Tube coupling having deformable gripping and sealing means

Claim 1

A TUBE CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A TUBULAR NUT HAVING A CONICAL INNER SURFACE AT ONE END THEREOF, A COMPRESSION FITTING THREADABLY RECEIVED BY SAID TUBULAR NUT, A TUBULAR SLEEVE CONCENTRICALLY ARRANGED WITHIN SAID TUBULAR NUT HAVING A NOSE PORTION ON ONE END THEREOF AND A COLLAPSIBLE ANNULAR FLANGE ON THE OPPOSITE END THEREOF, SAID NOSE PORTION HAVING A CONICALLY SHAPED OUTER SURFACE ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID CONICAL INNER SURFACE OF SAID TUBULAR NUT, SAID TUBULAR SLEEVE INCLUDING AN ANNULAR GROOVE IN THE OUTER SURFACE THEREOF AXIALLY SPACED FROM SAID ANNULAR FLANGE, SAID ANNULAR FLANGE INCLUDING A THIN SECTION SEGMENT THEREON SECURED TO THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID TUBULAR SLEEVE AND ADAPTED TO SHEAR FROM SAID OPPOSITE END OF SAID TUBULAR SLEEVE WHEN SAID COMPRESSION FITTING IS THREADED INTO SAID TUBULAR NUT A PREDETERMINED DEGREE, SAID ANNULAR FLANGE HAVING THE DISTAL END THEREOF ENGAGED BY SAID COMPRESSION FITTING DURING THREADING THEREOF INTO SAID TUBULAR NUT FOR MOVING SAID ANNULAR FLANGE INTO SAID PERIPHERAL GROOVE ON SAID TUBULAR SLEEVE, A SEAL ELEMENT CONCENTRICALLY ARRANGED WITHIN SAID NUT HAVING A FIRST PORTION COAXIALLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID SLEEVE AND A SECOND PORTION LOCATED EXTERIORLY OF SAID SLEEVE INCLUDING A RADIALLY OUTWARDLY DIRECTED OUTER SHOULDER THEREON TAPERED IN AN AXIAL DIRECTION, COACTING MEANS BETWEEN SAID FIRST PORTION OF SAID SEAL ELEMENT AND SAID SLEEVE FOR HOLDING SAID SEAL IN PLACE WITHIN SAID SLEEVE, SAID FLANGE ON SAID SLEEVE SERVING TO LIMIT RELATIVE THREADING MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID COMPRESSION FITTING AND SAID TUBULAR NUT FOR PREVENTING INADVERTENT CRIMPING OF THE NOSE PORTION OF SAID SLEEVE PRIOR TO INSERTION OF A TUBE INTO SUPPORTED ALIGNMENT WITHIN SAID SLEEVE, SAID FLANGE BEING COLLAPSIBLE FOLLOWING A PREDETERMINED RELATIVE THREADED MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID COMPRESSION FITTING AND SAID TUBULAR NUT CAUSING SAID COMPRESSION FITTING TO DIRECTLY ENGAGE THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID TUBE ENGAGING SLEEVE TO EXERT A FORCE THEREON SUFFICIENT TO DIRECT THE NOSE PORTION OF SAID TUBE ENGAGING SLEEVE AGAINST SAID CONICAL INNER SURFACE OF SAID TUBULAR NUT TO PERMIT CRIMPING OF SAID NOSE INTO THE TUBE, SAID COMPRESSION FITTING ENGAGING SAID SEAL ELEMENT FOLLOWING COLLAPSE OF SAID ANNULAR FLANGE TO COMPRESS THE TAPERED SHOULDER OF THE SEAL BETWEEN SAID COMPRESSION FITTING AND THE END OF SAID SLEEVE TO PREVENT FLUID LEAKAGE EXTERIORLY OF THE CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY.