Coupling

Abstract

A coupling for attaching to an end of a tube, pipe, conduit or other round solid or hollow section. The coupling includes an inner body and a collar to be provided around the inner body. The inner body has an interior bore passing through at least a portion thereof to receive a tube or the like and the bore has one or more interior annular protuberances extending into the bore. When the collar is provided around the inner body it applies a circumferential compressive force to deform the inner body such that the one or more annular protuberances engage the tube or the like to seal with it.

1 . A fitting assembly for connection to an end of a length of tubing having a tubing wall comprising 
 a body having a socket portion, the socket portion having forward end opening into an internal bore for receiving the tubing end, the bore having a generally annular inner surface and the body socket portion having a generally annular outer surface including an inclined portion tapering towards the body forward end, the bore inner surface having one or more first teeth disposed adjacent the body forward end and one or more second teeth spaced-apart axially from the first teeth; and    a generally annular collar receivable coaxially over the tubing, the collar having a forward end and a rearward end portion receivable coaxially over the outer surface of the body socket portion, the collar rearward end portion having a generally annular inner surface including an inclined portion tapering towards the collar forward end,    whereby with the collar being received over the tubing and the tubing end being inserted into the internal bore of the body, the collar rearward end portion is movable over the body socket portion effecting a camming engagement of the incline portion of the body socket portion outer surface against the inclined portion of the collar inner surface and radial compression of the body socket portion about the tubing wherein such compression initially causes the first and the second teeth to grippingly bite into the tubing wall and thereafter to deform the tubing wall between the first and the second teeth delimiting the removal of the tubing end from the body socket portion.    
     
     
         2 . The fitting assembly of  claim 1  wherein the body socket portion outer surface has a groove formed therein rearward of second teeth, the body socket portion being pivotal about the groove for the radially compressed thereof the body socket portion about the tubing.  
     
     
         3 . The fitting assembly of  claim 1  wherein the collar inner surface has an engagement portion located rearward of the inclined portion thereof and the body outer surface has an engagement portion located rearward of the inclined portion thereof, the collar and body engagement portions being engagable to retain the collar on the body in a preassembled arrangement of the fitting assembly, the tubing end being inserted into the internal bore of the body through the collar as so retained on the body.  
     
     
         4 . A tubing connection comprising: 
 a length of tubing having and end and a tubing wall;    a body having a socket portion, the socket portion having forward end opening into an internal bore for receiving the tubing end, the bore having a generally annular inner surface and the body socket portion having a generally annular outer surface including an inclined portion tapering towards the body forward end, the bore inner surface having one or more first teeth disposed adjacent the body forward end and one or more second teeth spaced-apart axially from the first teeth; and    a generally annular collar receivable coaxially over the tubing, the collar having a forward end and a rearward end portion receivable coaxially over the outer surface of the body socket portion, the collar rearward end portion having a generally annular inner surface including an inclined portion tapering towards the collar forward end,    whereby with the collar being received over the tubing and the tubing end being inserted into the internal bore of the body, the collar rearward end portion is movable over the body socket portion effecting a camming engagement of the incline portion of the body socket portion outer surface against the inclined portion of the collar inner surface and radial compression of the body socket portion about the tubing wherein such compression initially causes the first and the second teeth to grippingly bite into the tubing wall and thereafter to deform the tubing wall between the first and the second teeth delimiting the removal of the tubing end from the body socket portion.    
     
     
         5 . The tubing connection of  claim 4  wherein the body socket portion outer surface has a groove formed therein rearward of second teeth, the body socket portion being pivotal about the groove for the radially compressed thereof the body socket portion about the tubing.  
     
     
         6 . The tubing connection of  claim 4  wherein the collar inner surface has an engagement portion located rearward of the inclined portion thereof and the body outer surface has an engagement portion located rearward of the inclined portion thereof, the collar and body engagement portions being engagable to retain the collar on the body in a preassembled arrangement of the fitting assembly, the tubing end being inserted into the internal bore of the body through the collar as so retained on the body.  
     
     
         7 . A method of making a tubing connection comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a length of tubing having an end and a tubing wall;    (b) providing a fitting assembly comprising: 
 a body having a socket portion, the socket portion having forward end opening into an internal bore for receiving the tubing end, the bore having a generally annular inner surface and the body socket portion having a generally annular outer surface including an inclined portion tapering towards the body forward end, the bore inner surface having one or more first teeth disposed adjacent the body forward end and one or more second teeth spaced-apart axially from the first teeth, and  
 a generally annular collar receivable coaxially over the tubing, the collar having a forward end and a rearward end portion receivable coaxially over the outer surface of the body socket portion, the collar rearward end portion having a generally annular inner surface including an inclined portion tapering towards the collar forward end;  
   (c) receiving the collar over the tubing;    (d) inserting the end of the tubing into the internal bore of the body; and    (e) moving the collar rearward end portion over the body socket portion to effect a camming engagement of the incline portion of the body socket portion outer surface against the inclined portion of the collar inner surface and radial compression of the body socket portion about the tubing wherein such compression initially causes the first and the second teeth to grippingly bite into the tubing wall and thereafter to deform the tubing wall between the first and the second teeth delimiting the removal of the tubing end from the body socket portion.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the body socket portion outer surface has a groove formed therein rearward of second teeth, the body socket portion being pivotal about the groove in step (e) for the radially compressed thereof the body socket portion about the tubing.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein: 
 the collar inner surface has an engagement portion located rearward of the inclined portion thereof and the body outer surface has an engagement portion located rearward of the inclined portion thereof, the collar and body engagement portions being engaged prior to step (c) to retain the collar on the body in a preassembled arrangement of the fitting assembly; and    the tubing end being inserted in step (d) into the internal bore of the body through the collar.