein, the compression member (103) being at least partially received in the cavity (111) of the main body portion (110), and the compression member (103) being configured to be insertable into the deformable connecting portion (120) to expand the deformable connecting portion (120) to enable compression of the sealing ring (101) against the inner wall of the light pipe (590) by the deformable connecting portion (120), wherein the compression member (103) is fixable relative to the main body portion (110) to enable retention of the deformable connecting portion (120) in an expanded state, and wherein the fluid passage (108) of the compression member (103) is configured to communicate the threaded tube (591) with the light pipe (590); and

a threaded connection portion (105), one end of the threaded connection portion (105) being connected to the main body portion (110) or the compression member (103), and the threaded connection portion (105) having a thread that matches the threaded pipe (591).

2. The fitting (100) of claim 1, wherein:

the deformable connecting portion (120) comprises a plurality of elastic segments (121) arranged at intervals, the plurality of elastic segments (121) are arranged around the axis of the deformable connecting portion (120), each of the plurality of elastic segments (121) comprises a connecting end (122) connected with the main body portion (110) and a free end (123) opposite to the connecting end (122), the outer surfaces (224) of the plurality of elastic segments (121) jointly form the periphery of the deformable connecting portion (120), the inner surfaces (225) of each of the plurality of elastic segments (121) jointly form a conical space (226), and the conical space (226) is tapered from the connecting end (122) to the free end (123) of the plurality of elastic segments (121).

3. The fitting (100) of claim 2, wherein:

the pressing piece (103) has a tapered portion (106) and a shank portion (107), the shank portion (107) being connected to a thicker end of the tapered portion (106), the tapered portion (106) being at least partially receivable in the tapered space (226).

4. The fitting (100) of claim 3, wherein:

the body portion (110) comprises a first subsection (102) and a second subsection (109), the first subsection (102) and the second subsection (109) being connected to the deformable connection (120) and the threaded connection (105), respectively, the first subsection (102) and the second subsection (109) being connected to each other by a thread.

5. The fitting (100) of claim 3, wherein:

the conical part (106) and the handle part (107) form an umbrella shape together, so that the end of the conical part (106) connected with the handle part (107) forms a driving surface (130) at the periphery of the handle part (107);

the coupling (100) further comprises a plurality of drivers (104), the drivers (104) being threadedly connected to the body portion (110), and one end of the drivers (104) being capable of abutting the drive surface (130) to drive the compression member (103) to expand the deformable connection portion (120).

6. The fitting (100) of claim 5, wherein:

a partition plate (317) is arranged in the accommodating cavity (111) of the main body part (110), an opening (315) and a plurality of threaded holes (316) arranged around the opening (315) are arranged on the partition plate (317), and the opening (315) is configured to be capable of accommodating the handle part (107) of the pressing piece (103);

wherein the driving member (104) is configured to be capable of passing through the plurality of threaded holes (316) to drive the pressing member (103).

7. The fitting (100) of claim 1, wherein:

the deformable connecting portion (820) comprises a plurality of spaced apart resilient segments (821), the plurality of resilient segments (821) being arranged around an axis of the deformable connecting portion (820), each of the plurality of resilient segments (821) comprising a connecting end (822) connected to the main body portion (810) and a free end (823) opposite the connecting segment, outer surfaces (824) of the plurality of resilient segments (821) collectively forming an outer circumference of the deformable connecting portion (820), inner surfaces (825) of each of the plurality of resilient segments (821) collectively forming a tapered space (826), the tapered space (826) tapering from the free end (823) of the plurality of resilient segments (821) towards the connecting end (822).

8. The fitting (100) of claim 7, wherein:

the pressing element (803) has a conical portion (806) and a shank portion (807), the shank portion (807) being connected to the thinner end of the conical portion (806), the conical portion (806) being at least partially receivable in the conical space (826) in the pre-mounted state of the joint (100).

9. The joint (100) according to claim 3 or 8, wherein:

the outer periphery of the handle portion (807) is provided with an external thread, the main body portion (810) is provided with an internal thread which is matched with the external thread of the handle portion (807), and the pressing piece (803) can move relative to the main body portion (810) through thread matching so as to expand the deformable connecting portion (820).

10. The fitting (100) of claim 1, wherein:

the lower end of the seal ring (101) is bonded to the main body portion (110).