Sanitary hose coupler

Claim 2

A coupler for flexible nonmetallic polymer hose which is particularly well suited for sanitary use, comprising: a female piece having a first end and a second end, said first end having a plurality of generally radially inwardly extending surfaces and a surrounding continuous recessed surface, said inwardly extending surfaces and said recessed surface defining an opening therein to receive an end of said hose, said second end having an inner threaded surface defining an opening adjacent and coaxial with said opening of said first end to form a passageway along a central axis of said female piece allowing communication through said female piece; a hollow male piece having a first end and a second end, said first end having a portion of an outer surface which is threaded in a complementary manner to said threaded opening of said second end of said female piece to allow receipt of said male piece therein and having a portion of said outer surface of a size diameter greater than an inner surface diameter of said hose to force the hose radially outwardly against said inner surfaces of said first end of said female coupler piece when said coupling is assembled such that a portion of an outer surface of said hose is slightly deformed filling areas adjacent said inner surfaces of said first end of said female piece to prevent both axial and rotational movement of the polymer hose, said male piece further including a shoulder between said first end and said second end of said male piece; and means for sealing between said shoulder and said second end of said female piece when said male piece is threadedly connected to said female piece wherein said sealing means remains partially visible when connected and wherein said sealing means acts to aid in securing said male piece in place and prevent rotation and axial movement thereof with respect to said female piece while being visible to confirm the integrity of said sealing means.

Claim 3

The coupler of claim 1, wherein said radially inwardly extending surfaces are of a rectangular configuration.

Claim 4

The coupler of claim 1, wherein said first end of said male piece is tapered having a portion furthest displaced from said second end of slightly less diameter than an inner diameter of the hose.

Claim 5

The coupler of claim 1, wherein said second end of said female piece terminates in a collar with an annular grooved surface therein and said means for sealing includes an O-ring disposable within said grooved surface, wherein a seal is formed by compressing said O-ring in said annular grooved surface in a manner which forces a portion thereof to seat in said annular grooved surface between said second end of said female piece and said shoulder of said male piece and forces another portion of said O-ring to protrude outwardly from said coupler in a visible manner.

Claim 6

A coupling for a flexible non-metallic polymer hose, comprising: a generally cylindrical male piece having a passageway extending along its central axis, a first end having an externally threaded portion adjacent a shoulder, and a second end adapted for sanitary connection to fixtures used in the sanitary industry; a generally cylindrical female piece adapted for cooperative connection with said male piece, said female piece having a passageway extending along its central axis of greater diameter than said first end of said male piece to permit said first end of said male piece to pass therethrough, a first end of said female piece having an inner surface characterized by a plurality of generally inwardly extending surfaces and a surrounding recessed surface which define an opening to receive an end of the hose therein, and a second end of said female piece characterized such that said passageway is threaded for cooperative engagement with said externally threaded portion of said male piece; and means for sealing between said shoulder and said second end of said female piece when said male piece is threadedly connected to said female piece, wherein said sealing means remains partially visible when connected and wherein said sealing means acts to aid in securing said male piece in place and prevent rotation and axial movement thereof with respect to said female piece while being visible to confirm the integrity of said sealing means.

Claim 7

A coupling for a flexible non-metallic polymer hose, comprising: a generally cylindrical male piece having a passageway extending along its central axis, a first end having an externally threaded portion adjacent a shoulder, and a second end adapted for sanitary connection to fixtures used in the sanitary industry; a generally cylindrical female piece adapted for cooperative connection with said male piece, said female piece having a passageway extending along its central axis of greater diameter than said first end of said male piece to permit said first end of said male piece to pass therethrough, a first end of said female piece having an inner surface characterized by a plurality of generally inwardly extending surfaces and a surrounding recessed surface which define an opening to receive an end of the hose therein, and a second end of said female piece characterized such that said passageway is threaded for cooperative engagement with said externally threaded portion of said male piece; and means for sealing between said shoulder and said second end of said female piece when said male piece is threadedly connected to said female piece, wherein said sealing means remains partially visible when connected and wherein said sealing means acts to aid in securing said male piece in place and prevent rotation and axial movement thereof with respect to said female piece while being visible to confirm the integrity of said sealing means.

Claim 8

The coupling of claim 5, wherein said sealing means is further characterized by an annular grooved surface which is defined along said second end of said female piece and an O-ring disposably seated in said grooved surface wherein said O-ring, said shoulder and said second end of said female piece act to aid in securing said male piece in place and prevent rotation and axial movement of said male piece with respect to said female piece, said O-ring so positioned to absorb shock between said male piece and said female piece when said coupling is assembled, and wherein said O-ring is seated in said grooved surface in a manner which provides visual confirmation of seal integrity when said coupling is assembled.

Claim 9

The coupling of claim 6, wherein said first end of said male piece is of slightly smaller diameter at its termination point than along the rest of its length to facilitate insertion into the opening of a hose having its end residing in said passageway portion of said female piece second end, and said first end of said male piece generally of a diameter to force the hose outwardly against said pads surface portion of said first end of said female piece forming a seal at the interface thereof.

Claim 10

The coupler of claim 5, wherein said radially inwardly extending surfaces are of a rectangular configuration.

Claim 11

A coupler for a flexible non-metallic polymer hose having a predetermined inner diameter and outer diameter which is particularly well suited for sanitary use, comprising: a female piece having a first end and a second end, said first end having a plurality of generally radially inwardly extending surfaces and a surrounding continuous recessed surface, said inwardly extending surfaces defining an opening slightly larger than said outer diameter of said hose to receive an end of said hose, said second end having an inner threaded surface defining an opening adjacent and coaxial with said opening of said first end to form a passageway along a central axis of said female piece allowing communication through said female piece; and a hollow male piece having a first end and a second end, said first end having a portion of an outer surface which is threaded in a complementary manner to said threaded opening of said second end of said female piece to allow receipt of said male piece therein and having a portion of said outer surface of a size diameter greater than an inner surface diameter of said hose to force the hose radially outwardly against said inwardly extending surfaces of said first end of said female coupler piece when said coupler is assembled such that a portion of said outer surface of said hose is slightly deformed filling areas adjacent said inwardly extending surfaces of said first end of said female piece to prevent both axial and rotational movement of said polymer hose with minimal damage to said hose, wherein said male piece further includes a shoulder between said first end and said second end of said male piece; and means for sealing between said shoulder and said second end of said female piece when said male piece is threadedly connected to said female piece wherein said sealing means remains partially visible when connected and acts to aid in securing said male piece in place and prevent rotation and axial movement thereof with respect to said female piece while being visible to confirm the integrity of said sealing means.

Claim 12

A coupler for a flexible non-metallic polymer hose having a predetermined inner diameter and outer diameter which is particularly well suited for sanitary use, comprising: a female piece having a first end and a second end, said first end having a plurality of generally radially inwardly extending surfaces and a surrounding continuous recessed surface, said inwardly extending surfaces defining an opening slightly larger than said outer diameter of said hose to receive an end of said hose, said second end having an inner threaded surface defining an opening adjacent and coaxial with said opening of said first end to form a passageway along a central axis of said female piece allowing communication through said female piece; and a hollow male piece having a first end and a second end, said first end having a portion of an outer surface which is threaded in a complementary manner to said threaded opening of said second end of said female piece to allow receipt of said male piece therein and having a portion of said outer surface of a size diameter greater than an inner surface diameter of said hose to force the hose radially outwardly against said inwardly extending surfaces of said first end of said female coupler piece when said coupler is assembled such that a portion of said outer surface of said hose is slightly deformed filling areas adjacent said inwardly extending surfaces of said first end of said female piece to prevent both axial and rotational movement of said polymer hose with minimal damage to said hose, wherein said male piece further includes a shoulder between said first end and said second end of said male piece; and means for sealing between said shoulder and said second end of said female piece when said male piece is threadedly connected to said female piece wherein said sealing means remains partially visible when connected and acts to aid in securing said male piece in place and prevent rotation and axial movement thereof with respect to said female piece while being visible to confirm the integrity of said sealing means.

Claim 13

The coupler of claim 9, wherein said second end of said female piece terminates in a collar with an annular grooved surface therein and an O-ring disposed within said grooved surface, wherein a seal is formed by compressing said O-ring in said annular grooved surface between said second end of said female piece and said shoulder of said male piece and forces a portion of said O-ring to protrude outwardly from said coupler in a visible manner.

Claim 14

The coupler of claim 9, wherein said radially extending surfaces are further characterized to be of a generally rectangular pad configuration having a hose contacting surface designed to cause minimal damage to said hose when said coupler is assembled.