MXPA00005342A - Fitting for use with corrugated tubing - Google Patents

Abstract

A fitting for use with corrugated tubing. The fitting includes a first body (100) having a first internal conduit (102) therethrough and a first centerline. The first body (100) has a plurality of fingers (110) integral with the first body (100). The fingers (110) are positioned radially about a periphery of the first body (100) and each of the fingers (110) is separated from an adjacent finger (110) by a space (112). A second body (200) which mates with the first body (100) has a second internal conduit (202) therethrough and a second centerline. The second body (200) has a finger deflection surface (206) for contacting the fingers (110) and directing the fingers (110) towards the first centerline.

Description

ACCESSORY FOR USE WITH CORRUGATED PIPE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The flexible gas pipeline (FGP) system, also referred to as corrugated stainless steel pipe (CSST) and formerly interior gas pipeline (IGP) was developed in Japan and first introduced to the market. by Osaka Gas and Tokyo Gas Companies during the early 1980s. The system uses corrugated stainless steel tubing supplied in rolls or coils with accessories that can be attached to the field to distribute gas from a central supply point, such as the meter or regulator to the various artifacts in a house or building. The technology, which has linked the plumbing process or installation of plumbing in a house in terms of gas to wiring a house in terms of electricity, substantially reduces installation time and hence the associated higher labor cost. The technology was brought to the United States of America by the Gas Research Institute that saw it as a means to make gas facilities more competitive; increasing by this the percentage of new constructions with gas pipes and increasing the global consumption of natural gas in a national base. The technology was enthusiastically supported and supported by larger gas companies that had seen the significantly higher cost of installed pipelines as their single biggest obstacle to selling more gas. Acceptance of codes required time and effort to obtain, but the product is now recognized by all national model codes and the ANSÍ, the National Fire Protection Association / National Fuel Gas Code and is tested and recognized by American Gas Association. This product will inevitably supplant the black iron pipe that accounts for approximately 80% of all fuel gas piping today, as well as the copper pipe, which, while enjoying many of the same advantages of the FGP system, is prohibited in its application to an increased proportion. There have been three types of accessories originally put in the field. The first accessory introduced to the field used a fiber seal to make the seal and no special tool was necessary to mount this accessory. This accessory has a higher incidence of leakage than the widened metal-to-metal seals used by other manufacturers. The second accessory introduced to the field first used a specialized tool to flatten the convolutions at the end of the CSST tube where the fitting was to be joined and then a second tool was used to put a single widening on the end of the tube. This product is now out of the market due to faults in the pipes caused by the hard work (hardening by mechanical means) of the stainless steel in the process of flattening and widening. The third type of accessory was introduced to the field that does not use any special tool to effect a metal-to-metal seal by folding the convolutions of the tube back on itself, creating a double widening. After a limited time in the field it was recognized that this accessory design was inconsistent to make a leak tight seal. The solution to the problem was to design an insert type broadening tool; This was used for approximately three years. A second redesign was carried out, improving the insertion tool to a receptacle type broadening tool. A current problem in the installation of certain accessories is the number of loose parts that the installer must assemble in the field. In a typical fixture, there is a body, a nut, a gasket and two bipartite ring washers that must be assembled to attach the fitting to the corrugated pipe. This number of parts leads to several disadvantages, in which complicated assembly is included and the need to transport extra parts to compensate for lost or damaged parts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The disadvantages and deficiencies discussed above and other disadvantages of the prior art are overcome or solved by the accessory of the present invention. The fixture includes a first body having a first internal conduit therethrough and a first central line. The first body has a plurality of integral hands with the first body. The hands are positioned radially around a periphery of the first body and each of the hands is separated from an adjacent hand by a space. A second body that engages the first body has a second internal conduit therethrough and a second central line. The second body has a deviation surface of the hand to contact the hands and direct the hands to the first center line. The features and advantages discussed above and other features and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS With reference now to the drawings in which similar numbers are numbered in a like manner in the various figures: Figure 1 is a front view of a first body: Figure 2 is a side view, in partial cross section of the first body; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a front view of a second body; Figure 5 is a side view in partial cross section of the second body; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of Figure 5; Figure 7 is a perspective view of a locating sleeve; Figure 8 is a side view of the locating sleeve; Figure 9 is a side view, in partial cross section, of the first body partially engaged with the second body and Figure 10 is a side view, in partial cross section, of the first body fully engaged with the second body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES The accessory of the present invention is composed of a first body and a second body. Fig. 1 is an end view of a first body 100 and Fig. 2 is a side view, in partial cross-section, of the first body 100. The first body 100 includes a central conduit 102 and external threads 104 for coupling with the threads. which are on the second body 200. Formed integral with the first body 100 are a plurality of hands 110 arranged radially around the first body 100. The adjacent hands 110 are separated by a space 112. Figure 3 is a sectional view enlarged cross-section of a handle 110. The handle 110 includes an external surface 114, an internal surface 116 and a front face 118. The outer diameter of the threads 104 is greater than the outer diameter of the hands 110. The hand 110 has a thickness variable from the front face 118 to the base 120 where the hand 110 joins the rest of the first body 100. The hand 110 is thicker on the front face 118 and the thickness decreases as the inner surface 116 approaches the base 120. The inner surface 116 is at an angle relative to the outer surface 114 and relative to the center line of the first body 110. In one exemplary mode, the angle a is 40 °. A finger retaining surface 122 is provided inside the body 100 opposite the inner surface 116. As described herein, the handle 110 is bent inward towards the central line of the body 100 during installation. The holding surface 122 of the hand serves to stop the deflection of the hand 110 beyond a certain point. The finger retaining surface 122 is at an angle ß in relation to the inner surface 116. In an exemplary embodiment, ß is 30 °. As shown in Figure 1, the front face 118 of each hand 110 is trapezoidal. The base of the trapezium is located towards the exterior of the body 100. When the hands 110 are flexed inward during installation, the base of the trapezoidal front face 118 contacts the base of the front face of an adjacent hand. This creates a continuous ring to provide a sealing surface as described herein. Fig. 4 is an end view of a second body 200 and Fig. 5 is a side view in partial cross-section of the second body 200. The second body 200 includes a central conduit 202 which communicates with the conduit 102 to allow the Gas trip through the accessory. The second body 200 includes internal threads 204 which engage the external threads 104 that lie on the first body 100. The internal surface of the second body 200 includes a deviation surface 206 of the hand and a sealing surface 208. As shown in FIG. shown in Figure 6, the deviation surface 206 of the hand is frusto-conical and is at an angle? in relation to the center line of the second body 200. In an exemplary embodiment,? It is 15 °. The deviation surface 206 of the handle has a larger internal diameter greater than the external diameter of the hands 210. The internal threads 204 have an inner diameter greater than the larger inner diameter of the deviation surface 206 of the hand. The deviation surface 206 of the handle comes into contact with the handle 110 and flexes the hands 110 towards the center line of the first body 100. The sealing surface 208 is used to seal the corrugated pipe as described herein with reference to figures 9-11. The sealing surface 208 is at an angle? in relation to the normal to the centerline of the second body 200. In an exemplary embodiment,? It is 15 °. The second body 200 also includes a shoulder 212 which is formed by an area of increased diameter 210 in the central conduit 202. The shoulder 212 serves as an obstacle or retainer for positioning a locating sleeve 300 (Figures 7 and 8) in connection with the second body 200. The locating sleeve is similar to that described in U.S. Patent 5,799,989, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference and patent application in process 08 / 905,373, the content of which is incorporated in the present by reference. The locating sleeve 300 is press fitted to the second body 200. Alternatively, the locating sleeve 300 can be formed integral with the second body 200. The locating sleeve 300 is generally cylindrical and can include a tapered section to facilitate insertion . As described herein, the locating sleeve helps position the corrugated tubing in the fitting installation. The installation of the accessory will now be described with reference to Figures 9-10. As shown in Figure 9, the first body 100 and the second body 200 can be partially joined by the engagement of the threads 104 with the threads 204. The corrugated pipe 400 is cut in a valley and is fastened to the first body 100 of such that the hands 110 are positioned in the first valley adjacent the cut end of the pipe 400. The smaller internal diameter of the hands 110 is smaller than the outer diameter of the peaks on the corrugated pipe but larger than the outer diameter of the pipes. the valleys of the corrugated pipe. Thus, when the corrugated pipe 400 is inserted into the first body 100, a peak of the corrugated pipe 400 engages the hands 110. The hands 110 are resilient and spread out slightly to allow the peak on the corrugated pipe to be separate from the hands 110. Once the peak of the pipe 400 is separated from the hands 110, the hands 110 return to their original position and remain in a valley of the pipe. This interference between the hands 110 and the pipe 400 secures the first body 100 to the pipe 400. The external diameter of the threads 104 and the corresponding internal diameter of the threads 204 provide a spacing 240 between the threads 204 and the hands 110. separation allows the hands 110 to deviate from the center line of the first body 100 without interference from the second body 200. This allows the first body 100 and the second body 200 to be partially engaged when the corrugated pipe 400 is fastened to the first body 100. This facilitates the installation since the first body 100 is partially coupled with the second body 200 providing the installer with a single component. The second step is to create a seal by rotating the second body 200 relative to the first body 100, thereby removing the first body 100 to the second body 200. As the first body 100 enters the second body 200, the outer surface 110 of the hands 110 engages with the deviation surface 206 of the hand. As the hands 110 travel along the deviation surface 206 of the hand, the hands 110 are biased inward toward the corrugated pipe 400. The location sleeve 300 also enters the pipe 400 to locate the pipe 400 in relationship with the second body 200. The first body 100 and the second body 200 continue to be tightened until a seal is obtained as shown in Figure 10. The hands 110 have been bent inward and two layers of corrugated pipe 400 are compressed between the front face 118 of each hand 110 and the sealing surface 208. The two layers of pipe or double broadening provide a metal-to-metal seal that prevents leakage. While preferred embodiments have been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, it will be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustration and not limitation.

Claims (11)

1. CLAIMS 1. An accessory for use with corrugated pipe, the accessory is characterized in that it comprises: a first body having a first internal conduit through it and a first central line, the first body includes a plurality of integral hands with the first body , the hands are positioned radially around a periphery of the first body, each of the hands is separated from an adjacent hand by a space and a second body that engages with the first body, the second body has a second internal conduit through of the same and a second central line, the second body has a deviation surface of the hand to contact the hands and direct the hands towards the first central line.
2. 2. The accessory in accordance with the claim 1, characterized in that: each of the hands has an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface is at a first angle in relation to the first central line.
3. 3. The accessory in accordance with the claim 2, characterized in that: each of the hands has a base at the junction between the hand and the rest of the first body and a front face, the thickness of each of the hands varies from the front face to the base.
4. 4. The accessory in accordance with the claim 1, characterized in that: the hands have an internal diameter smaller than the maximum external diameter of the corrugated pipe.
5. 5. The accessory in accordance with the claim 2, characterized in that: the body includes a retaining surface of the accessory positioned opposite the inner surface, the inner surface of the handle is at a second angle in relation to the internal surface.
6. The accessory according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises: a locating sleeve connected to the second body for introducing the corrugated pipe and aligning the second body with the corrugated pipe.
7. The accessory according to claim 1, characterized in that: the deflection surface of the handle is a frusto-conical surface at a third angle with respect to the second central line.
8. 8. The accessory according to claim 1, characterized in that: the second body includes a sealing surface, each of the hands and the sealing surface compress the corrugated pipe. The accessory according to claim 8, characterized in that: the sealing surface is at a fourth angle in relation to the normal of the second central line. The accessory according to claim 9, characterized in that: the third angle is equal to the fourth angle. The accessory according to claim 6, characterized in that: the locating sleeve is press fit in the second body.