GB2486004A

GB2486004A - A light-transmissible pipe coupling

Info

Publication number: GB2486004A
Application number: GB201020309A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gordon Leonard Meyers
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-12-01
Filing date: 2010-12-01
Publication date: 2012-06-06
Anticipated expiration: 2030-12-01
Also published as: GB201020309D0; GB2486004B

Abstract

A light-transmissible pipe coupling 10 comprising a hollow body /socket 12, a pipe-stop 28 formed within the hollow socket and viewable through the wall of the socket, the socket comprising a translucent / transparent O-ring seal seat 32 within which is located an O-ring 36, and a translucent / transparent pipe engagement seat 34 accommodating a pipe engagement element 38, the pipe coupling further comprising a translucent / transparent collar 14 which engages the end of the hollow body to increase engagement with a pipe. Ideally, the pipe-stop abutment 28 is of a different colour or opaque compared to the transparent coupling. The O-ring seals may be black, so that there is a visible contrast between parts of the see-through coupling. The pipe engaging elements are preferably gripping rings with teeth. Envisaged is a transparent push-fit coupling / quick-connector made from micro-crystalline polyamide resin or polyphenyl sulfone, enabling a user to see if an inserted pipe has abutted the pipe-stop.

Description

Light-Transmissible Pipe Coupling The present invention relates to a light-transmissible pipe coupling, and preferably but not necessarily exclusively to a transparent pipe coupling.

Pipe couplings, and in particular more recent push-fit pipe couplings, for example those developed by John Guest RTM, must be installed conectly or leaks will occur. During installation, it is an easy matter not to push an end of a pipe fully home into the coupling body. This can lead to the gripping ring not engaging properly or, if the coupling body is axially misaligned, the 0-ring seal not forming a water-tight seal around the circumference of the pipe surface.

Furthermore, during installation, the 0-ring and/or the gripping ring may not be initially seated correctly or may be slightly unseated or skewed during the installation of the pipe. This again can lead to immediate leakage problems or leakage over the long term.

According to the present invention, there is provided a light-transmissible pipe coupling comprising a light-transmissible hollow body, a pipe-stop formed within the hollow body and viewable through a wall of the hollow body, a light-transmissible 0-ring seat formed between the pipe-stop and an end of the hollow body, an 0-ring seated on the 0-ring seat, a light-transmissible pipe engagement seat formed between the pipe-stop and an end of the hollow body, a pipe engagement element seated on the pipe engagement seat, a light-transmissible end collar which is engagable with an end of the hollow body for increasing engagement with a pipe.

Preferable and/or optional features of the invention are set forth in claims 2 to 16, inclusive.

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of a light-transmissible pipe coupling, in accordance with the present invention; and Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the light-transmissible pipe coupling shown in Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a light-transmissible pipe coupling 10, in this case being a push-fit engagable pipe coupling, which comprises a T-shaped hollow body 12 and a screw-threaded collar 14 at each end 16. Although the hollow body 12 is T-shaped in this embodiment, the hollow body may simply be a straight through bore with no junction or it may provide an angled, typically right angled, bore.

The T-shaped hollow body 12 in this case includes a straight-through bore 18 with a perpendicular junction 20 extending from the straight-through bore 18 partway therealong. An exterior screw-thread 22 is formed at or adjacent to each end 16 of the hollow body 12, and a mating interior screw-thread 24 is formed at or adjacent to a proximal end 26 of each collar 14.

The hollow body 12 and the collar 14 are both entirely transparent, being formed of, for example, plastics resins preferably having heat resistance characteristics. For example, PPSU (polyphenyl sulfone), PES (polyether sulfone), denatured PPE (denatured polyphenylene ether), PET (polyether imide) and PC (polycarbonate) can be considered.

A further option would be to use a micro-crystalline polyamide resin. This material is beneficial in resisting elongation and stress cracking during use. More specifically, this resin satisfies tensional performance and hot internal pressure creep properties with a large yield point elongation, being 6% or more, and a suitable press fit interference of 3 to 5% relative to pipe insertion.

A specific example of a micro-crystalline polyamide which is suitable for the transparent resin of the invention is a polyamide resin (Trogamide CX7323) manufactured by Daicel-Degussa Ltd. This resin is colourless and transparent and is excellent in chemical resistance, impact resistance, climate resistance, and dimensional stability, and can be conveniently formed by injection moulding.

A pipe-stop 28 against which an inserted pipe end abuts to show its fully home is formed within the bore 18 of the hollow body 12 between the junction 20 and each end 16. The pipe-stop 28 is a raised radially inwardly projecting continuous arcuate shoulder, lip or flange. However, the pipe-stop 28 may be discontinuous.

The pipe-stop 28 is also preferably formed of light-transmissible material, and is conveniently integrally formed as one-piece with the hollow body 12. Although transparent in this embodiment, the pipe-stop 28 may beneficially be a different colour to that of the hollow body 12. This is beneficial since the transparent pipe-stop 28 being of the same colour as the transparent hollow body 12 may blend together to cause confusion, for example, with other interior moulding marks of the hollow body 12.

Therefore, even though preferably transparent, the pipe-stop 28 may beneficially include a different colour or tint, for example, red, blue or black, when moulded which can be clearly seen through the transparent bore wall 30 of the hollow body 12. This also helps to delineate an end of an inserted pipe, so that an installer can clearly see its position relative to the hollow body 12 and the pipe-stop 28.

As an alternative, the pipe-stop 28 may be opaque, again being formed as such during the forming process of the hollow body 12. Again, an opaque pipe-stop 28 clearly delineates the pipe-stop 28 through the bore wall 30 of the hollow body 12, which is beneficial for the installer. A benefit of the pipe-stop 28 being transparent, especially if of a different colour to the hollow body 12, rather than opaque is that, because the inserted pipe is opaque, transparency provides greater differentiation of parts for the installer.

Between each pipe-stop 28 and its respective end 16 is formed a light-transmissible 0-ring seat 32 and a light-transmissible pipe engagement seat 34. The 0-ring seat 32 is, in this embodiment, a continuous arcuate shoulder formed in the bore wall 30 of the hollow body 12 adjacent to the end 16 of the hollow body 12. The shoulder therefore defines a step in the bore 18 whereby the bore 18 has a greater internal diameter leading from the end 16 into the bore 18, before it steps down to a smaller internal diameter towards the centre of the hollow body 12.

The 0-ring seat 32, as with the pipe-stop 28, may be transparent but of a different colour or tint to the clear hollow body 12. This again aids clear delineation for an installer, whereby improper seating of a, typically opaque flexible rubber, 0-ring 36 on the 0-ring seat 32 can be observed either prior to insertion of the pipe end 16, during insertion whereby the 0-ring 36 may nick out of the 0-ring seat 32, or following insertion.

The pipe engagement seat 34 is a, preferably continuous, ring-like channel formed in the bore wall 30 of the hollow body 12 between the pipe-stop 28 and the 0-ring seat 32.

As with the 0-ring seat 32, it may be transparent but of a different colour or tint to the clear hollow body 12. A pipe engagement element 38 is seated on the pipe engagement seat 34. In this case, the pipe engagement element 38 is a gripping ring preferably having axially-oriented and radially-inwardly projecting teeth 40 for gripping an exterior surface of an inserted pipe and preventing or inhibiting withdrawal. Preferably, a release element, which is not shown in this case, is provided for releasing the pipe engagement element 38 should the pipe require removal from the hollow body 12. The release element may be a secondary collar 14 which is urgable into the end 16 of the hollow body 12 to force the teeth away from the pipe.

The end collar 14 includes a bore-receivable in-turned edge 42 which extends into the bore 18 of the hollow body 12 adjacent to the end 16 thereof. The in-turned edge 42 is preferably continuous and has a lateral extent dimensioned to meet the 0-ring 36 seated on the 0-ring seat 32. With an end of the pipe inserted through the end 16 of the hollow body 12 and seated on the pipe-stop 28, gripped by the pipe engagement element 38 and engaged with the 0-ring 36, the light-transmissible end collar 14 is screwed home causing the in-turned edge 42 to abut and deform the 0-ring 36 radially inwardly resulting in an improved water-tight sealing of the 0-ring 36 against an exterior surface of the inserted pipe end 16.

Although preferably transparent as described above, one or more of the parts of the pipe coupling may be translucent where applicable so as not to obscure an installer's view of the seating of the internal components and the inserted pipe end.

The arrangement of the 0-ring seat and the 0-ring may be different to that shown, as the 0-ring can be positioned differently and still achieve a good watertight seal. Two or more 0-ring seats and corresponding 0-rings can also be provided, and these may be on the same side of the pipe engagement element or on opposite sides.

It is thus possible to provide a light-transmissible pipe coupling, preferably being a push-fit engagable pipe coupling, by which an installer can confirm that the installation is correct and, if there is a leakage, why and where that is occurring.

The embodiments described above are provided by way of examples only, and various other modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the field without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

Claims 1. A light-transmissible pipe coupling comprising a light-transmissible hollow body, a pipe-stop formed within the hollow body and viewable through a wall of the hollow body, a light-transmissible 0-ring seat formed between the pipe-stop and an end of the hollow body, an 0-ring seated on the 0-ring seat, a light-transmissible pipe engagement seat formed between the pipe-stop and an end of the hollow body, a pipe engagement element seated on the pipe engagement seat, a light-transmissible end collar which is engagable with an end of the hollow body for increasing engagement with a pipe.
2. A light-transmissible pipe coupling as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pipe-stop is light-transmissible.
3. A light-transmissible pipe coupling as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the pipe-stop is of a different colour to the hollow body for clear delineation.
4. A light-transmissible pipe coupling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least a portion of the pipe-stop is opaque to clearly delineate the pipe-stop.
5. A light-transmissible pipe coupling as claimed in any one of claims I to 4, wherein the 0-ring seat is of a different colour to an adjacent portion of the hollow body for clearly showing a seating of the 0-ring.
6. A light-transmissible pipe coupling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the collar, when fully engaged with the hollow body, overlies the 0-ring seat.
7. A light-transmissible pipe coupling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the collar, when fully engaged with the hollow body, overlies the pipe engagement seat.
8. A light-transmissible pipe coupling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the collar is directly engagable with the 0-ring to deform the 0-ring radially inwardly to promote engagement with an exterior surface of an inserted pipe.
9. A light-transmissible pipe coupling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the pipe engagement element is an axially-angled toothed ring.
10. A light-transmissible pipe coupling as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a release element for releasing an engagement of the pipe engagement element with an inserted pipe.
11. A light-transmissible pipe coupling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein two said pipe-stops are formed symmetrically about a centre of the hollow body.
12. A light-transmissible pipe coupling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein two said 0-ring seats are formed symmetrically about a centre of the hollow body, a said 0-ring being seated in each 0-ring seat.
13. A light-transmissible pipe coupling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein two said pipe engagement seats are formed symmetrically about a centre of the hollow body, a said pipe engagement element being seated in each pipe engagement seat.
14. A light-transmissible pipe coupling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein at least one of the light-transmissible hollow body, light-transmissible 0-ring seat, light-transmissible pipe engagement seat, and light-transmissible end collar are transparent.
15. A light-transmissible pipe coupling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein at least one of the light-transmissible hollow body, pipe-stop, light- transmissible 0-ring seat, light-transmissible pipe engagement seat, and light-transmissible end collar is of a different colour for viewable internal delineation of parts.
16. A light transmissible pipe coupling as claimed in any one fo the preceding claims, which is a push-fit engagable pipe coupling.
17. A light-transmissible pipe coupling substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.