EP0334648A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Improvements in or relating to methods of manufacturing tube coupling bodies
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1989-03-22
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-03-22
Abstract
Abstract The disclosure relates to a method of manufacturing a tube coupling body (10) in a plastics material using injection moulding tooling. The body is formed with a cylindrical bore (11) having enlarged end portions (13) in a mould body (15) and using removable cores (17). The cores form both the internal bore of the mould body and also end parts of the mould body so that once the cores are removed, end parts (13a) of the coupling body are revealed in the mould. Whilst the end parts are still hot from the initial moulding operating, forming dies (20) having tapering end cavities (21) are pressed over the end parts of the moulding to form the end parts of the moulding with both external and corresponding internal tapered surfaces. The tapered internal surfaces of the end parts thus formed provide tapered cam surfaces for engaging the resilient arms of collets to be inserted in the coupling body to receive and lock tubes in the coupling body.
Inventors
- 👤 John Derek Guest
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 16:36
CPC Classifications
B; B29; B29C; B29C45/00; B29C45/17; B29C45/26; B29C45/261; B29C45/0053; B29C45/0055; B29C57/00; B29C69/00; B29C69/02; F; F16; F16L; F16L37/00; F16L37/08; F16L37/084; F16L37/092; F16L37/0925; F16L37/0927; B29L; B29L2031/00; B29L2031/24; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S264/00; Y10S264/66; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49826; Y10T29/49863; Y10T29/49876; Y10T29/53; Y10T29/5367
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
102 words
A method of manufacturing a tube coupling body having a throughway to receive a tube from an open end of the throughway to be secured in the coupling body, the method comprising the steps of initially moulding the body with a non-convergent throughway extending to said open end and, whilst the moulding is hot from the moulding operation, releasing at least a part of the moulded body adjacent said open end from the mould and applying a shaped die to the external surface of that end part to re-form said end part with an internal cross-section which reduces towards said open end.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
102 words
A method of manufacturing a tube coupling body having a throughway to receive a tube from an open end of the throughway to be secured in the coupling body, the method comprising the steps of initially moulding the body with a non-convergent throughway extending to said open end and, whilst the moulding is hot from the moulding operation, releasing at least a part of the moulded body adjacent said open end from the mould and applying a shaped die to the external surface of that end part to re-form said end part with an internal cross-section which reduces towards said open end.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the step of initially moulding the body forms the body with a parallel sided throughway extending to said open end.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the step of initially moulding the body forms the body with a divergent throughway extending to said open end.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
33 words
A method as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the step of re-forming said end parts forms the internal cross-section with a tapered surface which converges towards said open end.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
36 words
A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the step of initially moulding the body forms the external surface of the body with a reducing taper towards said open end of the body.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
85 words
A method as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the die has a cavity which is tapered as it extends into the die to form an external taper on said end part of the coupling body and a corresponding internal tapered surface in the end part of the moulded body to form a cam surface for acting on the resilient arms of a collet to be inserted in the end part of the moulded body for clamping a tube in the body.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
87 words
A method as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the body is moulded in a mould having a cavity shaped to form an external surface of the body and a removable core shaped to form the internal surface of the body, the core having an annular recess to co-operate with the mould cavity in forming an annular end part of the body whereby, after moulding the body, removal of the core exposes the annular part of the moulded body on which said die forming operation is then performed.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
49 words
A method as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein a reinforcement ring is applied to the external surface of the annular end part of the body around at least the part of the body containing the internal tapered surface to strengthen the end part of the body.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the reinforcement ring is welded to the body.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the reinforcement ring is formed with an inwardly projecting annular rib and the external surface of the body is formed with an annular groove in which the rib is engageable to retain the ring on the body.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
65 words
A method as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the external surface of the body is formed with an annular shoulder facing away from the open end of the body and the reinforcing ring encircles the part of the body between the shoulder and the open end of the body with a rib on the ring engaging the shoulder to retain the ring on the body.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
53 words
A method as claimed in any of Claims 8 to 11, wherein the ring projects beyond the open end of the body and is formed with an inturned flange spaced from the open end to retain a collet located in the open end of the body for coupling a tube to the body.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
67 words
A method as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 12, wherein the body is formed with a plurality of annular open ends in said moulding operation and each of said end parts of the moulding is released whilst still hot and subjected to said die forming operation to re-form each end part with an internal tapered surface which reduces a cross-section towards the open end thereof.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
89 words
A tube coupling body having a throughway to receive a tube from an open end of the throughway to be secured in the coupling body, the body comprising a pre-formed plastics moulding with a post-formed annular open end part having an internal surface which reduces towards the open end thereof to receive a collet projecting into the open end and having a plurality of resilient fingers engagable with the tapered surface to compress the fingers against a tube extending through the collet to lock the tube in the body.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
89 words
A tube coupling body having a throughway to receive a tube from an open end of the throughway to be secured in the coupling body, the body comprising a pre-formed plastics moulding with a post-formed annular open end part having an internal surface which reduces towards the open end thereof to receive a collet projecting into the open end and having a plurality of resilient fingers engagable with the tapered surface to compress the fingers against a tube extending through the collet to lock the tube in the body.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
48 words
A tube coupling body as claimed in Claim 14, wherein a reinforcement ring as applied to the external surface of the annular end part of the body around at least that part of the body containing the internal reducing surface to strengthen said end part of the body.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
A tube coupling body as claimed in Claim 15, wherein the reinforcement ring is welded to the body.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
51 words
A tube coupling body as claimed in Claim 15, wherein the reinforcement ring is formed with an inwardly projecting annular rib and the external surface of the body is formed with an annular groove in which the rib is held with a "snap-in" engagement to retain the ring on the body.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
68 words
A tube coupling body as claimed in Claim 15, wherein the external surface of the body is formed with an annular shoulder facing away from the the open end of the body and the reinforcing ring encircles the part of the body between the shoulder and the open end of the body with a rib on the ring engaging the shoulder to retain the ring on the body.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
55 words
A tube coupling body as claimed in any of Claims 15 to 18, wherein the ring projects beyond the open end of the body and is formed with an inturned flange spaced from the open end to retain a collet location in the open end of the body for coupling a tube to the body.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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