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A quick-connect tube coupling includes a body member having a bore for receiving the end of a tube, a first counterbore adjacent the outer end of the body member for receipt of an annular ring portion of a gripper ring surrounding the tube, and a second smaller diameter counterbore between the bore

A quick-connect tube coupling includes a body member having a bore for receiving the end of a tube, a first counterbore adjacent the outer end of the body member for receipt of an annular ring portion of a gripper ring surrounding the tube, and a second smaller diameter counterbore between the bore and first counterbore for receipt of radially and axially inwardly extending gripper ring fingers. The second counterbore provides limited and controlled outward deflection of the gripper ring fingers when a pulling force is applied to the tube so that the fingers bite into the tube surface preventing the tube from being pulled out of the coupling. A hand-threaded nut on the outer end of the body member retains the gripper ring within the body member when a pulling force is applied to the tube. An O-ring seal is also desirably contained within the first counterbore axially outwardly of the gripper ring to form a seal between the tube and body member. A washer disposed between the O-ring seal and gripper ring provides an axially movable support therebetween. In one form of the invention, the gripper ring fingers are radially outwardly deformed from the outer corners of the fingers toward the center along the outer edge of the fingers so that the finger corners bite into the tube first when a pulling force is applied to the tube.

대표청구항 ▼

A tube coupling comprising a body member having a bore for receiving the end of a tube, a first counterbore adjacent the outer end of said body member having a diameter greater than the diameter of said bore, a second counterbore between said bore and first counterbore having a diameter greater than

A tube coupling comprising a body member having a bore for receiving the end of a tube, a first counterbore adjacent the outer end of said body member having a diameter greater than the diameter of said bore, a second counterbore between said bore and first counterbore having a diameter greater than said bore and less than said first counterbore, a gripper ring contained within said body member, said gripper ring including an annular substantially radially flat outer ring portion received in said first counterbore, said outer ring portion having an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the tube and an outer diameter greater than the diameter of said second counterbore and less than the diameter of said first counterbore, and a plurality of gripper ring fingers at the inner diameter of said outer ring portion, said gripper ring fingers extending radially and axially inwardly beyond the axial innermost surface of said outer ring portion into said second counterbore, said gripper ring fingers having axial inner ends which when in an unstressed condition have an inner diameter which is less than the outer diameter of the tube to be inserted therein, and retaining means for retaining said gripper ring in said body member with said gripper ring fingers extending at least part way into said second counterbore, whereby when the tube is inserted into the bore past said gripper ring fingers and a pulling force is applied to the tube, said gripper ring fingers will bite into the tube preventing withdrawal of the tube from said tube coupling, the axial inner ends of said gripper ring fingers having arcuate cutting edges, with corners at the ends of the arcuate length of each of said arcuate cutting edges, said arcuate cutting edges being deformed radially outwardly from said corners toward the center of each of said arcuate cutting edges whereby said corners will bite into the tube first when the tube is inserted into the bore past the gripper ring fingers and a pulling force is applied to the tube.