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Patent Searching and Data


Title:
HOSE END FITTING
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2018/065462
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
The invention relates to a hose end fitting (15) comprising - a body (1) with a continuous channel (2) extending through the body from a first end of the body to a second end of the body, wherein a circumferential groove (4) is arranged around the first end (3) of the body, wherein the first end of the body is arranged to receive an end of a hose and wherein coupling means, such as a thread or a union nut (5), are arranged on the second end of the body; - a retaining ring (6) having a radially inwardly extending circumferential rib (7) and a circumferential groove (8) arranged in the outer circumferential surface of the ring; and - a socket (10) to be crimped on to the retaining ring (6), which socket has on one end an inwardly extending flange (12) for engagement with the circumferential groove (8) on the retaining ring; wherein the retaining ring (6) has a slit (9) extending in axial direction. The invention also relates to a method for providing a hose end fitting according to the invention.

Inventors:
KUENSTEL CHRISTIAN (DE)
SCHMIDT JUERGEN (DE)
ERNST PETER (DE)
Application Number:
PCT/EP2017/075213
Publication Date:
April 12, 2018
Filing Date:
October 04, 2017
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
EATON IND IP GMBH & CO KG (DE)
International Classes:
F16L33/207
Foreign References:
DE4329650A11995-03-09
EP1126206A12001-08-22
DE202005008109U12005-08-04
EP0067063A11982-12-15
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
EATON IP GROUP EMEA (CH)
Download PDF:
Claims:
Claims

1. Hose end fitting comprising

- a body with a continuous channel extending through the body from a first end of the body to a second end of the body, wherein a circumferential groove is arranged around the first end of the body, wherein the first end of the body is arranged to receive an end of a hose and wherein coupling means, such as a thread or a union nut, are arranged on the second end of the body;

- a retaining ring having a radially inwardly extending circumferential rib and a circumferential groove arranged in the outer circumferential surface of the ring; and

- a socket to be crimped on to the retaining ring, which socket has on one end an inwardly extending flange for engagement with the circumferential groove on the retaining ring;

characterized in that

the retaining ring has a slit extending in axial direction.

2. Hose end fitting according to claim 1, wherein the two ends of the retaining ring bordering the slit are spaced apart to allow for relative movement of the two ends in tangential direction.

3. Hose end fitting according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the retaining ring is of a plastic, such as polyamid.

4. Hose end fitting according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the inwardly extending circumferential rib at least partially extends into the circumferential groove arranged in the first end of the body, at least when the socket is in undeformed state, in order to lock axial relative movement between the retaining ring and the body.

5. Hose end fitting according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first end of the body is cylindrical.

6. Method for providing a hose end fitting according to any of the preceding claims, which method comprises the steps of:

- providing a body with a continuous channel extending through the body from a first end of the body to a second end of the body, wherein a circumferential groove is arranged around the first end of the body, wherein the first end of the body is arranged to receive an end of a hose and wherein coupling means, such as a thread or a union nut, are arranged on the second end of the body;

- providing a retaining ring having a radially inwardly extending circumferential rib and a circumferential groove arranged in the outer circumferential surface of the ring, wherein the retaining ring has a slit extending in axial direction;

- sliding the retaining ring over the first end of the body, while expanding the retaining ring and snapping the retaining ring with the inwardly extending circumferential rib into the circumferential groove in the first end of the body;

- providing a socket having on one end an inwardly extending flange for engagement with the circumferential groove on the retaining ring;

- crimping the socket on to the retaining ring, wherein the inwardly extending flange is pressed into the circumferential groove on the retaining ring.

Description:
Hose end fitting

The invention relates to a hose end fitting comprising

- a body with a continuous channel extending through the body from a first end of the body to a second end of the body, wherein a circumferential groove is arranged around the first end of the body, wherein the first end of the body is arranged to receive an end of a hose and wherein coupling means, such as a thread or a union nut, are arranged on the second end of the body;

- a retaining ring having a radially inwardly extending circumferential rib and a circumferential groove arranged in the outer circumferential surface of the ring; and

- a socket to be crimped on to the retaining ring, which socket has on one end an inwardly extending flange for engagement with the circumferential groove on the retaining ring.

Such a hose end fitting is for example known from EP 0067063. In this known hose end fitting also a body, retaining ring and socket are provided. The retaining can be slid freely over the first end of the body and be aligned with the circumferential groove in the first end of the body. The retaining ring is in contact with a shoulder on the body to prevent the retaining ring from sliding further over the first end.

Then the socket is also slid over the first end of the body and over the retaining ring. Then the socket is crimped at one end, such that the edge of the socket is pressed into a circumferential groove in the retaining ring and such that at the same time the retaining ring is pressed with an inwardly extending rib into the

circumferential groove in the first end of the body.

The disadvantage of this known hose end fitting is that both the retaining ring and the socket need to be positioned correctly, while crimping the socket.

Furthermore, the body needs to be provided with a shoulder against which the retaining ring can be positioned in axial direction. As a result manufacturing of the body is more complex, as it typically would require some machining operations after cold forging the body.

Accordingly it is an object of the invention to reduce or even remove the disadvantages of the prior art. This object is achieved according to the invention with a hose end fitting according to the prior art, which hose end fitting is characterized in that the retaining ring has a slit extending in axial direction.

Using a retaining ring having a slit, allows for the retaining ring to bend open and accordingly expand, such that the ring can be slid over the first end of the body. When the retaining ring is aligned with the circumferential groove in the first end of the body, the retaining ring can be snapped into place, wherein the inwardly extending rib is in engagement with the circumferential groove in the body preventing the retaining ring to slide in either axial direction.

Accordingly, the socket can be positioned without any attention for the positioning of the retaining ring and the socket can be crimped without the need to maintain the retaining ring aligned. Furthermore, due to the design of the retaining clip, the socket can be manufactured in a machining process or in a deep drawn process.

When the socket is crimped and the flange of the socket is in engagement with the circumferential groove on the retaining ring, the retaining ring can no longer expand ensuring a reliable mounting of both retaining ring and socket on to the body.

In a preferred embodiment of the hose end fitting according to the invention the two ends of the retaining ring bordering the slit are spaced apart to allow for relative movement of the two ends in tangential direction.

As a result the retaining ring can expand in radial direction because the two ends bordering the slit can move away from each other in tangential direction.

Preferably, the retaining ring is of a plastic, such as polyamid. A plastic ring can easily be provided with a slit and typically provides sufficient elasticity to expand the ring and snap it into the circumferential groove on the first end of the body. Furthermore, plastics can provide sufficient strength to withstand the crimp force of the socket on to the retaining ring.

In yet another embodiment of the hose end fitting according to the invention the inwardly extending circumferential rib at least partially extends into the circumferential groove arranged in the first end of the body, at least when the socket is in undeformed state, in order to lock axial relative movement between the retaining ring and the body.

By having the circumferential rib extending at least partially into the circumferential groove ensures that after snapping the retaining ring into position, the retaining ring cannot shift in axial direction and the position of the ring is thus ensured. This allows one to concentrate on the correct positioning of the socket when crimping the socket onto the retaining ring.

Preferably, the first end of the body is cylindrical. A cylindrical first end of the body facilitates mounting a hose on the first end. Other shapes could also be used for first end of the body, but this might require additional effort for mounting a hose on the first end.

The invention also relates to a method for providing a hose end fitting according to any of the preceding claims, which method comprises the steps of:

- providing a body with a continuous channel extending through the body from a first end of the body to a second end of the body, wherein a circumferential groove is arranged around the first end of the body, wherein the first end of the body is arranged to receive an end of a hose and wherein coupling means, such as a thread or a union nut, are arranged on the second end of the body;

- providing a retaining ring having a radially inwardly extending circumferential rib and a circumferential groove arranged in the outer circumferential surface of the ring, wherein the retaining ring has a slit extending in axial direction;

- sliding the retaining ring over the first end of the body, while expanding the retaining ring and snapping the retaining ring with the inwardly extending circumferential rib into the circumferential groove in the first end of the body;

- providing a socket having on one end an inwardly extending flange for engagement with the circumferential groove on the retaining ring;

- crimping the socket on to the retaining ring, wherein the inwardly extending flange is pressed into the circumferential groove on the retaining ring.

These and other features of the invention will be elucidated in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Figures 1 - 3 shows different steps of an embodiment of the method according to the invention.

Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a hose end fitting according to the invention.

In figure 1 a body 1 with a continuous channel 2 is provided. The first end of the body 1 is provided with a saw-tooth profile 3 over which the end of a hose can be arranged. The saw-tooth profile 3 contributes in maintaining the end of a hose on to the body 1. The first end of the body 1 also comprises a circumferential groove 4.

The second end of the body 1 is provided with a union nut 5 with which the hose end fitting can be screwed onto a component, such as a compressor or an evaporator.

In the first step shown in figure 1, a retaining ring 6 is also provided. The retaining ring 6 has on the inner surface an inwardly extending rib 7 and has on the outer surface a circumferential groove 8.

The retaining ring 6 has a slit 9 extending in axial direction of the retaining ring 6. The ends 10, 11 of the retaining ring 6 bordering the slit 9 are pulled apart to expand the retaining ring 6 and allow it to slide over the first end of the body 1.

In figure 2 the retaining ring 6 is slid over the first end of the body 1, such that the inwardly extending rib 7 is aligned with the circumferential groove 4 in the body 1 and the retaining ring 6 is allowed to return to its original shape closing the slid

9 and snapping the rib 7 into engagement with the groove 4. This ensures that the retaining ring 6 can no longer slide in axial direction relative to the body 1.

In figure 2 a socket 10 is provided. This socket 10 has a cylindrical body 11 with on one end an inwardly extending flange 12. The socket 10 is also slid over the first end of the body 1, such that the inwardly extending flange 12 is aligned with the circumferential groove 8 on the retaining ring 6 (see also figure 4).

The end 13 of the socket 10 with the inwardly extending rib 12 is then crimped to push the rib 12 into the groove 8 fixing the socket on the retaining ring 6 and further closing the slit 9 of the retaining ring. The remaining part of the cylindrical body 11 remains undeformed, such that the end 14 of a hose can be inserted into the socket

10 and over the saw-tooth profile 3 of the first end of the body 1, after which the full socket 10 is crimped to clamp the hose end 14. This is similar to the attachment of hose ends to known hose end fittings.

Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment 15 of the hose end fitting manufactured according to the method shown in figures 1 - 3.

As is clear from figure 4, the hose end fitting 15 has a cylindrical body 1 with continuous channel 2. The body 1 does not vary much in diameter along the length. This allows for low cost manufacturing of the body, as no complex machining is required.

The separate retaining ring 6, can be manufactured low costs, for example by injection moulding. The separate retaining ring 6 allows for the cylindrical body 1 also to be used for different embodiments, for example, where the socket is crimped directly onto the body 1 or wherein a different hose connection is provided. So, with the embodiment according to the invention the different parts of the hose end fitting can be applied more diversely reducing manufacturing and storage costs.