Crimped/swaged-on tubing terminations and methods

Abstract

A tubing termination comprises a termination portion adapted to make a fluid connection and a tube attachment portion, adapted to receive a tube and to be crimped or swaged. The tube attachment portion comprises a retention mechanism that is adapted to be manipulated during crimping or swaging to bite the tube so as to lock the tube attachment portion relative to the tube. This retention mechanism may take the form of a deformable bite ring, a deflectable c-insert, irregularities defined on an inner surface of the tube attachment portion, and/or the like. The tube attachment portion also may include a resilient sealing mechanism adapted to provide a seal between the tube and the tube attachment portion, and thereby a fluid-tight connection between the tube and the termination portion.

1 . A tubing termination comprising:
 a termination portion adapted to make a fluid connection; and   a tube attachment portion, adapted to receive a tube and to be crimped or swaged, said tube attachment portion comprising:
 a retention mechanism that is adapted to be manipulated during crimping or swaging to bite said tube so as to lock said tube attachment portion relative to said tube; 
 a resilient sealing mechanism adapted to provide a seal between said tube and said tube attachment portion and thereby a fluid-tight connection between said tube and said termination portion. 
   
     
     
         2 . The tubing termination of  claim 1 , wherein locking said tube attachment portion relative to said tube includes rotationally locking and longitudinally locking said tube attachment portion relative to said tube. 
     
     
         3 . The tubing termination of  claim 1 , wherein said retention mechanism comprises irregularities defined in an inner surface of said tube attachment portion, said irregularities adapted to engage an outer surface of said tube upon crimping or swaging of said tube attachment portion to lock said tube attachment portion relative to said tube. 
     
     
         4 . The tubing termination of  claim 3  wherein said irregularities comprise serrations. 
     
     
         5 . The tubing termination of  claim 4  wherein said serrations longitudinally lock said tube relative to said tube attachment portion. 
     
     
         6 . The tubing termination of  claim 3 , wherein said serration comprise threads. 
     
     
         7 . The tubing termination of  claim 6 , wherein said tube is threaded to threadably mate with said threads defined in an inner surface of said tube attachment portion for initial deployment of said termination on said tube, prior to crimping or swaging. 
     
     
         8 . The tubing termination of  claim 3  wherein said irregularities comprise knurling. 
     
     
         9 . The tubing termination of  claim 3  wherein said irregularities comprise nubs. 
     
     
         10 . The tubing termination of  claim 9  wherein said nubs rotationally lock said tube relative to said tube attachment portion. 
     
     
         11 . The tubing termination of  claim 3  wherein broaches in said irregularities rotationally lock said tube relative to said tube attachment portion. 
     
     
         12 . The tubing termination of  claim 3  wherein splining defined in said irregularities rotationally lock said tube relative to said tube attachment portion. 
     
     
         13 . The tubing termination of  claim 1 , wherein said retention mechanism is adapted to be deformed to bite said tube so as to lock said tube attachment portion relative to said tube. 
     
     
         14 . The tubing termination of  claim 13  wherein said retention mechanism is a bite ring. 
     
     
         15 . The tubing termination of  claim 13 , wherein said retention mechanism is deformed by crimping or swaging at least a portion of said attachment portion. 
     
     
         16 . The tubing termination of  claim 15  wherein said retention mechanism is a bite ring. 
     
     
         17 . The tubing termination of  claim 16  wherein said bite ring is serrated. 
     
     
         18 . The tubing termination of  claim 17  wherein an exterior surface of said bite ring is knurled to frictionally engage an inner surface of said attachment portion. 
     
     
         19 . The tubing termination of  claim 16  wherein an interior surface of said bite ring is knurled to frictionally engage an outer surface of said tube. 
     
     
         20 . The tubing termination of  claim 16  wherein broaches in serrations or knurling defined by said bite ring rotationally lock said tube relative to said tube attachment portion. 
     
     
         21 . The tubing termination of  claim 16  wherein splining in serrations or knurling defined by said bite ring rotationally lock said tube relative to said tube attachment portion. 
     
     
         22 . The tubing termination of  claim 16  wherein said resilient sealing mechanism is a seal disposed independent from said bite ring. 
     
     
         23 . The tubing termination of  claim 16  wherein said bite ring is overmolded by a resilient sealing material comprising at least a part of said resilient sealing mechanism. 
     
     
         24 . The tubing termination of  claim 1 , wherein said retention mechanism is adapted to radially deflect to bite into said tube so as to lock said tube attachment portion relative to said tube. 
     
     
         25 . The tubing termination of  claim 24 , wherein said retention mechanism is also adapted to radially deflect to bite into said tube attachment portion so as to lock said tube attachment portion relative to said tube. 
     
     
         26 . The tubing termination of  claim 24 , wherein said retention mechanism is deflected by crimping or swaging at least a portion of said attachment portion. 
     
     
         27 . The tubing termination of  claim 24 , wherein said retention mechanism comprises a c-insert adapted to be deflected by crimping or swaging at least a portion of said attachment portion to bite said tube and lock said tube attachment portion relative to said tube. 
     
     
         28 . The tubing termination of  claim 27  wherein ends of said c-insert are adapted to bite into said tube attachment portion to aid in locking said tube attachment portion relative to said tube. 
     
     
         29 . The tubing termination of  claim 24 , wherein locking said tube attachment portion relative to said tube includes rotationally locking and longitudinally locking said tube attachment portion relative to said tube. 
     
     
         30 . The tubing termination of  claim 1  wherein said sealing mechanism is disposed between said termination portion and said retention mechanism. 
     
     
         31 . The tubing termination of  claim 1  wherein said retention mechanism is disposed between said termination portion and said sealing mechanism. 
     
     
         32 . The tubing termination of  claim 1  further comprising a washer disposed between said retention mechanism and said sealing mechanism, said washer adapted to close seal extrusion gaps between said tube and said tube attachment portion upon crimping or swaging of said tube attachment portion. 
     
     
         33 . A method comprising:
 inserting a tube end into a tube attachment portion of a tubing termination that also comprises a termination portion adapted to make a fluid connection;   crimping or swaging at least a portion of said tube attachment portion to manipulate a retention mechanism associated with said tube receptive portion to bite said tube so as to lock said tube attachment portion relative to said tube and to seal between said tube and said tube attachment portion to provide a fluid-tight connection between said tube and said termination portion; and   defining irregularities in an inner surface of said tube attachment portion that engage an outer surface of said tube and lock said tube attachment portion with said tube upon crimping or swaging of said tube attachment portion;   wherein said irregularities comprise a generally saw tooth configuration.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 defining irregularities in an inner surface of said tube attachment portion that engage an outer surface of said tube and lock said tube attachment portion with said tube upon crimping or swaging of said tube attachment portion.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 broaching said irregularities such that said crimping or swaging rotationally locks said tube relative to said tube attachment portion.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 splining said irregularities such that said crimping or swaging rotationally locks said tube relative to said tube attachment portion.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 serrating in an inner surface of said tube attachment portion that engage an outer surface of said tube and longitudinally lock said tube attachment portion with said tube upon crimping or swaging of said tube attachment portion.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 knurling in an inner surface of said tube attachment portion that engage an outer surface of said tube and longitudinally lock said tube attachment portion with said tube upon crimping or swaging of said tube attachment portion.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 defining nubs in an inner surface of said tube attachment portion that engage an outer surface of said tube and rotationally locking said tube attachment portion with said tube upon crimping or swaging of said tube attachment portion.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein said crimping or swaging deforms said retention mechanism to bite said tube, locking said tube attachment portion relative to said tube. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein said retention mechanism is a bite ring. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising:
 serrating said bite ring.   
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising:
 knurling an exterior surface of said bite ring such that said bite ring frictionally engages an inner surface of said attachment portion when said at least a portion of said tube attachment portion is crimped or swaged.   
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising:
 knurling an interior surface of said bite ring such that said bite ring frictionally engages an outer surface of said tube when said at least a portion of said tube attachment portion is crimped or swaged.   
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising:
 disposing a seal within said tube attachment portion, independent from said bite ring to provide said seal between said tube and said tube attachment portion.   
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising:
 overmolding said bite ring with a resilient sealing material to provide at least a part of said seal between said tube and said tube attachment portion.   
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein said crimping or swaging deflects said retention mechanism such that said retention mechanism bites into said tube so as to lock said tube attachment portion relative to said tube. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein said retention mechanism is a c-insert and said crimping or swaging radially deflects said c-insert to bite said tube, locking said tube attachment portion relative to said tube. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 disposing a sealing mechanism between said termination portion and said retention mechanism to provide said seal between said tube and said tube attachment portion.   
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 disposing said retention mechanism between said termination portion and said a sealing mechanism to provide said seal between said tube and said tube attachment portion.   
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein said bite ring is a separate from said tube receptive portion. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein said termination portion is configured to be crimped such that a back ring is not needed to inhibit movement of the tube relative to said tube attachment portion.