Abstract

A pipe coupling has a housing has a receiving recess for a pipe, the housing having a through hole extending from a first aperture in an external surface of the housing through to a second aperture in the inner wall of the receiving recess. A fixing element is arranged to slidingly mate with the through hole in the housing to give a mated configuration, and when in the mated configuration, an engagement part of the fixing element is adapted to project through the second aperture to lockingly engage with the outer surface of the pipe. The through note is also provided with a locking means adapted to be configured in an open configuration, in which the fixing element can be slidingly mated with or removed from the through hole through the first aperture, and a locked configuration, in which the locking means holds the fixing element in the mated configuration in the through hole. The pipe coupling provides a fluid-tight connection using relatively low-tolerance, easily manufactured parts and suitable for rapid deployment in hazardous environments.

IPC Classes  ?

• F16L 25/08 - Construction or details of pipe joints not provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups comprising radial locking means in the form of screws, nails or the like
• F16L 41/08 - Joining pipes to walls or pipes, the joined pipe axis being perpendicular to the plane of a wall or to the axis of another pipe
• F16B 7/00 - Connections of rods or tubes, e.g. of non-circular section, mutually, including resilient connections

Abstract

A coupling (1) for connection to a tubular conduit (4) has a hollow expandable seal arrangement (12) moveable from an unexpanded position in which a tubular conduit (4) can be pushed past the seal to an expanded position in which the seal arrangement (12) generates a seal between the coupling end (2) and the tubular conduit (4) on the introduction of a fluid (36) into the seal. The hollow expandable seal arrangement (12), when in the expanded position, is adapted to form a set seal between the coupling end (2) and said tubular conduit (4), for instance by using a setting fluid for its expansion, or by means of a second adhesive toroidal seal (40) positioned between the expandable seal (12) and the tubular conduit (4), the second seal (40) being forced into an adhered set seal with the tubular conduit (4) when the expandable seal (12) is in the expanded position.

IPC Classes  ?

• F16L 17/10 - Joints with packing adapted to sealing by fluid pressure the packing being sealed by the pressure of a fluid other than the fluid in or surrounding the pipe
• F16L 25/08 - Construction or details of pipe joints not provided for in, or of interest apart from, groups comprising radial locking means in the form of screws, nails or the like