Patent ID: 8534716
Filing Date: 2013-09-17
Classification: F16L

Abstract:
1. A plumbing union assembly, comprising: a. a first plumbing component, with said first plumbing component being aligned along a central axis and having a first planar mating face that is substantially perpendicular to said central axis, said first planar mating face being an annular surface bounded by an inner diameter and an outer diameter; b. a second plumbing component, with said second plumbing component being aligned along said central axis and having a second planar mating face facing said first planar mating face and being parallel thereto, said second planar mating face being an annular surface bounded by an inner diameter and an outer diameter; c. said inner diameter of said second planar mating face being equivalent to said inner diameter of said first planar mating surface; d. a face seal positioned between said first and second planar mating faces; e. an external thread located on said first plumbing component adjacent to said first planar mating face; f. a clip receiver located on said second plumbing component adjacent to said second planar mating face, said clip receiver having a clip receiver angled surface; g. a C-clip located in said clip receiver, said C-clip having a C-clip bearing surface and a C-clip angled surface; h. a union nut slidably mounted on said second plumbing component, said union nut having an internal thread sized to engage said external thread and a nut bearing surface positioned to bear against said C-clip bearing surface and urge said C-clip and said second plumbing component toward said first plumbing component as said internal threads on said union nut are threaded onto said external threads on said first plumbing component, thereby urging said second planar mating face toward said first planar mating face and compressing said face seal between said first and second planar mating faces; i. wherein said C-clip is configured to be installed in said clip receiver in a first orientation wherein the C-clip angled surface faces toward and bears against the clip receiver angled surface and a second orientation wherein the C-clip angled surface faces away from the clip receiver angled surface; and j. wherein when said C-clip is in said first orientation said union nut may pass over said C-clip but when said C-clip is in said second orientation said C-clip prevents said union nut from engaging said first plumbing component.