Patent Publication Number: US-2007096464-A1

Title: Universal fitting for flexible tubes, preferably for above-ground irrigation systems

Description:
The present invention relates to a universal fitting for flexible tubes, preferably for above-ground irrigation systems.  
      Having tools to take the water to the zone to be watered from the water source is important to irrigate large plots of land or small-sized gardens.  
      Fitting means allowing a secure and effective conveying of water are used to join two tubes or a tube and a source (e.g. a normal garden tap with external threading).  
      In particular, a fitting with male coupling element connecting to a female fitting is contemplated for attaching to the tap. A female fitting receiving a male coupling element comprised within the dispensing terminal is instead contemplated for attaching a dispensing terminal.  
      Female fittings consisting of a cylindrical body with longitudinal through-hole having a first end for coupling with a male coupling element and second end comprising an internal cylindrical spigot, which is coupled to the end of a flexible tube, are known.  
      Said flexible tube is locked by means of a crown of locking fins forced inwards, i.e. towards the flexible tube, by a ring which may be screwed onto said hollow cylindrical body.  
      The diameter of the internal surface and of the external surface of the internal cylindrical spigot is either constant or slightly decreasing continuously towards said second end, so that different female fittings are required for flexible tubes of different diameters.  
      It is the object of the present invention to make a fitting, preferably for above-ground irrigation systems, which is capable of joining flexible tubes of different diameter.  
      According to the invention, this object is obtained by a fitting consisting of a cylindrical body with longitudinal through-hole having at least one end couplable with a flexible tube by means of a hollow cylindrical internal spigot and locking means of said flexible tube, characterised in that said hollow internal cylindrical spigot has an external surface with variable diameter decreasing in steps towards said at least one end.  
      A different size of the diameter of a flexible tube to be coupled to said fitting corresponds to each step.  
      It is apparent the advantage of being able to use the same fitting for flexible tubes of different diameter. 
    
    
      These and other features of the present invention will be further explained in the following detailed description of a practical embodiment shown by the way of non-limitative example in the attached drawings, in which:  
       FIG. 1  shows an axial section plan view of a fitting according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  shows a perspective view in axial section of the fitting;  
       FIG. 3  shows an external perspective view of the fitting. 
    
    
      The fitting shown in the figures is a female type fitting consisting of a cylindrical body  1  with longitudinal through-hole  2  having a first end  3  for coupling to a male fitting (not shown) and a second end  4  for coupling to a flexible tube  20 .  
      At said second end  4 , body  1  has a hollow cylindrical internal spigot  5  having an internal surface  6  with continuously (nearly constant) slightly decreasing diameter and an external surface with discontinuously decreasing diameter towards end  4  essentially in steps  21 .  
      Body  1  also comprises flexible fins  8  for locking the flexible tube onto the spigot  5  having and external fastening ring  9  fastenable onto said body  1  and provided with an oblique narrowing  22  on one end.  
      Mobile locking teeth  10  which may be operated by an axially mobile external crown  11  are identified at said first end  3  to fasten/release the female fitting to/from a male fitting (not shown).  
      The coupling of flexible tube  20  with the fitting is very simple: step  21  most suitable for tube  20  to be coupled is selected and locked by turning ring  9 . Said turning allows the narrowing  22  of the ring  9  to force the fins  8  against the tube, thus locking it.  
      The coupling with the male fitting occurs instead by snapping of teeth  10 . The release is made by operating external crown  11 .  
      The number of steps  21  may vary according to the length of spigot  5 .