Abstract:
A coupling device for coupling or splicing two fluid lines together includes a connector, a sleeve and at least one fastener. The connector has first and second end portions configured for insertion into first and second tube ends, respectively. The connector has an outer surface profile that includes at least one protrusion at each of the end portions for engaging an inner surface of a tube when the end portion is inserted into the tube end. The sleeve is configured for positioning at least partially around the connector and the tube ends disposed at the first and second end portions. The sleeve has an inner surface profile that generally corresponds with the outer surface profile of the connector, and the sleeve has an outer surface that has at least one threaded portion. The fastener threadedly engages the threaded portion of the sleeve and is tightened thereon.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present invention claims the filing benefit of U.S. provisional application, Ser. No. 61/616,127, filed Mar. 27, 2012, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to couplers and fittings for joining or splicing fluid lines together. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Fluid lines, conduits, hoses, and the like are commonly used for conveying fluids from one portion of a vehicle to another. Such conduits may be associated with fuel, engine and transmission oils and other lubricants, power steering fluid, coolants or refrigerants, hydraulic brake fluids, shock absorber fluid, ride-height control fluid, and/or the like. When a fluid line cracks or leaks, the line needs to be replaced or a damaged part of the line may be removed and the opposed ends of two separate lines may be spliced together. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a coupler or splicing assembly for use in coupling a fluid line. The coupler of the present invention includes a barbed connector that is inserted into the opposed ends of the fluid lines that are to be spliced together, and includes a sleeve or jacket that substantially envelopes or encases the tube and connector assembly so as to provide substantially uniform clamping around the tube and connector assembly when one or more fasteners are tightened onto the sleeve or jacket. 
     According to an aspect of the present invention, a coupling device for coupling or splicing two fluid lines together includes a connector, a sleeve and at least one fastener. The connector has first and second end portions configured for insertion into first and second tube ends, respectively. The connector has an outer surface profile that comprises at least one protrusion at each of the end portions for engaging an inner surface of a tube when the end portion is inserted into the respective tube end. The sleeve is configured for positioning at least partially around the connector and the tube ends disposed at the first and second end portions, and the sleeve comprises an inner surface profile that generally corresponds with the outer surface profile of the connector. The sleeve also includes an outer surface that has at least one threaded portion. The at least one fastener is configured for threaded engagement with the at least one threaded portion of the sleeve. When the at least one fastener is tightened onto the sleeve, the inner surface profile of the sleeve engages the tubes at the first and second end portions of the connector to substantially clamp around the tubes at the connector. 
     Optionally, the sleeve comprises threaded end regions at opposite ends thereof, and further comprises tapered end portions outboard of the threaded portions, and the fastener comprises a pair of female fasteners, each having an inner threaded portion and an inner tapered or conical surface, such that, when the fasteners are tightened onto the respective threaded end region of the sleeve, the tapered surfaces engage one another to compress or radially urge the sleeve end portions toward and into engagement with the tubes at the connector. Optionally, an outer surface profile of the sleeve may provide a non-circular shape or form (such as a hexagonal-shaped form or the like) that is configured for engagement with a wrench or the like to hold the sleeve while the fasteners are tightened thereon. 
     Optionally, the sleeve comprises first and second sleeve portions that are disposed along opposite sides of the connector and are drawn towards one another via tightening of fastener or fasteners. Optionally, the outer surface profile of the connector comprises a locating element and the inner surface profile of the sleeve comprises a locating element, such that, when the sleeve is disposed at least partially around the connector and tube ends at the connector, the locating element of the connector engages the locating element of the sleeve to align the inner surface profile with the outer surface profile. 
     Therefore, the coupler or splicer of the present invention facilitates coupling a fluid line to a connector or coupler. The fluid line coupler provides enhanced assembly and joining of two tube ends and substantially retains and seals the tube ends relative to one another. The fluid line coupler of the present invention provides a sleeve that is positionable at and over a connector that is received in opposed ends of two tubes, and the sleeve is clampable onto the connector and tube assembly to substantially retain the tubes at the connector and to limit fluid leakage at the joint or coupling. The sleeve or sleeve portions may be readily disposed at and aligned with the connector and tubes and may be clamped thereat via tightening of at least one fastener and preferably a fastener at each end of the sleeve. 
     These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of the present invention will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded side elevation and partial sectional view of the coupler of the present invention, shown with a tube disposed at one end of the barbed connector; 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevation of the sleeve of the coupler of  FIG. 1 , shown disposed at the barbed connector, with a tube disposed at each end of the barbed connector; 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevation similar to  FIG. 2 , shown with a threaded fastener tightened onto the sleeve to clamp the sleeve onto the tube and barbed connector disposed therein, in accordance with the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is a side elevation of the sleeve of a coupler of the present invention, showing a hinged sleeve having living hinge joining the portions of the sleeve. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depicted therein, a coupler or splicer or coupling assembly or device  10  for coupling two ends of tubes  12 ,  14  together includes a barbed connector  16 , a sleeve or jacket  18  and a pair of female fasteners  20 ,  22  ( FIGS. 1-3 ). The barbed connector  16  has opposite end portions  24 ,  26  that are received into the ends  12   a ,  14   a  of the respective tubes  12 ,  14 , and the sleeve  18  includes opposite portions  28 ,  30  that are disposed along the connector  16  and tubes  12 ,  14  and clamped thereon via tightening of fasteners  20 ,  22 , as discussed below. The coupler of the present invention thus provides enhanced connection of the tubes  12 ,  14 , and limits or substantially precludes retraction or disconnection of the tubes from the coupler when the fasteners  20 ,  22  are tightened, as also discussed below. The coupler of the present invention is suitable for coupling any types of fluid lines together, and is suitable for coupling nylon fuel lines together. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , each end portion  24 ,  26  of connector  16  comprises a generally cylindrical tube  24   a ,  26   a  that has at least one, and preferably at least two or three, barbs or protrusions  24   b ,  26   b  disposed therealong. The end portions  24 ,  26  extend longitudinally from a generally centrally located or disposed stop element or location boss  16   a . The diameter of the tube portions  24   a ,  26   a  and the barbs  24   b ,  26   b  are selected for the inner diameter of the selected tubes that are being spliced or joined together, so that the barbed end portions  24 ,  26  may be inserted or received into the tube ends  12   a ,  14   a  to generally retain the tubes at the connector  16 . The connector  16  may comprise any suitable material, such as a polymeric material or metallic material, and may be a substantially rigid and non-flexible construction. 
     Although shown and described as having generally uniform and equidistantly spaced barbs along each connector end portion  24 ,  26 , it is envisioned that any means for retaining the tubes on the end portions  24 ,  26  may be utilized. The barbs or protrusions or retention means may comprise ramped outer surfaces to allow the tube to be pressed along the connector end portion and over the retention means, and may have stepped or pointed rear or inner portions or surfaces to limit retraction of the tube (and optionally to bite into the tube if the tube is pulled away from the connector) after the tube has been urged and moved over the retention means. The retention means may comprise spaced apart conical shaped ramps, such as shown, or may comprise a plurality of discontinuous protrusions or teeth spaced radially and/or longitudinally along the connector end portions. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a tube end  14   a  may be pressed or moved over the connector end portion  26 , whereby the walls of the tube  14  may flex and generally conform to the shape of the connector end portion  26 . The tube end  14   a  may be pressed or moved along the connector end portion  26  until the end of the tube contacts the location boss  16   a  (or until the tube end passes the innermost of the barbs or protrusions or retention means while being spaced from the location boss). After both tube ends  12   a ,  14   a  have been pressed onto the respective connector end portions  24 ,  26 , the sleeve  18  may be disposed at and over the connector  16  and tube ends  12   a ,  14   a  and secured thereat via the fasteners  20 ,  22  (only fastener  20  is shown in  FIG. 1 , but fastener  22  is shown in phantom in  FIG. 3 ). 
     In the illustrated embodiment, sleeve or jacket  18  comprises a two-piece construction having two halves or portions  28 ,  30 , which are disposed at respective sides of the connector and tube assembly. As can be seen with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the sleeve portions  28 ,  30  have respective inner surfaces or profiles  32 ,  34  that generally match the outer profile of the connector  16  (and may have some variations in the profiles to account for the addition of the tubes at the connector), and outer surfaces or profiles  36 ,  38  that allow for attachment or engagement with the fasteners  20 ,  22 . In the illustrated embodiment, the inner surfaces or profiles  32 ,  34  include recesses  32   a ,  34   a  for receiving the tube and barbs and a generally central recess or groove or channel  32   b ,  34   b  for receiving the location boss  16   a  when the sleeve portions  28 ,  30  are positioned at the connector and tube assembly. The location boss  16   a , when aligned with and received in the recesses  32   b ,  34   b  of sleeve portions  28 ,  30 , functions to locate the sleeve  18  and sleeve portions  28 ,  30  at the connector  16  to generally align the recesses  32   a ,  34   a  with the barbs so that the inner surfaces or profiles  32 ,  34  are generally aligned with the form or shape of the connector  16 , and further functions to align the threaded portions of the sleeve portions with one another so that the threaded fasteners may threadedly engage the assembled sleeve, as discussed below. 
     The outer surface  36 ,  38  of each sleeve portion  28 ,  30  comprises opposite ramped or tapered or partial conical-shaped ends  36   a ,  38   a , with a center portion  36   b ,  38   b  and threaded portions  36   c ,  38   c . Optionally, the central portions  36   b ,  38   b  may comprise a respective portion of a hexagonal-shaped fastener or cross section, such that the central region (having a generally hexagonal-shaped cross section) can be engaged by a wrench to hold the sleeve (and connector and tubes) while another wrench tightens the fastener or fasteners, as discussed below. Although shown as having a diameter that generally corresponds with the diameter of the threaded portions of the assembled sleeve, the central portion of the sleeve may have a raised or larger diameter hexagonal-shaped (or other non-circular form) portion such that a similar sized wrench can be used for holding both the fasteners and the sleeve (with a gap established between the raised center region and the location of the end of the fastener when it is fully tightened onto the sleeve, so that the fastener does not bottom out at the center region during tightening onto the sleeve onto the threaded portions of the sleeve). 
     The sleeve portions  28 ,  30  each include threaded portions  36   c ,  38   c  (at opposite sides of the central portions  36   b ,  38   b ) for threadedly engaging the female fasteners  20 ,  22  to clamp or secure the sleeve  18  onto the tubes and connector  16 , as discussed below. Optionally, the threaded portions  36   c ,  38   c  may have threads formed along a generally cylindrical center portion, or may have threads formed on a tapered or angled or slightly conical center portion, with the diameter of the central portion increasing towards its center, such that, as the fasteners  20 ,  22  are tightened along the threads of the center portion, the clamping force increases as the diameter of the threaded portion of the sleeve increases. The threads of the threaded portions of the sleeve portions  28 ,  30  are generally aligned to establish threaded end portions of the sleeve when the sleeve is assembled at the connector and tubes, as discussed below. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , fastener  20  comprises a threaded female fastener having a passageway  20   a  established therethrough, with a conical inner surface  20   b  and a threaded inner surface  20   c  (although only fastener  20  is shown in  FIG. 1 , fastener  22  is substantially similar in construction and function). The diameter of the inner threaded surface  20   c  generally coincides with the diameter of the threaded portions  36   c ,  38   c  of the sleeve  18  when the two sleeve portions  28 ,  30  are fully engaged or clamped together. The ramped or conical inner surface  20   b  generally coincides with the angle or shape of the tapered or conical-shaped ends  36   a ,  38   a  when the two sleeve portions  28 ,  30  are fully engaged or clamped together. An outer surface  20   d  of fastener  20  may provide a hexagonal shape or other shape suitable for engaging with a wrench or tool to assist in tightening the fastener onto the threaded portion of the sleeve. 
     Thus, during use of the coupler  10 , two fluid lines or tubes or pipes  12 ,  14  may be disposed at or near one another and a fastener  20  is disposed at tube  12  and a fastener  22  is disposed at tube  14  (such as via tubes  12 ,  14  being inserted through the passageways  20   a ,  22   a  of the fasteners). After the fasteners  20 ,  22  are positioned on the tubes, a tube end  12   a  of tube  12  may be pressed onto connector end portion  24  of connector  16  until the end is at or near the location boss  16   a , and a tube end  14   a  of tube  14  may be pressed onto connector end portion  26  of connector  16  until the end is at or near the location boss  16   a . The tubes may be pressed onto the barbed end portions of the connector via any suitable means (and after inserting the tube ends through respective ones of the female fasteners  20 ,  22 , as discussed below), such as, for example, by warming the tubes first or by using a tool to assist in pressing the tubes along the connector, and optionally such as by utilizing aspects of the tool and fluid line stabilizer described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/653,538, filed Oct. 17, 2012, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     After the tubes  12 ,  14  are so disposed on or along or at the connector  16 , the two sleeve portions  28 ,  30  of sleeve or jacket  18  are disposed along the connector so that the location boss  16   a  is generally aligned with and optionally partially received in the recesses or channels  32   b ,  34   b  of sleeve portions  28 ,  30 , such as shown in  FIG. 2 . When in this configuration, the sleeve portions  28 ,  30  may be spaced from one another and not clamped tightly against the tubes and connector, and some spacing may exist between the inner profiles  32 ,  34  of the sleeve portions  28 ,  30  and the outer surface of the tube ends  12   a ,  14   a , and also between the channels  32   b ,  34   b  of sleeve portions  28 ,  30  and the location boss  16   a  of connector  16 , such as can also be seen with reference to  FIG. 2 . 
     When the sleeve portions  28 ,  30  are so positioned, the threads of the threaded portions  36   c ,  38   c  of the sleeve portions  28 ,  30  are generally aligned (via the aligning feature of the location boss) so that fasteners  20 ,  22  may be moved along the tubes  12 ,  14  and moved into engagement with the tapered ends  36   a ,  38   a  of sleeve portions  28 ,  30  and with the threaded portions  36   c ,  38   c  of sleeve portions  28 ,  30 . As a fastener  20 ,  22  is moved along the tube end  12   a ,  14   a  and into engagement with the respective end of the sleeve portions, the engagement of the tapered or conical inner surface  20   b ,  22   b  of the fastener with the tapered ends of the sleeve portions, and/or the threaded engagement of the threaded inner surface  20   c ,  22   c  of the fastener with the respective threaded portions  36   c ,  38   c  of the sleeve portions  28 ,  30 , causes the sleeve portions  28 ,  30  to be urged together and into engagement with and compression of the tube on the connector end portions  24 ,  26 . Further tightening of the fasteners  20 ,  22  on the threaded portions  36   c ,  38   c  of the sleeve  18  causes further clamping of the sleeve portions together and onto the tube and connector assembly, such as via the movement of the conical inner surface  20   b ,  22   b  along the conical outer surface of the sleeve and/or optionally via threaded engagement of the inner threads  20   c ,  22   c  along a tapered threaded portion of the sleeve. As can be seen in  FIG. 3 , when the fastener  20  is fully tightened onto the sleeve  18 , the two sleeve portions  28 ,  30  may be substantially clamped together over the tube and connector assembly to substantially clamp the tube ends at and along the barbed connector portions, so as to limit or substantially preclude retraction of the tubes from the barbed connector portions and to limit fluid leakage between the inner passageway of the tubes and the connector. 
     Optionally, a sealing element (such as a resilient or compressible material or the like) may be disposed between the opposed edges or surfaces of the sleeve portions so that, when the sleeve portions are urged together as the fasteners are tightened, the sealing element may be substantially clamped and compressed between the sleeve portions to further seal the joint and limit fluid leakage. Although shown and described as comprising two separate halves or sleeve portions, the sleeve portions may comprise a single hinged sleeve (such as a unitarily formed sleeve with a living hinge formed or integrally molded along one of their adjoining edges) that provides a clam shell type configuration so that the sleeve may be folded or closed onto the tube and connector with an initial gap along one side or portion of the sleeve. Optionally, the sleeve edges may provide clasping or snapping means (such as via tabs or the like) so that the sleeve portions may be snapped together at the tube and connector configuration to provide a temporary attachment to ease the tightening of the fasteners onto the sleeve to securely clamp the sleeve at the tube and connector assembly. The sleeve portions may comprise any suitable material, such as a polymeric material or metallic material, and may be a substantially rigid and non-flexible construction, or may comprise a slightly flexible or malleable or compressible material to allow the sleeve portions to partially conform to the tube and connector assembly (and optionally may comprise a generally rigid outer material and a softer inner material or the like). Optionally, the sleeve portions may include rigid tooth portions therein that bite into the tubes when the sleeve is clamped onto the tube and connector assembly to further enhance retention of the tubes on the connector. 
     Therefore, the present invention provides a fluid line coupler that provides enhanced assembly and joining of two tube ends and that substantially retains and seals the tube ends relative to one another. The fluid line coupler of the present invention provides a sleeve that is positionable at and over a connector that is received in opposed ends of two tubes, and the sleeve is clampable onto the connector and tube assembly to substantially retain the tubes at the connector and to limit fluid leakage at the joint or coupling. The sleeve or sleeve portions may be readily disposed at and aligned with the connector and tubes and may be clamped thereat via tightening of at least one fastener and preferably a fastener at each end of the sleeve. 
     The inside profile of the protective sleeve or jacket assembly substantially matches the locations of the barbs on the pressed in connector or union. The center of the connector has a location boss to ensure that the protective jacket or sleeve assembly is correctly positioned at and over the connector and tube ends. The tapered ends of the sleeve assembly correspond to the inside tapered surfaces of the fasteners or tubing nuts or fittings that are threaded over the outer surface of the protective jacket or sleeve body and that compress or clamp the jacket or sleeve (such as two portions of a sleeve or a clamshell type of sleeve construction) directly over the tubes or lines (such as a nylon fuel line) and directly onto the retaining surfaces of the barbs of the connector such that, when the fasteners are tightened, the coupler limits or substantially precludes slippage of the tubes and/or leakage of fluid at the joint or coupling. The ends of the protective jacket or sleeve may include one or more ridges or teeth inside the inner profile that may bite into the tube or tubes to further grab and hold the tube or nylon line and secure the tube ends at the sleeve and connector. The coupler of the present invention may be assembled with standard hand tools as both the tubing nuts and the outer surface of the protective jacket may have standard hexagonal shapes or configurations and sizes. Optionally, the coupler may or may not include a mounting ring or circular wrap mounting bracket for screw mounting the coupler to a frame rail or the like after the repair is completed (in order to limit or reduce vibration and movement of the coupled joint). The outside shape of the protective jacket assembly, when the sleeve portions are aligned and assembled together may provide a hexagonal (or other non-circular shape) so that the sleeve can be held in place while tightening the fastener or tubing nuts/fittings, such as by using an open end wrench or adjustable wrench or the like. 
     Changes and modifications to the specifically described embodiments may be carried out without departing from the principles of the present invention, which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims, as interpreted according to the principles of patent law, including the doctrine of equivalents.