Internal couplings for plastic solar collectors and the like

Claim 1

In combination, a plastic manifold for a solar collector panel, said manifold including an open end and a counterbore formed in said open end to provide an internal shoulder within said manifold; and an internal fitting removeably received in said counterbore of said manifold for controlling fluid flow therethrough, said internal fitting including a first member positioned in said counterbore of said manifold for axial movement relative thereto, said first member having a first external surface located interiorally of said manifold and first permitting means for permitting fluid to pass through said first member, a second member fixedly positioned in said counterbore of said manifold, said second member having a second external surface positioned between said first external surface of said first member and said open end of said manifold and second permitting means for permitting fluid to pass through said second member, said second permitting means being in fluid communication with said first permitting means so that fluid can flow through said fitting and hence through said open end of said manifold, sealing means provided on said first external surface of said first member for forming a fluid-tight seal between said first external surface of said first member and an internal surface of the counterbored portion of said manifold, connecting means provided on said first member for connecting said fitting to a conduit, said connecting means passing through said second member, and thread-cutting means provided on said second external surface of said second member for cutting internal threads in said manifold, said thread-cutting means cooperating with the internal threads cut by said thread-cutting means to fixedly position said second member in said counterbore of said manifold, whereby said second member prevents the inadvertent removal of said first member from said open end of said manifold.

Claim 7

A method of coupling a plastic manifold of a solar collector panel to a plastic conduit such that fluid may flow between the conduit and an open end of the manifold, comprising the steps of counterboring the open end of the manifold to form a counterbore therein; providing an internal fitting which includes a first member, said first member being manufactured from plastic and including sealing means for forming a fluid-tight seal, connecting means for connecting said first member to the conduit and first permitting means for permitting fluid to pass through said first member, and a second member, said second member including thread-cutting means for cutting internal threads and second permitting means for permitting fluid to pass through said second member; inserting said first member of said fitting into the counterbore of the manifold such that said sealing means forms a fluid-tight seal between an external surface of the sealing means and an internal surface of the manifold; inserting said second member of said fitting into the counterbore of the manifold such that said second permitting means communicates with said first permitting means so as to permit fluid to flow through said fitting, said connecting means extends through said second member and said thread-cutting means cuts internal threads into the internal surface of the manifold in such a manner that said thread-cutting means cooperates with the internal threads to fixedly position said second member in the counterbore of the manifold and to prevent the inadvertent removal of said first member from the open end of the manifold; and solvent bonding said connecting means of said first member to the conduit.

Claim 8

A method of coupling a plastic manifold of a solar collector panel to a plastic conduit such that fluid may flow between the conduit and an open end of the manifold, comprising the steps of counterboring the open end of the manifold to form a counterbore therein; providing an internal fitting which includes a first member, said first member being manufactured from plastic and including sealing means for forming a fluid-tight seal, connecting means for connecting said first member to the conduit and first permitting means for permitting fluid to pass through said first member, and a second member, said second member including thread-cutting means for cutting internal threads and second permitting means for permitting fluid to pass through said second member; inserting said first member of said fitting into the counterbore of the manifold such that said sealing means forms a fluid-tight seal between an external surface of the sealing means and an internal surface of the manifold; inserting said second member of said fitting into the counterbore of the manifold such that said second permitting means communicates with said first permitting means so as to permit fluid to flow through said fitting, said connecting means extends through said second member and said thread-cutting means cuts internal threads into the internal surface of the manifold in such a manner that said thread-cutting means cooperates with the internal threads to fixedly position said second member in the counterbore of the manifold and to prevent the inadvertent removal of said first member from the open end of the manifold; and solvent bonding said connecting means of said first member to the conduit.