U.S. patent application number 13/018559 was filed with the patent office on 2011-05-26 for method of manufacturing an orifice holder assembly.
Invention is credited to Timothy Lee Frost, Tony Byron Leeseberg.
Application Number | 20110119894 13/018559 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40381468 |
Filed Date | 2011-05-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110119894 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Frost; Timothy Lee ; et
al. |
May 26, 2011 |
Method of Manufacturing An Orifice Holder Assembly
Abstract
An orifice holder assembly provides a boss connected by at least
one arm to a base having an outlet therethrough. The boss is
provided below the outlet. A tube is inserted through the boss
until a bead contacts a first boss surface and the tube end is then
deflected to form a lip where the lip and the bead connects the
tube to the boss. An orifice body is then inserted in the tube
end.
Inventors: |
Frost; Timothy Lee;
(Cleveland, TN) ; Leeseberg; Tony Byron;
(Chattanooga, TN) |
Family ID: |
40381468 |
Appl. No.: |
13/018559 |
Filed: |
February 1, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11848736 |
Aug 31, 2007 |
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13018559 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
29/428 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F23D 2213/00 20130101;
F23D 14/64 20130101; F16L 13/147 20130101; Y10T 29/49826 20150115;
F23D 14/46 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
29/428 |
International
Class: |
B23P 11/00 20060101
B23P011/00 |
Claims
1. A method of manufacturing an orifice holder assembly comprising
the steps of: providing an orifice holder having a base connected
by at least one arm to a boss, said boss located below the base and
having a bore therethrough extending from a first boss surface to a
second boss surface with said second boss surface located above the
first boss surface; directing a tube to be received by the boss,
said tube having a preformed bead disposed about the tube spaced
from a tube end, said bead contacting the first boss surface with a
portion of the tube extending through the bore of the boss, said
tube then deformed at the tube end to provide a lip with a lip
engagement surface in contact with the second boss surface external
to the bore with the lip and the bead forming a mechanical
connection of the tube to the boss by entrapping a portion of the
boss between the lip and bead; and then installing an orifice body
in the tube end, said orifice body having a bore therethrough, said
orifice body located below the base with a space above the orifice
body and below the base and said orifice body terminating internal
to the boss above the first boss surface.
2. The method of manufacturing the orifice holder assembly of claim
1 wherein the orifice body has external threads, and installing the
orifice body further comprises screwing the threads into an
internal portion of the tube toward the tube end.
3. The method of manufacturing the orifice holder assembly of claim
1 wherein the at least one arm integrally connected to and extends
from the boss.
4. The method of manufacturing the orifice holder assembly of claim
3 wherein after providing the mechanical connection of the tube to
the boss, the first boss surface against the bead is the lowest
portion of the boss.
5. The method of manufacturing the orifice holder assembly of claim
1 wherein after the installation of the orifice holder, an outlet
of the orifice holder extends through the base above the orifice
body.
6. The method of manufacturing the orifice holder assembly of claim
1 wherein the at least one arm further consists of two arms
extending from the base to the boss.
7. The method of manufacturing the orifice holder assembly of claim
6 wherein the two arms are oppositely and symmetrically disposed
relative to the orifice body.
8. The method of manufacturing the orifice holder assembly of claim
1 wherein the tube end is provided having a smaller cross section
than the bore of the boss until physically deflected to provide the
lip, and the directing step further comprises inserting the tube
end through the bore of the boss until the bead contacts the first
boss surface, and then deflecting the tube end to provide the lip
external to the bore of the boss.
9. The orifice holder assembly of claim 8 wherein the orifice body
has self-tapping external threads and the installation step further
comprises screwing the orifice body to the tube end.
10. A method of manufacturing an orifice holder assembly comprising
the steps of: providing an orifice holder having an outlet, and the
orifice holder further having a base connected by at least one arm
to a boss, said boss located under the outlet and having a bore
therethrough extending from a first boss surface to a second boss
surface with said second boss surface located above the first boss
surface; inserting a tube into the boss, said tube having a
preformed bead disposed about the tube spaced from a tube end, said
tube inserted until the bead contacts the first boss surface with a
portion of the tube extending through the bore of the boss, said
tube deformed after insertion to provide a lip at the tube end with
a lip engagement surface in contact with the second boss surface
external to the bore with the lip and the bead forming a mechanical
connection of the tube to the boss by entrapping a portion of the
boss between the lip and bead; and installing an orifice body in
the tube end and having a bore therethrough, said orifice body
located below the outlet with a space above the orifice body and
below the outlet, and said orifice body terminating internal to the
boss above the first boss surface.
11. The method of manufacturing the orifice holder assembly of
claim 10 wherein the tube end initially has a smaller cross section
than the bore of the boss until physically deflected during the
deflection step to provide the lip.
12. The method of manufacturing the orifice holder assembly of
claim 10 wherein the tube end is physically deflected with a device
extending through the outlet of the orifice holder which is removed
after forming the lip.
13. The method of manufacturing the orifice holder assembly of
claim 12 wherein after deflecting the tube end to provide the lip,
then inserting the orifice body at the tube end.
14. The method of manufacturing the orifice holder assembly of
claim 13 wherein the orifice body is provided self-tapping external
threads which screw into the orifice body to the tube end during
installation.
15. The method of manufacturing the orifice holder assembly of
claim 10 wherein the orifice body has external threads which screw
into an internal portion of the tube toward the tube end and after
installation the bead is located external to the bore.
16. The method of manufacturing the orifice holder assembly of
claim 10 wherein the at least one arm is integrally connected to
the base and the boss and the bead is located below the first boss
surface.
17. The method of manufacturing the orifice holder assembly of
claim 10 wherein the at least one arm further comprises two arms
extending from the base to the boss and at least a portion of the
lip is located above the second boss surface.
18. The method of manufacturing the orifice holder assembly of
claim 17 wherein the two arms are oppositely disposed relative to
the orifice body.
Description
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. Utility patent
application Ser. No. 11/848,736 filed Aug. 31, 2007.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a tubing assembly and more
particularly, to tube orifice and orifice holding assembly
improvements.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Member and tube assemblies such as the improvements shown in
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,607,194 and 5,727,303 have been performed by the
applicant. While these improvements are useful, in order to connect
the tube and orifice to an orifice holder, a separate connection
system has been utilized to perform that connection. In the prior
art, this connection was been done typically by screwing the
threads such as the threads 41 of FIG. 4 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,194
into cooperating threads of an orifice holder. While this would
provide easy installation replacement, it also could allow for such
conditions to exist as imprecise placement of a tube relative to
the orifice holders, (i.e., such as if the fitting was not inserted
the proper amount). Furthermore, since the tubes which are
connected to the fittings are not usually straight when they are
installed in an oven, it may be extremely difficult to rotate a
tube relative to an installed orifice holder. Furthermore, since
there are not normally any moving parts at this location once
installed, the opportunity for failure of these component parts is
particularly small so replacement of one part relative to the other
is not believed to be commonly performed.
[0004] While the prior art technology is certainly useful and
continues to be widely practiced by the applicant, an improved
manufacturing method and completed apparatus is believed to be
desirable at least for some applications.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a tube
securely connected to an orifice holder independent of cooperating
threads.
[0006] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
tube connected to an orifice holder in an improved manner.
[0007] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
tube secured to an orifice holder such that the tube is connected
to the orifice holder by the use of at least one tool applied
through an air/fuel outlet of the orifice holder during the
manufacturing process.
[0008] Accordingly, an orifice holder, tube and orifice assembly of
the presently preferred embodiment preferably includes a tube which
includes a bead or other stop on an exterior surface of the tube
which contacts a first position of an orifice holder. A portion of
the tube passes through a bore extending from the first position to
a second position in the orifice holder. A tool such an a mandrel
is preferably inserted through an outlet of the orifice holder and
is used to flare out the tube at a second position of the orifice
holder so that the tube is then secured to the orifice holder so
that the orifice holder outlet as well as the tube outlet are
disposed beyond the second position of the orifice holder. The tube
is then provided with an orifice such as by screwing the orifice
into the tube. The preferred method is believed to provide a cost
savings to the manufacturer through construction while providing a
high quality product for the completed product.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The particular features and advantages of the invention as
well as other objects will become apparent from the following
description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in
which:
[0010] FIG. 1 shows a side view of an assembled orifice holder
connected to a tube and an orifice of the presently preferred
embodiment of the present invention from a side view;
[0011] FIG. 2 shows a top view of the orifice holder assembly shown
in FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 3 shows a process of manufacturing the orifice holder
assembly as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; and
[0013] FIG. 4 shows a detailed cross sectional view of a detail
marked as A in FIG. 3 after the manufacturing step has been
completed and the orifice installed as would be in FIGS. 1-2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0014] FIG. 1 shows an orifice holder assembly 10 having an orifice
holder 12 which is typically a cast part, and in the preferred
embodiment, has been cast out of aluminum. Of course, other
manufacturing techniques could be utilized to make other orifice
holders. Casting has been found to be economical while providing a
quality product.
[0015] The orifice holder 12 has an outlet 14, shown in FIG. 2, at
a top end 16. The outlet 14 of this embodiment is illustrated as
being at least substantially round and directs a fuel gas mixture
from below through the outlet 14 past the top end 16 for use by a
burner which is not shown. Many burner designs have been
constructed. Other orifice holders have been utilized in the past
for such uses.
[0016] This orifice holder has two arms 18,20 which are shown in
FIG. 3, extending from a base 22. These arms connect at a boss 24
which is configured to have a bore therethrough which receives a
portion of tube 26 therethrough. A bead 28 is preferably utilized
to stop the tube 26 a desired position relative to the boss 24 as
shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 during the assembly process. Other
mechanisms known in the art can also be utilized which provide a
stop so that no further travel of the tube 26 through the bore can
occur due to the presence of the bead 28.
[0017] Once the tube 26 is installed as shown in FIG. 3, an anvil
30 or other device is inserted through the outlet 14 of the orifice
holder 12 and causes the end 32 of the tube 26 to be deflected such
as shown in FIG. 4 so that the boss 24 of the orifice holder is
secured relative to the lip 34 created by the bent tube 26 and the
bead 28. This method of construction is believed to be a large
improvement over the prior art in that in the prior art such as
shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,607,194 and 5,727,303.
[0018] In the prior art, a separate nut and thread arrangement was
utilized to secure those fittings to orifice holders. By
manufacturing an orifice holder as shown and described in the
figures herein, at least several manufacturing steps and parts can
be omitted which is believed to result in a cost savings to at
least the manufacturer, if not the end user.
[0019] As shown in FIG. 4, the bead 28 has a boss engagement flange
36 which is shown adjacent to boss surface 38 and lip 34 as a lip
engagement surface 40 which engages boss surface 42. Additionally,
arms 18,20 are illustrated extending above the lip 34 as well as
above orifice body 46.
[0020] After connecting the tube 26 to the orifice holder 12, if
the tube end 32 is not already provided with threads is may be
tapped so that it has threads 44 as shown in FIG. 4 by directing
the tap (not shown) through the outlet 14 and providing the threads
44 as shown in FIG. 4 in a similar manner as anvil 30 is shown
applied in FIG. 3. Alternatively, and more preferably, the orifice
body 46 may make its own threaded connection (i.e., somewhat self
tapping). The orifice body 46 with its cooperating threads is then
inserted preferably through the outlet 14 so that its cooperating
threads engage threads 44 so it can be provided in the position
shown in FIG. 4. The orifice body 46 then has bore 48 which allows
for the gas from the tube 26 to then mix with air in the space 49
prior to being directed through the outlet 14 where mixing can
further continue to occur within a burner (not shown) before being
lit and providing heat in a stove type configuration.
[0021] While it is alternatively possible to provide an anvil 30,
tap or orifice at the space 48 below to the base 22 to flare the
lip 34 and/or install the orifice body 46 in a similar manner, the
presently preferred embodiment as described herein provides the
connection of the tube 26 to the boss 24 through application
through the outlet 14 as well as the machining of the tube 26 to
provide threads 44 if not done prior to the installation of the
tube 26 to the boss 24. Finally it is also presently preferred to
install the orifice body 46 through the outlet 14.
[0022] It is important to remember that in the prior art the
machining of the tube 26 to a fitting has been performed before
installing the fitting to an orifice holder 12.
[0023] Numerous alterations of the structure herein disclosed will
suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. However, it is to
be understood that the present disclosure relates to the preferred
embodiment of the invention which is for purposes of illustration
only and not to be construed as a limitation of the invention. All
such modifications which do not depart from the spirit of the
invention are intended to be included within the scope of the
appended claims.
[0024] Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what is
claimed herein is:
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