US-20260126142-A1 - DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING COMPONENTS OF A PLUMBING FITTING

Abstract

A pressing tool is provided. The pressing tool includes an adapter sleeve, an adjustment sleeve, a collet sleeve, a tool body that has a socket for holding a retainer sleeve including a plurality of latches, and a plurality of latch engagement members equally spaced about the tool body. A method of manufacturing a connector assembly. The method comprising obtaining a connector body; obtaining a retainer sleeve configured for receipt over at least part of the connector body and extending around the axis.

Inventors

• William Vernon Kluss
• Derres Catalano
• Sai Kishore Ravisankar
• Randy Graves
• Eliana Pippen
• Samantha Kelly

Assignees

• RELIANCE WORLDWIDE CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20251229

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A pressing tool comprising: an adapter sleeve, an adjustment sleeve, a collet sleeve, a tool body having a socket for holding a retainer sleeve including a plurality of latches, and a plurality of latch engagement members equally spaced about the tool body; wherein each of the plurality of latch engagement members is configured to align with a respective one of the plurality of latches of the retainer sleeve to press the respective one of the plurality of latches of the retainer sleeve inwardly; wherein the tool member is configured to push the retainer sleeve over a connector body and press the plurality of the latches simultaneously and all in a single action to provide an effective latch or engagement with a catch surface of the connector body.
2. 2 . The pressing tool of claim 1 , wherein the connector body includes an interference portion and a shoulder surface defining a frustoconical profile that tapers outward toward the interference portion.
3. 3 . The pressing tool of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of latch engagement portions are bearing balls housed within an opening of the connector body.
4. 4 . The pressing tool of claim 3 , wherein the bearing balls are calibrated using the adjustment sleeve that calibrates the amount of force applied to the plurality of latches.
5. 5 . The pressing tool of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of latches are formed by a punching or stamping process.
6. 6 . The pressing tool of claim 5 , wherein the punching or stamping process creates lanced edges in the retainer sleeve.
7. 7 . The pressing tool of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of latches are punched separately such that the retainer sleeve is rotated 90 degrees between each punch to fabricate the plurality of latches in four steps.
8. 8 . The pressing tool of claim 5 , wherein a total of four latches are formed in the retainer sleeve, wherein two of the four latches may be punched in the retainer sleeve simultaneously at 180 degrees apart.
9. 9 . A tool acted upon by an actuating fixture, the tool being configured to join components of a connector assembly, the connector assembly including a connector body and a retainer sleeve, the retainer sleeve having a plurality of latches, the tool comprising: a tool housing; and a plurality of latch engagement members equally spaced about the tool housing, each of the plurality of latch engagement members being aligned with a respective one of the plurality of latches of the retainer sleeve, each of the plurality of latch engagement members being configured to engage the respective one of the plurality of latches of the retainer sleeve for pressing inwardly the plurality of latches simultaneously and all in a single action to provide an effective latch or engagement with the connector body.
10. 10 . The tool of claim 9 , wherein the connector body includes an interference portion and a shoulder surface defining a frustoconical profile that tapers outward toward the interference portion.
11. 11 . The tool of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of latch engagement portions are bearing balls housed within an opening of the connector body.
12. 12 . The tool of claim 11 , wherein the bearing balls are calibrated using the adjustment sleeve that calibrates the amount of force applied to the plurality of latches.
13. 13 . The tool of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of latches are formed by a punching or stamping process.
14. 14 . The tool of claim 13 , wherein the punching or stamping process creates lanced edges in the retainer sleeve.
15. 15 . The tool of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of latches are punched separately such that the retainer sleeve is rotated 90 degrees between each punch to fabricate the plurality of latches in four steps.
16. 16 . The tool of claim 13 , wherein a total of four latches are formed in the retainer sleeve, wherein two of the four latches may be punched in the retainer sleeve simultaneously at 180 degrees apart.
17. 17 . A method of manufacturing a connector assembly, the method comprising: obtaining a connector body; obtaining a retainer sleeve configured for receipt over at least part of the connector body and extending around the axis, the retainer sleeve comprising: a plurality of latches; a first sleeve end and a second sleeve end opposite to the first sleeve end; and an inner sleeve surface having an inner sleeve diameter; positioning an interference portion circumferentially about the connector body, the interference portion being an annular body having a retaining diameter greater than the inner sleeve diameter; positioning a plurality of internal components; and pressing via a pressing tool the retainer sleeve around the connector body and the interference portion such that the interference portion is interposed between the retainer sleeve and the connector body and such that the interference portion engages a portion of the inner sleeve surface proximate to the second sleeve end and causes the portion of the inner sleeve surface proximate to the second sleeve end to expand in diameter to a coupling diameter greater than the inner sleeve diameter in response to deformation of the retainer sleeve.
18. 18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein pressing the retainer sleeve around the connector body and the interference portion forms an interference fit between the retainer sleeve and the interference portion such that rotation of the retainer sleeve relative to the connector body about the axis is prevented.
19. 19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the connector body further comprises a catch surface, and the plurality of latches are configured to engage the catch surface when the retainer sleeve is coupled to the connector body, and the method further comprising: pressing the retainer sleeve around the connector body and the interference portion such that the plurality of latches engage the catch surface.
20. 20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the connector body further comprises a shoulder surface defining a frustoconical profile that tapers outward toward the interference portion, the method further comprising: pressing the retainer sleeve around the connector body and the interference portion such that the inner sleeve surface engages the shoulder surface, the shoulder surface (i) causing expansion of the second sleeve end to the coupling diameter and (ii) facilitating centering of the retainer sleeve about the connector body and the interference portion.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/143,960, filed on May 5, 2023, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/932,024, filed on Sep. 14, 2022, now U.S. Pat. No. 12,049,974, which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 17/048,557 , filed Oct. 16, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,525,534, which is a U.S. National Phase of PCT/US2019/025851, filed Apr. 4, 2019, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/718,562 , filed Aug. 14, 2018; and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/930,814, filed on Sep. 9, 2022, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Ser. No. 63/242,951 , filed Sep. 10, 2021, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/930,814 is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/048,557, filed Oct. 16, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,525,534; and this patent application claims the benefit U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/339,164 , filed May 6, 2022, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to pipe fittings. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a device and method for assembling push-to-connect fittings with improved burst resistance. BACKGROUND Conduits are used to carry a variety of liquids and/or gases. Couplings, connectors, and fittings are used to join the conduits in various ways so that the conduits can be arranged in different configurations to move media through the conduits. The conduits may be stiff or rigid as with metal or plastic pipes used in household plumbing applications, or the conduits may be flexible. Connectors are used for end-to-end connection of conduits, or they can route conduits at different directions relative to the conduit axis. For example, connectors can be employed to change the direction of piping, such as by a 45° or 90° angle with respect to a flow passage through the pipe to which the connector is connected. Connectors can also be employed to branch or split piping in different directions. For example, a single pipe section can be connected by a T-fitting or a Y-fitting or a multi-conduit joint or a change in diameter. SUMMARY The present disclosure relates to connectors for conduits with improved ease of assembly and coupling, among other benefits. Certain conduit connectors may be difficult to assemble or require special tools in order to couple the connectors to a conduit. For example, threaded connectors may require a wrench to hold one part while rotating a mating part. Thus, there is a need for a connector that does not require tools for coupling with a conduit, such that a substantially watertight seal may be achieved manually between the connector and the conduit without tools. Further, some existing connectors require deformation to join two parts or to join the connector to the conduit. For example, the ends of garden hoses have an outer portion of a hose bib crimped around the outside of the conduit to connect the male or female hose bib to the garden hose. In some connectors, a user must manually deform an end portion of a sleeve so that two parts of a connector cannot move axially apart, thus securing the parts of the connector together. There is thus a need for a simpler connector that does not require manual deformation to join parts. Some connectors are irreversibly coupled to a conduit and may not be removed except by destroying the connector. A welded or soldered pipe joint is a historic example of a permanent connector. However, it may be advantageous to uncouple a conduit and reuse the connector. There is thus a need for a connector that may be uncoupled without destroying the connector. The connectors according to the implementations discussed below address these issues. It is desirable that the fluid connectors not leak, as it may lead to loss of system pressure, or pooling of liquids, for example. The connectors according to the implementations discussed below is configured to provide a fluid-tight seal at least at pressures several times greater than the expected operational pressure of the tubular connector. Various exemplary descriptions below contain instances of representative ranges, dimensions and/or tolerances for certain components. These are provided by way of illustration and not by way of limitation. Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of properties, parameters, conditions, and so forth, used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the terms “about” or “approximately.” Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification and attached claims are approximations. Any numerical parameter should at least be construed in light of the number reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. The terms “about” or “approximately” w