Patent · US Expired

Tube fitting with separable tube gripping ring

US7108288B2 · kind B2 · utility

34Cited by
144References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 6, 2002
Grant dateSep 19, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 6, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC23C28/00
  • WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A tube fitting for a tube end has a female threaded member that cooperates with a male threaded member. The female member includes a tube gripping device in the form of a gripping ring or ferrule that is attached to the female member by a fungible web. Upon a partial pull-up the female engages a camming surface on the male threaded member and breaks off or separates from the female threaded member to become a separate piece so that the fitting then functions as a single ferrule tube fitting. Additional features include a steep camming angle on the camming surface to cause the ferrule to grip the tube end with a bite-type action and to form a primary seal between the camming surface and a front end of the separated ferrule. The ferrule front end, and optionally the entire female threaded member including the initially integral tube gripping device, are hardened to be at least about 3.3 times harder than the material of the tube end.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.