Apparatuses and methods for providing quick-connections with retaining features

Abstract

Fittings and coupling assemblies for relatively easy and quick connections to conduits are disclosed herein. A fitting assembly configured in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure includes a male connector and a female connector that can be coupled together to form a fitting assembly for attachment to a conduit or tube. The male connector can include a retaining feature, such as an undulated barb, to correspond with a corresponding engagement feature, such as a tooth carried by a shroud of the female connector, to allow the male and female connectors to be rapidly coupled together and also prevent the connectors from unintentional loosening. To couple and also separate the male and female connectors, a user can apply a compressive force to at least one of the male and female connectors, followed by a partial rotation of one of the connectors.

1 . An apparatus for providing a connection to a conduit, the apparatus comprising:
 a first part comprising a body having:
 a retaining feature extending partially around the body, wherein the retaining feature includes a generally undulating surface having a crest section positioned between first and second trough sections; and 
 a channel in the body extending at least approximately parallel to a longitudinal axis of the body, wherein the channel intersects the retaining feature; and 
   a second part comprising a generally cylindrical housing having an engagement feature configured to move through the channel, wherein the first and second parts are configured to be coupled together by aligning the engagement feature with the channel, at least partially inserting the first part into the second part, and rotating the second part to generally align the engagement feature with the crest section of the retaining feature.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the body of the first part further comprises a groove axially spaced apart from the retaining feature and the second part comprises a seat, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a seal positioned in the groove, and wherein inserting the first part into the second part includes applying a compressive axial force to at least partially compress the seal between the groove and the seat. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the first and second parts are further configured to be decoupled by applying the compressive axial force between the first and second parts to at least partially compress the seal, rotating the first part relative to the second part until the engagement feature is generally aligned with the channel, and retracting the first part from the second part. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the retaining feature is a first retaining feature and the body further comprises a plurality retaining features axially spaced apart from one another, wherein each retaining feature includes a crest section positioned between corresponding first and second trough sections. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the channel is a first channel and the apparatus further comprises:
 a second channel generally similar to the first channel, wherein the second channel is positioned on the body generally opposite the first channel; and 
 a first set of retaining features on the body opposite a second set of retaining features, wherein the first and second channels are positioned between the first and second sets of retaining features. 
 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the retaining feature comprises a threaded portion of the body extending radially outward from the body, wherein the threaded portion includes a generally constant radial spacing from the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the channel intersects the retaining feature proximate to the first trough section. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the second part further comprises an interior bore configured to receive an end portion of a tube at least partially inserted into the interior bore. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein:
 the body of the first part further comprises a first shoulder; 
 the housing of the second part further comprises a second shoulder axially spaced apart from a third shoulder; and wherein the apparatus further comprises— 
 a first seal configured to contact the first shoulder; 
 a spring lock member configured to engage the end portion of the tube and contact the second shoulder; 
 a spring lock adapter positioned between the first seal and the spring lock member, wherein the spring lock adapter contacts the third shoulder and an end portion of the body; and 
 a seal positioned in the groove, and wherein inserting the first part into the second part includes applying a compressive axial force to at least partially compress the seal between the housing. 
 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the interior bore comprises a first circumferential shoulder with a first diameter approximately equal to a second diameter of a circumferential protrusion carried by the end portion of the tube, the first circumferential shoulder forming a retaining surface proximate to one end of the second part. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the interior bore further comprises a second circumferential shoulder axially spaced apart from the first circumferential shoulder, wherein the second circumferential shoulder has a third diameter greater that the first diameter, and wherein the second circumferential shoulder forms a stop surface. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising a seal adapter having a front end and a back end, the seal adapter configured to engage the stop surface at the back end and to engage an O-ring at the front end. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus for providing a connection to a conduit, the apparatus comprising:
 a first part comprising at least one undulated barb having substantially constant radial spacing from a longitudinal axis of the first part and at least one well section, a circular groove axially spaced apart from the undulated barb, and a channel approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis;   a second part comprising a generally cylindrical shroud having at least one tooth configured to move within the channel; and   a compression ring configured to be at least partially received in the circular groove, wherein the compression ring is made of an elastically deformable material, and wherein the first and second parts are configured to be coupled together by aligning the tooth with the channel, inserting the first part into the second part, at least partially compressing the compression ring by applying a compressive axial force between the first part and the second part, rotating the first part relative to the second part until the tooth is generally aligned with the well section, and releasing the compressive axial force.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the first part and the second part are further configured to be decoupled by applying compressive axial force between the first part and the second part to at least partially compress the elastic element, rotating the first part relative to the second part until the tooth is generally aligned with the channel, and retracting the first part from the second part. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the undulated barb is a first undulated barb, and the apparatus further comprises a plurality of undulated barbs axially spaced apart from the first undulated barb, wherein each of the undulated barbs includes one or more corresponding well sections. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the first and second parts are configured to be coupled together around an end portion of a tube. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the second part has a circular seat that is configured to at least partially retain the compression ring when the second part is coupled with the first part. 
     
     
         18 . An apparatus for providing a connection to a conduit, the apparatus comprising:
 a first part having a connector portion and a base portion, wherein the base portion includes a circular groove and the connector portion includes two axially spaced apart and coaxial barbs, wherein each of the two coaxial barbs includes undulations with ordinate displacement in a direction generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the first part, and wherein the connector portion further includes slots extending in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein the slots generally intersect the barbs;   a second part comprising a generally cylindrical shroud having a circular seat at a rim portion of the shroud and a plurality of teeth that are configured to fit within the slots; and   a compression ring configured to be retained by the circular groove ad the circular seat, wherein the compression ring is formed from an elastically deformable material, and wherein the first and second parts are configured to be coupled together in a first position with the plurality of teeth engaged with corresponding ordinate displacement extrema of the undulations and the compression ring at least partially compressed between the first and second parts, and a second position with the plurality of teeth generally aligned with the corresponding channels slots to allow the second part to be removed from the first part.   
     
     
         19 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A fluid conduit system comprising:
 a first conduit for conveying a fluid;   a second conduit configured for conveying the fluid; and   a fitting assembly for coupling the first conduit to the second conduit for conveying the fluid therebetween, wherein the fitting assembly comprises—
 a first part comprising a body having:
 a retaining feature extending partially around the body, wherein the retaining feature includes a generally undulating surface having a crest section positioned between first and second trough sections; and 
 a channel in the body extending at least approximately parallel to a longitudinal axis of the body, wherein the channel intersects the retaining feature; and 
 
 a second part comprising a generally cylindrical housing having an engagement feature configured to move through the channel, wherein the first and second parts are configured to be coupled together by aligning the engagement feature with the channel, at least partially inserting the first part into the second part, and rotating the second part to generally align the engagement feature with the crest section of the retaining feature. 
   
     
     
         26 . The fluid conduit system of  claim 25  wherein the first and second conduits are a first set of conduits and the fitting assembly is a first fitting assembly associated with the corresponding first set of conduits, and wherein the fluid conduit assembly further comprises:
 a plurality of sets of conduits generally similar to the first set of conduits; and 
 a plurality of fitting assemblies, wherein each fitting assembly is generally similar to the first fitting assembly, and where individual fitting assemblies are associated with a corresponding set of conduits. 
 
     
     
         27 . The fluid conduit system of  claim 25  wherein the body of the first part further comprises a groove axially spaced apart from the retaining feature and the second part comprises a seat, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a seal positioned in the groove, and wherein inserting the first part into the second part includes applying a compressive axial force to at least partially compress the seal between the groove and the seat. 
     
     
         28 . The fluid conduit system of  claim 25  wherein the first and second parts are further configured to be decoupled by applying the compressive axial force between the first and second parts to at least partially compress the seal, rotating the first part relative to the second part until the engagement feature is generally aligned with the channel, and retracting the first part from the second part. 
     
     
         29 . The fluid conduit system of  claim 25  wherein the retaining feature is a first retaining feature and the body further comprises a plurality retaining features axially spaced apart from one another, wherein each retaining feature includes a crest section positioned between corresponding first and second trough sections. 
     
     
         30 . The fluid conduit system of  claim 25  wherein the channel is a first channel and the apparatus further comprises:
 a second channel generally similar to the first channel, wherein the second channel is positioned on the body generally opposite the first channel; and 
 a first set of retaining features on the body opposite a second set of retaining features, wherein the first and second channels are positioned between the first and second sets of retaining features.