U.S. patent number RE36,771 [Application Number 08/173,698] was granted by the patent office on 2000-07-11 for male end fitting.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Telefex Incorporated. Invention is credited to John A. Carlson.
United States Patent |
RE36,771 |
Carlson |
July 11, 2000 |
Male end fitting
Abstract
A motion-transmitting remote control assembly (10) comprises a
flexible conduit (14) with a flexible core element (12) passing
therethrough. The flexible conduit (14) has a male coupler (22)
attached to one end of the flexible conduit (14). The male coupler
(22) comprises a leading chamfered surface (24) and a relief (26)
for being locked into a first type of female housing (28) via a
spring biased locking ring (32). The male coupler (22) also
includes a truncated convex surface (29) which, along with the
relief (26), allows the male coupler (22) to be locked into a
second type of female housing (110) having removable bolt (116)
passing therethrough. The long cylindrical body portion (118) of
the bolt (116) positively abuts the relief (26) to lock the male
coupler (22) in the female housing (110).
Inventors: |
Carlson; John A. (Wayne,
PA) |
Assignee: |
Telefex Incorporated (Plymouth
Meeting, PA)
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Family
ID: |
24400514 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/173,698 |
Filed: |
December 20, 1993 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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Reissue of: |
599654 |
Oct 18, 1990 |
05104156 |
Apr 14, 1992 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
285/305; 285/317;
285/91 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16C
1/262 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F16C
1/00 (20060101); F16C 1/26 (20060101); F16L
037/12 () |
Field of
Search: |
;285/305,317,321,91 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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233336 |
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May 1964 |
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AT |
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1145667 |
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Mar 1969 |
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GB |
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Other References
Exhibit 1: A TX catalog printed in 1986. .
Exhibit 2: A Morse catalog printed in the United States in Sep. of
1983. .
Exhibit 3: A poster printed in England in Jan. of 1985 by Morse
England (Morse Control Ltd.). .
Exhibit 4: NW Controls industrial Catalog distributed in Chicago in
Sep. 1982. .
Exhibit 5: A 1987 ACCO catalog. .
Exhibit 6: A Morse leaflet distributed in London in Jan. 1983.
.
Exhibit 7: A Morse leaflet distributed in Chicago in Sep. of 1990.
.
Exhibit 8: An old TX page distributed in London in Dec. 1990. .
Exhibit 9: A drawing made by the Technical staff of Ultraflex on
Oct. 29, 1985 where the K46 adaptor is indicated. .
Exhibit 10: A drawing of a K46 adaptor dated Nov. 24, 1986. .
Exhibit 11: A letter from Teleflex to Mr. Giorgio Gai dated Jul.
25, 1983. .
(4) Morse Control Drawings, Exhibits A-D..
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Primary Examiner: Arola; Dave W.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Howard & Howard
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A male coupler end fitting assembly (10) for coupling a flexible
conduit (14) to a female housing (28) having a flexible core
element (12) extending therethrough, said assembly (10)
comprising:
a flexible conduit (14) having a longitudinal axis (18) extending
between opposite ends;
a male coupler (22) fixedly attached to said flexible conduit (14)
for removably securing said flexible conduit (14) to a support
structure (20);
said male coupler (22) including a substantially cylindrical body
portion (23) defining an outer circumference, said cylindrical body
portion (23) having a leading end (25) and a conduit attachment end
(17) disposed on either end of said cylindrical body portion
(23);
said leading end (25) having a leading chamfered surface (24) and a
relief (26) circumscribing said male coupler (22), said relief (26)
disposed adjacent said leading chamfered surface (24) and
perpendicular to said longitudinal axis (18), said relief (26)
including a defined width extending from said outer circumference
to an inner circumference smaller than said outer
circumference;
truncated surface means (29) for increasing the circumference of
said cylindrical body portion (23) from said inner circumference at
said relief (26) to said outer circumference by sloping upwardly at
a constantly changing slope, said assembly (10) characterized
by;
said leading chamfered surface (24) disposed from said relief (26)
a distance smaller than said defined width of said relief (26) for
receiving means for coacting between a female housing, said
truncated surface means and relief to retain said male coupler and
flexible conduit in said female housing.
2. An assembly (10) as set forth in claim 1 further characterized
by said truncated surface means (29) sloping from said relief (26)
upwardly toward said conduit attachment end (17).
3. An assembly (10) as set forth in claim 2 further characterized
by said truncated surface means (29) having the shape of a
truncated hyperboloid.
4. An assembly (10) as set forth in claim 3 further characterized
by a beveled surface (27) separating said leading chamfered surface
(24) and said relief (26). .Iadd.
5. A remote motion-transmitting control assembly (10) having a male
coupler end fitting for coupling a flexible conduit (14) to a
female housing (28) having a flexible core element (12) extending
therethrough, said assembly (10) comprising:
a flexible conduit (14) having a longitudinal axis (18) extending
between opposite ends;
a male coupler (22) fixedly attached to said flexible conduit (14)
for removably securing said flexible conduit (14) to a support
structure (20);
said male coupler (22) including a substantially cylindrical body
portion (23) defining an outer circumference, said cylindrical body
portion having a leading end (25) and a conduit attachment end (17)
disposed on either end of said cylindrical body portion (23);
said leading end (25) having a leading chamfered surface (24) and a
relief (26) circumscribing said male coupler (22), said relief (26)
disposed adjacent said leading chamfered surface (24) perpendicular
to said longitudinal axis (18), said relief (26) including a
defined width extending from said outer circumference to an inner
circumference smaller than said outer circumference;
a truncated surface (29) increasing the circumference of said
cylindrical body portion (23) from said inner circumference at said
relief (26) to said outer circumference, said assembly (10)
characterized by:
said leading chamfered surface (24) disposed from said relief (26)
a distance smaller than said defined width of said relief (26) for
receiving means for coacting between a female housing, said
truncated surface and relief to retain said male coupler and
flexible conduit in said female housing. .Iaddend..Iadd.
6. A remote motion-transmitting control assembly (10) having a male
coupler end fitting for coupling a flexible conduit to a female
housing having a flexible core element extending therethrough, said
assembly comprising:
a flexible conduit having a longitudinal axis extending between
opposite ends;
a male coupler fixedly attached to said flexible conduit for
removably securing said flexible conduit to a support
structure;
said male coupler including a substantially cylindrical body
portion having a leading end and a conduit attachment end disposed
on either end of said cylindrical body portion;
said leading end having a leading chamfered surface and a relief
circumscribing said male coupler, said relief disposed adjacent
said leading chamfered surface perpendicular to said longitudinal
axis, said relief including a defined width extending from said
outer circumference to an inner circumference smaller than said
outer circumference;
a surface for increasing the circumference of said cylindrical body
portion from said inner circumference at said relief to said outer
circumference, said assembly characterized by:
said leading chamfered surface disposed from said relief a distance
smaller than said defined width of said relief for receiving means
for coacting between a female housing, said surface and relief to
retain said male coupler and flexible conduit in said female
housing. .Iaddend..Iadd.
7. An assembly as set forth in claim 6, wherein said surface is a
truncated convex surface. .Iaddend.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to a remote control assembly having a
flexible conduit and a motion-transmitting core element. More
particularly, the subject invention relates to the male end of a
coupling for the flexible conduit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Male couplers of the type with which the instant invention is
particularly applicable typically include one surface which
positively contacts a surface of the female coupler to hold the
flexible conduit in place. Both the male coupler and the female
coupler are designed to allow that which passes through the
conduit--typically a motion-transmitting core element--to pass
therethrough. The motion-transmitting core element may be of any
type suitable for movement within such a conduit. For example, such
motion-transmitting core elements are frequently utilized as
push/pull mechanisms in vehicles and marine craft for steering
mechanism, throttle controls or the like. Frequently, one or both
ends of the conduit pass through an aperture in a bulkhead or need
to be secured to a support structure and a fitting is disposed in
the aperture to support the conduit in the bulkhead. In many of the
prior art assemblies, fittings which attach the core element to a
control member or which support the conduit frequently engage an
aperture by being snapped into mechanical engagement with the
aperture. An example of such a fitting is shown in a copending
application of the same inventorship and assigned to the same
assignee as the subject invention.
A facility that the prior art assemblies is the versatility in
locking a male coupler into a plurality of locking systems wherein
the locking or abutting surfaces are different.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,300 to J. F. Morse, issued Sep. 20, 1962
discloses a remote control assembly for a steering helm of a marine
craft. The flexible conduit of the motion-transmitting element is
fixedly secured to the steering helm assembly by inserting a bolt
through a hole in the steering assembly when a cut-away portion of
the flexible conduit is aligned with the hole in the steering helm
assembly. This locking mechanism is deficient because the male
coupler of the flexible conduit can only be used with a bolt-type
locking mechanism.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES
A male coupler end fitting assembly is used for coupling a flexible
conduit to a female housing. The female housing may have either a
spring biased ring lock or a removable bolt lock. The flexible
conduit also has a flexible core element extending therethrough.
The assembly comprises a flexible conduit having a longitudinal
axis extending between the opposite ends thereof. The male coupler
is fixedly attached to the flexible conduit for removably securing
the flexible conduit to a support structure. The male coupler
comprises a substantially cylindrical body portion defining an
outer circumference and a leading end and a conduit attachment end
disposed on either side of the cylindrical body portion. The
leading end of the male coupler has a leading chamfered surface and
relief circumscribing the male coupler. The relief is disposed
adjacent the leading chamfered surface and is perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis. The relief extends from the outer circumference
to an inner circumference which is smaller than the inner
circumference. The assembly is characterized by truncated surface
means for increasing the circumference of the cylindrical body
portion from the inner circumference at the relief to the outer
circumference, by sloping upwardly at a constantly changing slope.
The advantage of the male coupler is its ability to receive a bolt
to lock the male coupler in a female housing in addition to the
ability to receive a spring biased ring which can also lock the
male coupler in a female housing.
FIGURES IN THE DRAWINGS
Other advantages of the present invention will be readily
appreciated as the same becomes better understood with reference to
the following description when considered in connection with the
accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is an end view of the subject invention inserted into a
spring biased ring lock female housing with a retaining clip shown
in phantom;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the subject invention taken
along line 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the subject invention with a bolt
placed in a locking position;
FIG. 4 is an end view of the subject invention inserted into a
female housing having a bolt-type locking mechanism; and
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the subject invention taken
along line 5--5 of FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The subject invention, a male coupler end fitting, is generally
indicated at 22 in the Figures. FIGS. 1 and 2 show the subject
invention 22 coupled with one type of female housing, generally
indicated at 28, and FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show the subject 22 coupled
in a second type of female housing, generally indicated at 110. The
subject invention 22 is to be used in a motion-transmitting remote
control assembly, generally shown at 10. The numbers used when
describing the male coupler 22 will remain the same for each
embodiment whereas the first 28 and the second 110 types of
female
housings will be numbered in two different ranges; they being 1-99
and 110-199, respectively.
As may be seen from all the Figures, the male coupler 22 is coupled
with two types of female housings 28, 110. The first female housing
28, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, comprises a spring biased 30 ring lock
32. The second female housing 110 comprises a removably bolt lock
112, both of which will be discussed in greater detail
subsequently. The flexible conduit 14 has a flexible core element
12 extending therethrough. The flexible conduit 14 defines a
longitudinal axis 18 extending between its opposite ends (one
shown).
The male coupler 22 is fixedly attached to the flexible conduit 14
at one of the opposite ends. The means for attachment of the male
coupler 22 to the flexible conduit 14 may be any one of a variety
of attaching means well-known in the art, i.e., insertion molding
or snapping pieces. The male coupler 22 removably secures the
flexible conduit 14 to a support structure 20 such as a steering
helm.
The male coupler 22 includes a substantially cylindrical body
portion 23 defining an outer circumference. The cylindrical body
portion 23 comprises a leading end, generally indicated at 25, and
a conduit attachment end 17, disposed on either end of the
cylindrical body portion 23. The leading end 25 comprises a leading
chamfered surface 24 and a relief 26 disposed adjacent the leading
chamfered surface 24. The leading chamfered surface 24 is used to
aid the insertion of the male coupler 22 into the female housing
28, 110. The relief 26 is also perpendicular to the longitudinal
axis 18 and has a defined width which extends from the outer
circumference of the cylindrical body portion 23 to an inner
circumference smaller than the outer circumference.
The assembly 22 is characterized by truncated surface means 29 for
increasing the circumference of the cylindrical body portion 23
from the inner circumference at the relief 26 to the outer
circumference by sloping upwardly at a constantly changing slope.
The truncated surface means 29 slopes from the relief 26 to a point
on the outer circumference further from the leading end 25 of the
male coupler 22. The truncated surface means 29 is pseudo-convex in
shape or, said another way, the truncated surface means 29
comprises the shape of a truncated hyperboloid. The distance
between the relief 26 and the leading chamfered surface 24 is less
than the defined width of the relief 26. This allows for a smaller,
more compact end fitting assembly 10, 110 which reduces costs due
to fewer materials used.
The male coupler 22 further comprises a beveled surface 27 which
separates the leading chamfered surface 24 and the relief 26.
Returning our attention specifically to FIGS. 1 and 2, the subject
invention 22 is inserted into the female housing means 28. The
female housing means 28 is fixedly secured to the support structure
20 and receives the male coupler 22 therein. Located inside the
female housing means 28 is the locking means, generally indicated
at 30. The locking means 30 is fully enclosed by the female housing
means 28 and removably secures the male coupler 22 therein. The
locking means 30 includes ring means 32 and biasing means 34. The
ring means 32 is a single ring 32 having a frustoconical outer
surface 36. The ring 32 also includes a single flat side surface 38
and a single inner chamfered edge 40. The single flat side surface
38 and the single inner chamfered surface 40 create a single tooth
41 which extends around the inner circumference of the ring 32. The
single inner chamfered surface 40 coacts with the leading chamfered
surface 24 of the female coupler 22 to allow the male coupler 22 to
pass therethrough. The relief 26 of the male coupler 22 abuts the
single flat side surface 38 of the ring 32 whenever the male
coupler 22 is positioned and not concentric with the ring 32. The
male coupler 22 may be inserted into the female housing means 28 in
any of a plurality of rotational orientations about the
longitudinal a is 18 because both the relief 26 of the male coupler
22 and the single flat side surface 38 of the ring 32 circumscribe
their respective parts.
The locking means 30 further includes biasing means 34. The biasing
means 34 continuously biases the ring 32 off-axis in relation to
the longitudinal axis 18. When the male coupler 22 is inserted into
the female housing means 28, the biasing means 34 continuously
biases the ring 32 into abutting engagement with the relief 26 of
the male coupler 22.
The female housing means 28 further includes lock access means 42
for receiving a tool in the female housing means 28. The tool may
be any tool with a small round head at the end of the narrow neck
wherein the neck is longer than the length of the lock access means
42. The lock access means 42 is placed diametrically opposite the
biasing means 34 with respect to the ring 32. The tool is inserted
into the lock access means 42 to apply a force to the ring 42
opposite in direction and coaxial in orientation to the force being
applied to the ring 32 by the biasing means 34. Once the force
supplied to the ring 32 by the tool is greater than the force being
applied by the biasing means 34, the ring 32 may be moved on-axis
in relation to the longitudinal axis 18. This allows the male
coupler 22 to be moved from the female housing means 28. The
biasing means 34 of the locking means 30 typically comprises a
compressible spring.
The lock access means 42 comprises a hole 42 extending through said
female housing means 28. The access of the hole 42 is coaxial with
the center of the spring 34 and is perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis 18.
The female housing means 28 further includes retaining clip means
44 for selectively moving into and out of a locking position for
locking the ring 32 off-axis in relation to the longitudinal axis.
The retaining clip means 44 is a secondary safety feature of the
locking means 30. The retaining clip means 44 includes a retaining
clip 44 having first 48 and second 50 arms. The first 48 and the
second 50 arms extend substantially in the same direction and have
non-uniform space therebetween wherein the space has a small
portion. The first arm 48 extends through the ring 32 when the
retaining clip 44 is in the locking position. The second member 50
is received by the track means 52 of the female housing means 28.
The track means 52 guides the retaining clip 44 and secures the
retaining clip 44 in the locking position. The track means 52
further includes ridge means 54 which prevent the retaining clip 44
from moving out of the locking position.
The female housing means 28 further includes attachment means 62
(not shown in FIG. 2) for attaching the female housing 28 to the
support structure or a helm 20. The attachment means 62 comprises
two mounting holes 64, 66. The two mounting holes 64, 66 receive
mounting screws, rivets or any other type of fastener known in the
art. The two mounting holes 64,66 are parallel to each other and
lie in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
Turning to FIG. 3, the subject male coupler 22 is shown having a
bolt between the relief 26 and the truncated surface means 29. This
view shows the relationship between the male coupler 22 and the
removable bolt 116. The removable bolt 116 is perpendicular to and
spaced apart from the longitudinal axis 18. FIGS. 4 and 5 show the
male coupler 22 inserted into the second female housing means 110.
The second female housing means 110 is substantially cylindrical in
shape having an inner circumference greater than the outer
circumference of the male coupler 22. The second female housing
means 110 includes two holes (not shown) positioned on opposite
sides of the second female housing means 110 which receive the
removable bolt 116 therein. As maybe seen in FIGS. 3-5, once the
male coupler 22 is inserted into the second female housing means
110, the removable bolt 116 may be inserted into the two holes thus
preventing the male coupler 22 from being removed from the second
female housing means 110. The truncated surface means 29 provides
sufficient space for the removable bolt 116 to pass
therethrough.
The removable bolt 116 comprises a long cylindrical body 118 having
a tool engagement end 120 and a threaded end 122 disposed on either
end of the long cylindrical body 118. The threaded end 122 receives
a nut 124 which secures the removable bolt 116 in the locking
position.
The second female housing means 110 comprises two flanges 126, 128
wherein each flange 126,128 comprises mounting means 130 for
mounting the second female housing means 110 to a support structure
20. (For clarity, FIG. 5 shows neither the flanges 126,128 nor the
mounting means 130). As was discussed earlier, the mounting means
130 includes two mounting holes 132,134 for receiving mounting
screws or the like therein thus securing the second female housing
means 110 to a support structure 20 or bulkhead.
The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it
is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is
intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of
limitation.
Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present
invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is,
therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended
claims wherein reference numerals are merely for convenience and
are not to be in any way limiting, the invention may be practiced
otherwise than as specifically described.
* * * * *