Patent Publication Number: US-2022235886-A1

Title: Connector capable of stably connecting fluid pipeline

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a connector, and more particularly to the connector capable of stably connecting a fluid pipeline. 
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     Description of the Related Art 
     A pipeline such as a rubber tube or a plastic tube used for transmitting a fluid usually requires a connector to connect a device or another pipeline, and the pipeline is cut into an appropriate length according to actual requirements and then a connector is installed to an end of the pipeline. 
     With reference to  FIG. 10  for a conventional connector, an end of a tube  91  such as a rubber tube or a plastic tube is passed and sheathed to the interior of a metal sheath  92 , and then an end of a hollow columnar plug  93  is passed into the tube  91 , and a mechanical equipment or a hydraulic equipment applies a tightening pressure to the metal sheath  92  to tightly clamp the tube  91  between the metal sheath  92  and the plug  93 , and a connecting portion  931  such as an external thread disposed at the other end of the plug  93  is provided for connecting an internal thread of another connector. 
     With reference to  FIG. 11  for another conventional connector, the difference between this connector and the previous one as shown in  FIG. 10  resides on that the connecting portion  931  at the other end of the plug  93  has a nut, and an end of the nut is pivotally connected to the plug  93  for connecting an external thread of another connector. 
     The aforementioned conventional connector requires a mechanical equipment or hydraulic equipment that applies a tightening pressure to the metal sheath  92  to achieve a watertight or airtight effect. 
     In the aforementioned conventional connector, full inspection must be performed, in terms of quality control, to ensure the watertight or airtight effect of the plug  93  and the tube  91  due to the problems of the connection strength of the plug  93  that is connected to the tube  91  or the tolerance of the tightening equipment. It is not just laborious and time-consuming only, but also involves a tightening process that will reduce the space of the channel of the plug  93 . 
     Further, the inventor of the present invention has invented an improved structure, wherein a circular member is formed and extended in a transverse direction from an inner side of an end of the metal sheath  92  for abutting and connecting a surface of the circular member by an outer end surface of the tube  91 , and the inner side of the circular member further has an internal thread, and an end of the plug  93  has a triangular external thread. By the internal thread and the external thread, a wrench can be used to rotate the plug  93 , and the plug  93  can be guided into the tube  91  more easily, and the external thread of the plug  93  can be used to embedding and engaging the inner side of the tube  91 . In general, if the inner diameter of the tube  91  is 6.5 mm, the outer diameter of the external thread of the plug  93  must be approximately 9.6 mm to achieve the embedment or engagement with a watertight or airtight effect. The material used for embedding and engaging the tube  91  is generally not longer than 0.5 mm, and the tensile strength of the plug  93  is approximately 60 kg. 
     However, in this improved structure having the metal sheath  92  with the internal thread and the plug  93  with the external thread, the connection strength of the plug  93  that is embedded and engaged with the tube  91  still does not reach the desired resistance strength. In addition, when the triangular external thread of the plug  93  enters into the tube  91 , they are often misaligned, thus resulting in poor embedment and engagement. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a connector capable of stably connecting a fluid pipeline, and the connector can be installed to a tube or a device instantly and conveniently. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to provide a connector capable of stably connecting a fluid pipeline, and the connector can achieve a watertight or airtight effect easily. 
     A further objective of the present invention is to provide a connector capable of stably connecting a fluid pipeline, and the connector can lower the assembling cost effectively. 
     To achieve the aforementioned and other objectives, the present invention discloses a connector capable of stably connecting a fluid pipeline, and the connector comprises an inner socket which is a columnar body having a channel and both ends defined as a first end and a second end respectively, and an outer side of the inner socket has a guide portion, an attaching portion, an anti-leak portion and a connecting portion sequentially arranged from the first end to the second end; wherein, the first end of the inner socket is passed and socketed into an end of a tube by the guide portion; the attaching portion is a spiral concave groove disposed on an outer side of the inner socket for attaching an inner side of the tube; the anti-leak portion is disposed between an end of the tube and the connecting portion for sealing an opening of the tube to stop leaking a fluid of the tube; and the connecting portion is disposed between the anti-leak portion and the second end of the inner socket and exposed from the tube, and the connecting portion is provided for coupling another connecting portion of another connector. 
     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing an assembly of a tube and an outer socket in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of Section  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing an assembly of a tube and an outer socket in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded view of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of Section  7 - 7  of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic view showing the connector of  FIG. 5  without the design of a hexagonal profile but having a screw for assembling a tube and an outer socket; 
         FIG. 9  is an exploded view showing an assembly of a tube and an outer socket in accordance with a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view showing an assembly of a tube and a metal sheath of a conventional connector; and 
         FIG. 11  is another perspective view showing an assembly of a tube and a metal sheath of a conventional connector. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 to 3  for a connector capable of stably connecting a fluid pipeline in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention, the connector includes an inner socket  10  which is a columnar body having a channel and both ends defined as a first end  11  and a second end  13  respectively, and the outer side of the inner socket  10  has a guide portion  12 , an attaching portion  14 , an anti-leak portion  16  and a connecting portion  18  sequentially arranged from the first end  11  to the second end  13 . 
     The first end  11  of the inner socket  10  is partially socketed into an end of a tube  15  by the guide portion  12 , and the guide portion  12  is a conical body with a size of the outer side of the inner socket  10  decreasing in a direction from a side of the attaching portion  14  to the first end  11 . By the conical guide portion  12 , the inner socket  10  has be better degree of freedom to pass and sheath to the interior of the tube  15 , wherein the tube  15  can be a rubber tube or a plastic tube. 
     The attaching portion  14  is a spiral concave groove formed on the outer side of the inner socket  10 . One end of the attaching portion  14  is neighbor to the guide portion  12 . When the inner socket  10  is rotatably passed and sheath to the interior of the tube  15 , the spiral concave groove of the attaching portion  14  is provided for embedding, attaching and connecting an inner side of the tube  15  to achieve the effect of engaging the inner socket  10  with the tube  15 . Particularly, if the size of the attaching portion  14  is greater than the size of the internal space of the tube  15 , then the present invention further has a locking effect, wherein the spiral concave groove of the attaching portion  14  can be a trapezoidal thread or a rectangular thread. 
     The anti-leak portion  16  is formed by an appropriate part extending in a direction from the other end of the attaching portion  14  to the second end  13 , and the anti-leak portion  16  is a columnar body with an outer side in a shape corresponding to the shape of the internal space of the tube  15 . When the inner socket  10  is rotatably passed and sheathed to the interior of the tube  15 , the anti-leak portion  16  is provided for attaching and connecting the inner side of the tube  15  to seal an opening of the tube  15 , so as to achieve the effect of preventing a fluid in the tube  15  from leaking from a surrounding of the inner socket  10 . 
     The connecting portion  18  is disposed between the anti-leak portion  16  of the inner socket  10  and the second end  13  and exposed from the tube  15 , and the connecting portion  18  is provided for connecting another connecting portion of another connector (not shown in the figures). When the connecting portion  18  is an external thread, another connecting portion of another connector can be an internal thread such as a nut. Further, an anti-leakage washer  82  can be installed between the connecting portion  18  and the inner socket  10  for sealing an opening of another connector to achieve the anti-leakage effect. 
     In  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the connector capable of stably connecting a fluid pipeline of the present invention further includes an outer socket  20  which is a columnar body having a channel and socketed and attached to the outer side of an end of the tube  15 , so that the tube  15  is at least attached between the outer socket  20  and the attaching portion  14  of the inner socket  10 , and the outer socket  20  is provided for strengthening the assembly structure of the inner socket  10  and the tube  15 . 
     In the connector capable of stably connecting a fluid pipeline as shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , a hexagonal member  62  is extended from the outer side of the inner socket  10  and between the anti-leak portion  16  and the connecting portion  18 , so that the present invention can use a wrench to apply a force to the hexagonal member  62  in order to install the connector to the tube  15  instantly and conveniently. 
     In the connector capable of stably connecting a fluid pipeline of the present invention as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a circular member  22  is extended in a transverse direction from an inner side of an end of the outer socket  20 , so that the outer end surface of the tube  15  can abut and connect a side of the circular member  22  to provide better structural strength and assembly positioning. 
     With reference to  FIG. 4  for a connector capable of stably connecting a fluid pipeline in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention, there is no columnar body extending in a direction from the other end of the attaching portion  14  towards the second end  13 , but there is an anti-leakage washer sheathe to form the anti-leak portion  16  for sealing the opening of the tube  15 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 5 to 7  for a connector capable of stably connecting a fluid pipeline in accordance with the third embodiment of the present invention, the connecting portion  18  is a columnar body having a channel, and the connecting portion  18  has an end pivotally connected to the inner socket  10  and the other end of the connecting portion  18  has an internal thread for connecting another connector, and another connecting portion of another connector can be an external thread. The connecting portion  18  of the third embodiment of the present invention is a nut. 
     In the connector capable of stably connecting a fluid pipeline of the present invention as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , a hexagonal profile  32  is designed on the inner side of the second end  13  of the inner socket  10 , and the present invention can use an Allen wrench to apply a force to the hexagonal profile  32  in order to install the connector to the tube  15  instantly and conveniently. 
     With reference to  FIG. 8 , if the third embodiment of the present invention does not have the design of the hexagonal profile  32 , then the present invention can be used together with a screw  17  to lock the connecting portion  18 , so as to link the inner socket  10  to install the connector to the tube  15  instantly and conveniently. 
     With reference to  FIG. 9  for the fourth embodiment of the present invention, if the third embodiment of the present invention does not have the design of the hexagonal profile  32 , then a hexagonal member  62  can be designed on the outer side of the inner socket  10  and between the anti-leak portion  16  and the connecting portion  18 , so that the present invention can use a wrench to apply a force to the hexagonal member  62  to install the connector to the tube  15  instantly and conveniently. 
     In the present invention, the spiral concave groove of the attaching portion  14  can be designed as a trapezoidal thread or a rectangular thread to significantly enhance the connection strength for the embedment and engagement of the inner socket  10  with the inner side of the tube  15 , and the material of the inner socket  10  embedding and engaging with the tube  15  can be up to 0.75˜1.0 mm, and the tensile strength of the inner socket  10  is approximately 120˜200 kg, so that the present invention can almost or completely achieve the watertight and airtight effect. In addition, the spiral concave groove of the inner socket  10  having an outer diameter of only 8 mm is provided for passing through the tube  15  having an inner diameter of 6.5 mm, so that the present invention can achieve the aforementioned effects. On the other hand, when the spiral concave groove of the inner socket  10  is passed through the tube  15 , the inner socket  10  has a self-guiding effect to prevent misalignment. The present invention further provides the design of the anti-leak portion  16 , so that the connector of the present invention can achieve the watertight or airtight effect more effectively and reliably without requiring any tightening mechanical equipment or requiring the installation of the outer socket  20 , and the invention does not require full inspection for the quality control. 
     As to the manufacture of the connector of the present invention, the manufacturing process can be divided into different assembly processes to effectively achieve a manufacture with division of labor, and the present invention has a better production efficiency to effectively lower the manufacturing cost.