Pneumatic | Pneumatic Components

BEIJING, May 23, 2008 (IPS) - The outpouring of global sympathy in the aftermath of the Quick Connector deadly Sichuan earthquake has shifted the focus away from China's role and influence in cyclone-stricken Burma, quieting critics.

But the openness that Chinese leaders have displayed in the handling of their own natural disaster has emboldened Chinese citizens and the country's increasingly daring media to probe neighbouring Burma's crisis from unexpected angles.

Just days after the earthquake struck the province of Sichuan, the Chinese weekly Southern Weekend carried a full-page expose of the misery of Burmese people affected by Cyclone Nargis, providing first-hand accounts from some of the most ravaged areas in the Irrawaddy Delta.

Voices of Burmese government officials were conspicuously absent from the article. Ordinary villagers'grievances though were featured prominently along with pledges by Burma-based Chinese charities and Chinese businesses for donations.

The mere appearance of the report titled ‘The predicament of Burmese style disaster relief'makes for an unusual read in the Chinese state press where stories from Burma are carefully screened and the information that trickles in paltry. But the conclusions drawn by the report were even more striking.

"The current state of relief operations is worrying,''the article stated. "If the situation doesn't improve, the humanitarian crisis enfolding in Burma would be no less disastrous than the natural calamity that befell...''

The article stopped short of calling on Beijing to take a more pro-active stance and use its close ties with the junta in helping international aid reach Burmese cyclone victims. But the contrasting pictures of how the two countries were dealing with the terrible natural disasters that have inflicted their people were telling.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao was on the ground just hours after the earthquake struck Sichuan provinces Push in fitting, taking charge of a rescue operation involving some 100,000 People's Liberation Army soldiers and pledging ''to use all our forces, and save lives at whatever cost''. Beijing thanked the outside world for its sympathy, accepting aid offers and even allowing foreign relief teams to help in the quake areas.

By contrast, Burma's military government refused any help and expertise for more than ten days after the Cyclone Nargis struck, killing an estimated 120,000 people. Tens of thousands are now at risk from disease because of their lack of access to clean drinking water, food, medical supplies and shelter. International relief effort has been frustrated by Burma's refusal to give foreign aid workers full access to the cyclone-affected areas and cooperate with foreign agencies.

China's speedy response to its own disaster may have been somewhat influenced by the global reaction to Burmese junta's conduct after the cyclone ravaged that country. The Burmese regime has been commonly condemned and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has called the junta's response "callous".

But the international community has also been divided on how to influence the Burmese junta to open up to foreign expertise and aid. There have been calls by Western powers to evoke the United Nations principle of "responsibility to protect", and to enter the country without the government's consent to deliver aid.

China, India, Thailand and other Asian countries meanwhile, have refrained from publicly confronting the junta over its refusal to accept help, and have worked behind the scenes to get some of their own aid inside Burma.

Struggling to cope with the earthquake, China still managed to dispatch a 50-strong medical team to Burma this week, carrying 32 tonnes of food, water and medicine for the survivors of the storm, the state television said. Beijing has also pledged 5.2 million US dollars in emergency aid, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

But human rights groups have called on China to do more by using its close links with Burma to persuade the junta to accept all the international aid that cyclone survivors badly need.

"China should do everything in its power to get sufficient aid into Burma or it will share responsibility for the deaths of tens of thousands of people," said Brad Adams, Human Rights Watch's Asia director in a statement.

Despite its clout with the junta, Beijing had been reluctant to play a larger diplomatic role in pressuring the regime to let in foreign help. Chinese companies have invested heavily in Burma's natural resources, while Beijing had provided financial support in the form of conditions-free loans, political backing and military armaments.

One of Burma's closest allies and protector at the United Nations Security Council where it holds veto power, China promotes "bilateral consultations" as the way forward to the humanitarian crisis. Beijing blocked a proposal by France to invoke the "responsibility to protect" provisions at the Security Council earlier saying it would needlessly politicise the issue of aid.

Liu Zhenmin, China's deputy permanent representative to the Untied Nations, urged "the relevant international agencies and donor countries to resolve specific issues arising during disaster relief through bilateral consultations".

Yet diplomats here believe the devastating earthquake that hit Sichuan last week might have made Beijing more receptive to international calls for help.

"Keeping their ‘hands off'approach would be inconsistent with the image of a competent and compassionate power that they have presented to the world over the last week," says one foreign diplomat in Beijing.

What is more, allowing its citizens to view the full picture of the Barb Fitting destruction and death afflicted on China by the earthquake would make it more difficult to suppress news about the devastation in neighbouring cyclone-stricken Burma. The report in the Southern Weekend is a harbinger of what could follow if Beijing perseveres with the media openness. "Questions will be asked," predicts the diplomat.

Releasable, swivelable, quick connector assembly comprises a tubular male member, a tubular female member having an end portion configured to mate with the male member when inserted therewithin, and a retainer member including means for preselectively resisting assembly of said male member into said female member where said retainer is preassembled onto male member and where said retainer is preassembled into said female member.

This invention relates to a quick connector and more particularly to a retainer member allowing a quick yet swivelable connection.

Numerous applications require a quick connection between fluid carrying conduits. Oftentimes in quick connections the user is not certain that the desired interconnection was fully completed possibly resulting in unexpected and undesired disconnection of the conduits. It would be desirable to provide a connection that is quick and certain such connection as achieved by an installer axially thrusting a male conduit into a suitably configured female receptacle with an audible signal resulting to indicate that the interconnection was completed. Also, in the event that the completion of the connecting motion is not properly completed, it is desirable that the retaining mechanism provide means by which the male portion of the connector be prevented from complete separation. If this means could further result in a situation where a very limited leak from the connection would provide visual evidence of an improperly "made" connection, then the evidence of that condition would result in an indication of the problem during the confirming operation of the system.

A primary object of the present invention is provision of a retention arrangement which may be used to interconnect a pair of mateable conduit end portions and which resists assembly unless a significant assembling force is applied.

Another object of the invention is provision of a conduit having a retainer member preassembled to the conduit end portion so that a connection thereto by a tubular fluid conveying conduit may be made in one step without resorting to any tools.

Another object of the invention is provision of a retainer element which may be preassembled to either conduit so that a snapping connection may be made, with the retainer assembled into the female portion, or mounted on the male portion and inserted with the male into the female.

Another object of the invention is to provide a retaining means which will sufficiently secure the male in the female sufficiently to prevent a blow apart of the male from the female even though the primary latching means has not been completely operated during the connection movement of the male into the female portion.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved retainer element formed with at least one leg member which operates to detachably secure the retainer element to either conduit and which allows releasable, rotatable connection, the retainer element having first and second cam surfaces which resist assembly to one or the other of the conduits.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a connector assembly, comprising, a tubular male member having a mating end portion, a tubular female member having an end portion defining a receptacle configured to mate with the male member when inserted therewithin, and a retainer member including assembly resisting means for preselectively resisting assembly of the mating end portion of the male member into the receptacle of the female member where the retainer member is preassembled onto the male member and where the retainer member is preassembled into the female member.

Quick connector fitting assembly is provided which includes a fitting which releasably connects to a well casing for providing an interface for the attachment of various types of well related equipment. The quick connector fitting connects using fasteners to a lip or groove formed on the casing. The fasteners can easily connect or disconnect from the groove or lip facilitating the quick connection and disconnection of the fitting from the casing.

This invention relates to quick connect assemblies including quick connector fittings which quickly and releasably connect to a well casing for providing an interface for attaching well related equipment such as blowout preventors to the casing.

Fittings, such as drilling flanges, are currently used to provide an interface to well casings for mounting various equipment such as blowout preventors. A conventional fitting, such as a drilling flange, is threaded onto the casing until a shoulder within the drilling flange makes contact with the casing mouth. An elastomeric O-ring seals the drilling flange/casing interface. Once such a drilling flange is mounted on a casing, it is difficult to remove. Consequently, in many instances, the drilling flange remains permanently on the casing. As a result, on the field where multiple drilling operations may be going on at once, a separate drilling flange is required for each casing. This can be expensive.

Another problem with these flanges is that their orientation with respect to the casing cannot be accurately predetermined. The orientation depends on how tight the flange is threaded on the casing. This shortcoming poses a problem in situations where the equipment to be attached requires a specific orientation relative to the casing.

As such, a quick connect assembly is needed which provides for the easy installation and removal of a quick connector fitting so as to allow the fitting to be used on multiple casings in the field and which allows the fitting to be oriented to any desired position relative to the casing.

A quick connector fitting is mated to the casing head. The quick connector fitting has a flange that extends from an upper end of the fitting for providing an interface for connecting well related equipment.

An annular drilling flange nut is threaded on the lower outer surface of the quick connector fitting. Load key bolts are fitted through radial openings formed on the flange nut. A retainer is used to retain each bolt on the flange nut. A preferably arc-shaped load key located inside the flange nut is threadedly engaged by each load key bolt. As a load key bolt is turned it causes its corresponding load key to translate radially and into the groove formed on the outer surface of the casing head. The flange nut is then further torqued causing the load keys to contact and apply a force against the upper surface of the annular groove on the casing head. As result, a downward force is applied by the flange nut on the quick connector fitting causing the quick connector to further sit on the mouth of the casing head forming a tight connection.

With any of the above described embodiments, a wear bushing may be fitted such that it provides a protecting lining to the inner surface of the casing head and a portion of the quick connector inner surface extending above the casing head. Moreover, with all of these embodiments, the quick connector fittings are preferably fastened to a groove. As a result, the fittings can be oriented to any position over the casing mouth prior to being quickly and releasably connected to the casing.

Quick connector coupling for a fluid line includes a hollow female connector body defining an interior radial bearing surface. A male member has a radially enlarged upset and is insertable into the connector body to a first position and withdrawable from the first position to a second position within the connector body. A retainer is disposed in the connector body and has retention beams extending between the upset and the bearing surface to secure the retainer and the male member in the connector body. A ring-shaped indicator member is detachably secured to one end of the connector body. Withdrawal of the male member from the first position to the second position causes detachment of the indicator member from the connector body and signals a proper coupling.

In automotive and other fields, quick connector couplings, which generally include a male member received and sealingly retained in a female connector body, are often utilized to provide a fluid connection between two components or conduits, thus establishing a fluid line between the two components. Use of quick connector couplings is advantageous in that a sealed and secured fluid line may be established with a minimum amount of time and expense.

An improper or incomplete connection between the male member and female connector body of a quick connector coupling can have deliterious effects on the fluid line system. At the very least, a leak in the fluid sytem will occur at the site of the improper connection. More serious and potentially dangerous consequences can result if the fluid is pressurized, as many fluids in automotive systems are. Thus, a reliable and accurate means for verifying that a proper connection has been established between the male member and female connector body is desirable.

One way to check for a proper connection is to physically tug or pull on the male member in a direction away from the connector body. An improper connection is obvious if the male member withdraws from the female connector body.

Reliance on this method of connection verification has numerous disadvantages. The pulling or tugging force exerted on the male member to check for a proper connection may be insufficient to withdraw a partially connected male member from the connector body, leading to an erroneous perception of a proper connection. Another problem associated with sole reliance on physical inspection is that no indication or verification is left behind to signal to others that the coupling has in fact been inspected and has been found to be proper.

It is sometimes possible to audibly verify a proper connection. Typically, as the male member is inserted into the female connector body, an audible "click" is heard when the male member locks into place. The click results from resilient retention beams of a retainer contained within the female connector body snapping into place behind an enlarged diameter upset portion formed on the male member. This method of verification is also deficient in several respects. The click may be very quiet or inaudible, making its detection difficult. The material from which the retainer is manufactured may affect the audibility of the resulting click. Background noise in the workplace can make the task even more difficult. And, of course, an audio method of verification is inherently limited by the installer’s hearing perception.

Generally, methods of connection verification which employ a visual indication of a proper connection have proven to be the most reliable.

In one common type of visual connection indicator, the position of the indicator relative to a female connector body is indicative of whether there has been a proper connection. Usually, the indicator is associated with the connector body and experiences a change in position relative to the connector body caused by inward movement, or insertion, of the male member.

A second type of visual connection indicator signals a proper connection by complete detachment of the indicator from the coupling. Detachment is effected by inward movement, or insertion, of the male member. Thus, the absence of the indicator signals a proper connection.

A third type of visual connection indicator is similar to the second type of visual indicator in that inward movement, or insertion, of a male member effects detachment of an indicator from a connector body. It differs, however, in that the detachable indicator, often a ring-shaped element, is retained, but freely movable, on the male member after detachment from the connector body. Thus, the presence of the indicator on the tube on which the male member is formed indicates a proper connection.

These three types of visual connection indicators share a common trait: reliance on inward movement, or insertion, of the male member to alter the position of, or detach, the indicator, and to carry the male member to a locked position. Reliance on inward, or insertion, force to both move the male member to a locked position and to activate the indicator can be problematic. Erratic, careless or overly forceful insertion of the male member can cause activation of the indicator without formation of a proper connection, or conversely, formation of a proper connection without activation of the indicator.

The quick connector coupling of the present invention comprises a hollow female connector body, a male member received in the connector body that has a radially enlarged upset, a retainer associated with the connector body that is contactable with the upset to retain the male member in the connector body, and an indicator associated with the connector body that is selectively movable to indicate whether the male member is retained in the connector body.

A quick connector coupling for forming a joint in a fluid line consists of a female connector body having a bore which receives a male member. A retainer disposed in the bore includes retention fingers which extend between first abutment surfaces formed in the connector body and an upset formed on the male member to secure the male member in the connector body.

An insertion indicator disposed in the bore has an indicator ring which is seated against a radial rim formed adjacent an entrance to the connector body bore, legs extending away from the indicator ring and into the bore, and engagement means attached to the legs which abut second abutment surfaces formed in the connector body to position the insertion indicator in the connector body. The indicator ring is separable from the engagement means to signal a proper coupling of the male member and female connector body.

This invention relates to fluid line systems which include quick connector couplings, and more particularly to a quick connector coupling having means to verify whether a proper connection has been made between the male and female portions of the quick connector.

In automotive and other fields, quick connector couplings, which generally include a male member received and retained in a female connector body, are often utilized to provide a fluid connection between two components or conduits, thus establishing a fluid line between the two components. Use of quick connector couplings is advantageous in that a sealed and secured fluid line may be established with a minimum amount of time and expense.

Not unexpectedly, an improper connection between the male member and female connector body of a quick connector coupling can have deliterious effects on the fluid line system. At the very least, a leak in the fluid system will occur at the site of the improper connection. More serious and potentially dangerous consequences can result if the fluid is pressurized, as many fluids in automotive systems are. Thus, a reliable and accurate means for verifying a proper connection between the male member and female connector body is advantageous.

A number of methods and mechanisms exist for verification of proper connection of a quick connector coupling. The coupling may be physically checked by tugging or pulling on the male member. An improper connection is obvious if the male member disengages the female connector body. Reliance on physical inspection, however, has numerous disadvantages. The pulling or tugging force exerted on the male member may not be enough to cause the male member to disengage the connector body, even though an improper connection in fact exists. Further, the quick connector coupling may be inaccesibly located, for example, in a crowded engine compartment, making physical inspection difficult and burdensome.

It is sometimes possible to audibly verify a proper connection. Typically, as the male member is inserted into the female connector body, an audible "click" is heard when the male member locks into place. The click results from resilient arms of a retainer contained within the female connector body snapping into place behind an enlarged diameter upset portion formed on the male member. This method of verification is also deficient in several respects. The click may be very quiet or inaudible, making its detection difficult. Background noise in the workplace can make the task even more difficult. And, of course, an audio method of verification is inherently limited by the installer’s hearing perception.

The methods of visual connection verification shown in these patents also have various shortcomings. Many rely on the appearance or position of an indicator device at, or in the immediate vicinity of, the coupling itself. The indicator is not disengaged from the connector body, rather, the position of the indicator device relative to the connector body is indicative of whether there is a proper connection. As with methods of physical inspection, the usefulness of such devices is limited if the coupling is inaccesibly located or difficult to see. Furthermore, the indicator mechanisms employed in some of the prior connectors are overly complex and may protrude an objectionable amount from the connector body.

In other prior devices, a proper connection is signaled by complete disengagement of an indicator device from a connector body. Typically, upon proper connection, an indicator ring becomes freely moveable on the male member, making verification of a proper connection easy. These prior devices have been deficient, however, in that a potential exists to achieve a proper connection without concomittant release of the indicator device. In such cases, a false signal of an improper connection is given, requiring expenditure of time and effort to inspect the connection.

The quick connector insertion indicator of the present invention overcomes these prior deficiencies.

A retainer for releasably locking the male and female component of a quick connector together. The retainer is releasably insertable into a transverse bore formed in the female component and includes an edge slidable over a radial flange on the male component only when the male component is fully coupled in an axial bore in the female component.

The engagement of the edges and the radial flange on the male component permits full insertion of the retainer into the transverse bore in the female component around the male component to lock the male component and female component together. Lock projections on the retainer engage grooves in the housing to releasably lock the retainer in a partially inserted, shipping position in the transverse bore in the female component and engage exterior lock surfaces on the housing on full insertion of the retainer to lock the retainer and the fully inserted male component to the female component.

Snap-fit or quick connectors are employed in a wide range of applications, particularly, for joining fluid carrying conduits in automotive and industrial application. In a typical quick connector, a retainer is fixedly mounted within a bore in a housing of a female connector component or element. The retainer has a plurality of radially extending legs which extend inwardly toward the axial center line of the bore in the housing. A tube or fitting to be sealingly mounted in the bore in the female component includes a radially upset portion or flange which abuts an inner peripheral surface of the retainer legs. Seal and spacer members as well as a bearing or top hat are typically mounted in the bore ahead of the retainer to form a seal between the housing and the male fitting when the male fitting is lockingly engaged with the retainer legs.

While such a retainer is usually effective in releasably coupling the male and female elements of a quick connector, it is possible that the male fitting may be partially, but not fully seated or coupled to the internal seal elements in the bore of the female component and not fully locked in position by the retainer legs. In this partially engaged position, the male fitting may work itself free of the housing thereby leading to leaks in the fluid delivery system.

As it is desirable to ensure that the male and female elements are fully coupled to prevent leaks, various indicators have been provided to indicate a full coupling or seating of the male fitting in the female element. A deformable member is assembled within the fitting which includes elongated members extending out of the housing between the male and female elements prior to coupling and which are retracted, and no longer visible, once the coupling has been fully accomplished. The annular member in this device remains in assembly with the quick connector and contributes to component count, tolerance stack-up and possible misassembly. Furthermore, the elongated members which are visible during non-coupling of the connector are, by design, not visible after coupling is fully effected. In many applications, such as an extremely crowded engine compartment of a motor vehicle, the installed coupling may be difficult to see and inspect closely. Thus, the inability to see the elongated members from a distance or from an awkward position will not result in a high degree of confidence that the coupling has in fact fully taken place.

Other types of visual indicators,are removable after full coupling of the male and female quick connector elements. However, the indicator disclosed in this patent is complex and adds considerable axial length to the quick connector.

To overcome these problems and to provide an advancement in the quick connector art, the quick connect insertion indicator clip disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,555, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, was devised. This indicator clip includes a flag portion positioned externally of the quick connector and has members extending from the flag portion to embrace the female element of the quick connector. Engagement tabs extending from the members through registering apertures in the female element will contact an abutment surface formed on the male element upon full coupling of the male and female components to enable removal of the indicator device as verification of complete or full coupling. When coupling is incomplete or not fully effected, the indicator device cannot be removed from the female component.

While the insertion indicator clip disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,555 provides an easily visible indication of complete coupling of quick connector components, the quick connector still requires a separate retainer to lockingly couple the male and female components together.

Thus, it would be desirable to provide a retainer for a quick connector which performs the dual functions of lockingly engaging the female and male components as well as providing a visual indication of complete or incomplete coupling between the male and female components. It would also be desirable to provide a retainer for a quick connector which has a simple construction for a low manufacturing cost and ease of use. It would also be desirable to provide a retainer for a quick connector which provides a visual indication of coupling and which does not require extensive modification to existing quick connector designs. Finally, it would be desirable to provide a retainer for a quick connector which can be installed in a temporary engaged position on the female component of the quick connector for shipment and subsequent use.

Hybrid Quick Connector for releasably interconnecting fluid carrying tubular members has a housing with first and second portions which are joined together to establish a through passage for fluid communication of the tubular members.

One housing portion defines a first bearing surface and a retainer for releasably engaging an end form of one of the members. The other housing portion is permanently affixed to the end form of the other member and defines a second bearing surface which is axially spaced from the first bearing surface to straddle a resilient seal. Upon insertion of the first tubing end form, a retainer locks it in assembly with the quick connector and the seal acts to block the only potential leak path. Preferably, the first housing portion is formed of injection molded thermoplastic and the second housing portion is formed of mild steel to ensure a robust and inexpensive connector configuration which is particularly well suited for automotive air conditioning and engine coolant system applications.

Quick connect couplings have been widely used in the U.S. Automobile industry for many years. Although applicable in numerous applications, quick connectors are typically restricted to use in low-pressure applications such as fuel systems and vapor recovery systems. The simplest and most cost effective design is the plastic housing female type quick connector releasably mated to a metal male tube end form. The opposite end of the female housing most typically defines a stem having a number of axially spaced barbs formed on the outer circumferential surface thereof and a nylon or resilient plastic tubing end form pressed thereover.

Although suitable for use in their intended applications, the aforementioned connectors have been limited to relatively low pressure automotive applications. Designers of higher pressure systems such as air conditioning and engine cooling typically resort to traditional threaded type connectors which are constructed of relatively expensive screw machine formed components that, in application, require special tools for final assembly within the host system. In high volume automotive applications, the use of such labor intensive, expensive fittings are viewed as a distinct competitive disadvantage.

In fluid handling systems, it is imperative that the connectors used have their male and female portions properly coupled together. A faulty connector enables an associated system to leak fluid. This can be particularly disadvantageous when the system is under pressure and the leaking connector expels the pressurized fluid. Furthermore, recent Federal Legislation has mandated the elimination of certain refrigerants used in automotive air conditioning systems as well as significantly reduced the level of permissible emissions from automotive engine cooling and lubrication systems. Conventional quick connectors, although effective to mechanically maintain tubing end forms in assembly with their associated connector bodies, have not adequately addressed the federal requirements. Also, the materials employed, typically glass filed nylon, do not provide sufficient resistance to the permeation or seepage of refrigerant or coolants therethrough.

The female body portion of quick connector is typically formed in one piece of injection molded thermoplastic or metal. Although generally configured in tubular form, the female body portion tends to have numerous complex contours and features which can prove difficult to form and assemble during the manufacturing process.

Another disadvantage inherent in many current quick connector designs resides in the necessity to fully assemble the connector prior to mating with a tube to form a fluid tight joint. A related shortcoming stems from the fact that typical quick connectors form a barbed nipple at one end for insertion within the I.D. of a very resilient (rubber or plastic) tube to establish a first relatively permanent joint. Thereafter, a second, relatively rigid, male member is received within an opposite opening within the female assembly and releasably engaged by a retainer. This results in two potential leak paths being introduced into the system. That is, at the interface between the exterior peripheral surface of the nipple and the I.D. of the resilient tube and a second leak path between the outer peripheral surface of the male member and the inner diameter of the mating through passage of the female connector body.

Finally, designers typically must compromise between high strength and design flexibility. Having both has historically resulted in complex and expensive configurations. A related problem stems from dual aspects of commercially available quick connect devices to wit; high volume and low sale prices frequently necessitating the use of inexpensive, somewhat pliable materials, and complex contours of extremely small inter-fitting components. These aspects collectively increase the likelihood of misassembly. High volume production techniques, including automated assembly tends to aggravate the problem wherein misassembly or impermissible dimensional variations of the components is difficult to detect. Excessive dimensional tolerance stack-up can result in low pull-apart characteristics between the barbed stem and the plastic tube to produce leakage. Misassembly, such as failure to include an O-ring can also result in leakage. Finally, plastic tube with low hoop strength can relax over time or at elevated temperatures, resulting in leaking or weeping of fluid.

A further disadvantage of typical prior art quick connector assemblies resides in the fact that they are intended to establish a joint between a first relatively rigid (typically metal) tube end form and a second resilient (typically rubber or vinyl) tube end form. Such connectors are typically unsuitable for coupling two rigid (metal or hard plastic) tube end forms. Lastly, in the case of electrically conductive tube material, prior art quick connectors typically do not provide a reliable path of electrical conductivity through the connector.

Hose Barb Fitting is provided for connecting and disconnecting a system or the like to a hose. The fitting includes a hollow. A barb is located proximate a first end. The barb includes a frusto-conical profile and a helical trailing edge. A rib connects an offset portion of the helical edge forming a sharp axial transition. The axial rib expands the diameter of the hose while the fitting is twisted to facilitate extraction.

Generally, it is known to connect a hose or tubing to a system or another hose using a barbed fitting. Barbed fittings may include one or more frusto-conical shaped barbs on the insertion end of a hollow tubular structure. These barbs enter into the hose with the lesser diameter end of the barb entering first. The insertion end of the barb is typically slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the hose. The larger end of the barb typically has a greater outside diameter than the inside diameter of the hose, so that the hose is stretched when the fitting is inserted and forms a seal.

"Apparatus for Connecting an Elastic Hose to a System with an Anti-Hose Rotation Shaped Hollow Body" show various embodiments of a fitting for connecting to a hose. The fittings generally include a frusto-conical barb formed around the insertion end of a hollow fitting. The barb includes a tapered insertion end and enlarged trailing end. In some of the embodiments shown, the trailing end of the barb includes an undulating or angled edge. In other embodiments shown, axially-extending ribs are provided on the barb or extend from the rear or trailing end of the barb.

Another example of a fitting is shown in US 2007/0278789 to Thacker et al. entitled "Hose Coupling Endform For Fluid Transfer Assemblies." Thacker shows a connector having a sealing member with a frusto-conical barb adjacent a circular portion. The barb has a second end defining an ellipsoidal perimeter, which is asserted to reduce the force required to push the connector into the hose and to provide greater pull-off resistance.

Because of the typical frusto-conical shape of the barb, the force required to remove a fitting from a hose is typically higher than the force required to insert the fitting into the hose. Pulling the fitting for removal causes the hose to stretch, decreasing its diameter and tightening the grip of the hose on the fitting.

When liquid or other fluid material pressurizes the hose, the diameter of the hose or tube expands. Clamps or other attachment devices are sometimes applied on the outside of the tubing at the position of the fitting to prevent the fluid forcing its way around the barb, or through a path defined on the surface of the fitting, and out of the hose when the hose expands.

The present invention relates to a barb fitting for connecting or disconnecting a system or the like to a hose. The fitting includes a hollow body having a longitudinal axis extending lengthwise and a first or insertion end. A barb is provided on the insertion end of the fitting. The barb includes a helical trailing edge and an axial rib connecting the helical edge. The barb may have a smooth frusto-conical surface or define a helical thread having a frusto-conical profile. The rib may connect the rear helical edge of the barb or may extend across the thread that forms the barb.

An improved supply hose barb fitting, installation method and technique for direct installation in the supply lines of a distribution system. An angularly flanged, resilient insert barb being force fitted into an opening in a supply line, seals the opening at three points upon being compressed by an external sealing washer and locking assembly. The locking assembly utilizes an intermediate pressure plate for smooth, distortion free compression, providing a positive internal and external seal of the supply line, and locks the fitting at any point along it’s 360 degree rotational axis in preparation for interconnection to a final output device.

Lawn and turf irrigation systems are generally comprised of underground water supply lines to which a variety of sprinklers, sprays and drip irrigation techniques and equipment are interconnected. These interconnections are generally of the fixed riser or rotational hard piped swing joint types, with a more recent method using a flexible interconnection pipe.

The primary purpose of these interconnections is to enable the installed output device to be leveled with the landscapes final grade, easily, inexpensively and quickly, in such a manner that damage to the sprinkler systems devices will be minimized, if not totally eliminated, when run or passed over by lawn maintenance equipment or vehicular traffic. Contact of this type produces a downward or lateral force directly affecting supply line interconnections causing line ruptures and breaks, resulting in water waste and expensive system repairs, particularly when fixed or flexible risers are utilized.

Sprinkler supply line interconnections have improved from copper risers to fixed and variable length plastic risers and subsequently to flexible risers; inherent in each are problems and disadvantages resulting in supply line damages and potential pedestrian injury. As prior art advanced, various types of pivoting or swing joint connections evolved around solid, fixed and rotational interconnection components allowing sprinkler devices to be positioned easier and more accurately. More recently a prior art method of sprinkler interconnections via a highly flexible interconnecting pipe providing the utility of installation ease, accuracy and relatively low cost, has all but replaced many of the previous prior art interconnection methods and techniques.

Despite prior art advances in interconnection materials and techniques, all prior art dictates that a tee be installed or cemented into an irrigation systems supply line at each location where a sprinkler or other output device is to be interconnected. This requisite tee provides the positive seal between the supply line and the conduit or interconnecting link and ties the output device directly to the supply line.

With polyethylene pipe, where barbed insert fittings are utilized, the process differs in that there are no solvents to apply and additional installation components are required. Barb fitting is formed by a plurality of ramp type annular grooves forming a series of sharp annular edges extending away from the open end. The insert fitting is designed for flexible or elastically yielding pipe, such that when it is forced [press fitted] into the ends of pipe, the pipe expands to accommodate the fitting and retracts or shrinks around the barbs forming a sealed rotatable connection, the connector and pipe are thereby locked into essentially a permanent connection. The pipe installation process of either excavation or pulling the pipe is identical to that previously covered, with the installation of the connecting tees somewhat easier, although materially more expensive.

Disclosed is a coupling for a direct connection of supply tubing to a faucet assembly. The direct connection includes a barb fitting that is integrally formed into the valve body to produce a one-piece unit. The integration of the fitting to the valve body is accomplished through either spin welding, sonic welding or hot-plate welding.

The use of plastic piping systems has grown in popularity in the areas of light commercial, residential, manufactured/modular housing, recreational vehicle and recreational marine industries. Plastic pipes and fittings are less expensive than their copper equivalents and can be installed more quickly without the need of professional plumbers. In addition, plastic offers superior resistance to corrosion and degradation under aggressive water conditions. The primary piping systems currently use rigid chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) pipe and semi-flexible, cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) pipe.

Current faucet designs require that a connection fitting be installed on the end of a supply pipe or hose to produce a water tight, threaded seal to the faucet inlet shank. These connection fittings typically rely on an end loaded elastomeric material that can deteriorate over time resulting in supply line leaks. These connection fittings are also costly, increase installation time and require time to connect the fitting to the faucet. Additionally, many plumbing codes discourage the use of elastomeric seals for in-wall applications and frequently require the installation of an access panel if such fittings are used.

Therefore, there is a need in the art for secure, long lasting connection for water supply lines to a faucet.

The present invention provides a new and improved coupling for direct connection of supply tubing to a faucet assembly. In the illustrated embodiment, a barb fitting is integrated with a valve body. The barb fitting includes standard male barb geometry at one end and a bonded spin weld nipple at another end. In a preferred embodiment, the bonding is accomplished by spin welding the barb fitting directly to the valve body. By spin welding the barb fitting to the valve body, the barb fitting becomes an integral part of the valve body and not a detachable component. This process reduces overall component and labor costs for installation and manufacturing of a faucet assembly.

In the preferred process of the present invention, the valve body is positioned or chucked into a spinning apparatus which is operative to produce a relative rotation between the valve body and the hose barb fitting. The male peripheral wall portion of the barb fitting is inserted into the female peripheral wall portion of the valve body until such surfaces are in contact with each other. As noted, during the welding of the barb fitting to the valve body, the male and female peripheral wall portions are used as bonding surfaces to form the weld.

Garden hose quick connector allow speedy attachment of hoses to spigots or of several hoses together for additional length, or of hose end attachments. There are quick connectors for any configuration of male- and female-end hoses and attachments. The two pieces simply snap together to form a watertight seal by the hose gasket inside the female portion.

Screw a female quick connector onto the garden hose spigot. Turn the connector clockwise to tighten it fully.

Screw a male quick connector onto a garden hose on the end that would normally screw onto the spigot. Insert the male connector into the female connector until it snaps into place audibly.

Attach a male quick connector on the opposite end of the hose and a female connector to an additional hose or to an attachment by screwing them on in a clockwise direction. Snap the two together to connect two hoses together to create an extra long hose, or snap the hose end to an attachment. Repeat this process to add as many hoses together as need be to reach long distances from the garden hose spigot.

Screw a male connector on the end of the length or lengths of hose where the water will exit, and attach a female quick connector to any type of sprinkler or garden hose attachment. Then snap the male connector into the female connector to use the attachment.

Disassembly

Shut the water flow off at the garden hose spigot.Place one hand on the male connector and one hand on the female connector. Pull back the collar on the female connector and pull the male connector out to disconnect. This process is for collar-type quick connect hose connectors.

Place one hand on the male connector and the other hand on the female connector. Push the two buttons on each side of the female connector inward at the same time. Pull the male connector out of the female connector. This process is for button-type quick connect hose fittings.

Remove all connections in this manner to disconnect sprinklers, lengths of hose and the hose at the spigot.

Garden hose quick connectors have four configurations to fit both the male and female ends of hoses and hose end attachments.

Hardware stores and home improvement centers carry garden hose quick connectors.This type of garden hose connector is available in brass, which is more expensive but longer lasting, and in plastic.

Some brands of garden hose quick connector contain a valve inside that automatically shuts off the water flow upon disconnection. In this case, the water does not need to be shut off at the spigot to disconnect hoses and attachments.

The concept of push in fitting has been around for decades, yet it has only seen significant growth in the U.S. water market since the early 1990s. Since then, push in fitting have been—by many accounts—the fastest-growing technology change in the water industry.

With their initial entrance into the U.S. water markets in the mid-1980s, push in fitting had to overcome many obstacles of misperception. Dealers and installers couldn't believe something so simple could work reliably. Old methods of connecting tubing (compression and barbed fittings) were difficult to let go for fear of trying something new and innovative. However, as leading edge technologies were changing the water market, more and more installers and OEMs started enjoying the labor-saving and reliability benefits of push in fitting. The rapid acceptance of push in fitting during the 1990s has established them as the connection technology standard for today's water industry.

Applications
push in fitting have found their place in the water industry. Their most common use is for general tubing connections in RO and water filtration systems. However, push in fitting are also used on water valves, tanks, pumps and faucets to ease installation and increase system reliability.

Push in fitting can also be found in installations of water fountains, water coolers, ice machines, juice and beverage dispensers and coffee brewers.

Fitting Construction
While push in fitting require complex engineering design and precise, high-quality manufacturing to produce, they are quite simple to understand and utilize.

Push in fitting are made up of three basic components—the fitting body, a flexible "collet" and an O-ring.

The fitting body can be made from metal (brass, stainless steel) or plastic (acetal, polypropylene). The body has an internal geometry to precisely house the collet, O-ring and tubing when assembled. Fitting bodies come in many configurations such as tees, elbows, unions and threaded connectors.

The collet is typically made from plastic with stainless steel gripping teeth molded into its flexible legs. The collet teeth provide a firm grip on plastic or copper tube. The flexibility of the collet legs allows for easy insertion and release of the tubing.

The O-ring is usually made of a food-grade rubber compound (nitrile, EPDM). It is seated inside the fitting body and forms a seal on the outside diameter (O.D.) of the tube.

Installation
As with any product, proper installation is critical to accurate performance and reliability. Care should be taken with any type of fitting to ensure generally accepted, good installation practices are employed. There are certain key points to remember, specific to push in fitting, to ensure a quality installation:

Tubing. Some push in fitting are limited for use with either plastic or copper tubing. A few are capable of handling both plastic and copper without any change to the fitting. Always check with the manufacturer to ensure tubing compatibility. Tubing should be of sound quality. Ensure that tube dimensions, tolerances, roundness and surface finish are consistent with the manufacturer's recommendations.

Threads. Many push in fitting allow transition from threads to push-in connection. There are various types of threads used such as NPT, NPTF, flare, compression, BSP and BSPT—in straight, tapered, male and female configurations. Again, check the manufacturer's specifications to ensure correct mating of threads. Also, most plastic threaded push in fitting need only be hand-tightened. Over-tightening may cause stress fractures and result in leaks. Your manufacturer's catalog should give tightening torque value guidelines.

General practices. When making a connection with a push-in fitting, it is essential the tube is cut square and is free of score marks, burrs and sharp edges. A quality guillotine-style tube cutter should be used for plastic tubing, while a plumber's pipe cutter should be used for copper tubing. The tube is inserted through the collet, then past the O-ring, all the way to the tube stop. The tube should be pushed in as far as it can go. This ensures the tube is fully inserted and properly seated. The collet holds the tube in place, while the O-ring seals on the tube O.D. It is a good practice to pull on the tube to verify it is secure, and then test the installation prior to use.

One of the benefits of push in fitting is that installations can be quickly disconnected for service. The tube can be removed by simply pushing the collet in squarely against the fitting. With the collet held in this position, tubing is pulled straight out. Generally, both fitting and tubing can be re-used.

Technical Specifications
In the water industry, virtually all push in fitting are made from plastic—commonly acetal or polypropylene. Operating parameters of pressure and temperature may vary from one installation to another. Care should be taken to ensure that application operating parameters are within the fittings manufacturer's guidelines. Check the manufacturer's catalog for technical specifications.

Generally, plastic push in fitting are suitable for pressures from vacuum to 150 lbs. per sq. in. (psi) of pressure, temperatures from 33° to 150° F, and tube O.D.s from 1/4- to 1/2-in. Tube O.D. tolerances should be +.001/-.004 in. to ensure proper sealing on the O-ring. In applications where harsh chemicals are present, the manufacturer's chemical compatibility chart should be referred to. This can be especially important for system cleaning and sanitizing procedures.

Benefits
When compared with the older methods of connection, the benefits of push in fitting begin to stack up quickly.

With compression fittings (metal or plastic) the various bit parts (nuts, ferrules, etc.) must be assembled as part of the connection procedure. Trying to find a dropped nut or ferrule while working beneath a sink is not a very productive use of time. Also, in tightening the compression nut, the question of "how tight is tight enough?" usually comes up.

Similarly, with barbed fittings, the barbed inserts are forcefully pushed into the tube I.D. and then secured by tightening a tiny clamp over the connection. Tees, elbows and other multi-connection fittings become quite a chore to assemble.

push in fitting eliminate the difficulties associated with these older methods. The components of push in fitting are self-contained, insertion is simple and quick, and thread tightening can be done by hand. No pipe dope, sealants or special tools are needed.

In addition, because they are plastic, push in fitting lend themselves better to applications where lead exposure from brass is a concern. Their light weight and small size also make them easy to ship and receive and carry around.

Components and Accessories
Many push in fitting manufacturers offer component part sets that allow push-in technology to be incorporated into product housings. The part sets typically include a metal or plastic "cartridge" insert that presses into a pre-determined port in the housing. The collet snaps into the cartridge after the O-ring is pushed down into its seat. This allows for an integral push-in connection to valves, filters, pumps, etc. Such component part sets are employed at the OEM level, making the OEM's products more user-friendly and thus more marketable.

Various accessories enhance the use of push in fitting. These include locking clips, collet covers and threaded stem adapters to make swivel combinations.

Conclusion

The growth in the use of push in fitting has been fueled by the needs of dealers and installers to enhance productivity, increase reliability, and reduce overall costs. However, one must remember that any product is still only as good as the company that makes it. Areas such as customer service, technical support and training should always be considered when selecting a push-in fitting brand. In addition, the manufacturer should have a strong distribution network and trained sales personnel, as well as provide marketing and promotional support.

Quick connector coupling comprising a connector body, a tubular male member with an upset, a primary retainer and a separate redundant latch/verifier. The connector body defines a through bore and the male member extends into the bore. The primary retainer releasably secures the male member within the connector body.

The redundant latch/verifier is releasably coupled to the connector body and movable between an unlatched position and a latched position. It includes spaced apart fingers with verifying tabs that permit movement to the latched position only after full insertion of the male member. The fingers have release tabs to manually spread the extension beams. In another form, the connector body includes locking pads extending radially inward. The legs of the primary retainer are located inward of the locking pads preventing the legs from moving to a released position if said male member is pulled in a direction to remove it from the connector body.

In automotive and other fields, quick connector couplings, which generally include a male member received and sealingly retained in a female connector body, are often utilize to provide a fluid connection between two components or conduits, thusestablishing a fluid line between the two components. Use of quick connector couplings is advantageous in that a sealed and secured fluid line may be established with a minimum amount of time and expense.

A number of methods and mechanisms exist for securing the male member and female connector body of a quick connector coupling together.

One type of retention mechanism involves use of a retainer in the form of a retention lip inserted through slots formed in the exterior of the connector body. Beams extending through the slots are poised between the male member upset and therearward surfaces defining the slots, thereby preventing disconnection of the coupling. Due to the physical appearance of such retainers, they are referred to in the trade as "horseshoe" retainers. An example of this type of retainer is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,792, to Kalahassthy et al., which is herein incorporated by reference. The "horseshoe" retainer, disclosed in the ’792 patent, permits easy release of the coupling without significantly increasing the complexity of the coupling. Application for U.S. Ser. No. 11/087,358 filed Mar. 23, 2005 disclosed various arrangements of connectors with horseshoe type retainers and a redundant latch/verifier. The disclosure of that application is incorporated by reference herein.

The quick connector coupling of the present invention is an alternative of the type of connector disclosed in the ’792 patent and the application Ser. No. 11/087,358. The arrangement of the present invention provides the benefit that onassembly of the quick connector coupling, the redundant latch/verifier cannot be moved to its latched position unless the associated tube is in its fully inserted position. Its position thereby provides a physical and visual indication that the tube isnot fully inserted. The arrangement of the present invention also provides the benefit that the legs of the primary retainer cannot be accidentally moved from their locked position to their unlocked position if the male member is pull in the forwarddirection relative to the connector body and then the male member is twisted or rotated around its axis.

Once placed in the latched position, the redundant latch/verifier prevents unintentional release of the tube by the primary retainer. The redundant latch/verifier is also able to independently retain the male member of the tube in the connectorbody should the primary retainer fail.

As with the arrangement of the primary retainer and the redundant latch/verify of the quick connector coupling, the arrangement of the primary retainer and the redundant latch/verifier of the alternative quick connectorcoupling, namely locating the verifying tab of the redundant latch/verifier immediately axially rearward of the legs of the primary retainer, assures that the fingers of the redundant latch/verifier are only able spreadoutward after the upset has completely passed the legs of the primary retainer.

After a week of disasters and setbacks, power plant workers and military personnel at the Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant made some progress Sunday in cooling over-heated fuel rods.

On Friday, U.S. officials warned those rods posed the most urgent danger of radiation leakage into the environment because the water that is supposed to cover them – keeping them cool and shielding their radiation – had largely drained away.

Unlike the nuclear fuel inside the plant's reactors, the rods in the storage pools are not walled off by containment vessels, and the buildings they're in have been heavily damaged by explosions and fires. That allows radioactive gases to escape directly into the environment.

But NPR's Christopher Joyce in Tokyo reports that seawater sprayed from water cannons has succeeded in lowering temperatures in the storage pools.

Workers were also able to back away from a planned release of radioactive gases at the facility's troubled No. 3 reactor because pressure within the reactor stabilized after mounting ominously earlier.

NPR's Science Desk Explains ...

What Went Wrong With Japan's Nuclear Reactors
Officials are scrambling to get water into the Japanese reactors to cool the nuclear cores.

Tracking The Latest At The Fukushima Nuclear Plant
The latest updates on each of the reactors at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility.
They also brought electrical power to the No. 2 reactor from what was essentially a mile-long extension cord, and planned to extend the power to other reactors.

Tokyo Electric Power Company declared No. 5 and No. 6 reactors safe Sunday. The two units are the least problematic of the six reactors at the plant.

However, it isn't yet clear whether the power will be able to reactivate pumps and other equipment needed to cool the reactors and adjacent storage pools for radioactive fuel rods. Much of that equipment may have been damaged by the 20-foot tsunami that inundated the power plant on March 11.

Hundreds more workers have been brought in to the afflicted plant, bringing the total to 500. For most of the past week, 170 workers have rotated in and out of highly radioactive parts of the plant and a lead-lined bunker, to keep their radiation exposure below levels that would sicken or even kill them.

Two Survivors Found 9 Days After Quake

An 80-year-old woman and her teenage grandson were rescued Sunday in northeastern Japan when the youth was able to pull himself out of their flattened two-story house nine days after the devastating earthquake and tsunami.

Jin Abe, 16, was seen calling out for help from the roof of the collapsed home in the hard-hit city of Ishinomaki, according to the Miyagi Prefectural Police. Like other homes in northeastern Japan, they had lost electricity and telephone service in the March 11 earthquake.

He led them inside to his 80-year-old grandmother, Sumi Abe. Both were conscious but weak, and had survived on the food they had in their refrigerator, said Shizuo Kawamura of the Ishinomaki police department.

The woman could not get out of the house because she has trouble walking, and the teenager, who was suffering from a low body temperature, had been unable until Sunday to pull himself from the wreckage. During the nine-day ordeal, they ate yogurt and other food.

Still, police estimates show more than about 18,400 have died since the quake and trsunami. More than 15,000 deaths are likely in Miyagi, the prefecture that took the full impact of the wave, said a police spokesman.

Fuel, Food And Water Remain Scarce

NPR's Richard Harris in Tokyo reports that radioactive iodine levels in these foods exceed Japanese and U.S. safety standards, but aren't high enough to pose an immediate health threat. Authorities are stepping up screening of produce from the regions near the plant.

Dr. Harold M. Swartz of Dartmouth College told the New York Times that the Japanese government's reassurances about contaminated food were "probably reasonable," but people would probably avoid milk and spinach anyway because they're so afraid of any radiation.

Another expert on the health effects of low-level radiation, David J. Brenner of Columbia University, told the Times that he would avoid the tainted foods as a precaution.

Government Admits Mistake

Officials have begun distributing protective potassium iodide pills to people from the area around the power plant. But one official in Fukushima, Kazuma Yokota, told reporters that the government now realizes it should have distributed the pills earlier last week.

Potassium iodide protects people against thyroid cancer if they have been exposed to radioactive iodine, but it must be taken promptly.

The pills help reduce chances of thyroid cancer, one of the diseases that may develop from radiation exposure, by preventing the body from absorbing radioactive iodine. The official, Kazuma Yokota, said the explosion that occurred while venting the plant's Unit 3 reactor last Sunday should have triggered the distribution. But the order came only three days later.

"We should have made this decision and announced it sooner," Yokota told reporters at the emergency command center in the city of Fukushima. "It is true that we had not foreseen a disaster of these proportions. We had not practiced or trained for something this bad. We must admit that we were not fully prepared."

Japanese Worry About Food Safety

Most public concern about radiation this weekend has focused on traces of radioactive iodine that Japanese authorities have found in milk and spinach from Fukushima, the prefecture where the power plant is located, and neighboring Ibaraki. Higher-than-normal levels of radioactivity have been found in foods produced up to 90 miles away from the power plant.

Traces of radiation have also been found in fava beans exported from Japan to Taiwan.

Amid the horror and devastation of the nuclear crisis in Japan, it can be easy to miss the heroism of the 50 emergency workers trying to prevent the full meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility. It's not exaggeration to say that the safety of thousands of Japanese citizens hinges on the efforts of the crew of cleanup workers left behind after the remainder of the facility's roughly 800 employees have been evacuated amid hazardous levels of radiation. Even in a culture that places a premium on self-sacrifice, these ordinary workers are being extraordinarily selfless -- and could conceivably make the ultimate sacrifice for their fellow citizens' well-being.

Who these 50 workers are remains something of a mystery. Their employer, the Tokyo Electric Company, has not provided their details. But after a new explosion at the plant this morning, their fate may be becoming more perilous by the minute. As nuclear power consultant Arnold Gundersen told the New York Times, it's likely the company has approached older plant retirees with a sobering invitation to reinforce the plant safety crew. Plant managers "may also be asking for people to volunteer to receive additional exposure," Gundersen told the Times' Henry Fountain.

Below is a Today Show interview with scientist Edwin Lyman, who explains to Meredith Vieira the severe risk plant workers are taking in the course of trying to stave off further destruction:

The workers' efforts are all the more striking in view of the stark legacy of mass exposure to nuclear radiation in recent Japanese history. During the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, thousands of Japanese citizens died particularly horrific deaths due to acute radiation exposure -- and many blast survivors were stricken with various forms of cancer later in life.

Of course, the remaining workers inside the Daiichi plant are not going in blindly -- they are experts in their field, and well versed in the health risks they're facing. They're also equipped with state-of-the-art gear designed to protect them from exposure -- but those are weak safeguards against high levels of radiation exposure. Radioactive particles can penetrate just about anything a human can wear -- and from there, can be readily absorbed into the skin or inhaled into the lungs. Gundersen also told the Times that each worker is likely carrying a dosimeter, a device that measures radiation exposure -- and that once the device detects too-high levels of radiation present, superiors would instruct them to leave the area.

Now, however, it's unclear whether any worker on the site is reasonably safe. Several reports out today say that radiation levels at the plant spiked Tuesday to unprecedented levels after the facility's fourth reactor overheated and reached a boiling point. This latest setback came after a hydrogen explosion caused a fire, sending radioactive material directly into the atmosphere via smoke. Meanwhile, plant workers continued to try to cool down the plant's heavily damaged second reactor by pumping water from the sea directly into it.

With the crisis deepening, comparisons to the 1986 Chernobyl disaster -- the worst nuclear power crisis the world has ever seen -- are becoming more frequent. Unlike the Daiichi facility, the Chernobyl site had no containment wall, so the radiation from the plant's meltdown spread much more widely than would likely be the case in the event of a Daichii meltdown. But the health hazards facing cleanup workers in both episodes make for a closer, and more sobering, comparison. When the ill-fated plant in the Ukraine melted down, a large number of the 176 workers on duty that evening were exposed to enormous doses of radiation, with many of them dying within weeks of the disaster. The plant's meltdown and the subsequent environmental contamination are believed to have adversely affected the health of roughly half a million men and women in and around the Ukraine in the quarter century since the Chernobyl incident.

(keywords: Hose Barb Fitting Brass fitting Quick Connector Hose elbow 90 DEG Barb Fitting Pneumatic Fitting Push in fitting)

All fluid transfer lines found in motorcycles, Inkjet printers, fire hose systems, oil pipe lines, medical devices, plumbing and hydraulic systems need a connection device such as a Barb Fitting. However, the requirements for each can differ dramatically. Consequently, the choice of connection type depends on a variety of considerations, including pressure and temperature ratings, the required frequency of connection and disconnection, servicing & safety needs, and user expertise.

Designers of products that incorporate fluid transfer face many challenges when it comes to connecting hoses and tubing efficiently and cost effectively. A fitting is a simple device used most often as a permanent connection for hoses or tubing. Fittings are typically threaded or with hose barb connections. Tools may or may not be required to install and remove fittings depend on what kind of fittings. Instant fittings are also used as a permanent connection, but do not require tools for installation of the tubing. It is important to note that most fittings do not stop flow when disconnected. In order to regulate or stop flow with a fitting, a separate valve must be used.

Couplings are devices used to quickly connect and disconnect tubing or hoses. They may incorporate automatic shutoff valves to stop flow when disconnected. Designed for repeated connection and disconnection cycles, standard couplings, with or without valves, can be connected and disconnected without the use of tools. Couplings with non-spill shutoff valves provide the added security of virtually drip-free connection and disconnection.

Equipment maintenance and repair contribute to overall process downtime. Couplings help minimize service-related downtime by providing quick and easy access to fluid lines that may need to be disconnected during repair processes. Additionally, couplings with integrated valves save time by eliminating spill cleanup and reducing the need to purge air from the fluid lines. Fittings can take a longer time to disengage and reinstall, but may be the connection of choice if disconnections are not time sensitive.

Cam and Groove Couplings, known as Cam locks, are an excellent choice for applications in low pressure fluid handling. These couplings mate quickly and conveniently by inserting the grooved coupling into the cam coupling and simply closing the cam arms. Safety pins prevent the cam arms from accidental disconnection during use. Available in a broad range of sizes, styles and materials, Cam & Groove Couplings are popular in a wide array of industries to carry gases, powders, liquids, water, oil, vapors and granules. Common materials for Cam locks are Aluminum, Brass, Stainless Steel, and Poly.

Other popular industrial hose couplings and fitting including pneumatic quick connect and grip-on fittings, hydraulic, pin lug, bauer, ground joint, locking lever, and universal couplings.

There are online wholesale suppliers who provide the highest quality in this line of products. A wide range of cam Quick Connector, cam locks, hose fittings, spanner wrenches, caps, nipples, nozzles, lugs, and plugs, are offered at deep discounted prices. These innovative coupling suppliers offer cost-effective solutions that make operations cleaner, simpler, safer, and even smarter!

Why should you consider Push in fitting boot camps? You will find they take your workout to the next degree. You can change your routine and see positive results. With fitness camp, you get more variety and intensity in your exercise regimen. Some fitness camps meet outdoors, while others meet inside. In either case, you will get a solid workout that combines exercises including flexibility, strength, and cardio. At the start of a session, you get stretching and warm-up. At the end, you get stretch and cool down. The camp instructor will take you through a routine that challenge you.

What is different about fitness boot camps? Most exercisers do one form of exercise each day. They may schedule their strength training on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and do their cardio on the other days. They may change it up occasionally with some flexibility work. A session at a fitness camp takes you through them all at once. You get a complete body workout that starts at the top of the head and goes to the tip of the toes. Each session challenges your physical fitness level as well as your mind. You will move off a plateau quickly. If your current fitness level seems stalled, see what a fitness camp will do for you. You won't regret the investment of time and money.

What is the hidden secret about fitness boot camps? Participants get a social outlet along with their workout. Many exercisers go to the studio and listen to music on a headset. You find fitness camps bring teamwork into the mix. You get built-in support and challenge. You find the team helps you through the rough parts of the session. You also find the challenge in keeping up with your team members. You may make long lasting friendships along the way. Everyone has an exercise or challenge that seems difficult. However, your team helps you get through anything.

What makes Push in fitting boot camps so special? You can take your physical fitness to a new level. Fitness camps are a great way to do that. You join a group of people working towards common goals. You set your own goals and meet them quicker than you ever thought. What is your goal? Do you want to accelerate your weight loss? Do you want to get stronger? Do you want to push your fitness to the next degree? All of these come with fitness camp. Your next step is finding one.

One-way flow valve quick connector is used in automotive fuel tank filler systems to interconnect the fuel filler tube with the fuel tank without the use of tools or special equipment. The quick connector includes a check valve to establish a substantially hermetic seal between the tank and the environment at all times to prevent the escape of liquid fuel during the refueling process as well as the escape of toxic vapors. A bypass vent operates during the refueling process to draw any vapors escaping from the tank or entering through the fuel fill tube inlet, filtering and returning them to the fuel tank.

Quick connect couplings have been widely used in the U.S. automobile industry for many years. Although applicable in numerous applications, quick connectors are most typically employed in fuel delivery systems and vapor recovery systems. The simplest and most cost effective design is the plastic housing female type quick connector releasably mated to a metal male tube end form. The opposite end of the female housing most typically defines a stem having a number of axially spaced barbs formed on the outer circumferential surface thereof and a nylon or resilient plastic tubing end form pressed thereover. Such an arrangement is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,712, issued Aug. 6, 1996, entitled "Quick Connector Housing With Elongated Barb Design".

Although suitable for use in their intended applications, the aforementioned connectors are typically used to connect fluid lines that have small diameters and low pull-off requirements. One example of such a quick connector is known as an interference-type connector. This type of connector has expandable fingers mounted in a housing that create a mechanical interference on an upset portion or bead formed on the tube to be connected. The tube and upset are inserted into the connector housing past the expandable fingers. The fingers expand to allow the upset to pass and then retract behind the upset retaining the tube in the housing. The retention or pull-off force, i.e. the force required to pull the tube out of the housing is dependent upon the rigidity of the expandable fingers. Stated another way, the retention force of the interference type connector is determined in large part by the resistance to expansion of the fingers. If the fingers expand easily to allow insertion of the tube upset, the pull-off or retention force will be low. To get higher retention forces, the fingers have to be more rigid, making insertion of the upset more difficult. Additionally, fingers that are more rigid are more difficult to manually expand to remove the tube when removal is desired.

There are many applications which require very high pull-off forces, but low insertion forces. One such application is the connection of the fuel filler neck to the fuel tank of a vehicle. Pull-off forces in excess of 500 lb. are required. Correspondingly, low insertion forces of only about 20 lb. are required. Because of the need for high pull-off forces and low insertion forces, typical quick connectors are unexceptable for connecting fuel filler necks to fuel tanks. They are also unexceptable in other applications requiring high pull-off forces and low insertion forces.

Connection of the fuel filler neck to the fuel tank has historically been particularly problematic. Not only must this connection perform under high pull-off forces, it must be of robust design to sustain system integrity over an extended period of time, under severe environmental conditions and even under vehicle crash impact loads. As a result, the industry typically employs externally applied mechanical clamps interconnecting the filler tube with a flanged fitting mounted to the filler tank.

Such arrangements typically require a relatively high part count and system complexity, requiring significant labor during the manufacturing process. Furthermore, simple, less expensive traditional approaches, such as welding a flanged nipple to the outer surface of a steel tank can promote corrosion and may not meet more rigorous future structural integrity and environmental requirements.

The flange is adapted to provide flexibility in manufacturing wherein it can be pre-applied to the fuel tank, such as, by welding with the quick connector body installed at a later stage of the process or, alternatively, preassembled with the quick connector body for one-step mounting to the fuel tank as a single assembly. Furthermore, the flange and quick connector body cooperate to establish a one-time snap-lock interconnection therebetween. This arrangement has the advantage of permitting simplified assembly of the quick connector within the fuel tank.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the check valve includes a valve member disposed for displacement within the through passage between a closed position wherein the valve member contacts a fixed valve seat to an open position to establish open communication therethrough. Furthermore, the valve member has a contoured impingement surface which faces the fuel inlet end of the quick connector. This arrangement has the advantage of sealing the fuel tank to prevent escape of liquid fuel or vapors at all times except when the tank is being actively filled. When fuel flows through the flow tube, it impacts the valve member impingement surface, moving it toward the open position momentarily and then resealing the tank once the refueling process is complete.

According to another aspect of the invention, the quick connector includes guide means which prevent relative lateral and rotationally displacement of the valve member as it traverses between its open and closed positions. This prevents jamming or malfunctioning of the check valve function.

An end cap for an open end of a hydraulic fitting having a peripheral flange can be provided by a threaded ring and a threaded insert. The threaded insert can be rotatably engaged with the threaded ring to move axially back and forth.

The threaded insert has a forward end face which can engage the open end of the hydraulic fitting to close the hydraulic fitting end or to couple with it. The threaded ring includes a locking member to embrace and engage the peripheral flange. The end cap can be used to prevent loss of oil from the hydraulic fitting during service of equipment on which the hydraulic fitting is utilized, and for other purposes.

There are a variety of circumstances in which it may be desirable to close or seal the open end of a hydraulic, pneumatic or other fitting. For example, when hydraulic equipment such as a construction vehicle or the like, is being serviced, oil-filled hydraulic lines, pipes and fittings are often disassembled during service and maintenance procedures. Much of the oil, or other working fluid, can be drained from many of these components without undue difficulty but a residue will often remain within the lines, pipes or fittings. This residual oil is prone to drip or drain from open fitting ends during service procedures, and may contaminate equipment surfaces, floors and other surfaces in the vicinity of the work area creating dirty, slippery and perhaps dangerous conditions.

It is accordingly desirable to provide an end cap to close such open ends that can be easily manipulated in a service bay, a workshop or in the field and can be assembled with an open ended fitting to close or seal it either by manual manipulation or by the use of simple tools. The presence of an annular flange around the end of some fittings may complicate the end closure problem.

To attempt to solve this problem it is known to provide a plastic cap to cover the fitting end. One example of such a plastic cap is a simple, lightweight, dish-shaped resilient cap which is a close fit over a flanged pipe end and has a modest retaining lip engagesble under the flange. Such plastic caps appear to be intended to keep out dirt and may retain some oil within the pipe they may not be satisfactory for some purposes because they are readily removed and cannot hold pressure. These shortcomings can be problematic in some cases, for example when it is desired to pressurize a flanged hydraulic fitting for test purposes or other reasons.

Nevertheless, there is a need for an end cap that can be used to cap a flanged hydraulic fitting and which can be employed in a hydraulic equipment service facility and for other purposes.

The foregoing description of background art may include insights, discoveries, understandings or disclosures, or associations together of disclosures, that were not known to the relevant art prior to the present invention but which were provided by the invention. Some such contributions of the invention may have been specifically pointed out herein, whereas other such contributions of the invention will be apparent from their context. Merely because a document may have been cited here, no admission is made that the field of the document, which may be quite different from that of the invention, is analogous to the field or fields of the present invention.

The locking member can define with the threaded ring a lateral opening to receive the hydraulic fitting annular flange in a direction transverse to the axis. If desired, the threaded ring can comprise a side wall and the locking member can comprise a forward portion of the side wall.

In another aspect, the invention provides a two-piece end cap for an open flanged end of a hydraulic pipe or hose fitting, the end cap comprising a ring having a slot and an internal thread, wherein the ring can slide over the flange in a direction radially of the hydraulic fitting with the slot in the ring receiving and accommodating the flanging of the flanged end and comprising a threaded plug wherein the threaded plug can be screwed into the ring to seal the open flanged end of the hydraulic fitting.

The hydraulic fitting can comprise a hydraulic pipe or hose end fitting and the invention includes a hydraulic system comprising the hydraulic fitting and an end cap according to the invention wherein the end cap caps the hydraulic fitting.

An elbow Barb Fitting for use with flexible pipe and the like is provided with a Barb Fitting drive cap for cooperating with a compatible drive tool, such as a socket or nut driver. The Barb Fitting drive cap is configured as a hexagonal cap, square cap, star cap or other common driver shapes. The Barb Fitting drive cap is positioned on the fitting body opposite the opening to the barbed end, but coaxially aligned with the barb. The cross-sectional body width of the Barb Fitting drive cap is narrower than a corresponding width of the fitting body for exerting a drive force on the fitting body. Alternatively, the elbow Barb Fitting is provided with a drive recess configured as a hexagonal recess, slotted recess, cross point recess, square recess, star recess or other common driver shapes for cooperating with a compatible driver. Common elbow fitting types include Hose elbow 90 DEG or Swivel 45DEG ells.

Low density polyethylene pipe has been used as a water conduit in special applications for decades. Low density polyethylene pipe is generally flexible and extremely resilient, is capable of withstanding working pressures of 100 PSI and greaterand is not reactant in most environments. Because of resilience, low density polyethylene pipe has been the pipe of choice for use in irrigation systems, particularly as a subterranean riser.

Typical PVC supply lines for irrigation systems are installed in a trench, with only the tops of sprinkler heads exposed above grade. An in-line connection is installed in the PVC supply line for each sprinkler, the connection is combinationfitting (usually a threaded T-fitting) having at least one PVC slip joint and a threaded joint for coupling a sprinkler head or the like. In a typical irrigation system installation, lawn sprinklers are connected to the PVC supply pipe via a verticalriser pipe and the supply pipe lines at the bottom of the trench. The vertical riser is connected to the threaded T-fitting on the PVC pipe and another pipe thread on the sprinkler. The sprinklers are positioned directly over the rigid riser and thePVC supply pipe, and the trench is backfilled with the sprinkler head exposed. Although this is an extremely efficient installation technique, it suffers from a high instance of post installation pipe damage because of the configuration. Afterinstallation, if pressure is placed on the sprinkler head, such as by a person walking on the sprinkler or a vehicle driving over it, the force of the weight is transferred vertically through the traditional riser (from the sprinkler) and is absorbed bythe PVC pipe and connection fitting. This often results in a catastrophic breakage of the PVC pipe at the fitting, the fitting itself or both.

This problem is overcome by replacing the riser in the installation with a flexible swing pipe of low density polyethylene pipe that will absorb much of the downward force from a pedestrian, lawn mower, golf cart or even a vehicle on thesprinkler. In a typical installation, a polyethylene swing pipe is connected between a pair of adapters such that the sprinkler head is not positioned directly over the PVC supply line, therefore, these adapters are usually in a Tee or ell (elbow)configuration. Flexible polyethylene pipe will not accept pipe threads and hold the working pressure of an irrigation system. Therefore, polyethylene pipe must be connected to an adapter with threaded and barbed ends. The threaded end of the adapterscrews into threaded sprinkler and/or threaded in-line Tee-fitting pipe just as the riser. The barbed end has angled barbs that grab and hold on to the inner surface of the polyethylene pipe and is forced into the polyethylene swing pipe. Barbedfittings are inexpensive and form a watertight and permanent seal without using glue or pipe clamps.

The barrel of the barbed end of the adapter has an outer diameter that is slightly larger (nominally 0.5 inch) than the inner diameter of the polyethylene swing pipe (nominally 0.49 inch) with several circular rows of angled barbs that protrudefrom the barrel between 1/16 inch (0.0675 inch) and 3/16 inch (0.1875 inch). During installation, the barbed end is manually forced into polyethylene swing pipe, usually by an inch or more, to ensure a water tight and permanent connection to the swingpipe. Often, the amount of force necessary to seat the polyethylene swing pipe around the barb is significant. Thick-wall and high pressure swing pipe are particularly problematic as they are usually much more rigid than standard-duty polyethyleneswing pipe. Even standard-duty pipe can be difficult to seat in temperatures below 50° F.

The present invention relates to an improved Barb Fitting for use with low density polyethylene irrigation pipe and the like. A combination Barb Fitting is provided with a drive cap for cooperating with a compatible tool, such as a socket ornut driver. The drive cap may be configured as a hexagonal cap, square cap, star cap or other common driver shapes. The drive cap is positioned on a fitting opposite the opening to the barbed end, but aligned coaxially with the barb. Common fittingtypes include ells (90° or 45°) and Tees. Alternatively, combination Barb Fitting is provided with a drive recess for cooperating with a compatible driver. The drive recess may be configured as a hexagonal recess, slotted recess, crosspoint recess, square recess, star recess or other common driver shapes.

• March 2011 [17]
• February 2011 [9]
• September 2010 [14]
• August 2010 [10]
• July 2010 [10]
• June 2010 [28]
• May 2010 [22]
• April 2010 [15]
• March 2010 [15]
• February 2010 [14]
• January 2010 [12]

• Quick Connector [10] 
• Barb Fitting [6] 
• Push in fitting [3] 
• General [142] 
• Hydraulic Fitting [2] 
• thrust washer [1] 
• Brass Fitting [1] 
• Pneumatic Fitting [1] 

• Earthquake Lets China Off the Hook
• Quick connector
• Drilling quick connectors
• Connection verifier for a quick connector coupling
• Insertion indicator for quick connector
• Quick connector with snap-on retainer
• Hybrid quick connector
• BARBED FITTING FOR HOSE CONNECTION
• Self sealing insert barb fitting
• Integral barbed fitting

• R4
• Flange
• Google
• Plastic mold
• Plastic mould
• Pneumatic
• R4 Card
• R4 Cards
• Rapid prototype
• solenoid valve
• Stainless steel seamless pipe
• Stainless steel pipe
• pneumatic
• scarifier cutter
• brick machine
• concrete brick machine
• block machine
• Korean Drama
• Iphone Games
• rapid prototype China
• rapid prototype Shenzhen