A fluid circuit defining a flow path for a fluid from a fluid supply toward a process stage. The fluid circuit may include a plurality of operative components including a body portion and a plurality of tubing connector fittings. The operative components may be connected by a plurality of tubing segments. Each body portion may include a non-conductive fluoropolymer portion and an outer conductor that extends between each of the plurality of tubing connector fittings and that is unitary with the non-conductive fluoropolymer portion. The plurality of tubing segments may include a non-conductive fluoropolymer tubing portion and an axial strip of conductive polymer. The outer conductor of each body portion conductively connected with tubing segments connected thereto. Each of the connectors may include a bridging component for conductively connecting the respective outer conductor of the body portion to the strip of conductive polymer of the connecting tubing segments.

A joint is connected to a tube and includes a joint body, nut, and ring. The joint body has a tube coupling part and a main body thread part. The nut has a nut thread part and a constricted diameter part. The ring is arranged in a space radially inward of the nut thread part. The ring abuts an abutted part of the nut. The ring has a Young's modulus greater than the tube. The ring has a curved surface part at least at a radially inward portion of the ring axially on the joint body side, the curved surface part bulging radially inward of the ring and axially toward the joint body side. A maximum thickness of the ring in a radial direction is defined as 2r, an axial length of the curved surface part of the ring is defined as h, and α=h/r being 0.5 to 1.2.

A fitting assembly may seal a wire within a tube to inhibit ingress of fluid outside the tube into the tube and into contact with the wire. The fitting assembly may optionally include a body and a nut, with a part of the nut received within the body. The nut may be threadedly connected to the body, such that threading and/or unthreading the nut translates the part of the nut within the body. Optionally, the nut may include a ring extension that is received within a ring cavity of the body, and an interfacing between the ring extension and the ring cavity may create a seal to inhibit leaking of the fluid past the seal. A method of sealing a wire within a tube may comprise positioning a tube with a wire therein within such a fitting assembly.

A pipe connector having a body with a tubular part to seal with a pipe. The tubular part has an outer face with a projecting feature to seal with the pipe. A collet is fixed to the body and spaced from the tubular part to form a cavity for the pipe. A locking cap is captive on and screwed onto collet to deflect the collet onto the pipe and the pipe onto the tubular part to seal between the body and the pipe. The collet has through slots at its distal end allowing the pipe to be visible when the connector is locked and unlocked. The inner diameter at an open end of the collet is optionally greater than the inner diameter of the distal part that receives the pipe. A method of forming the connector is also disclosed.

A pipe connector having a body with a tubular part to seal with a pipe. The tubular part has an outer face with a projecting feature to seal with the pipe. A collet is fixed to the body and spaced from the tubular part to form a cavity for the pipe. A locking cap is captive on and screwed onto collet to deflect the collet onto the pipe and the pipe onto the tubular part to seal between the body and the pipe. The collet has through slots at its distal end allowing the pipe to be visible when the connector is locked and unlocked. The inner diameter at an open end of the collet is optionally greater than the inner diameter of the distal part that receives the pipe. A method of forming the connector is also disclosed.

The present disclosure provides an irrigation system for crop irrigation, and especially a centre-pivot irrigation system. The system comprises: a pivot assembly comprising a frame supporting an inlet pipe assembly for inlet of water from a water supply to the irrigation system, and a span assembly for connection to the pivot assembly to extend radially therefrom across a field. The inlet pipe assembly comprises an upper pipe segment and a lower pipe segment. The upper pipe segment is mounted in the frame for rotation about a pivot axis relative to the lower pipe segment. The span assembly comprises a distribution pipeline for fluid connection with the inlet pipe assembly to convey the water along the span assembly for distributing the water to a plurality of sprinkler heads located along the span assembly for applying the water to the field.

A no-crimp valve assembly employs a fitting which has an enlarged outer portion and a coaxial inner portion of reduced diameter. An axial groove is formed between the outer portion and the inner portion for receiving the end of a polymer pipe. A nut retainably receives a split ferrule. The split ferrule has a serrated inner surface. The nut is threaded to the outer threaded surface of the outer portion and the ferrule is compressed against the outer surface adjacent the end of the pipe to form a fluid tight connection and the inner surface of the pipe engages the reduced surface of the inner portion. In some embodiments, the inner portion carries one or more sealing rings or has a serrated or stepped inner surface which engages the inside surface of the pipe.

A no-crimp valve assembly employs a fitting which has an enlarged outer portion and a coaxial inner portion of reduced diameter. An axial groove is formed between the outer portion and the inner portion for receiving the end of a polymer pipe. A nut retainably receives a split ferrule. The split ferrule has a serrated inner surface. The nut is threaded to the outer threaded surface of the outer portion and the ferrule is compressed against the outer surface adjacent the end of the pipe to form a fluid tight connection and the inner surface of the pipe engages the reduced surface of the inner portion. In some embodiments, the inner portion carries one or more sealing rings or has a serrated or stepped inner surface which engages the inside surface of the pipe.

A sleeve, a cylindrical member for connecting a tube to a tubular body of a fitting, includes a first peripheral wall end portion facing a peripheral wall end portion of the tubular body, and a second peripheral wall end portion pressed into an open end of the tube. The first peripheral wall end portion includes either an annular protrusion or groove. The annular protrusion is pressed into an annular groove in the peripheral wall end portion of the tubular body. The annular groove allows an annular protrusion axially projecting from the peripheral wall end portion of the tubular body to be pressed thereinto. The second peripheral wall end portion includes a bulge portion to expand the diameter of the open end of the tube. An outer periphery of the first peripheral wall end portion includes a flange to axially face the peripheral wall end portion of the tubular body.

A pipe joint includes a joint body formed with a through hole therein along an axial direction, and having male threads and an extending shaft portion formed on one end side thereof; and a nut member formed with an insertion hole through which a tube member is inserted, and having female threads formed therein that screw-engage with the male threads. Annular projections are formed on an outer circumferential surface of the extending shaft portion, and the tube member, which is expanded in diameter, is gripped between the annular projections and an inner circumferential surface of the nut member.