Fluid line support and connector

A connector assembly for attaching a brake hose of synthetic rubber to the disk brakes of a vehicle road wheel in which a cylindrical hose skirt of metal has a first end pocket which receives the cylindrical cup portion of a fluid transmitting metal eyelet which also has a nozzle that extends from the cup into a second end pocket of the skirt and into the fluid passage of the brake hose, a steel fluid conducting tube routed from the brakes fits into the cup portion of the eyelet and is joined in a high quantity fluid-tight manner to the eyelet cup and the skirt by a single brazing operation or by other similar joining material to provide for the improved support and optimized hydraulic connection of the hose with respect to the disk brakes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE 
This invention relates to connectors for uniting separate fluid conducting 
lines and, more particularly, to a new and improved connector assembly for 
operatively joining a fluid conducting hose preferably of a flexible 
rubber-like material to a relatively rigid fluid conducting tube 
associated with a fluid actuated device. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Prior to the present invention, a wide variety of connector devices have 
been utilized to connect tubes to hoses for conducting fluid therethrough 
or transmitting a hydraulic force through a column of oil contained 
therein. In many cases, specialized couplings are required which not only 
hydraulically connect adjacent tubes or pipes, hoses and other conduits in 
a fluid-tight manner, but also provide effective support while allowing 
relative movement of components and providing protection in relatively 
harsh environments. For example, in some hydraulic brake line 
constructions, the connection of the hose of rubber-like material to the 
metal pipe leading to the disk brake caliper utilizes a specialized 
cylindrical skirt which has an internal eyelet resistance-welded therein 
in a fluid-tight manner. This skirt is then braze welded or otherwise 
fixed to effect a second fluid seal to a metal connector tube that leads 
to the brake calipers through an attachment block or union. The hose is 
inserted into the other end of the skirt and the internal eyelet is 
inserted into the fluid passage in the hose to provide a fluid connection 
between the eyelet and the hose and to provide internal support for the 
hose when the skirt is swaged radially inward for effective gripping of 
the hose. 
The present invention is of the category of the above-mentioned coupling, 
but provides a new and improved fluid connection with a minimized leak 
path and with a substantially direct connection of the hose and the 
metallic tubing leading to a hydraulically actuated device such as a disk 
brake caliper. 
In the present invention, the eyelet is physically united with the metallic 
tube routed from the disk brake and directly and securely supports the end 
thereof with a cup portion that conforms to the tube end. This eyelet has 
a reduced diameter nozzle extending therefrom for insertion within the end 
of the brake hose which is preferably a flexible length of reinforced 
synthetic rubber. 
The cup portion of the eyelet is press-fitted in a pocket formed in one end 
of the skirt and the eyelet nozzle extends through a web in the skirt 
along the centralized axis thereof. This provides a second cylindrical 
pocket for receiving the end of the hose. The tube, eyelet and skirt are 
metallic devices and are fastened together in a fluid-tight manner by a 
single brazing operation or by other suitable joining means. Accordingly, 
only a single connection is needed as compared to the dual brazing or 
welding of the prior construction so that at least one leak path is 
eliminated. In the present invention, the metallic tube is supported 
directly by a cup of the eyelet for the improved mechanical and hydraulic 
connection between these parts. 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved 
connector assembly for connecting a flexible fluid conducting hose to a 
relatively rigid metal tube leading to a hydraulically actuated device, 
the assembly comprising an eyelet member which has a cup portion 
press-fitted into one end of a cylindrical metallic skirt and a nozzle 
that fits within the inner diameter of the hose fitting within the 
opposite end of the skirt; the skirt is attached in a fluid sealing manner 
to the cup and tube by a single brazing operation or by other similar 
fastening means. 
These and other features, objects and advantages of this invention will be 
more apparent from the following detailed description and drawing in which 
:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
Turning now in greater detail to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a 
road wheel assembly 10 having a disk brake 12 operatively connected 
thereto. The disk brake includes a conventional hydraulically operated 
brake caliper which is adapted to effect braking by frictionally engaging 
the opposite surfaces of a rotor 14 attached to hub 16 of the vehicle road 
wheel assembly. A brake force F, selectively applied by the vehicle 
operator to the brake pads of the disk brake, is transmitted by a column 
of oil confined within a brake line generally designated 20 routed to the 
caliper. This brake line includes a rigid steel tube 22 which is attached 
to a brake hose 24 of reinforced synthetic rubber by fitting 26 that is 
attached by bracket 28 to the frame 30 of the vehicle. The reinforced 
brake hose 24 is operatively connected to a connector assembly 34 which 
comprises a block-like fluid inlet union 36 secured to the caliper casing 
38 by an inlet union screw 39 which extends through an opening 40 in union 
36 and into threaded connection with casing 38. The screw 39 has a central 
passage for the brake fluid that communicates with an internal fluid 
passage that connects to the brake pad pistons which are not shown. 
Extending from brazed connection at 41 with the inlet union 36 and forming 
part of the connector assembly 34 is a steel fluid conducting tube 42 
which terminates in a cylindrical end portion that snugly fits into a 
cylindrical cup portion 44 of a tube support and connecting eyelet 46. The 
eyelet is a funnel-like part with an elongated fluid conducting nozzle 48 
which has a diameter dimensioned to sealingly fit an inner wall of the 
hose 24 defining the fluid passage 50 of the hose 24 in a fluid-tight 
manner and to provide an internal support for the hose. With this eyelet 
construction, the metallic tube 42 is directly hydraulically connected to 
the synthetic rubber hose 24 for improved support and to minimize fluid 
leak paths as will be described below. 
In addition to the union 36, the metallic tube 42 and eyelet 46, the 
connector assembly 34 importantly includes a brake hose skirt 52 which in 
the preferred embodiment has a metallic cylindrical body 54 with a 
transverse interior web 56 formed with a centralized opening 58 that is 
dimensioned to accommodate the nozzle 48 extending therethrough. The 
internal web 56 divides the skirt into two separate cylindrical pockets 
60, 61 and also provides annular surfaces 43 and 45. Pocket 60 has a 
smaller diameter and provides a receptacle for the cup portion 44 of the 
eyelet 46. Preferably, the nozzle 48 is inserted and advanced through the 
web opening 58 as the cup is press-fitted into the pocket to form a 
two-piece skirt and eyelet subassembly without any welding as in the prior 
art construction. The tube, skirt and connector eyelet can then be joined 
together by an annular brazed connection as illustrated at 62 to provide a 
high quality, fluid-tight joint that can be readily produced in quantity 
with minimized rejection of assembled parts since this connection reduces 
the number of potential leak paths. 
In addition to the small diameter pocket, the skirt 52 and the nozzle 48 of 
the eyelet form the large diameter cylindrical pocket 61 for receiving the 
end of the brake hose 24. As shown, the brake hose fits in closely into 
the formed cylindrical pocket 61 of the skirt so that the internal and 
external diameter of the brake hose are closely against the nozzle and the 
internal wall forming the pocket 61. With the internal support provided by 
the nozzle 48, the wall of the brake hose skirt along a portion of the 
brake hose 24 that is penetrated by the nozzle 48 can be annularly swaged 
or crimped such as shown a to provide a mechanically secure and 
fluid-tight connection between the parts. 
While a preferred embodiment of this invention has been shown and 
described, other embodiments will become more apparent to those skilled 
the art. Accordingly, the scope of this invention is set forth in the 
following claims.