Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 03023295 2018-11-05
WO 2017/204818 PCT/US2016/034577
MODULAR PUSH-TO-CONNECT ASSEMBLY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an end module for welding to
plumbing fittings,
such as couplings, T's, elbows, valves, or the like, to allow the fittings to
receive and
sealably hold fluid conduits in a push-to-connect structure.
[0002] There exists numerous push-to-connect plumbing fittings which
eliminate the
need for laborious steps, such as soldering, threading, or the like when
connecting fluid
conduits to fittings. In many installations, PEX tubing and mating fittings
employ some
form of push-to-connect junctions between the PEX conduits and the fittings.
In some
cases, fittings may involve transitions between PEX plumbing members and
mating
copper fittings. Also, copper and copper alloy fittings likewise incorporate a
variety of
push-to-connect assemblies which allow copper or copper alloy tubing,
conduits, or
plastic conduits to be installed in conventional copper alloy or low lead
copper alloy
plumbing fittings, such as valves, T's, elbows, and straight couplings.
[0003] Many push-to-connect plumbing fittings integrally include
structure, such that the
installer can select and use the fitting necessary for a particular plumbing
system as
needed. Cartridges have been proposed that can be inserted into existing
solder
plumbing fittings to form push-to-connect fittings. Such cartridges are
disclosed in US
Publication No. 2015/019792 and US Publication No. 2015/0240980.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] This invention provides a modular cartridge which can be
universally attached to
a variety of metal plumbing fittings by welding and preferably by laser
welding. For the
manufacturer of existing fittings, adapting existing couplings, T's, elbows,
valves, and the
like with push-to-connect assemblies utilizes a significant amount of
material, which can
be reduced substantially by the modular system of the present invention.
[0005] In one embodiment, a push-to¨connect end assembly for a fluid
fitting comprises
a cylindrical cup having an annular surface at one end and a cylindrical
shoulder at an
opposite end. A circular seal is positioned against the annular surface, and a
circular
backing ring is positioned against a seal on a side opposite the annular
surface. A grab
ring including inwardly projecting tines is seated against the backing ring on
a side
1
CA 03023295 2018-11-05
WO 2017/204818 PCT/US2016/034577
opposite said seal, and a containment ring contacts the grab ring on a side
opposite the
backing ring. The containment ring is engaged by the shoulder of the cup to
hold the
containment ring, grab ring, backing ring, and seal together.
[0006] This modular cartridge has a circular edge which can be welded in a
butt joint to
mating copper-based or other metal fittings, such as couplings, elbows, T's,
and valves.
Such fittings can be made using significantly less material, thereby greatly
reducing the
cost to manufacture. Also, the modular cartridge can be made in a variety of
standard
sizes to universally adapt metal plumbing fittings of all sizes to push-to-
connect fittings.
[0007] These and other features, objects and advantages of the present
invention will
become apparent upon reading the following description thereof together with
reference
to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a modular cartridge assembly of
the present
invention;
[0009] Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the components of the
assembly shown
in Fig. 1;
[0010] Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of a coupling with modular
cartridges welded
thereto at opposite ends by a laser welding apparatus;
[0011] Fig. 4 shows the coupling of Fig. 3 with fluid conduits coupled
together using the
coupling shown in Fig. 3;
[0012] Fig. 5 is a side elevationa I view of a ball valve incorporating a
pair of the modular
cartridges of the present invention;
[0013] Fig. 6 is a comparison of a standard in-line coupling (at the top)
as compared to a
coupling (at the bottom) which can be used with a modular cartridge of the
present
invention;
[0014] Fig. 7 shows a pair of elbows with the upper elbow showing the
typical solder-
type connection and the lower elbow being adapted to receive a modular
cartridge of the
present invention; and
2
CA 03023295 2018-11-05
WO 2017/204818 PCT/US2016/034577
[0015] Fig. 8 is a similar comparison of a T-coupling at the top of
conventional
construction and the reduced material T-coupling which can be used with the
modular
cartridge of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0016] Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, a modular cartridge 100 is shown
which embodies
the present invention. Modular cartridge 100 includes a generally cylindrical
cup 110
having an inner annular surface 112, a cylindrical side wall 114, and a
shoulder 116
formed by roll-forming the upper edge 115 over the annular shoulder 156 of a
containment ring 150. As seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the cup also includes an
outwardly
extending cylindrical extension 118 which, as described below, has a circular
edge 119
which can be welded to mating plumbing fittings, such as one of a coupling,
elbow, T, or
valve. The cup 110 is made of a metallic material and preferably made of a
copper alloy,
as is the plumbing fitting to which modular cartridge 100 is attached. The
following
materials are examples of those which can be employed for the cup 110 and
mating
fittings:
Wrought Copper Alloys:
Coppers: C10200
C11000
C12200
Brasses: C27450
C27451
C46400
C46500
Bronzes: C69300
C69400
C69430
Cast Copper Alloys:
Brasses C87500
C87600
C87850
A European alloy identified by the British standard BS EN 12165, which is
CW511L, can
also be employed.
3
CA 03023295 2018-11-05
WO 2017/204818 PCT/US2016/034577
Also, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) types can be employed:
Austenitic Stainless Steels: 304
304L
316
316L
[0017] A circular generally washer-shaped seal 120 is fitted within the
cup 110 and
includes an outer lower annular surface 122 (Fig. 1) which engages the annular
surface
112 of cup 110. The seal 120 also includes an upwardly extending annular rim
124 having
a diameter slightly less than the annular surface 122 and an outer cylindrical
rim 126
which engages the inner wall 125 of the cylindrical side wall 114 of cup 110.
Seated
against the seal 120 is a backing ring 130 which has a conically tapered inner
wall 132 and
a step-cut recess 134 (Fig. 1) which receives rim 124 of seal 120. Seal 120
includes an
inner cylindrical surface 121 which sealably engages the outer wall of a
conduit, such as
walls 191 and 196 of conduits 190 and 195 shown in Fig. 4. Thus, when
installed as seen
in Fig. 1, seal 120 seals the components within cup 110 and seals a conduit
held by
modular cartridge 100.
[0018] Stacked above the backing ring 130 is a grab ring 140, which is
generally circular,
having an outer rim 142 and a plurality of spaced-apart downwardly inclined,
inwardly
projecting tines 144 for gripping a conduit positioned in the plumbing
fitting, including
the modular cartridge 100, as illustrated in Fig. 4. Grab ring 140 is made of
a spring steel
and frequently made of stainless steel. The lower surface of rim 142 of grab
ring 140
rests upon upper annular surface 135 of backing ring 130. A containment ring
150
sandwiches the grab ring 140 and backing ring 130 together and includes a
cylindrical
side wall 152 which engages the inner cylindrical wall 125 of cup 110. Ring
150 includes a
stepped upper rim including a surface 154, which overlies and engages the rim
142 of
grab ring 140, as best seen in Fig. 1. The containment ring 150 also includes
an annular
shoulder 156, which is clamped in position by shoulder 116 of the cup 110 when
roll-
formed over the containment ring, as seen in Fig. 1. The containment ring 150
also
includes an inwardly projecting flange 155 defined by a reduced diameter
cylindrical wall
158. Flange 155 has a lower annular surface 159 which lockably receives and
holds a
release ring 160. Ring 150 includes an inwardly extending annular lower end
157 with a
ridge which snap-fits under an annular projecting edge 131 of backing ring
130, as best
seen in Fig. 1.
4
CA 03023295 2018-11-05
WO 2017/204818 PCT/US2016/034577
[0019] A release ring 160 is employed to selectively deflect the tines 144
of grab ring 140
outwardly for releasing a conduit from the modular cartridge 100. Release ring
160
includes an annular flange 162, which projects above the containment ring 150,
as seen
in Fig. 1, and a downwardly projecting cylindrical wall 164 which surrounds
and generally
is aligned with tines 144 of the grab ring 140. The lower end of cylindrical
wall 164
includes a tapered outer edge 166 which aligns with and engages the tines 144
to deflect
them outwardly when the release ring is pushed downwardly in the direction
indicated
by arrow A in Fig. 1. Edge 166 forms a cam surface to provide the necessary
deflection.
The release ring 160 is captively held within the assembly by the interface of
annular
shoulder 159 of containment ring 150 and the outwardly extending annular
surface 168
of the conically tapered member 166, as best seen in Fig. 1. To facilitate
insertion of
release ring 160 into the modular cartridge 100 and specifically the
containment ring 150,
a pair of slots 167 spaced at 180 may be provided in cylindrical wall 164 to
allow some
flexing of the edges 166.
[0020] Fig. 3 illustrates the application of two modular cartridges 100
and 100' of
identical construction to a coupling 170, which can be a relatively short thin
walled
cylindrical member having circular annular edges 172 and 174, that abut and
align with
the same diameter edges 119 of cup 110 and form a butt joint by a welding
apparatus
200. Welding apparatus 200 is preferably a laser welding apparatus in which
the laser
beams 210 are directed to the butt joints between edges 172 and 174 and edges
119 of
the cups 110 as the cup and fitting are rotated under the beam. The welding
apparatus
can be any number of commercially available laser welding apparatuses, such as
made by
Trumpf North America, P Thomas, IPG Photonics, or other commercially available
apparatus that will fuse the metal at the butt joints of the assembly as it is
rotated
approximately 4 to 7 RPM. A suitable holding and rotating jig is used for
successively
holding members 100 and 170, and subsequently 100' and 170, during the welding
process in which a narrowly focused laser beam of about 1 mm is applied to the
butt
joint. The rotation speed and narrowly focused laser beam allows the welding
of
members 170 and 100, 100' without damaging the surrounded polymeric materials
forming the seal 120, the backing ring 130, the containment ring 150, or the
release ring
160.
CA 03023295 2018-11-05
WO 2017/204818 PCT/US2016/034577
[0021] The coupling 170 of Fig. 3 is shown in Fig. 4 with a pair of
modular cartridges 100
and 100' welded thereto for receiving fluid conduits 190 and 195 for providing
a fluid
communication between conduits 190 and 195. Conduits, such as conduits 190 and
195
and other such conduits, can also be fit into other plumbing fittings, such as
shown in
Figs. 5-8, or valves including the modular cartridges of the present
invention.
[0022] Use of the modular cartridges 100 saves the weight of material
used. Cup 110 can
be made of a thinner walled material. An example of the thickness of the
copper making
up the cup 110 and a mating fitting, such as coupling 170, can be .029 inches
instead of
the usual thickness of .040 to .060 inches for a 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch fitting.
As an example,
the savings in metal, such as copper for larger sized fittings from 3/4 inch
to 2 inches, is up
to 50% of the weight of material typically employed. This unexpected result is
due to the
design of the modular cartridge which allows laser welding of the push-to-
connect
cartridge to thinner walled plumbing fittings.
[0023] In Fig. 5, there is shown a ball valve 180 of generally
conventional construction
including a typical internal ball flow control element controlled by a handle
182 to control
the flow of fluids through the valve. Welded to the input and output ends of
the valve
180 are modular cartridges 100 of the same construction as that shown in Figs.
1 and 2.
The cartridges are laser welded as in the above process at junctions indicated
by arrows B
in Fig. 5.
[0024] In Fig. 6, a conventional coupling 205 is shown at the top and is
twice the length
of a coupling 170 using modular cartridges 100, such as shown in Figs. 3 and
4. Similarly,
the wall thickness of coupling 205 is typically 15% to 20% thicker than the
thickness
necessary with the coupling 170.
[0025] Fig. 7 shows a pair of elbows with a prior art, typically soldered,
elbow 215 at the
top. Elbow 215 is both thicker and larger in size, i.e., length of the two
legs, than an
elbow 220, which can be welded to the modular cartridges 100 of the present
invention.
[0026] Similarly, in Fig. 8, a standard T-fitting 230 is shown at the top
which is thicker and
has legs which are substantially larger that the legs of fitting 240, which
can be used with
the modular cartridges 100 of the present invention.
[0027] Thus, with the use of the modular cartridges embodying the present
invention,
standard solder-type plumbing fittings can be inexpensively replaced with
fittings using
6
CA 03023295 2018-11-05
WO 2017/204818 PCT/US2016/034577
less material and be converted during manufacturing to push-to-connect
fittings,
allowing easy installation at a job site.
[0028] It will become apparent to those skilled in the art that various
modifications to
the preferred embodiments of the invention as described herein can be made
without
departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended
claims.
7
