A hybrid fluid-flow assembly having a base fitting that has been formed by axial load bulge forming from a sheet of metal, and a custom fitting that has been machined from a shaped-memory alloy. At least one connection port of the custom fitting is connected to at least one connection port of the base fitting by an interference fit. The interference fit is formed by cooling the custom fitting to a temperature below its transition temperature, deforming the custom fitting so that the diameter of its connection port is slightly larger than the connection port on the base fitting, installing the connection port of the custom fitting on the connection port of the base fitting, and allowing the custom fitting to warm to room temperature. The shaped-memory alloy swages and coins the outer surface of the base fitting at the interface of the ports, thereby forming a compressive, interference fit.

A garden hose has an inner tube for conveying water at domestic water pressure from a first coupler disposed at a first end of the inner tube to a second coupler disposed at a second end of the inner tube, the inner tube being waterproof and flexible, the first coupler adapted to threadedly connect to a conventional water faucet and the second coupler adapted to threadedly connect to a conventional garden appliance. The hose has a metal sheath disposed over the inner tube and extending from the first coupler to the second coupler, the flexible metal sheath having a first shoulder near the first coupler and a second shoulder near the second coupler, the metal sheath being flexible, and a fabric sheath disposed over the metal sheath and fixed to the metal sheath by a first constricting band disposed at the first shoulder and a second constricting band disposed at the second shoulder.

A sealing inner sleeve for inserting into pipes, includes two frustoconical or substantially cylindrically bent-round sleeves formed of steel sheets, wherein the free ends of the steel sheets of the sleeves overlap in their circumferential directions and an arresting device is arranged in each of these overlapping regions and wherein the two sleeves are arranged at a distance from one another in a deformable jacket tube.

The element joint is obtained by joining: a long pipe; a short pipe made of a quality of material having a strength equal to or higher than a strength of the long pipe; and a plate material made of a quality of material having a strength equal to or higher than a strength of the short pipe. In the element joint, at least one member of the long pipe and the short pipe includes a pipe-shaped portion, and the pipe-shaped portion of the one member is pipe-expanded and joined to the other member by press-fitting. The short pipe and the plate material are welded to each other.

A fitting assembly comprises a male coupling having a male thread and an aperture defining an inner circumferential surface of the male coupling. The inner circumferential surface includes a plurality of spaced apart grooves. A tail piece is at least partially received in the aperture of the male coupling. A hose is received and compressed in a space formed between the inner circumferential surface of the male coupling and an outer circumferential surface of the tail piece. The hose is deformed into the plurality of the spaced apart grooves formed in the inner circumferential surface of the male coupling to form an interference fit therebetween.

An end-form fitting includes a tube and an auxiliary component disposed around the tube. One of the tube and the auxiliary component is deformed to cause the auxiliary component to engage the tube in order to militate against relative movement between the tube and the auxiliary component. The auxiliary component includes an array of surface irregularities formed therein and configured to engage an outer circumferential surface of the tube to form a corrugated joint therebetween. The auxiliary component is formed to include a radially outwardly extending orientation structure for establishing a rotational orientation of the end-form fitting when being coupled to a complimentary end-form fitting.

A tube coupling for coupling a first tube and a second tube. The tube coupling includes an inner shroud including a ball portion and an outer shroud including a socket portion. The socket portion receives the ball portion. The tube coupling includes a compressive ring configured to elastically compress the outer shroud onto the inner shroud. The ball portion and the socket portion form a ball and socket joint. The ball and socket joint allows relative angular movement and relative axial movement between the inner shroud and the outer shroud.

The invention relates to a plug assembly (1), in particular for use in a vehicle, comprising a tube (3), a sealing element (5) and a plug connector (4), which comprises a connector body (6), wherein the connector body (6) has an annulus (22) located between a first casing section (12) and a second casing section (15) of the plug connector (4), wherein a connection section (33) of the tube (3) is introduced into the annulus (22) of the connector body (6) and the sealing element (5) is arranged between the first casing section (12) and the connection section (33) of the tube (3). The first casing section (12) of the connector body (6) is deformed in such a way that an interlocking connection is established between a shaping region (56) of the first casing section (12) of the connector body (6) and the tube (3), wherein the sealing element (5) protrudes at least partially into the shaping region (56) of the first casing section (12), such that the sealing element (5) is clamped at least sectionally between the first casing section (12) and the tube (3).

The invention relates to a method for connecting a connection section (33) of a hose (3) with a plug-in connector (4). The plug-in connector (4) comprises a connector body (6), which connector body (6) has a ring space (22). In a first method step, the connection section (33) is pushed into the ring space (22) of the plug-in connector (4) of the hose (3) from the hose accommodation side (25) of the connector body (6), and positioned there; in a second method step, a pressing tool (50) deforms the first mantle section (12) of the connector body (6). The second mantle section (15) has a narrowing (39) at a front edge (38) of the hose accommodation side (25), whereby it is ensured that the connection section (33) of the hose (3) is freely deformed in the direction of the second mantle section (15) during the pressing process, at least in the region of the ring space (22) that is at a distance from the front edge (38), before the connection section (33) of the hose (3) comes to lie against the second mantle section (15).

A fuel connector of a fuel system is adapted to flow fuel, and includes male and female components. The male component includes a plurality of barbs each projecting radially outward, spaced axially from one-another and being circumferentially continuous. The female component includes a plurality of reinforcement rings being in a predefined axial relationship to the respective plurality of barbs when connected.