Hose fitting

Claim 1

A FITTING FOR COUPLING HOSE FORMED OF A FLEXIBLE THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL WHICH SHRINKS WHEN SUBJECTED TO A DROP IN TEMPERATURE, SAID FITTING COMPRISING: A TUBULAR INSERT ARRANGED TO BE DISPOSED COAXIALLY WITHIN THE HOSE, SAID INSERT HAVING A RADIALLY OUTER WALL SURFACE; AND A CONSTRICTIBLE RETAINING RING EXTENDING COAXIALLY CIRCUMJACENT SAID INSERT, SAID RETAINING RING HAVING A RADIALLY INNER WALL SURFACE SPACED FROM AND CONFRONTING SAID OUTER WALL SURFACE OF SAID INSERT UPON CONSTRICTION OF THE RETAINING RING TO DEFINE A COMPRESSION SPACE THEREBETWEEN, SAID OUTER WALL SURFACE OF SAID INSERT DEFINING A PLURALITY OF RADIALLY OUTWARDLY OPENING ANNULAR GROOVES EACH BEING DEFINED BY AXIALLY INNER AND OUTER SIDE WALLS AND RADIALLY INNER BOTTOM, THE AXIALLY OUTER SIDE WALLS HAVING A RADIALLY INNER RADIALLY EXTENDING PLANAR SURFACE PORTION HAVING A RADIAL EXTENT AT LEAST HALF THE RADIAL DEPTH OF THE GROOVES, SAID GROOVES HAVING A DEPTH-TO-WIDTH RATIO GREATER THAN 100 PERCENT AND PRESELECTED AS A FUNCTION OF THE DEFORMABILITY OF THE HOSE TO CAUSE A PLURALITY OF PORTIONS OF THE HOSE COMPRESSED BETWEEN SAID SURFACES IN SAID SPACED TO EXTEND SUBSTANTIALLY TO SAID BOTTOM OF THE GROOVES AND BE SEALINGLY PRESSED BETWEEN THE SIDE WALLS AND AGAINST SAID BOTTOM THEREOF AT PRESELECTED OPERATING TEMPERATURES AND TO RECEDE FROM THE GROOVE SURFACES UPON A DECREASE IN TEMPERATURE FROM SAID PRESELECTED TEMPERATURES WHILE MAINTAINING A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION IN SAID GROOVES TO BE FLEXED AXIALLY OUTWARDLY BY FLUID FORCES ACTING AXIALLY OUTWARDLY THEREAGAINST AND RESULTINGLY SEALINGLY ENGAGE SAID AXIALLY OUTER PLANAR SURFACE PORTION OF THE GROOVES AT DECREASED TEMPERATURES OF SAID FITTING AND HOSE, SAID SIDE WALLS OF THE GROOVES BEING FLARED AT THE RADIAL OUTER PORTION THEREOF.