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A quick-connect plumbing device for exemplary use in connection of an appliance, such as a water heater, to supply line of a dwelling, among other uses. Preferably, the connection creates a dielectric coupling between the appliance and supply line to disconnect electrical communication between the s

A quick-connect plumbing device for exemplary use in connection of an appliance, such as a water heater, to supply line of a dwelling, among other uses. Preferably, the connection creates a dielectric coupling between the appliance and supply line to disconnect electrical communication between the supply line and appliance. The device typically includes a length of rigid conduit structured to form a sweat solder connection to a cooperating solderable plumbing element at a first end, and to form a threaded connection to a cooperating threaded plumbing element at an opposite second end, with a resilient seal element being carried at the second end. The threaded connection can be formed by an internally-threaded nut axially affixed to the conduit to permit nut rotation to axially compress the seal element between the conduit and the threaded plumbing element.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An apparatus, comprising: a rigid conduit extending in a length direction between a first end and a second end, an interference structure carried at said first end, said second end being configured to form a sweat solder connection with a first cooperating plumbing element;an electrically insulat

1. An apparatus, comprising: a rigid conduit extending in a length direction between a first end and a second end, an interference structure carried at said first end, said second end being configured to form a sweat solder connection with a first cooperating plumbing element;an electrically insulating isolation sleeve carried on said conduit between said interference structure and said second end;a nut with an internally disposed female tapered pipe thread and a constricting aperture comprising an encircling lip pierced by said conduit and said isolation sleeve to engage said isolation sleeve in contact with said encircling lip and thereby resist axial separation of said nut from said conduit in a direction away from said second end and toward said first end, said nut being free to rotate about said conduit for purpose of thread engagement and release of said female tapered pipe thread with respect to a male tapered pipe thread of a cooperating pipe nipple;said cooperating pipe nipple consisting of a length of pipe with tapered pipe threads disposed at each end of the pipe, one end of said cooperating pipe nipple being threadedly coupled to the nut; anda resilient seal element disposed inside said nut to form a fluid leak-resistant seal at the first end of said conduit upon coupling of said nut to said cooperating pipe nipple, the leak-resistant seal comprising compression of the seal element between a proximal end of said cooperating pipe nipple and said interference structure, wherein:said second end comprises a swaged and thereby expanded socket inside of which to receive a cooperating tubing end for forming a sweat solder joint. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the conduit is copper and has a length extending in an axial direction of between about 2 inches and about 12 inches; andthe nut is brass. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the conduit is rigid to resist bending by hand. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the conduit has a length between about 1 inch and about 12 inches. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the interference structure is formed as a flared end portion of the conduit. 6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein: the seal element and conduit end are structured and arranged for compression of the seal element, against the effective internal surface of the conduit, between the flared end portion of the conduit and the threaded pipe nipple. 7. The device according to claim 1, wherein: the nut is axially retained in association with the conduit by way of a flared end of the conduit, the flared end of the conduit being configured such that the effective internal surface of the conduit is arranged to compress the seal element against the pipe nipple upon installation of the plumbing device onto the pipe nipple. 8. An apparatus, comprising: a rigid conduit extending in a length direction between a first end and a second end, an interference structure carried at said first end, said second end being configured to form a sweat solder connection with a first cooperating plumbing element;an electrically insulating isolation sleeve carried on said conduit between said interference structure and said second end;a nut with internally disposed female tapered pipe threads and a constricting aperture comprising an encircling lip pierced by said conduit and said isolation sleeve to engage said isolation sleeve in contact with said encircling lip and thereby resist axial separation of said nut from said conduit in a direction away from said second end and toward said first end, said nut being free to rotate about said conduit for purpose of thread engagement and release of said female tapered pipe threads with respect to male tapered pipe threads disposed at an end of a cooperating pipe nipple; anda resilient seal element disposed inside said nut to form a fluid leak-resistant seal at the first end of said conduit upon coupling of said nut to said pipe nipple, wherein:the interference structure is created by flaring the first end of the conduit to form a unitary and radially expanding flange that terminates at a maximum diameter to dispose an expanded inside surface of the conduit for axially-oriented contact against the seal element; and said seal element is structured and arranged to form a primary fluid leak-resistant comprising axial compression contact of the seal element against the expanded inside surface of said conduit, the seal element also forming a redundant secondary seal by contacting a radially-oriented outer surface of the isolation sleeve, the primary and secondary leak-resistant seals being respectively disposed upstream and downstream in the same fluid leak path. 9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein: said seal element is structured and arranged in harmony with said nut to form a further supplemental fluid leak-resistant seal by way of axial compression contact between said lip and said seal. 10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein: said nut is formed from brass; andsaid conduit is formed from copper.