Modular surface mount fluid system

Abstract

A bridge fitting for use with two or more surface mounted components includes a housing having at least a first port disposed on a first side of the housing, at least a second port non-coaxial with the first port and disposed on a second side of the housing opposite the first side of the housing, and an internal fluid passageway connecting the first and second ports. The internal fluid passageway is configured to limit fluid flow within the bridge fitting to a single path between the first and second ports.

1 . A modular fluid system for connecting with two or more surface mount type fluid components, the modular system comprising: 
 a bridge fitting comprising a housing and a projection extending from said housing;    a channel block having a groove for receiving said bridge fitting therein and an aligned complementary shaped hole for receiving said projection, such that the channel block is configured to receive the bridge fitting in a desired location along the groove.    
   
   
       2 . The modular fluid system of  claim 1  wherein said projection comprises a boss extending from a bottom surface of said housing, and said aligned hole is located on a bottom wall of said groove.  
   
   
       3 . The modular fluid system of  claim 1  wherein said bridge fitting further comprises a second projection extending from said housing and said channel block further comprises an aligned complementary shaped second hole for receiving said second projection, wherein said second projection is geometrically different than said first projection.  
   
   
       4 . The modular fluid system of  claim 3 , wherein said channel block comprises a plurality of sets of first and second complementary shaped holes, such that the channel block is configured to receive the bridge fitting in a plurality of desired locations along the groove.  
   
   
       5 . The modular fluid system of  claim 3 , wherein at least one of said first and second projections comprises a port and the corresponding one of said first and second holes comprises a through hole for communicating fluid within the port through the channel block.  
   
   
       6 . The modular fluid system of  claim 1  wherein said system further comprises two channel blocks and a connector block for joining said channel blocks together; said connector block being sized to maintain the surface mount valve spacing.  
   
   
       7 . The modular fluid system of  claim 1  wherein said first projection of said bridge fitting comprises a first shape extending from a side of the bridge fitting housing, and said channel block having an aligned slot in a sidewall for receiving said first shape.  
   
   
       8 . The modular fluid system of  claim 1  wherein said first projection is sized to be retained in said hole of said channel block when the channel block is in a vertical orientation.  
   
   
       9 . The modular fluid system of  claim 1  wherein the channel block comprises a plurality of complementary shaped holes for receiving said projection, such that the channel block is configured to receive the bridge fitting in any one of a plurality of desired locations along the groove.  
   
   
       10 . The modular fluid system of  claim 1 , further comprising a second bridge fitting comprising a housing and a projection extending from said housing, wherein the channel block further comprises a second hole complementary shaped with the projection of the second bridge fitting, such that the channel block is configured to receive the second bridge fitting in a desired location along the groove.  
   
   
       11 . The modular fluid system of  claim 10 , wherein the first projection is geometrically different than the second projection to prevent assembly of the second bridge fitting in the desired location of the first bridge fitting.  
   
   
       12 . The modular fluid system of  claim 10 , wherein said channel block comprises a plurality of sets of first and second complementary shaped holes, such that the channel block is configured to receive the first stated bridge fitting and the second bridge fitting in a plurality of desired locations along the groove.  
   
   
       13 . The modular fluid system of  claim 10 , wherein at least one of said first and second projections comprises a port and the corresponding one of said first and second holes comprises a through hole for communicating fluid within the port through the channel block.  
   
   
       14 . The modular fluid system of  claim 1 , wherein said bridge fitting and channel block are configured to prevent assembly of the bridge fitting with the channel block in an incorrect orientation within the groove.  
   
   
       15 . A modular fluid system for connecting with two or more surface mount type fluid components, the modular system comprising: 
 a bridge fitting, comprising a housing, a port disposed on the housing, an internal passageway extending from the port, and a bridge fitting locating feature disposed on the housing, wherein said bridge fitting locating feature is spaced apart from said passageway; and    a block having a groove for receiving the bridge fitting therein and an aligned complementary shaped block locating feature for engaging the bridge fitting locating feature, such that the block is configured to receive the bridge fitting in a desired location along the groove;    wherein one of the bridge fitting locating feature and the block locating feature comprises a projection, and the other of the bridge fitting locating feature and the block locating feature comprises a hole.    
   
   
       16 . The modular fluid system of  claim 15  wherein said bridge fitting locating feature comprises a projection.  
   
   
       17 . The modular fluid system of  claim 16 , wherein the projection extends from less than an entirety of a substantially planar surface of the housing of the bridge fitting.  
   
   
       18 . The modular fluid system of  claim 15  wherein the bridge fitting further comprises a second bridge fitting locating feature disposed on the housing, and the block further comprises an aligned complementary shaped second block locating feature for engaging the second bridge fitting locating feature.  
   
   
       19 . The modular fluid system of  claim 18  wherein the second bridge fitting locating feature is geometrically different than the first bridge fitting locating feature.  
   
   
       20 . A modular fluid system for connecting with two or more surface mount type fluid components, the modular system comprising: 
 a bridge fitting comprising a housing including an upper surface and a substantially planar channel block engaging surface defined by outer edges, the housing further comprising a first port disposed on the upper surface of the housing; a second port coplanar with the first port; a U-shaped internal fluid passageway within the housing originating at the first port and terminating at the second port; and a first locating feature disposed between the outer edges on the channel block engaging surface, the first locating feature being spaced apart from the internal passageway; and    a channel block having a groove for receiving said bridge fitting therein, said groove comprising a second complementary shaped locating feature for engaging said first locating feature.    
   
   
       21 . The modular fluid system of  claim 20 , wherein the first locating feature comprises a projection and the second locating feature comprises a complementary shaped hole.  
   
   
       22 . A modular fluid system for connecting with two or more surface mount type fluid components, the modular system comprising: 
 a bridge fitting, comprising a housing, a first bridge fitting locating feature disposed on a first side of the housing, and a second bridge fitting locating feature disposed on a second side of the housing opposite the first side;    a first block having a complementary shaped first block locating feature for engaging the first bridge fitting locating feature, such that the first block is configured to receive the bridge fitting in a desired location on the first block; and    a second block having a complementary shaped second block locating feature for engaging the second bridge fitting locating feature, such that the second block is configured to receive the bridge fitting in a desired location on the second block.    
   
   
       23 . The modular fluid system of  claim 22 , wherein the first bridge fitting locating feature comprises a port, and the first block locating feature comprises a through hole for communicating fluid within the port through the block.  
   
   
       24 . The modular fluid system of  claim 22 , wherein the second block comprises a groove sized to receive the bridge fitting therein, wherein the second block locating feature is disposed within the groove.