Fluid connector

A connector assembly 10 including a first member 16, 20 including a first fluid passageway 14, 18 therethrough and a female end portion having a conical surface 22, 58. A connector member 12 includes a second passageway 28 therethrough in fluid communication with the first passageway 14, 18 and a male end portion having a conical surface 30 in mating engagement with the conical surface 22, 58 of the female end portion. The connector member 12 is either directly threaded into the first member 16 or secured to the first member 20 by a nut member 36 to axially urge the conical surfaces 22, 30, 58 into mating engagement. The assembly 10 is characterized by the second passageway 28 within the male end portion of the connector member 12 having an increased diameter defining an annular recessed wall 38 which is outwardly radially deflectable in response to internal pressure applied against the recessed wall to perfect a seal between the conical surfaces 22, 30, 58.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The instant invention relates to high pressure pipe line couplings of the 
type for connecting a pipe casing to a tubing line. 
BACKGROUND ART 
Connectors are commonly used to connect fluid conduits which establish high 
pressure fluid communication between a source of high pressure, such as a 
pump, and a load, such as a motor. Various configurations have been used 
to perfect a fluid seal in the connector. U.S. Pat. No. 640,197 to 
Hewlett, issued Jan. 2, 1900, discloses mating beveled end portions of two 
members joined together by a nut. The nut axially urges the members 
together. The beveled end portions of the connected members are rigid. The 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,788,231 to Crow, issued Apr. 9. 1957, shows an internal 
expandable seal, the seal not being adaptable to high pressure 
environments. U.S. Pat. No. 3,258,279 to Johnsen, issued June 28, 1966, 
discloses the use of an L-shaped gasket disposed within the rigid beveled 
male end portion of a first member in mating engagement with the female 
beveled portion of a second member. The gasket deflects in response to 
fluid pressure to seal the parting line between the mating beveled end 
portions. The instant invention provides an improvement over the prior art 
wherein the primary seal is perfected directly between the beveled mating 
surfaces of the connected members. The beveled end portion of the 
connector is deflectable in response to the internal high pressure to 
perfect the seal against the female beveled surface of the connected 
member. 
STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a connector 
assembly including a first member having a first fluid passageway 
therethrough and a female end portion having a conical surface. A second 
member includes a second passageway therethrough in fluid communication 
with the first passageway and a male end portion having a conical surface 
in mating engagement with the conical surface of the female end portion. 
Connecting means axially urges the conical surfaces into mating 
engagement. The assembly is characterized by the second passageway within 
the male end portion having an increased diameter defining a recessed wall 
thereabout which is outwardly radially deflectable in response to internal 
fluid pressure against the recessed wall to perfect a seal between the 
conical surfaces.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
Referring to the FIGURE, a connector assembly constructed in accordance 
with the instant invention is generally shown at 10. 
A connector member, generally indicated at 12, provides fluid communication 
between the fluid passageway 14 of a pump casing 16 and the fluid 
passageway 18 of a line member 20 leading to high pressure tubing (not 
shown). 
Referring specifically to the line member 20, the line member 20 has a 
female end portion having a conical surface 22. The line member 20 further 
includes an annular neck portion 24 disposed within and beyond the conical 
surface 22. The connector 12 includes a passageway 28 extending 
therethrough for fluid communication between the passageway 14 of the pump 
casing 16 and the passageway 18 of the line member 20. The connector 12 
has a male end portion having a conical surface 30 in mating engagement 
with the conical surface 22 of the female end portion of the line member 
20. 
The assembly includes connecting means for axially urging the conical 
surfaces 22, 30 into mating engagement. The connecting means comprises an 
outer threaded surface 32 of the connector member 12, a shoulder 34 of the 
line member 20 and a nut member 36 which threadedly engages the threaded 
portion 32 of the connector 12 while engaging the shoulder 34 so as to 
axially urge the conical female surface 22 of the line member 20 against 
the male conical surface 30 of the connector member 12. 
The assembly 10 is characterized by the passageway 28 within the male end 
portion of the connector member 12 having an increased diameter defining a 
recessed wall 38 thereabout. The recessed wall 38 is outwardly radially 
deflectable in response to internal fluid pressure applied against the 
recessed wall 38 to perfect a seal between the conical surfaces 22 and 30. 
In other words, unlike prior art assemblies wherein a seal is either 
perfected by axial urging of conical surfaces together or by a deflectable 
gasket, the seal of the instant invention is perfected directly between 
the mating conical surfaces 22 and 30 and is applied axially by the 
connecting means and outwardly radially by internal pressure deflecting 
the recessed wall 38. Accordingly, the diameter of the male conical 
surface 30 increases in response to a predetermined pressure in the fluid 
passageway, i.e., the circumference of the conical surface 30 increases in 
proportion to the internal line pressure. 
More specifically, the recessed wall 38 has a reduced radial 
cross-sectional area immediately adjacent the conical surface 30. Unlike 
the remainder of the connector member 12, the thinner recessed wall 38 is 
outwardly deflectable in response to internal pressure within the 
passageway 28. 
The mating conical surfaces 22 and 30 define a parting line therebetween. 
The assembly 10 includes an O-ring gasket 40 for providing sealing means 
adjacent the recessed wall 38 and about the inner end of the parting line 
defined by the mating conical surfaces 22 and 30 for further perfecting a 
seal about the inner end of the parting line when the internal pressure 
within the passageways 18 and 28 is applied. Initially, the O-ring 40 
provides a seal about the inner end of the parting line defined by the 
mating conical surfaces 22 and 30 to prevent fluid escape therethrough. As 
the high pressure is reached, having a range of pressure as experienced in 
normal hydraulic systems, the recessed walls 38 of the connector member 12 
are deflected radially outwardly to further perfect a seal between the 
mating surfaces 22 and 30. Thus, the instant invention provides a 
structurally strong and efficient high pressure seal. 
The annular neck portion 24 provides retaining means for retaining the seal 
40 against the parting line defined by the mating conical surfaces 22 and 
30. The outer surface of the neck portion 24 is radially inwardly spaced 
from the recessed wall 38 defining an angular pocket 42 therebetween. The 
O-ring 40 is disposed within the pocket 42. 
The connector member 12 includes an annular seat portion 44 immediately 
adjacent the male end portion thereof. The neck portion 24 of the line 20 
is seated within the seat portion 44 allowing fluid to pass therethrough 
into the pocket 42. The seat portion 44 includes a female conical surface 
46. A seal is not perfected between the neck portion 24 and the seat 
portion 44. Rather, the mating portions 24 and 44 provide means for 
aligning the members 12 and 20 together. 
A second embodiment of the instant invention is shown by the connection of 
the connector member 12 to the pump casing 16. The connector member 12 is 
symmetrical at each end. An insert member 48 defines a neck portion 50 
which is in mating engagement with the seat portion 44 of the connector 
member 12. The neck portion 50 provides retaining means for retaining a 
seal 52 within the pocket 42, the pocket 42 being defined by the space 
between the recessed wall 38 of the connector member 12 and the neck 
portion 50. An annular shoulder 54 extends outwardly from the neck portion 
50 for engaging the seal 52. The seal is an annular member having a male 
conical surface 56 which engages the female conical surface 58 of the pump 
casing 16 to perfect a low pressure seal at the parting line between the 
female conical surface 58 of the pump casing 16 and male conical surface 
30 of the connector 12. The neck portion 50 further includes a male 
conical end surface 51 in loose mating engagement with the female conical 
surface 46 of the connector member 46 thereby allowing the access of 
pressurized fluid into the pocket 42 to perfect the seal. 
The pump casing has an internal threaded portion 60 which threadedly 
engages the outer threaded surface 32 of the connector member 12. The 
connector 12 is brought into threaded engagement with the pump casing 16 
to axially urge the mating conical surfaces 30 and 58 together. High 
pressure within the passageways 14 and 28 deflects the recessed wall 38 of 
the connector 12 against the female conical surface 58 to perfect a strong 
and effective field therebetween. 
The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be 
understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in 
the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. 
Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are 
possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be 
understood that within the scope of the appended claims wherein reference 
numerals are merely for convenience and are not to be in any way limiting, 
the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. 
PRIOR ART STATEMENT PURSUANT TO RULE 656 
Prior art uncovered during a novelty search were reviewed by the applicant 
and the undersigned attorney to establish a more precise definition of the 
invention in view of the prior art, recognizing that the scope of the 
searched invention may have been enlarged or shifted as defined in the 
claims in view of the uncovered prior art. The following prior art were 
uncovered, the most pertinent being discussed in the specification: 
U.S. Pat. No. 640,197: Hewlett, 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,118,670: Green, 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,131,509: Goepel et al., 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,192,565: Szekely, 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,760,673: Laurent, 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,788,231: Crow, 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,160,426: Faeser, 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,258,279: Johnsen, 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,600,010: Downs et al.