Abstract:
A connector comprises a body having a passage therethrough for fluid flow and a female portion for receiving by a slip fit a tubular member. Gripping means are placed in the passage in the female portion for gripping the tubular member and is configured for preventing the tubular member from rotating. A retainer retains the gripping means in place and a seal prevents leakage.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Connectors are used in such applications as irrigation sprinkler systems and fire sprinkler systems for connecting tubular members together. The connectors can provide male/male, female/male, and female/female connections. The connectors can be threaded, have a barbed interference fit, or provide a slip fit. 
         [0002]    Barbs on the exterior surface of the male end of a connector are often used to create an interference fit when the tubular member is made of a flexible material that can be forced over the barbs to create a seal for liquid that passes through both the connector and the tubular member. This is particularly common in below ground sprinkler systems using inexpensive plastic connectors. In cases such as this the force required to force the tubular member over the exterior barbs of the male end of a connector is great and causes a significant and repeated stress to the hands of the person doing the installation. 
         [0003]    For a slip fit female connection, frequently the tubular member is held in the female portion of the connector with an adhesive. This is particularly common in below ground sprinkler systems using plastic connectors. A problem with use of adhesive is the process of applying adhesive is time consuming, and leakage can occur if the adhesive is improperly applied. An attempt to use a gripping mechanism rather than an adhesive resulted in rotation of the tubular member in use. 
         [0004]    Accordingly, there is a need for a better system for making connections. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    The present invention is directed to a connector, also referred to as a fitting, that satisfies this need. The connector has a body with a passage therethrough for fluid flow. It has first and second portions, both portions having an opening therein into the passage. The first portion, also referred to as a female portion, receives by a slip fit a tubular member into the passage. There are gripping means placed in the passage in the female portion for gripping the tubular connector for preventing removal of the tubular connector from the body. The gripping means can be, for example, a ring with teeth projecting inwardly and axially away from the opening of the first portion. The gripping means has an external projection that projects into a detent in the body for preventing rotation of the gripping means, and in doing so preventing the tubular member from rotating. 
         [0006]    There can be a retainer in the passage of the first portion for retaining the gripping means in the body. The retainer preferably has an outer wall with a projection thereon that is received by a detent in the body. Similarly, the insert that holds the gripping means in place can have a projection received by the detent. This allows the gripping means and the retainer and the body of the connector to be assembled in alignment with each other and without the need for a secondary manufacturing process such as sonic welding or the application of an adhesive. 
         [0007]    Thus, a tubular member can be held securely in the connector, where the connection can be quickly made by a simple slip fit, without the use of adhesive, without the need for any significant force, and without concern that the tubular member may rotate relative to the connector in use. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims and accompanying drawings where: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  schematically shows two connectors according to the present invention being used with a sprinker system; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the connectors of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the assembled connector of  FIG. 2 ; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the connector of  FIG. 3 . 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    A connector  10  according to the present invention, also referred to as a fitting, comprises a body  12 , a seal  14 , gripping means  16 , also referred to as a gripper or lock, and a retainer  18 . The body has a passage  20  for fluid flow, a first portion  22  that is capable of providing a female slip fit, and a second portion  24  with external threads  26  for providing a male to female connection. The first portion  20  has an opening  24 . The body  12  has an inner wall  30  and a central longitudinal axis  32 . A longitudinal slot, also referred to as a detent  34 , is in the inner wall  12 . The inner wall also has therethrough a plurality of spaced apart circumferential slots  36 . 
         [0014]    Although the second portion  24  as shown is providing a male threaded fit, the second portion can provide a slip fit and/or a female connection. 
         [0015]    As shown in the figures, the first  22  and second  24  portions are transverse to each other, at about a 90° angle. However, the current invention is useful where the first and second portions are aligned or are transverse to each other at an angle other than 90°. In addition, although the body portion  12  is adapted for connecting two tubular members together, the invention is useful for connectors that connect more than two members together, such as a T connector. 
         [0016]    The seal  14  can be an annular ring and preferably is made of a flexible material such as a rubber. Exemplary rubbers that can be used are thermoplastic rubbers. A preferred rubber is nitrile rubber. 
         [0017]    The preferred gripping means is an annular ring  38  with inwardly projecting teeth  40 . The teeth project radially inwardly and axially away from the opening  38 . The ring has an external projection  42  fitting on the detent  34 . 
         [0018]    The retainer  18  likewise is annular in shape and, has a projection  44  fitting into the detent  34  and protuberances  46  sized and shape to snap into the slots  36  of the body  12 . 
         [0019]    To assemble the connector  10 , the seal  14  is placed into the passage  20  against an internal shoulder  48 , followed by the gripping means  16 , which is seated against the seal  14  with the projection  42  extending into the detent  34 . Next, the retainer  18  is placed into the passage  20  to hold the gripping means  16  in place, with the projection  44  in the detent  34  and the protuberances  46  snapped into place into the slots  36 , thereby holding the retainer  18  in place without the need for any secondary manufacturing process such as sonic welding or use of adhesive. 
         [0020]    Due to the projections  42  and  44  seated in the detent  34 , the gripping means  16  and the retainer  18  cannot rotate. Thus, a tubular member held in the passage  20  by the gripping means  16  cannot rotate. 
         [0021]    Preferably the body  12  has a finger protector  48  which can comprise a projection extending axially in the passage  20  towards the opening  28 . It projects about to the ring  38 . A top  50  of the finger protector  48 , i.e., the portion closest to the opening  28 , is proximate to the teeth  40  and positioned so that a user placing a finger into the passage  20  does not hurt having the finger on the teeth  40 . 
         [0022]    The body  12  and retainer  18  can be made of any material conventionally used for making connectors, such as a metal or plastics. Exemplary plastics are polyacetals such as polyoxymethyelene, polyvinyl chloride, and polypropylene. Preferably the gripping means  16  is made of metal, such as stainless steel or an engineering plastic. 
         [0023]    The connector  10  can be the same size as conventionally used for conventional connectors. For example, it can be used to accommodate ½ inch, ¾ inch, 1 inch and larger tubular members. The first portion  22  and second portion  24  need not be of the same nominal size. For example, the first portion can be adapted for a ¾ inch connection and the second portion  24  adapted for a 1 inch connection. 
         [0024]      FIG. 1  shows a typical application using a connector  10  according to the present invention, the application being for a lawn sprinkler system. An underground feed line  52  is connected by a first connector  54  according to the present invention to a transverse line  56 , which is a tubular member. The second portion  24  of the connector  54 , which is a male threaded portion, is threaded into the feed line  52  and the transverse line  52  is slip fitted into the female portion  22 . A popup sprinkler head  58  is slightly above ground level  59  and connected to a second more conventional male/female threaded connector  60 . The male end of a third connector  61  is threaded into the female end of the male/female threaded connector  60 . The other end of the transverse line  56  is then slip fitted into the third connector  61 . 
         [0025]    The seal  14  is activated by the pressure of the fluid inside the tubular member and the connector to prevent leakage. 
         [0026]    Because of the anti-rotation feature of the present invention, the pop-up sprinkler  58  does not rotate freely once installed. This is important both during the installation of a sprinkler system and after it has been completed. During the installation the anti-rotation feature holds the assembly in place until the removed soil has been replaced, a process known as the backfill. After the backfill has been completed, and during regular use, the anti-rotation feature holds that sprinkler in a vertical position that allows for a full 360° degrees of water distribution. 
         [0027]    The threaded connection to the feed line  52  preferably is slightly loose. Thus inadvertent pressure on the sprinkler head does not break the sprinkler head or any connections, but rather results in rotation of the first  54  and second  61  connectors. 
         [0028]    Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred version thereof, other versions are possible. For example, although the detent is shown as an axially extending slot, it can be of any shape. Also, separate detents can be provided, one for the gripper and one for the retainer. 
         [0029]    Also, the retainer need not be included. Instead an internal circumferential groove, which can be continuous or discontinuous, can be provided in the body and the circumferential edge of the gripper can be placed into the groove. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not necessarily be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein. 
         [0030]    All features disclosed in the specification, including the claims, abstracts, and drawings, and all the steps in any method or process disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. Each feature disclosed in the specification, including the claims, abstract, and drawings, can be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features. 
         [0031]    Any element in a claim that does not explicitly state “means” for performing a specified function or “step” for performing a specified function, should not be interpreted as a “means step” clause as specified in 35 U.S.C. §112.