초록 ▼

Coupling structures for tubing are disclosed. Particularly, caps configured for receiving one or more tube segments therein, and securing the tube segments to a component having protrusions thereon including bores therethrough in a fluid-tight manner are disclosed. The caps may have bores longitudin

Coupling structures for tubing are disclosed. Particularly, caps configured for receiving one or more tube segments therein, and securing the tube segments to a component having protrusions thereon including bores therethrough in a fluid-tight manner are disclosed. The caps may have bores longitudinally therethrough for receiving the tube segments, the bore walls being free from projections to fit tightly against the tube segments. A longitudinally distal annular recess of the cap may be threaded to be secured to a component. In another alternative, caps having separate apertures for receiving attachment elements to secure the cap and the component are disclosed. Caps configured with a bore for receiving a tube segment, and separate apertures for receiving attachment pins are additionally disclosed.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A coupling assembly, comprising: a manifold for interconnecting at least two tubes, the manifold comprising an inner surface defining a portion of a fluid passageway; at least one elongated, generally cylindrical male protruding portion extending from the manifold, the at lea

What is claimed is: 1. A coupling assembly, comprising: a manifold for interconnecting at least two tubes, the manifold comprising an inner surface defining a portion of a fluid passageway; at least one elongated, generally cylindrical male protruding portion extending from the manifold, the at least one male protruding portion having an axis and a bore extending axially therethrough, a surface of the at least one male protruding portion within the bore defining another portion of the fluid passageway; at least one flared tube comprising a central passage and an end portion receiving the at least one male protruding portion; a cap having at least one bore therethrough receiving a portion of the at least one flared tube, the at least one bore having a first at least substantially cylindrical portion having a first diameter and a second at least substantially cylindrical portion having a second, relatively larger diameter, the cap having at least one attachment aperture therethrough; and at least one attachment element separate from the at least one bore of the cap, and the at least one attachment element passing through the at least one attachment aperture and securing the cap to the manifold. 2. The coupling assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one attachment aperture is substantially parallel to the bore through the cap. 3. The coupling assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one attachment element comprises a bolt. 4. The coupling assembly of claim 3, wherein the manifold includes a threaded attachment aperture for receiving and engaging a portion of the bolt. 5. The coupling assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one male protruding portion is removably attached to the manifold. 6. The coupling assembly of claim 5, wherein the at least one male protruding portion includes a ring-shaped rim extending therefrom, substantially mating with a groove in the manifold. 7. The coupling assembly of claim 1, wherein the cap includes at least one slit extending through a surface thereof. 8. The coupling assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one male protruding portion comprises a plurality of male protruding portions, the at least one flared tube comprises a like plurality of flared tubes, and further comprising a like plurality of caps, each cap having a bore therethrough configured for receiving one of the plurality of flared tubes, each cap having at least one attachment aperture therethrough. 9. The coupling assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one flared tube includes a body having a first outside diameter, the end portion thereof has a second, greater outside diameter and a shoulder portion thereof is positioned between the body and the end portion. 10. The coupling assembly of claim 9, wherein the bore through the cap is configured for receiving at least a part of the body of the at least one flared tube and at least a part of the end portion of the at least one flared tube. 11. The coupling assembly of claim 9, wherein the bore through the cap has an inside diameter substantially the same as the first outside diameter of the tube body of the at least one flared tube. 12. The coupling assembly of claim 9, wherein the cap includes a surface abutting an outside surface of the shoulder portion of the at least one flared tube, the surface characterized by a plurality of ridges. 13. The coupling assembly of claim 9, further comprising a gripper ring encircling the at least one flared tube. 14. The coupling assembly of claim 13, wherein the gripper ring encircles a portion of the body and the shoulder portion of the at least one flared tube. 15. The coupling assembly of claim 14, wherein the gripper ring includes a first surface abutting an outside surface of the shoulder portion of the at least one flared tube and a second, opposing surface, substantially parallel thereto, in contact with the cap. 16. The coupling assembly of claim 14, wherein the gripper ring includes a first surface abutting an outside surface of the shoulder portion of the at least one flared tube and a second surface extending radially from the body of the at least one flared tube, in contact with the cap. 17. The coupling assembly of claim 13, wherein the gripper ring encircles the end portion of the at least one flared tube. 18. The coupling assembly of claim 17, wherein the end portion of the at least one flared tube includes a plurality of spaced apertures therethrough and wherein the gripper ring includes a plurality of inwardly facing bosses that fit into and cooperate with the plurality of spaced apertures. 19. The coupling assembly of claim 18, wherein the gripper ring includes a tapered upper edge abutting a surface of the cap. 20. The coupling assembly of claim 18, wherein the gripper ring includes a body portion having a rectangular cross-section and wherein the at least one bore through the cap includes a counterbore of constant diameter for receiving the gripper ring body portion. 21. The coupling assembly of claim 15, wherein the gripper ring including an inwardly projecting lip extending into an annular groove within the end portion. 22. The coupling assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one male protruding portion includes an enlarged portion for expanding part of the end portion disposed therein. 23. A coupling assembly, comprising: a plurality of male protruding portions extending from a component, each male protruding portion of the plurality having an axis and a bore extending axially therethrough, an inner surface of each male protruding portion of the plurality defining a portion of a respective fluid passageway in fluid communication with another portion of the respective fluid passageway defined by an inner surface of the component; a plurality of flared tubes, each flared tube comprising a central passage and an end portion receiving a male protruding portion of the plurality of male protruding portions; a cap having a plurality of bores therethrough, each bore having a first at least substantially cylindrical portion having a first diameter and a second at least substantially cylindrical portion having a second, relatively larger diameter and receiving a portion of a flared tube of the plurality; and at least one attachment element securing the cap to the component. 24. The coupling assembly of claim 23, wherein the at least one attachment element comprises threads on a bore extending at least partially through the cap. 25. The coupling assembly of claim 23, wherein the at least one attachment element comprises pins configured to engage with attachment apertures extending through the cap. 26. The coupling assembly of claim 25, wherein the attachment apertures are substantially parallel to the plurality of bores through the cap. 27. The coupling assembly of claim 23, wherein the at least one attachment element comprises a bolt. 28. The coupling assembly of claim 27, wherein the component includes a threaded attachment aperture for receiving and engaging a portion of the bolt. 29. The coupling assembly of claim 23, wherein each male protruding portion of the plurality is removably attached to the component. 30. The coupling assembly of claim 29, wherein the plurality of male protruding portions each include a ring-shaped rim extending therefrom substantially mating with a groove in the component. 31. The coupling assembly of claim 23, wherein the cap includes at least one slit extending from a surface thereof. 32. The coupling assembly of claim 23, wherein each flared tube of the plurality of flared tubes includes a body having a first outside diameter, the end portion thereof has a second, greater outside diameter and a shoulder portion thereof is positioned between the body and the end portion. 33. The coupling assembly of claim 32, wherein each bore of the plurality of bores through the cap has an inside diameter substantially the same as the first outside diameter of each flared tube body. 34. The coupling assembly of claim 32, wherein the cap includes a surface abutting an outside surface of the shoulder portion of at least one flared tube of the plurality, the surface characterized by a plurality of ridges. 35. The coupling assembly of claim 23, wherein each bore of the plurality of bores through the cap is configured for receiving at least a part of the body of each flared tube of the plurality and at least a part of the end portion of each flared tube of the plurality. 36. The coupling assembly of claim 32, further comprising a gripper ring encircling at least one flared tube of the plurality. 37. The coupling assembly of claim 36, wherein the gripper ring encircles the body and the shoulder portion of the at least one flared tube. 38. The coupling assembly of claim 37, wherein the gripper ring includes a first surface abutting an outside surface of the shoulder portion of the at least one flared tube and a second, opposing surface, substantially parallel thereto, in contact with the cap. 39. The coupling assembly of claim 37, wherein the gripper ring includes a first surface abutting an outside surface of the shoulder portion of the at least one flared tube and a second surface extending radially from the body of the at least one flared tube, in contact with the cap. 40. The coupling assembly of claim 36, wherein the gripper ring encircles the end portion of the at least one flared tube. 41. The coupling assembly of claim 40, wherein the end portion of the at least one flared tube includes a plurality of spaced apertures therethrough and wherein the gripper ring includes a plurality of inwardly facing bosses that fit into and cooperate with the plurality of spaced apertures. 42. The coupling assembly of claim 41, wherein the gripper ring includes a tapered upper edge abutting a surface of the cap. 43. The coupling assembly of claim 41, wherein the gripper ring includes a body portion having a rectangular cross-section and wherein the plurality of bores through the cap each includes a counterbore of constant diameter for receiving the gripper ring body portion. 44. The coupling assembly of claim 40, wherein a lip of the gripper ring extends into an annular groove within the flared tube end portion. 45. The coupling assembly of claim 23, wherein the plurality of male protruding portions each include an enlarged portion expanding part of the flared tube end portion disposed therein. 46. A structure for retaining a first tube segment within a second tube segment, comprising: a base, the first tube segment extending from a portion of the base; and a monolithic cap having a bore extending therethrough, the bore having a first portion encircling a portion of the second tube segment, the bore having a second portion encircling a portion of the second tube segment and at least a portion of the first tube segment, the cap attached to the base so as to form a space therebetween; wherein the cap includes at least one attachment aperture extending therethrough. 47. The structure of claim 46, wherein the cap includes at least one attachment aperture extending therethrough. 48. The structure of claim 47, further including at least one attachment element received within the at least one attachment aperture and extending between the cap and the base and passing through the space therebetween. 49. A method of coupling a first tube segment with a second tube segment, comprising: providing a base structure comprising a manifold for interconnecting at least two tubes, the base structure having a first tube segment protruding therefrom; positioning an end portion of a second tube segment over at least a portion of the first tube segment and forming a fluid passageway defined by an inner surface of the second tube segment, an inner surface of the first tube segment, and an inner surface of the manifold; encircling a portion of the second tube segment with a cap with a bore having a first at least substantially cylindrical portion having a first diameter and a second at least substantially cylindrical portion having a second, relatively larger diameter; and attaching the cap to the base structure with at least one attachment element received in an attachment aperture of the cap and secured to the base structure. 50. The method of claim 49, further comprising forming at least one slit through a surface of the cap. 51. The method of claim 49, wherein the at least one attachment element comprises two attachment elements, the two attachment elements parallel to the second tube segment. 52. The method of claim 49, further comprising encompassing another portion of the second tube segment with a gripper ring. 53. The method of claim 52, further comprising engaging a plurality of protruding bosses of the gripper ring with a plurality of spaced apertures of the second tube segment. 54. The method of claim 52, further comprising mating a lip of the gripper ring with an annular groove of the second tube segment. 55. A method of coupling a plurality of first tube segments with a like plurality of second tube segments, comprising: providing a base structure having the plurality of first tube segments protruding therefrom; positioning each second tube segment of the plurality of second tube segments with an end portion thereof receiving a portion of a corresponding first tube segment of the plurality of first tube segments. individually encircling a portion of each second tube segment with a single monolithic cap with a bore having a first at least substantially cylindrical portion having a first diameter and a second at least substantially cylindrical portion having a second, relatively larger diameter; and attaching the single cap to the base structure. 56. The method of claim 55, wherein attaching the single cap to the base structure comprises receiving at least one attachment element within an attachment aperture of the cap and securing the attachment element to the base structure. 57. The method of claim 55, wherein attaching the single cap to the base structure comprises threadedly attaching the single cap to the base structure.