Cross-Reference to Related Application

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 14/723,741, filed May 28, 2015, entitled "COUPLING ASSEMBLY WITH WATERTIGHT FEATURE FOR SECURING CONDUITS TOGETHER," and incorporated by reference herein it its entirety.

Field of the Invention

[0002] This document concerns an invention relating generally to coupling assemblies for securing conduits, and more specifically to watertight coupling assemblies for splicing two rigid conduits end-to-end.

Background of the Invention

[0003] A conduit system may include a set of tubes, pipes, or other conduits for electrical and mechanical wires, connectors, and other components. Conduits may be used to protect electrical or mechanical components in the conduit system. Two rigid conduits can be secured to each other end-to-end using a coupling 1 shown in FIG. 1. One end of the coupling 1 is first inserted into a first conduit 10 having an expanded end portion 12. To secure a second conduit to the coupling 1, the second conduit would be inserted through a nut 3 and a compression ring 5, and into coupling 1. The nut 3 is then screwed onto coupling 1 to compress the compression ring 5 and grip the second conduit. Such an assembly, however, is not watertight. In wet locations where the conduits are exposed to rain, for example, fluids are not restricted from seeping past the coupling and into the conduits. This can damage the components inside the conduits. What is needed is a coupling assembly and method of securing conduits to each other that is convenient to use and that resists rainwater and other liquids.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] The invention, which is defined by the claims set forth at the end of this document, is directed to a coupling assembly and a method of securing conduits together which at least partially alleviate the aforementioned problems. A basic understanding of some of the features of preferred versions of the invention can be attained from a review of the following brief summary of the invention, with more details being provided elsewhere in this document. To assist in the reader's understanding, the following review makes reference to the accompanying drawings (which are briefly reviewed in the "Brief Description of the Drawings" section following this Summary section of this document).

[0005] Referring initially to FIGS. 2, 3A, and 3B, an exemplary coupling assembly 100 for water-tightly securing two conduits together end-to-end includes a coupling sleeve 200, a compression nut 300, and a stop seal ring 400. The coupling sleeve 200 includes a stop flange 210 in between a sleeve first segment 220 and an externally -threaded sleeve second segment 230, wherein the stop flange 210 juts out from the coupling sleeve 200. The compression nut 300 includes an intemally threaded nut first segment 310 extending from a nut second segment 320, with the nut first segment 310 sized to fit about and screw onto the sleeve second segment 230. The stop seal ring 400 is sized to slide over the sleeve first segment 220 without sliding past the stop flange 210. Referring also to FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 6, to use the coupling assembly 100 to secure a first conduit 10 to a second conduit 20 in a substantially watertight configuration, a user may begin by fitting the stop seal ring 400 about the sleeve first segment 220. The first conduit 10 includes an expanded end portion 12 terminating in a first conduit end 14. The user may insert the sleeve first segment 220 into a first conduit 10 until the stop seal ring 400 is pressed between the stop flange 210 and the first conduit end 14. The coupling sleeve 200 may be secured to the first conduit 10 by using a crimping tool to crimp together the sleeve first segment 220 with the expanded end portion 12. Crimping can make the coupling sleeve 200 and the stop seal ring 400 integral with the conduit 10, and can serve to maintain the stop seal ring 400 securely in place. The compression nut 300 may be turned to threadably engage the nut first segment 310 about the sleeve second segment 230 (see FIG. 5A). A second conduit 20 may be inserted through the compression nut 300 and into the coupling sleeve 200, and the compression nut 300 rotated to further threadably engage the compression nut 300 with the sleeve second segment 230 until the second conduit 20 is tightly gripped (see FIG. 5B). With the compression nut 300 tightened onto the coupling sleeve 200, and the stop seal ring 400 squeezed between the stop flange 210 and the first conduit end 14, the coupling assembly 100 provides a seal against fluid entry into the conduits 10, 20.

[0006] Advantageously, splicing the conduits 10, 20 together does not require rotation of either conduit. Further advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the remainder of this document in conjunction with the associated drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] FIG. 1 shows a prior art coupling 1 that fits with a first conduit 10, a nut 3, and a compression ring 5.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an exemplary coupling assembly 100 with a coupling sleeve 200 inserted partway into an expanded end portion 12 of a first conduit 10. FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the exemplary coupling sleeve 200 of FIG. 2, with an exemplary stop seal ring 400 fit about the sleeve first segment 220. FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the coupling sleeve 200 and stop seal ring 400 of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4A is a close-up cross-sectional view of an exemplary stop seal ring 400A that is L-shaped with a stop ring foot portion 410A extending from a stop ring leg portion 420A

FIG. 4B is a close-up cross-sectional view of an exemplary stop seal ring 400B that is T-shaped, with a pointed stop ring protrusion 410B extending from an elongated stop ring body 420B.

FIG. 4C is a close-up cross-sectional view of an exemplary stop seal ring 400C that is T-shaped, with a rounded stop ring protrusion 4 IOC extending from a stop ring body 410C

FIG. 5A shows the exemplary coupling assembly 100 of FIG. 2 with the coupling sleeve 200 crimped with an expanded end portion 12 of the first conduit 10.

FIG. 5B shows the exemplary coupling assembly 100 of FIG. 5A with a second conduit 20 secured thereto.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary coupling assembly 100 of FIG. 5B assembled to secure two conduits 10, 20 together. Detailed Description of Preferred Versions of the Invention

[0008] Returning to FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 6, the first and second conduits 10, 20 being spliced together may each begin as standard straight pipes with uniform diameters. The end of the first conduit 10 may be expanded using a specialized machine to achieve the expanded end portion 12 that has an expanded diameter greater than a first conduit diameter (the first conduit diameter may be the same as a second conduit diameter). The nut first segment 310 has a nut first segment diameter, and the nut second segment 320 has a nut second segment diameter. The nut first segment diameter is greater than the diameter of the sleeve second segment 230, and the nut second segment diameter is greater than the diameter of the second conduit 20. The expanded end portion 12 complementarily receives the sleeve first segment 220 therein. Male and female crimping tools may be pressed together against the first conduit 10 and the coupling sleeve 100, with a female tool against the outside of the expanded end portion 12, and a male tool against the inside of the sleeve first segment 220. Pressing the complementary male and female tools together deforms the sleeve first segment 220 and the expanded end portion 12 to form bumps 30, securing the coupling sleeve 200 to the first conduit 10. The male and female tools may be arranged to achieve bumps 30 that protrude outwardly so as to not take space in the passage inside the conduits.

[0009] Once the coupling sleeve 200 and first conduit 10 are secured to each other, the compression nut 300 may be turned about the sleeve second segment 230 to threadably engage the coupling sleeve 200, with a seal ring 40, a friction ring 50, and a compression ring 60 situated within the nut second segment 320. The second conduit 20 may then be slid into the sleeve second segment 230 until a second conduit end 24 of the second conduit 20 passes the stop flange 210 and the second conduit 20 partly overlaps with the first conduit 10. The sleeve first and second segments 220, 230 have diameters that allow them to receive the second conduit 20 therethrough. With the second conduit 20 inserted into the coupling sleeve 200, the compression nut 300 can be tightened, compressing the compression ring 60 about the second conduit 20 and gripping the second conduit 20 to secure the second conduit 20 to the first conduit 10 end-to-end.

[0010] Referring to FIGS. 3B, 4A, 4B, and 4C, alternative stop seal rings 400A, 400B, 400C may have configurations that are different from stop seal ring 400. In FIG. 3B, the stop seal ring 400 has a substantially rectangular cross-section. FIG. 4A shows an L- shaped version of the stop seal ring 400A, with a foot portion 410A that is squeezed between the stop flange 210 and the first conduit end 14, and a leg portion 420A that extends over the outside of the first conduit 10. FIG. 4B shows a T-shaped version of the stop seal ring 400B, with a stop ring protrusion 410B that has a pointed tip extending from a stop ring body 420B. The stop ring protrusion 410B is squeezed between the stop flange 210 and the first conduit end 14, and the stop ring body 420B partially extends over the stop flange 210 and the outside of the first conduit 10. FIG. 4C also shows a T-shaped version of the stop seal ring 400C, but with a stop ring protrusion 410C that is rounded extending from a stop ring body 420C.

[0011] It must be kept in mind that the assemblies shown in the accompanying drawings and discussed above are merely exemplary, and may assume a wide variety of configurations and relative sizes different from those noted, and may use components different from those noted. It also should be understood that various terms referring to orientation and position used throughout this document are relative terms rather than absolute ones. Also, it is to be understood that such terms as "forward," "rearward," "left," "right," "upwardly," "downwardly," and the like are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms.

[0012] Various preferred versions of the invention are shown and described above to illustrate different possible features of the invention and the varying ways in which these features may be combined. Apart from combining the different features of the foregoing versions in varying ways, other modifications are also considered to be within the scope of the invention. For example, the first and second segments 220, 230 of the coupling sleeve 200 can be provided with different diameters to accommodate different sizes of conduits 10, 20, and/or to fit with conduits without expanded end portions 12. The invention is not intended to be limited to the preferred versions of the invention described above, but rather is intended to be limited only by the claims set out below. Thus, the invention encompasses all different versions that fall literally or equivalently within the scope of these claims.