The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 07, 2001
Filed:
Oct. 06, 1999
William W. Rowley, Chagrin Falls, OH (US);
Richard T. Seman, Newbury, OH (US);
Mercury Plastics, Inc., Middlefield, OH (US);
Abstract
An assembly (,) for joining at least two tubes (,) is provided by a connector (,), a plurality of linear inserts (,) and a plurality of ring members (,). Each of the tubes (,) has a tube end (,) and an internal conduit (,). The connector (,) has a central portion (,) with an internal conduit (,) having a permanently formed feature (,) therein, and a plurality of arms (,). Each arm (,) extends from the central portion (,) and terminates in an arm end (,), such that there is one arm (,) and one arm end (,) paired with each tube end (,). The internal conduit (,) of the connector (,) extends through the arms (,) to the respective arm ends (,). There is one linear insert (,) for each arm end/tube end pair. A first nipple portion (,) of each linear insert (,) has an external surface frictionally engaged in an internal surface of the connector internal conduit (,) at the arm end (,) and a second nipple portion (,) has an external surface frictionally engaged in an internal surface of the tube internal conduit (,) at the tube end (,). One ring member (,) is slidingly received along each tube end (,) or arm end (,) atop one of the linear inserts (,) frictionally engaged therein. The ring member (,) compressively deforms the respective tube end or arm end onto the linear insert (,), joining the connector internal conduit (,) to the tube internal conduit (,) in a leak-free manner.