Leakproof Connecting device for a fluid circuit

Abstract

A device for a leakproof air-conditioning fluid circuit. A body includes a conduit having a foot at its base, coupled to a communication orifice in the periphery of a tube. A welding is made between an interior part of the base of the foot and a corresponding part of a tube having an orifice. An internal semi-cylindrical a portion of the base of the foot features, around the discharging conduit, a part in the shape of a skirt, formed by two straight or curved segments which together define a semi-cylindrical cradle in the interior wall of the tube. An orifice comprising a whistle-shaped notch in the back of the tube, comprises two complementary segments.

Claims

1. Device intended especially for a leakproof air-conditioning fluid circuit, of the type formed by a body made of injectable material and by a tube, with the said body being crossed axially by a conduit whose head or front end acts as a connecting port, and whose foot into which the conduit discharges is attached by its base, which is largely perpendicular to the axis (XX) of the conduit, is placed facing a communication orifice that is made in the periphery of the tube made of injected or extruded material through the use of welding or gluing that is performed between, on the one hand, both the interior part of the base of the foot of the device which has a semi-cylindrical curved surface into which the conduit discharges and, on the other hand, a corresponding part of tube located in the area of its orifice, wherein the internal semi-cylindrical part that forms the base of the foot of the device features, in relief, around the discharging conduit, a part in the shape of a skirt that forms a male part that is intended to ensure the rotational and translational positioning of the device, formed by two straight or curved segments that trace an angle at the sharp crest () and which are oriented along the longitudinal axis (YY) of the semi-cylindrical base and which together define, along the transverse axis (ZZ) of the said base, a semi-cylindrical cradle of radius (r) that is at most equal to that radius (r) of the internal wall of the tube in the area of its orifice, with this latter being formed by a whistle-shaped notch made in the back of the tube, that forms a female part that comprises, in a manner that is similar to the male part of the device, two complementary segments that trace an angle at the sharp crest (1) that is identical to the angle at the aforementioned sharp crest () and oriented along the longitudinal axis (WW) of the tube.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the top of acute angle (1) that is formed by segments of the notch in the tube, and consequently that of the acute angle () of segments of the skirt-shaped part that acts as the male part of the device, which is located, upon assembly, on the longitudinal axis (WW) of the tube.

3. Device according to claim 1, wherein the angles at the top (1 and ) in which are traced, respectively, segments of the notch in the tube and segments of the skirt-shaped part of the device are angles that converge, and whose bisecting lines are noticeably perpendicular with respect to the longitudinal axis (WW) of tube.

4. Device according to claim 1, wherein the segments of the notch in the tube and the complementary segments of the skirt-shaped part of the device together make the shape of a V.

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein the segments of the notch in the tube and the complementary segments of the skirt-shaped part of the device together make a semi-cylindrical shape.

6. Device according to claim 1, wherein the segments of the notch in the tube and the complementary segments of the skirt-shaped part of the device together make a semi-spherical shape.

7. Device according to claim 1, wherein the segments of the notch in the tube and the complementary segments of the skirt-shaped part of the device together make a semi-elliptical shape.

8. Device according to claim 1, wherein the base of the foot of the device extends along its longitudinal axis (YY) and along its transversal direction (ZZ), so that it forms a saddle of dimensions and shape that partially enclose the tube when it is assembled.

9. Device according to claim 8, wherein the longitudinal lateral sides of the saddle formed by the base of the foot of the device extend beyond the median transverse plane (PP) of the tube, so that, upon assembly, there occurs an elastic locking of the saddle onto the back of the tube which holds the assembly in place before final assembly is performed by welding or gluing.

10. Device according to claim 1, wherein the materials comprising the device and the tube are plastic materials that make it possible to produce the device by molding and the tube by extrusion.

11. Device according to claim 1, wherein the base of the foot of the device is assembled onto the tube by welding or gluing through the application of an interface layer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a device and an associated tube before assembly, according to one example of an embodiment of the invention, respectively in an exploded perspective view and in a transverse cross-section view.

[0026] FIGS. 3 and 4 show the same components according to FIGS. 1 and 2, after assembly.

[0027] FIG. 5 shows, in a perspective view from below and in enlarged scale, a device according to the invention.

[0028] FIG. 6 shows, in a longitudinal cross-section view, the device-tube assembly according to line VI-VI in FIG. 2, before assembly.

[0029] FIG. 7 shows, in a transverse cross-section view, the device-tube assembly according to Figure VII-VII in line 6, before assembly.

[0030] FIG. 8 shows, in a longitudinal cross-section view, the device-tube assembly according to line VIII-VIII in FIG. 4, after assembly.

[0031] FIG. 9 shows, in a transverse cross-section view, the device-tube assembly according to line IX-IX in FIG. 8.

[0032] FIGS. 10 and 11 show, in a longitudinal cross-section view, the device-tube assembly after assembly, according to FIG. 8, whose final assembly by welding is performed, respectively, by vibration or by laser, indicated in bold lines.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Fluid device 1, which is generally described in the figures, is, in a known manner, formed by a body 2 of injectable material and crossed axially by a conduit 3 whose head or front end 4 is designed to accommodate an external connection (not shown), and whose foot 5 into which the conduit 3 discharges is affixed by its base 6, that is largely perpendicular to axis XX of conduit 3, so that it can be located facing a communication orifice 7 that was made in the periphery of a tube 8 that is also made of an extrudable or injectable material, through the use of a welding carried out between, on the one hand, an inside part 9 of the base 6 of foot 5 of the fluid device 1, which has a semi-cylindrical curved surface 9 into which conduit 3 discharges and, on the other hand, a part corresponding to tube 10 located in the area of its orifice 7.

[0034] According to one example of an embodiment of the invention, the internal semi-cylindrical part 9 that forms the base 6 of the foot 5 of device 1 features, in relief, around the discharging conduit 3, a part in the shape of a skirt 11 that forms a male part that is intended to ensure the rotational and translational positioning of the device 1, formed by two straight or curved segments 12, 13 that trace an angle at the sharp crest a and which is oriented along the longitudinal axis YY of the semi-cylindrical base 6 and which together define 12, 13, along the transverse axis ZZ of the base 6, a semi-cylindrical cradle 14 of radius r which is equal to the radius r of the internal wall 15 of the tube 8 in the area of its orifice 7, where this latter is formed by a whistle-shaped notch 7 made in the back of tube 8, that forms a female part that includes, in a manner similar to that for male part 11 of device 1, of two complementary segments 16, 17 that trace an angle at the sharp crest al that is identical to the angle at the aforementioned sharp crest a and oriented along the longitudinal axis WW of tube 8.

[0035] It should be noted that the top of acute angle 1 formed by segments 16, 17 of notch 7 in tube 8, and consequently that of acute angle of segments 12, 13 of the skirt-shaped part 11 that constitutes the male part of the device, are located upon assembly on longitudinal axis WW of tube 8.

[0036] As can be seen in the figures, the angle at the crest a in which segments 16, 17 of the notch 7 in tube 8 are traced, and segments 12, 13 of the skirt-shaped part 11 of device 1 are right angles that merge with each other, and whose bisecting lines are perpendicular respectively to the longitudinal axis WW of tube 8 and to the longitudinal axis XX of conduit 3 of device 1. According to the manner of embodiment shown, segments 16, 17 of the notch 7 in tube 8 and the complementary segments 12, 13 of the skirt-shaped part 11 of device 1 together form the shape of a V.

[0037] Of course, these complementary segments 16, 17-12, 13 of notch 7 and of the skirt-shaped part 11 may be semi-cylindrical, semi-spherical, semi-elliptical, etc. in shape. According to another characteristic of the invention, base 6 of the foot 5 of device 1 extends along its longitudinal axis YY and along its transverse direction ZZ, so that it forms a saddle of dimensions and shape that partially enclose tube 8 when it is assembled.

[0038] Preferably, the lateral longitudinal sides 18, 19 of the saddle formed by base 6 of the foot 5 of device 1 extend beyond the transverse median plane PP of tube 8, in such a way that, upon assembly, elastic locking of the saddle 6 occurs with the back of the tube 8 and keeps the assembly in place before final assembly by welding 20.

[0039] Advantageously, the materials that constitute device 1 and tube 8 are plastic materials that make it possible to produce the device by molding and the tube by extrusion.

[0040] As is shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, after assembly, the device 1-tube 8 assembly is permanently assembled by vibration welding 20 (FIG. 10), by laser welding 21, or even by gluing through the application of an interface layer.

[0041] The advantages relative to the invention are based on the fact that if the assembly of the device stays in place all by itself, it is because it is in the required angular, axial and radial positions, for its final assembly by welding.

[0042] Moreover, when it is designed in this way, the assembly area of the part in the shape of a V-shaped skirt at the base of the device that is designed to closely fit into a corresponding notch in the tube, makes it possible for it to breach any obstacle to fluid flow in the tube.

[0043] The invention also makes it possible to make a non-concentric perforation in a tube, for the purpose of attaching a sensor, shunt, valve, etc.