Patent ID: 8888143

Claim:
An axially torque-limited fluidic coupling assembly comprising: a fitting body having a stem portion and a continuous channel defined through the fitting body and the stem portion thereof, the continuous channel defining a longitudinal axis of the fluidic coupling assembly; an axial-compression fastening assembly comprising: a drive collar that is rotatable about the longitudinal axis around the stem portion of the fitting body and that comprises at least one collar tooth, the at least one collar tooth having a sloped driving surface and a collar abutment; and a toothed driven member portion of the fitting body comprising at least one forcible tooth, the at least one forcible tooth having a sloped forcible surface and a driven-member abutment; mechanical threads on the fitting body that rotate when the toothed driven member portion of the fitting body rotates; and at least one resilient member having a spring bias that defines a threshold torque of the axial-compression fastening assembly, wherein: rotation of the drive collar in a tightening direction with an applied torque imparts an axially directed compressive force from the drive collar on the at least one resilient member when the sloped forcible surface of the forcible tooth is forced against the sloped driving surface of the collar tooth; when the applied torque is less than the threshold torque, the compressive force is less than the spring bias, the sloped driving surface is forced against and moves the sloped forcible surface, and the toothed driven member rotates with the drive collar in the tightening direction; when the applied torque is greater than the threshold torque, the compressive force exceeds the spring bias, the at least one resilient member yields and allows the sloped driving surface to bypass the sloped forcible surface, and the toothed driven member does not rotate with the drive collar; rotation of the drive collar in a loosening direction forces the driven-member abutment against the collar abutment and forces the toothed driven member to rotate with the drive collar in the loosening direction.