WO2000009925A1

WO2000009925A1 - Coupling assembly and method for sealing between a coupling and a wall structure

Info

Publication number: WO2000009925A1
Application number: PCT/US1999/018109
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bruce Mindt; David W. Meyer
Original assignee: Colder Products Company
Priority date: 1998-08-13
Filing date: 1999-08-10
Publication date: 2000-02-24
Also published as: AU5552899A

Abstract

A coupling assembly including a coupling comprising an elongate member (300) with a fluid passageway (304) through it and a tapered end section (306) on the elongate member, a grommet-receiving section (308) disposed intermediate of the tapered end section and a second section of the coupling spaced apart from the tapered end section and a grommet (200) comprising an intermediate section(201) with an outer surface, an inner surface (202) and first (204) and second (206) radially extending end sections, the coupling being insertable into the grommet and the grommet being configured for receipt onto the grommet-receiving section. The coupling assembly can be inserted into, or removed from, an opening in a wall structure (400) by hand, without using any tools. When a fluid-tight connection has been formed by inserting the coupling assembly into the opening in the wall structure, the coupling assembly can be tilted at an angle while the fluid-tight connection is maintained.

Description

COUPLING ASSEMBLY AND METHOD FOR SEALING BETWEEN A COUPLING AND A WALL STRUCTURE

Background of the Invention

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for forming a fluid- tight connection between a coupling and an opening in a wall structure, whereby the coupling can be tilted at an angle while the fluid-tight connection is maintained.

Previous apparatuses and methods for the purpose of connecting a tube or the like to an opening in a wall structure have used two parts, a coupler body mounted in the wall structure and an insert at the end of the tube. When the insert is inserted into the coupling body, a fluid-tight connection is formed. The mounting of the coupling body in the wall structure is a relatively cumbersome procedure, and so is removing it. Consequently, these solutions require a labor-intensive prior installation in order to provide quick connection and disconnection. Also, they provide little or no flexibility to move the insert with respect to the coupling body in the wall structure in the event the mating parts do not line up perfectly.

The present invention solves these problems and other problems associated with existing apparatuses and methods for sealing between a coupling and an opening in a wall structure.

Summary of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for forming a fluid- tight connection between a coupling and an opening in a wall structure. It is an obj ect of an embodiment of the present invention to provide a coupling assembly capable of forming a fluid-tight connection between a coupling and an opening in a wall structure.

A preferred embodiment of the. coupling assembly comprises a coupling comprising an elongate member with a fluid passageway through it and a tapered end section on the elongate member, a grommet-receiving section disposed intermediate of the tapered end section and a second section of the coupling spaced apart from the tapered end section and a grommet comprising an intermediate section with an outer surface, an inner surface and first and second radially extending end sections, the coupling being insertable into the grommet and the grommet being configured for receipt onto the grommet-receiving section.

It is another object of an embodiment of the present invention to provide a method of forming a fluid-tight connection between a coupling and an opening in a wall structure.

An embodiment of the method comprises the steps of forming a coupling assembly by inserting a coupling, comprising an elongate member with a fluid passageway through it, a tapered end section, a grommet-receiving section disposed intermediate of the tapered end section, and a second section of the coupling spaced apart from the tapered end section, into a grommet comprising a sleeve with an outer surface, an inner surface, and first and second radially extending end sections such that the grommet is received onto the grommet-receiving section and inserting the coupling assembly into an opening in the wall structure, whereby the first radially extending end section of the grommet substantially abuts an inner wall surface adjacent the opening in the wall structure and the second radially extending end section of the grommet substantially abuts an outer wall surface adjacent the opening in the wall structure and whereby the coupling can be tilted at an angle while the fluid-tight connection is maintained.

Another embodiment of the method comprises the steps of inserting a grommet comprising a sleeve with an outer surface, an inner surface and first and second radially extending end sections into an opening in a wall structure and inserting a coupling, comprising an elongate member with a fluid passageway through it, a tapered end section, and a grommet-receiving section disposed intermediate of the tapered end section and second section of the coupling spaced apart from the tapered end section, into the grommet, whereby the first radially extending end section of the grommet substantially abuts an inner wall surface adjacent the opening in the wall structure and the second radially extending end section of the grommet substantially abuts an outer wall surface adjacent the opening in the wall structure and whereby the coupling can be tilted at an angle while the fluid-tight connection is maintained.

One advantage of an embodiment of the present invention is that the coupling assembly can be inserted into, or removed from, an opening in a wall structure by hand, without using any tools. Another advantage is that when a fluid- tight connection has been formed by inserting the coupling assembly into the opening in the wall structure, the coupling assembly can be tilted at an angle while the fluid-tight connection is maintained. These and various other advantages and features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, its advantages and the objects obtained by its use, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter which form a further part hereof, and in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings In the drawings wherein corresponding reference numerals generally indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views: FIG. 1 is a prior art seal apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a grommet in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view of an embodiment of a coupling in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a side view in partial cross-section of an embodiment of a coupling assembly in accordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 5 A is a front view of a second embodiment of a grommet in accordance with the present invention; and FIG. 5B is a side view in cross-section of the second embodiment of the grommet.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments One application of an embodiment of the present invention is a coupling assembly for supplying or removing cooling fluid to a circuit board for cellular phone switching. The liquid transported through the coupling assembly may, for example, be any antifreeze liquid, such as ethylene glycol. A prior art seal apparatus for panel mounting is shown in FIG. 1. The apparatus comprises a coupling body 100 and an insert 101, insertable into the coupling body. The coupling body can be mounted in a panel, whereby the parts may be connected by inserting the insert 101 into the coupling body 100. A preferred embodiment of the grommet according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 2. The grommet 200 comprises an intermediate section with an outer surface 201, an inner surface 202 and first and second radially extending end sections 204 and 206, respectively. The grommet may be made from a number of different materials including, for example, elastomeric materials such as BUNA rubber. An application of the invention may be, for example, to provide a fluid-tight seal for a coolant such as anti-freeze. The grommet should be chemically inactive with respect to the fluid to be used with a particular application. The above mentioned application of the invention may include temperature ranges below room temperature and above freezing, and the material should be chosen partly in view of its resilient characteristics at the operating temperatures, such that the assembly of the grommet and the coupling into the wall opening can be done by hand, as mentioned more explicitly below. The grommet may, for example, be manufactured in one piece by well-known techniques such as extrusion.

The radially extending end sections 204 and 206 may, for example, comprise annular projections. The thickness of the sleeve portion of the grommet, i.e. the radial distance between the outer surface 201 and the inner surface 202, may be chosen in consideration of the particular application for which the coupling assembly will be used. The inner diameter of the grommet may be chosen in consideration of the particular coupling to be used with the grommet. In order to provide increased performance and functional reliability with an embodiment of the invention, the inner diameter of the grommet may be formed smaller than an outer diameter of the grommet-receiving section.

The grommet may be characterized as a resilient outer sheath covering part of the coupling, where the resilient outer sheath has a longitudinal extent. It is noted that one purpose served by the intermediate section of the grommet is to give a certain rigidity and a self-supporting structure to the grommet as a whole. As will be explained in further detail below, the embodiment may be installed into a opening in a wall panel in essentially two different ways. The grommet may be mounted on a coupler which is then inserted into the opening, or the grommet may be inserted into the opening whereafter the coupling is inserted into the grommet. It will be apparent from this description how the intermediate section provides the necessary rigidity and structure for the grommet to be self-supporting and to maintain the fluid-tight connection between the coupling and the opening in the wall structure.

In the embodiment shown, the inner surface 202 is essentially a cylindrical surface, but the inner surface 202 may be given any suitable configuration in view of the particular coupling and grommet-receiving section to be used. Similarly, the outer surface 201 may be given any suitable configuration in consideration of the opening in the wall structure. In the illustrated embodiment, the end sections 204 and 206 are shown as annular projections with a rounded outer surface. The exact shape and/or configurations of first and second radially extending end sections 204 and 206 may be chosen in consideration of a particular application in which the coupling assembly will be used. In a similar way, the length of the intermediate section of the grommet may be chosen suitably.

Some specifications of an embodiment of the grommet will be given as an illustration. The dimensions are suitable for some applications of the invention, but are not to be taken as limitations of the invention. For example, the intermediate section of the grommet may have a wall thickness of about 0.072 in. The wall thickness of the first and second radially extending end sections may be about 0.129 in., providing outer diameters of the radially extending end sections which are greater than the outer diameter of the intermediate section of the grommet.

An embodiment of the coupling 300 is shown in FIG. 3. The coupling 300 comprises an elongate member 302 with a fluid passageway 304, illustrated by dotted lines running through it. The coupling 300 has a tapered end section 306 on one end of the elongate member 302. The tapered end section 306 may be formed as an integral part of elongate member 302 or it may be separately formed and mounted on the elongate member using well-known techniques. Generally, the coupling 300 may have a right angle configuration as shown in the embodiment, or it may be of a more straight configuration. The elongate member 302 comprises a grommet-receiving section 308 disposed intermediate of the tapered end section 306 and a second section 310 of the coupling 300. The second section 310 is spaced apart from the tapered end section 306. In the embodiment shown, the grommet-receiving section 308 is essentially a cylindrical surface, but the grommet-receiving section 308 may be given any configuration suitable in view of the particular grommet to be used, and in particular, the inner surface 202 of the grommet to be used. For example, the grommet may have an inner diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the grommet-receiving section 308. The coupling 300 further comprises first and second annular lip portions 312 and 314. The first annular lip portion 312 may be formed by the tapered end section 306, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3. Alternatively, the first annular lip portion 312 may be formed by forming the grommet-receiving section 308 with a diameter less than that of the tapered end section 306. Second annular lip portion 314 may be formed as an integral part of the elongate element 302, or it may be formed separately and mounted on the elongate member. Alternatively, the second annular lip portion 314 may be formed by forming the grommet-receiving section 308 with a diameter less than that of the second section 310. The first annular lip portion 312 has a first surface 316 and the second annular lip portion 314 has a second surface 318. The first and second surfaces 316 and 318 are oppositely oriented and substantially perpendicular to a part of the elongate member 302 which contains the annular lip portions 312 and 314.

An embodiment of the invention may be used to form a fluid-tight connection between a coupling 300 and an opening in a wall structure 400 as illustrated in FIG. 4. The opening in the wall structure 400 is defined by the essentially cylindrical surface 402. An embodiment of the coupling assembly according to the invention may be inserted into the opening in the wall structure 400 in the following way, for example. The coupling 300 is inserted into a grommet 200, whereby the inner surface 202 of the grommet 200 substantially abuts the grommet-receiving section 308, and whereby the end sections 204 and 206 substantially abut first and second surfaces 316 and 318, respectively. The coupling assembly comprising coupling 300 and grommet 200 is then inserted into the opening in the wall structure 400.

As noted above, the step of inserting the grommet can preferably be performed by hand. This simplifies the insertion, because the operator does not need to use tools in inserting or fastening the connection.

After the coupling assembly has been inserted through the opening in the wall structure 400, the tapered section 306, the first annular lip portion 312, and the first radially extending end section 204 are located on the inside of the wall structure 400, and the rest of the coupling assembly including, for example, the second radially extending end section 206, the second annular lip portion 314, and a part of the elongate member 302 will be located on the outside of the wall structure 400. The outer surface 201 of grommet 200 will substantially abut the annular surface 402 of the wall structure 400. The first radially extending end section 204 will substantially abut an inner surface 404 of the wall structure 400. The second radially extending end section 206 of the grommet 200 will substantially abut an outer surface 406 of the wall structure 400. As noted above, first surface 316 substantially abuts the first radially extending end section 204, and second surface 318 substantially abuts the second radially extending end section 206.

Alternatively, an embodiment of the coupler assembly according to the invention may be assembled by inserting the grommet 200 into the opening in the wall structure 400, whereby the outer surface 201 substantially abuts the annular surface 402, and whereby the first radially extending end portion substantially abuts the inner surface 404 of the wall structure 400, and the second radially extending end portion 206 substantially abuts the outer surface 406 of the wall structure 400. As mentioned above, this step is preferably performed by hand. Coupler 300 is then inserted into the grommet 200, which is positioned in the opening in the wall structure 400. When the coupling 300 has been inserted in the grommet 200, the grommet-receiving section 308 substantially abuts inner surface 202 of the grommet 200. The first surface 316 substantially abuts the first radially extending end section 204, and the second surface 318 substantially abuts the second radially end section 206. The coupling assembly comprising the coupler 300 and the grommet 200, inserted in the opening in the wall structure 400, provides a fluid-tight connection between the coupling 300 and the opening in the wall structure 400. As discussed above, a fluid-tight connection can be provided by inserting the coupler assembly into the opening in the wall structure 400 by hand. Due to, for example, the dimensions of the grommet 200 and the resilience and compressibility of its material, including the intermediate section and the end sections, the coupling 300 can be tilted at an angle while the fluid-tight connection is maintained.

Another preferred embodiment of the grommet according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B. The grommet 500 comprises an intermediate section with an outer surface 501, an inner surface 502 and first and second radially extending end sections 504 and 506, respectively. The grommet may be made from a number of different materials, for example as described with regard to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2. The radially extending end sections 504 and 506 are annular projections around the grommet 500. The radially extending end sections 504 and 506 are configured with planar surfaces 505 and 507, respectively. The planar surfaces 505 and 507 may help in forming a fluid-tight seal by abutting against a wall through which the grommet 500 is mounted. The thickness of the sleeve portion of the grommet 500, i.e. the radial distance between the outer surface 501 and the inner surface 502, may be chosen in consideration of the particular application for which the coupling assembly will be used. The inner diameter of the grommet may be chosen in consideration of the particular coupling to be used with the grommet. In order to provide increased performance and functional reliability with an embodiment of the invention, the inner diameter of the grommet may be formed smaller than an outer diameter of the grommet-receiving section.

Above, the inserting of the assembly into a wall structure to form a seal, and the various advantages of embodiments of the invention have been described in detail. It is to be understood, however, that the removal of the assembly from the wall structure and the breaking of the seal can be performed just as easily and with similar advantages. It is to be further understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the invention to the full extend indicated by broad general meanings of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

I claim:

1. A coupling assembly capable of forming a fluid tight connection between a coupling and an opening in a wall structure, the coupling assembly comprising: a coupling comprising an elongate member with a fluid passageway through it and a tapered end section on the elongate member, a grommet- receiving section disposed intermediate of the tapered end section and a second section of the coupling spaced apart from the tapered end section; and a grommet comprising an intermediate section with an outer surface, an inner surface, and first and second radially extending end sections, the coupling being insertable into the grommet, and the intermediate section being configured for receipt onto the grommet-receiving section.

2. A coupling assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the elongate member comprises two parts joined at substantially a right angle.

3. A coupling assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the grommet is made of an elastomeric material.

4. A coupling assembly in accordance with claim 3, wherein the grommet is made of BUNA rubber.

5. A coupling assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the grommet- receiving section has a lesser diameter than a portion of the tapered end section.

6. A coupling assembly in accordance with claim 5, wherein the grommet- receiving portion has a diameter less than the second section.

7. A coupling assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first and second radially extending end sections comprise annular projections.

8. A coupling assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first and second radially extending end sections have an outer diameter greater than an outer diameter of the intermediate section.

9. A coupling assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the coupling comprises first and second annular lip portions on the elongated member.

10. A coupling assembly in accordance with claim 9, wherein the first annular lip portion comprises a first surface and the second annular lip portion comprises a second surface, the first and second surfaces being oppositely oriented and substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the elongated member.

11. A coupling assembly in accordance with claim 9, wherein the first annular lip portion is formed by the tapered end section.

12. A coupling assembly in accordance with claim 10, wherein the first surface substantially abuts the first radially extending end section and the second surface substantially abuts the second radially extending end section.

13. A coupling assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first radially extending end section substantially abuts an outer wall surface adjacent the opening in the wall structure.

14. A coupling assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the second radially extending end section substantially abuts an inner wall surface adjacent the opening in the wall structure.

15. A coupling assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the grommet is a cylindrical surface.

16. A coupling assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the grommet is a cylindrical surface.

17. A coupling assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein an inner diameter of the grommet is smaller than an outer diameter of the grommet-receiving section.

18. A method of forming a fluid tight connection between a coupling and an opening in a wall structure, the method comprising: forming a coupling assembly by inserting a coupling comprising an elongate member with a fluid passageway through it, a tapered end section, a grommet receiving section disposed intermediate of the tapered end section and a second section of the coupling spaced apart from the tapered end section into a grommet comprising a sleeve with an outer surface, an inner surface, and first and second radially extending end sections such that the grommet is received onto the grommet receiving section; and inserting the coupling assembly into an opening in the wall structure, whereby the first radially extending end section of the grommet substantially abuts an outer wall surface adjacent the opening in the wall structure and the second radially extending end section of the grommet substantially abuts an inner wall surface adjacent the opening in the wall structure, and whereby the coupling can be tilted at an angle while the fluid tight connection is maintained.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the coupling assembly is inserted by hand without requiring the use of any tools.

20. A method of forming a fluid tight connection between a coupling and an opening in a wall structure, the method comprising: inserting a grommet comprising a sleeve with an outer surface, an inner surface, and first and second radially extending end sections into an opening in a wall structure; and inserting a coupling comprising an elongate member with a fluid passageway through it, a tapered end section and a grommet receiving section disposed intermediate of the tapered end section and a second section of the coupling spaced apart from the tapered end section into the grommet, whereby the first radially extending end section of the grommet substantially abuts an outer wall surface adjacent the opening in the wall structure and the second radially extending end section of the grommet substantially abuts an inner wall surface adjacent the opening in the wall structure, and whereby the coupling can be tilted at an angle while the fluid tight connection is maintained.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the coupling assembly is inserted by hand without requiring the use of any tools.