DEVICE AT CLAMP COUPLINGS
The present invention refers to a device at compression couplings of the kind comprising a conical or double-conical compression means which is threadable on an internally and outwardly smooth tube, hose or similar and a supporting sleeve which is insertable in or on the tube, which compression means cooperates with a conical or plane surface on a fitting part or the like.
THE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Compression couplings are previously known through for instance the Swedish published patent application 361350 describing a compression coupling for a mixing tap comprising a wall connector rail, seal, nut, compression sleeve, sealing ring and locking washer. However, this device is very difficult to dismount because the tube and the compression sleeve have been badly deformed by the force that was exerted during the assembly of the device.
Through EP 0 581 678 is known a compression coupling, where the tube has been provided with outer and inner threads, which cooperate with threads provided on the inside of the compression sleeve and on the outside of the supporting sleeve respectively. The aim achieved is that when the tube has been screwed down towards the bottom of the supporting sleeve, an integrated unit is formed by the tube and the compression sleeve. During continued rotation of the supporting sleeve, the outer threads of the tube will work against the inner threads of the compression sleeve and as the compression sleeve can be seen as a fixed part in relation to the outer threads of the tube, the conical surface of the supporting sleeve can be pressed against the conical surface of the compression sleeve, whereby a radial compression of the compression sleeve can be made.
A further problem with the above mentioned compression couplings is that it is hard to know with certainty if the supporting sleeve during mounting is totally pressed into the tube or if it has been forced outwards a distance, which considerably deteriorates the compression effect.
THEPURPOSEOFTHEINVENTION AND THE SOLUTION OFTHE PROBLEM
The purpose of the invention is to provide a device at compression couplings, which is easy to mount and to dismount, • fits different types of tubes, hoses or the like, provides an effective sealing between the tube and the coupling, and prevents the supporting sleeve from unintentionally leaving its fully inserted position during the mounting.
The problems have been solved by the characteristics given in the claims.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the following, the invention will be described in three embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. Fig. 1 shows an exploded view of a first embodiment of a device at compression couplings according to the present invention.
Fig. 2 shows the parts of Fig. 1 in assembled state.
Fig. 3 shows an exploded view of a second embodiment of a compression coupling according to the invention. Fig. 4 shows the coupling according to Fig. 3 in assembled state.
Fig. 5 shows an exploded view of a third embodiment of the parts forming the compression coupling.
Fig. 6 shows the compression coupling according to Fig. 5 in a preassembled state before tightening. Fig. 7 shows the compression coupling according to Fig. 6 after tightening.
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DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
In the drawings, the numeral 11 refers to a tube, 12 to a first fitting part, 13 to a compression sleeve, 14 to a supporting sleeve and 15 to a second fitting part. In the following, it will be descπbed a device for wall mounting of a mixing tap, where the first fitting part 12 is a mixing tap connector and the second fitting part 15 is a mixing tap, which two parts can be screwed into each other.
The supporting sleeve 14 is provided with helical-shaped grooves in the form of self- tapping threads 16, which crests 17 are suitably directed along the pull out direction of the supporting sleeve. The thread profile can also be trapezoid, round or square. To attain maximum sealing between the supporting sleeve and the tube, there may be one or several grooves 34 at the transition from the threads, in which groove or grooves a sealing πng can be mounted. A key gπp 18 is provided in one end of the supporting sleeve 14, which key gπp 18 can be formed either outside or inside the supporting sleeve 14 The key gπp 18 can be formed as a socket head cap gπp, screwdπver groove or the like, which does not need special tools. Alternatively, the gπp can be formed by the outside of the supporting sleeve. Further, the supporting sleeve 14 is designed with a peπpheral flange 19 with an internal conical contact surface 20 In addition, the flange 19 has an outer conical form 21 and on a portion of this outer conical form, a peπpheral groove 22 is provided for a sealing πng 23 Suitably, the compression sleeve 13 is made of a polymeπc mateπal having spπng back characteπstics and it is preferably made with a curved outside and a radial slit 24.
Duπng assembly (Fig. 2) of the different parts (Fig. 1), the mixing tap connector 12, followed by the compression sleeve 13, are thread on the tube. Thereafter, the supporting sleeve 14 is pushed or screwed into the tube 11 with help of the self-tapping threads 16, which may eventually cut into the tube mateπal duπng mounting. In a known way, the compression sleeve will be compressed when the fitting parts 12 and 15 are screwed towards each other, whereby the threads 16 will be entirely forced into the inside wall of
the tube. Duπng dismounting, the threads that have been cut in the tube 11 will cooperate with the outer threads 16 in the supporting sleeve
When the mixing tap connector 12 is screwed onto the mixing tap 15, the first conical contact surface 25 of the compression sleeve 13 will cooperate with a conical surface 26 on the mixing tap connector 12. The internal, conical contact surface 20 of the supporting sleeve 14 cooperates with the second conical contact surface 27 of the compression sleeve at the same time as the outer conical form 21 of the supporting member 14 cooperates with a corresponding conical surface 28 on the mixing tap 15 to attain a tight coupling between the mixing tap 15 and the mixing tap connector 12
The embodiment in Fig 3 and 4 can be distinguished from the embodiment in Fig 1 and Fig. 2 in that the sealing nng 23 has been removed and replaced with a separate seal 29 which is freely mounted between the supporting sleeve 14 and the mixing tap 15. In addition, the supporting sleeve 14 and the compression sleeve 13 lack conical contact surfaces and the peπpheral flange 19 of the supporting sleeve lacks an internal conical contact surface, instead the flange is substantially smooth and perpendicular to the axial direction of the sleeve 14. The compression sleeve 13 is single-conical, which means that the contact between the supporting sleeve 14 and the compression sleeve 13 is made between the smooth, peπpheral flange surface 30 and the base surface 31 of the compression sleeve.
When dismounting the two embodiments according to the invention, the mixing tap 15 is first screwed off the mixing tap connector 12, and with help from the key gπp 18 m the supporting sleeve 14, the supporting sleeve can be screwed off the tube 11 , which entails the compression sleeve 13, as well as the mixing tap connector 12, to be removed from the tube 11.
In the embodiment according to Fig 5-7, the compression sleeve and the supporting sleeve 14 are connected to each other via a transitional portion 32 The supporting sleeve 14 has
an internal, through hole 33, working as a passage for a medium, for instance water. A peripheral, conical surface 25 is provided on the outside of the transitional portion 32. Further, the outer surface of the supporting member 14 is provided with outer threads 16, and at least one outer, peripheral groove 34. An annular recess 35 is provided between the compression means 13 and the supporting sleeve 14, which terminates in an inner end surface 36, which is substantially parallel with the end surface of the supporting sleeve. The inner diameter of the tube 11 and the outer diameter of the supporting sleeve which is provided with threads are chosen so that the supporting sleeve is only insertable in the tube by using some violence. As the threads 16 are suitably self-tapping, the supporting sleeve can be threaded for instance manually. If the tube or the hose comprises a softer material it is also possible to drive the supporting sleeve by a number of hammer strokes.
The free, outer end of the compression means 13 is bevelled forming a conical contact surface 27, which is provided to cooperate with a corresponding internal conical surface 28 in the coupling nut 15. The bevelled end 27 of the compression means 13 extends to an area substantially right in front of the peripheral groove 24 of the supporting sleeve.
Except for threads on the supporting sleeve, the compression means can also be provided with helical-shaped threads 39, which threads can be provided on the inner surface of the compression means and are self-tapping, or as an alternative, arranged to produce corresponding helical-shaped threads in the tube when mounting the coupling. These threads 39, which are shown in Fig. 5, provide a further improved connection between the supporting sleeve and the tube and moreover, they provide a more reliably mounting as it is easier to hold the supporting sleeve in correct position in the coupling during tightening.
The first coupling part 12 is formed with an internal conical contact surface 26 with substantially the same conicity as the conical contact surface 25 at the transitional portion 32. Both the contact surfaces 26 and 25 are arranged to tightly cooperate with each other when the coupling parts 12 and 15 are screwed together via outer threads on the first coupling part 12 and internal threads on the coupling nut 15.
During the assembly (Fig. 6) of the different parts (Fig. 5), the coupling nut 15 is first thread onto the tube 11. Thereafter, the supporting sleeve 14 is pressed into the tube 11 so far that the end 37 of the tube comes into contact with the inner end surface 36 of the compression means 13 and the compression means 13 over the end section of the tube 11, whereafter the coupling nut 15 can be screwed onto the first coupling part 12, as shown in Fig. 6.
During continued tightening of the coupling nut 15, the conical surface 28 is pressed towards the conical surfaces 27 of the compression means 13, whereby the free end of the compression means is pressed into the envelope surface 38 of the tube 11 and deforms the tube so much that tube material is pressed into the peripheral groove of the supporting sleeve 14. In this way, a reliable connection is provided between the tube 11 and the supporting sleeve 14, even to axial tensile forces, and a leak proof and reliable seal.
The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown, but several variations and combinations of the embodiments are possible within the scope of the attached claims.
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LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
11 Tube
12 Fitting part, e.g. mixing tap connector
13 Compression sleeve
14 Supporting sleeve
15 Fitting part, e.g. mixing tap
16 Helical-shaped threads
17 Crests of threads
18 Key grip
19 Peripheral flange
20 Internal, conical contact surface
21 Outer conical form
22 Peripheral groove
23 Sealing ring
24 Radial slit
25 Conical contact surface on compression sleeve 6 Conical contact surface on mixing valve holder 7 Conical contact surface on compression sleeve 8 Conical contact surface on mixing valve 9 Seal 0 Flange surface 1 Base surface 2 Transitional portion 3 Hole, passage 4 Groove 5 Annular recess 6 End surface 7 Tube end 8 Envelope surface 9 Helical-shaped threads