Connection placement device and method for fluid lines

Abstract

A connection placement device for making a rigid connection with at least one tube in a fluid line includes at least one adapter body having a passage bore with at least two outlets, and a mating block comprising at least one component and having at least one channel for receiving the adapter body. The adapter body has a retention feature formed on an exterior of the adapter body. The mating block has a mating feature formed on an interior of the channel. Furthermore, the retention feature of the adapter body interacts with the mating feature of the mating block when the adapter body is coupled to the channel of the mating block such that the adapter body is rigidly held in the channel of the mating block.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connection arrangement in a fluid line assembly, and in particular to a connection arrangement including an adapter with a mating block for making a robust connection in a motor vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] This section merely describes background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

[0003] The connection arrangements are generally used in fluid line assemblies in motor vehicles. In particular, the connection arrangements are used in air conditioning systems, cooling systems (e.g. cooling water circuits), valve units, pump units. Limited space requires particularly compact and lightweight designs. Furthermore, pipe or tube connections in air conditioning systems may consist of metal, rubber and plastic materials. Furthermore, the pipes or tubes are attached via adapters with sealing elements. Therefore, the adapters have to be connected to the pipes with a tight and durable sealing and further to the pipes or other parts in the air conditioning system in a detachable manner. However, in addition to high pressures and high temperatures, vibrations occur and are transmitted to the components of the air conditioning system. Therefore, the connection arrangements used in air conditioning systems have to realize connections that are durable against vibrations and high pressures and have a structure that does not allow fluids to leak. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In general, it is important that a fluid line system, such as an automotive air conditioning system, is constructed to be lightweight and durable in a limited space. However, the number of fastening means for fixing components of the fluid line system together is limited, and it has been found difficult to construct an adapter that provides a durable seal for the connection arrangement to provide a strong connection in the fluid line system. In order to effectively arrange a sealed and fixed fluid line in a vehicle, many devices and methods for connection arrangement are continuously developed and used in various fluid line systems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present disclosure relates to a connection placement device for making a strong connection with at least one tube in a fluid line. The connection placement device of the present disclosure allows for a lightweight, stable and durable connection in a fluid line system, such as a vehicle air conditioning system. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the connection placement device includes at least one adapter body having a passage bore forming a fluid channel with at least two outlets, and a mating block comprising at least one component. Further, the mating block has at least one channel for receiving the adapter body. The adapter body has a retention feature formed on an exterior of the adapter body. The mating block has a mating feature formed within the channel. Further, the retention feature of the adapter body is configured to interact with the mating feature of the mating block when the adapter body is coupled to the channel of the mating block such that the adapter body is firmly held in the channel of the mating block.

[0006] According to a further aspect of the disclosure, the retention feature of the adapter body is beam-shaped and has a fixed end attached to the adapter body and a free end extending from the fixed end at an angle to a flow direction of the second outlet such that the beam-shaped retention feature engages the mating feature when the adapter body is retained in the channel of the mating block. The mating feature of the mating block is formed as a groove on an inner surface of the channel for receiving the beam-shaped retention feature of the adapter body such that the adapter body is securely retained in the channel of the mating block.

[0007] According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the retention feature of the adapter body includes at least one protrusion formed on an outer surface of the adapter body that engages with the mating feature of the mating block when the adapter body is retained in the channel of the mating block, the mating feature of the mating block including at least one aperture sized to engage with the protrusion of the adapter body such that the adapter body is securely retained in the channel of the mating block.

[0008] According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the mating block comprises two components, such as an insert and an outer body. The insert is formed from a metallic material, such as aluminum, and the outer body is formed from a polymeric material. The outer body is overmolded onto the insert to form the mating block. The outer body of the mating block has mating features that receive the retention features of the adapter body.

[0009] According to a further aspect of the disclosure, the adapter body has a first outlet and a second outlet, the first outlet and the second outlet extending along a straight flow direction in the fluid line or angled relative to one another to change the flow direction of the fluid line. The second outlet of the adapter body has a first end and a second end extending from the first end along a second flow direction of the second outlet. The second outlet of the adapter body further has an adapter bead formed around the first end of the second outlet. The channel of the mating block has a stepped annular surface facing perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the channel and having a larger diameter than the channel to receive and support the adapter bead of the adapter body when the adapter body is coupled to the channel of the mating block.

[0010] According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the adapter body further includes at least one radially extending circular bead formed along a periphery of the adapter body, the at least one circular bead being spaced apart from the adapter bead along the second flow direction of the second outlet, and the adapter body further includes at least one rib formed between and connected to the adapter bead and the circular bead to prevent creep of the adapter body.

[0011] According to a further aspect of the disclosure, the channel of the mating block further has a side opening formed in a side wall of the channel to receive the first outlet of the adapter body when the adapter body is coupled to the channel of the mating block. A sealing washer (or sealing ring) is disposed around the second outlet of the adapter body. The sealing washer (or sealing ring) is configured to provide a seal in the fluid line when the second outlet is connected with a tube or attached to one of the components of the fluid line system. Furthermore, another tube is inserted into the first outlet of the adapter body and connected to the adapter body by a strong coupling method such as welding.

[0012] According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, a portion of the seal ring retained in the second outlet of the adapter body is disposed on a stepped annular surface on the mating block, with a portion of the seal ring and the adapter bead positioned within a channel of the mating block.

[0013] According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the mating block further includes at least one through hole for receiving a fastening element for attaching the mating block to a component of the fluid line system. The adapter body is formed from a plastic material. The mating block is formed from a metal or polymer material.

[0014] According to another aspect of the disclosure, a connection placement device for making a rigid connection with at least one tube in a fluid line includes at least one adapter body having a passage bore forming a fluid channel with at least two outlets. The adapter body has a retention feature. A mating block has an insert and an outer body and has at least one channel for receiving the adapter body and a mating feature formed in the channel. The retention feature of the adapter body engages with the mating feature of the mating block such that the adapter body is rigidly held in the channel of the mating block.

[0015] According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the adapter body has an adapter bead disposed on a top surface of the mating block when the adapter body is mated with the mating block, and the retention feature extends from a second side of the adapter bead such that the retention feature securely engages a groove formed in the mating feature when the adapter body is mated with the mating block.

[0016] According to another aspect of the disclosure, a connection arrangement method for a rigid connection in a fluid line with at least one tube includes the steps of providing at least one adapter body having a first outlet and a second outlet, providing a mating block having at least one channel and at least one through hole, inserting an end of the tube into the first outlet and connecting the inserted tube to the adapter body such that they are rigidly coupled, and coupling the adapter body with the connected tube to at least one channel of the mating block such that the adapter body engages with the channel of the mating block. The step of providing the mating block includes the steps of providing an insert and an outer body overmolded onto the insert.

[0017] According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the connection arrangement method further includes installing a sealing washer at the second outlet of the adapter body by an interference fit (press fit joint) or by placing it around the second outlet of the adapter body for connection with another tube, and attaching the mating block engaged with the adapter body to the fluid line by a fastening element through a through hole in the mating block.

[0018] Further explanation and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description of the accompanying drawings, in which: The drawings herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0019] For a more detailed understanding of the present disclosure, various configurations will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a connection arrangement device including an adapter body and a mating block having a channel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 1B]FIG. 1B is a perspective view of a connection arrangement device including an adapter body and a mating block having two channels according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A is a side view of the adapter body in the connection arrangement device of FIG. 1A. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is a side view of an adapter body according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2C] FIG. 2C is a top view of the connection arrangement device having one mating block and two adapter bodies of FIGS. 2A and 2B. [Figure 3A] FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the mating block of FIG. 1A. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the mating block of FIG. 1B. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is a side cross-sectional view of the connection arrangement device taken along line AA of FIG. 1B. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a side cross-sectional view of a connection arrangement device according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a side view of another retention feature formed on the adapter body of FIG. 2A. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a side view of another retention feature formed on the adapter body of FIG. 2B. [Figure 5C] FIG. 5C is a perspective view of another mating feature of the mating block of FIG. 1A. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A illustrates an assembly process for the connection placement device of FIG. 1A. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B illustrates an assembly process for the connection placement device of FIG. 1A. [Figure 6C] FIG. 6C illustrates an assembly process for the connection placement device of FIG. 1A. [Figure 6D] FIG. 6D illustrates an assembly process for the connection placement device of FIG. 1A. [Figure 7A] FIG. 7A is a perspective view of a connection arrangement device including a mating block having one channel and an adapter body according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7B]FIG. 7B is a top view of the connection placement device of FIG. 7A installed in a fluid line system. [Figure 7C] FIG. 7C is a cross-sectional side view of the connection placement device installed in the fluid line system taken along line 7C-7C of FIG. 7B. [Figure 8A] FIG. 8A is a perspective view of a mating block according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8B] FIG. 8B is a top view of the mating block of FIG. 8A. [Figure 8C] FIG. 8C is a perspective view of an insert for the mating block of FIG. 8A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] The drawings included herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0022] The following description is merely illustrative and is not intended to limit the disclosure or its application or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts and features.

[0023] The connection arrangement device of the present disclosure is exemplified in relation to a fluid line system, such as an air conditioning system or a cooling system of an automobile. As an example, the connection arrangement device of the present disclosure is used in an air conditioning system having a compressor, a condenser, a heat exchanger, an evaporator, and also an intermediate connection. In particular, the connection arrangement device is provided for an air conditioning system in an automobile, which is lightweight and has durable and strong connections between the components of the air conditioning system. However, the connection arrangement device of the present disclosure is not limited thereto and can also be used in other fluid line systems, such as a cooling system (e.g., a cooling water circuit), a valve unit, a pump unit, etc.

[0024] 1A and 1B show a connection arrangement device 10 having at least one adapter body 100 and a mating block 200 coupled with the adapter body 100. Generally, the connection arrangement device 10 is fixed to a fluid line system (not shown), such as an air conditioning system, by a fastening element of a fluid line, such as a refrigerant in an automobile. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the adapter body 100 has a passage bore 102 formed as a fluid channel (see FIG. 4A) and includes at least two outlets, such as a first outlet 104 and a second outlet 106, formed at each end of the adapter body 100 (see FIGS. 2A and 2B). The first outlet 104 communicates with the second outlet 106 via the fluid channel 102. The first outlet 104 and the second outlet 106 are generally connected to tubes or hoses, respectively, for making a rigid connection in the fluid line system. In another embodiment, the adapter body 100 is not limited to two outlets, but has three or more outlets. As shown in Fig. 4A, the first outlet 104 of the adapter body 100 is in the form of a receptacle having a hollow cylindrical shape to receive the tube 12. The tube 12 is inserted into the first outlet 104 and connected to the adapter body 100 by welding, in particular laser welding, to provide a strong connection. Furthermore, in Figs. 1A and 1B, the mating block 200 has at least one channel 202 to receive the adapter body 100 such that the adapter body 100 is coupled with the mating block 200.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2A, the adapter body 100 has a first outlet 104 and a second outlet 106. The first outlet 104 and the second outlet 106 are disposed at a 90 degree angle to change the flow direction. According to other aspects of the present disclosure, the angle between the first outlet 104 and the second outlet 106 may be changed to 45 degrees, 90 degrees, or 180 degrees (i.e., horizontal flow direction) to create a desired flow direction. In the example of FIG. 2A, a first flow direction 105 is defined along the first outlet 104, and a second flow direction 107 is defined along the second outlet 106, with the first outlet 104 and the second outlet 106 forming a 90 degree angle. Therefore, the first flow direction 105 and the second flow direction 107 form a right angle.

[0026] In FIG. 2A, the second outlet 106 has a first end 108 and a second end 110 extending from the first end 108 along the second flow direction 107. Furthermore, the adapter body 100 has an adapter bead 112 and at least one circular bead 114 extending radially along the periphery of the adapter body 100. The adapter bead 112 is formed around the first end 108 of the second outlet 106, and the at least one circular bead 114 is formed spaced apart from the adapter bead 112 along the second flow direction 107. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2A, the adapter body 100 has at least one rib 116. The rib 116 is formed between the adapter bead 112 and the one circular bead 114 to prevent creep of the adapter body 100 when the connection arrangement device 10 is attached to an air conditioning system operating in a vehicle.

[0027] FIG. 2B shows a second embodiment of the adapter body 300. The adapter body 300 has a second outlet 306. The second outlet 306 has a larger diameter than the second outlet 106 of the adapter body 100 so that the adapter body 300 can be connected to a tube with a larger diameter. Furthermore, the adapter body 300 according to the second embodiment does not have the circular bead 114 and the rib 115 formed on the adapter body 100 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, the adapter body 300 has a large enough size to fit into the second channel 203, which is larger than the first channel 202. Therefore, the circular bead 114 formed on the adapter body 100 according to the first embodiment is not required for the adapter body 300 according to the second embodiment to be coupled with the second channel 203 (see FIG. 3B) of the mating block 200. Compared with the adapter body 300 of FIG. 2B, the structural size, such as the wall thickness, of the adapter body 100 of FIG. 2A may be reduced. This is because a smaller size of adapter body 100 increases the dimensional stability of adapter body 100 during the injection molding process, resulting in better injection molding. Thus, in adapter body 100 of FIG. 1A, circular bead 114 with ribs 116 is necessary to enlarge the outer diameter to a sufficient size to mate with channel 202 of mating block 200, and is necessary for increasing the structural strength of adapter body 100 to accommodate the reduced wall thickness of adapter body 100.

[0028] 2C shows an example of a connection placement device 10 having two adapter bodies 100, 300 and a mating block 200 having two channels 202, 203. The first channel 202 is smaller than the second channel 203. The first channel 202 receives the first adapter body 100 and the second channel 203 receives the second adapter body 300. Thus, the different sizes of the adapter bodies 100, 300 allow the connection placement device 10 to use different sizes of tubes 12 in the fluid line system.

[0029] 2A and 2B, the adapter body 100, 300 has a beam-shaped retention feature 118. The retention feature 118 has a fixed end 122 attached to the adapter body 100, 300, respectively, and a free end 124 extending from the fixed end 122. Since the adapter bodies 100, 300 have the same retention feature 118, the following description will focus on the retention feature 118 formed on the adapter body 100. In FIGS. 2A and 2B, the free end 124 of the beam-shaped retention feature 118 extends from the fixed end 122 at an angle 126 relative to the second flow direction 107, and the angled retention feature 118 allows the adapter body 100 to interact with and engage the mating block 200 (see FIG. 4A).

[0030] Each of the adapter bodies 100, 300 is preferably formed from a plastic material. In particular, the adapter bodies 100, 300 are formed from a polymeric material such as polyamide (PA), e.g., polyamide 612 (PA612). Also, to increase strength and / or mechanical stability, the plastic material may contain fiber reinforcement, such as glass fiber, so that the adapter bodies 100, 300 are formed from a pressure-resistant plastic material. Furthermore, a resin-based plastic material may be used. The resin-based plastic material is a rigid glass-like member that is tightly three-dimensionally cross-linked through chemical bonds. This type of material has low density and high thermo-mechanical strength at the same time. Furthermore, the tube 12 that is combined with the adapter body 100 in the connection arrangement device 10 is also formed from a plastic material similar to that of the adapter body 100, e.g., selected from polyamide (PA). However, even if polyamide (PA) is used for both the adapter body 100, 300 and the tube 12, the polyamide (PA) material used for both parts may be different. In the fluid line system, the tube 12 is a single or multi-layer tube, typically made of polyamide (PA6, PA12, PA612, semi-aromatic polyamide (PA9T), HDPE, PP, etc.), and is weldable to the adapter body. However, the adapter body is typically made of PA12 (up to 30% glass fiber reinforcement), PPA (polyphthalamide) or PP (polypropylene), resulting in comparable mechanical and chemical properties.

[0031] 3A and 3B show a mating block 200 having at least one channel 202 formed along a longitudinal axis 204 for receiving and mating with the adapter body 100. For example, FIG. 3A shows a mating block 200 having one channel 202. FIG. 2B shows a mating block 200 having two channels 202, 203. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, each channel 202, 203 has a stepped annular surface 206. The stepped annular surface 206 receives and supports the adapter bead 112 of the adapter body 100 when the adapter body 100 is mated with the mating block 200. The stepped annular surface 206 has a diameter larger than the channel 202. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 3B, the mating block 200 has a mating feature 208 configured to interact with the retention feature 118 of the adapter body 100. The mating feature 208 of the mating block 200 is formed as a groove 210 on an inner surface 212 of the channel 202 along the longitudinal axis 204 so that the retaining feature 118 of the adapter body 100 engages with the channel 202 of the mating block 200 (see Figures 4A and 4B).

[0032] 4A and 4B, the retention feature 118 of the adapter body 100 interacts with the mating feature 208 of the mating block 200 such that the adapter body 100 is retained within the channel 202 of the mating block 200. Furthermore, the stepped annular surface 206 has a depth H that receives the adapter bead 112 of the adapter body 100. As shown in FIG. 4A, in one example, the depth H of the stepped annular surface 206 is the same as the thickness t of the adapter bead 112, thereby making the upper surface 220 of the mating block 200 flush with the first surface 111 of the adapter bead 112 formed on the adapter body 100. Thus, a sealing washer (or sealing ring) 128 is positioned on the first surface 111 of the adapter bead 112, which is retained around the second outlet 106, and the sealing washer (or sealing ring) 128 is located over the upper edge of the mating block 200. As shown in FIG. 4B, in another example, the depth H of the stepped annular surface 206 is greater than the thickness t of the adapter bead 112. This allows the stepped annular surface 206 of the mating block 200 to receive the adapter bead 112 and a portion of the seal washer 128 held in the second outlet 106 formed in the adapter body 100. Thus, at least a portion of the seal washer (or seal ring) 128 located inside the mating block 200 and another portion of the seal washer (or seal ring) 128 slightly protrude from the upper surface 220 of the mating block 200. As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 4B, since a portion of the seal washer 128 is located inside the mating block 200, when the connection placement device 10 is firmly attached to the component 22 of the fluid line system (see FIG. 7C), the seal washer 128 is slightly compressed to seal the connection against leakage. Thus, the pressure on the sealing washer 128 is sufficient to provide a seal when the mating block 200 is tightly threadedly engaged with the fluid line system component 22. That is, when an axial force is applied to the sealing washer 128 (e.g., downward in FIG. 4B ), the sealing washer compresses vertically and expands radially (due to the elastic nature of the sealing washer material), thereby forming a seal against a tube or component that is pressed against the sealing washer 128 and outlet 106.However, as shown in FIG. 4B, the radially expanded sealing washer 128 does not contact the inner surface of the stepped annular surface 206 such that the sealing washer 128 further reduces the risk of leakage due to deformation and / or distortion.

[0033] 3A and 3B, the channels 202, 203 of the mating block 200 have side openings 214 formed on the sides of the channels 202, 203 along the longitudinal axis 204, respectively. The side openings 214 of the mating block 200 are configured to receive the first outlet 104 of the adapter body 100 when the adapter body 100 is mated with the mating block 200. As shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 1A and 1B, the side openings 214 of the mating block 200 along the longitudinal axis 204 allow each of the adapter bodies 100, 300 having angled outlets 104, 106 to be mated with the mating block 200 such that the desired flow direction is changed, such as by 90 degrees. The mating block 200 further includes at least one through hole 216 for attachment and fastening to a fluid line system by a fastening element, such as a screw. Additionally, the mating block 200 is formed from a metal material, such as aluminum, or a polymeric material. In particular, the material of the mating block 200 is highly rigid and highly stress resistant.

[0034] 5A and 5B show different examples of retention features 118 formed on adapter bodies 100 and 300, respectively. Because the retention features 118 of adapter bodies 100 and 300 are identical, the retention feature 118 of adapter body 100 will be described below. In each of adapter bodies 100 and 300, retention feature 118 is formed as at least one protrusion 130. Protrusion 130 generally protrudes from an outer surface of adapter body 100 and has a shape such as annular. For example, in FIG. 5A, annular protrusion 130 protrudes from one of circular beads 114 formed around the periphery of adapter body 100. In FIG. 5B, annular protrusion 330 protrudes from outer surface 332 of adapter body 300. According to other embodiments of the present disclosure, the retention feature 118 of the adapter body 100 may be formed to have other shapes, such as a semi-annular protrusion or a peripheral protrusion (e.g., a rectangular or hexagonal shape) that protrudes from the outer surface of the adapter body 100.

[0035] 5C illustrates another example of a mating feature 208 formed on the mating block 200. The mating feature 208 is formed as at least one hole 218 in a sidewall of the channel 202. The hole 218 interacts and engages with the annular protrusion 130 of the adapter body 100 such that the adapter body 100 is retained in the channel 202 of the mating block 200 when the adapter body 100 is coupled to the mating block 200.

[0036] 6A-6D show the assembly process of the connection arrangement device 10 having the adapter body 100 and the mating block 200 to be connected with at least one hose or tube 12. In FIG. 6A, the plastic or metal tube 12 is inserted into the adapter body 100 and connected in a strongly adhesive state. The first outlet 104 of the adapter body 100 receives the tube 12 which communicates with the passage bore (fluid channel) 102 of the adapter body 100. The inserted tube 12 is firmly adhered to the adapter body 100 by adhesive. The adhesive connection is performed by a welding method such as, for example, spin welding, ultrasonic welding, induction welding, solvent welding, laser welding, etc. In particular, in the case of laser welding, the adapter body 100 may be formed from a laser-transparent material, and the materials of the adapter body 100 and the tube 12 are selected in consideration of their weldability. Furthermore, the adhesive connection may be performed by other adhesive methods such as gluing.

[0037] In Figure 6B, the adapter body 100 with the tube 12 inserted is coupled to the mating block 200 such that the retention feature 118 of the adapter body 100 interacts with the mating feature 208 of the mating block 200. Thus, as shown in Figure 6C, the adapter bead 112 of the adapter body 100 is supported by the stepped annular surface 206 of the mating block 200 and the retention feature 118 of the adapter body 100 engages the mating feature 208 of the mating block 200 to retain the adapter body 100 within the channel 202 of the mating block 200.

[0038] In FIG. 6D, the sealing washer 128 is pressed against the second outlet 106 of the adapter body 100, so that the sealing washer 128 is placed around the second outlet 106 or held around the second outlet 106 by an interference fit (press-fit joint) (see also FIG. 1A). The sealing washer 128 is thus configured to seal in a fluid line when the second outlet 106 is connected with another tube or hose or when it is fixed to a fluid line system (not shown) via the through hole 216 of the mating block 200. The sealing washer 128 may be a sealing ring made of an elastomeric material or a sealing washer made of an elastomeric metal composite material (slimline sealing washer). In another example, the sealing washer 128 consists of an annular elastomeric part attached to a support ring of a metallic material. The support ring is subjected to an axially acting contact force and prevents the elastomeric part from prematurely wearing out as a result of excessive deformation. The elastomeric piece provides a seal against gaps between the face of the adapter bead 112 and the end face of another tube or fluid line system. However, according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, this feature is also used for radial connections utilizing O-rings instead of sealing washers. Furthermore, the connection arrangement device 10 of the present disclosure is rigidly attached or secured to one of the components 22 of the fluid line system by fastening means such as screws (see FIG. 7B), and another tube is connected to the second outlet 106 of the adapter body 100 to provide a rigid connection in the fluid line system as previously described.

[0039] FIG. 7A shows another exemplary embodiment of a connection placement device 20 having an adapter body 400 and a mating block 500 of the present disclosure. FIG. 7B shows, as an example, a connection placement device 20 firmly attached to a port or component 22 of a fluid line system by a fastening element 24. FIG. 7C shows a cross-sectional view of the connection placement device 20 secured to a component 22 of a fluid line system. In FIGS. 7A-7C, the connection placement device 20 includes an adapter body 400 and a mating block 500. However, the other exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2C above may be applied to this embodiment, and two or more adapter bodies may be coupled to a mating block having two or more channels.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 7C, the adapter body 400 has a passage bore 402 formed as a fluid channel. The adapter body 400 has at least two outlets, such as a first outlet 404 and a second outlet 406, where the first outlet 404 communicates with the second outlet 406 via the fluid channel 402. In another example, the adapter body 400 has three or more outlets, not limited to two outlets. Each of the first outlet 404 and the second outlet 406 is generally connected with a hose or tube 12 for a rigid connection in the component 22 of the fluid line system. As shown in Fig. 7C, the first outlet 404 of the adapter body 400 is in the form of a hollow cylindrical receptacle for receiving the tube 12 to be connected by welding, in particular laser welding, so that the tube 12 is inserted into the first outlet 404 and rigidly connected to the adapter body 100.

[0041] In FIG. 7C, the adapter body 400 has a first outlet 404 and a second outlet 406 arranged in a linear flow direction defined as the longitudinal direction L. However, as shown in FIG. 4A, the first outlet and the second outlet may be arranged at an angle to form a desired flow direction, such as 90 degrees or 45 degrees. The second outlet 406 has a first end 408 and a second end 410 extending from the first end 408 along the longitudinal direction L. Additionally, the adapter body 400 has an adapter bead 412 extending radially around the first end 408 of the second outlet 406. The adapter bead 412 is similar to the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 2A and 2B. Additionally, the adapter body 400 is formed from the same plastic material as the adapter bodies 100 and 300 described above. The adapter body 400 of the third embodiment is substantially the same as the adapter bodies 100, 300 (see Figures 2A and 2B) described above, except for the flow direction of the first outlet 404 and the second outlet 406 and the retention feature 418 located in a different position (see also Figure 7C).

[0042] In particular, as shown in FIG. 7C, the adapter body 400 has a retention feature 418 having a fixed end 422 and a free end 424 extending from the fixed end 422. The retention feature 418 is shaped like a beam and is generally identical to the retention feature 118 of the adapter bodies 100, 300 described above, except that in the example of FIG. 7C of the present disclosure, the fixed end 422 of the retention feature 418 is attached to the second side 413 of the adapter bead 412, unlike the adapter bodies 100, 300 described above. Additionally, the free end 424 of the retention feature 418 extends from the fixed end 422 at an angle 426 relative to the longitudinal direction L. The angled retention feature 418 allows the adapter body 400 to interact with and engage the mating block 500, as shown in FIG. 7C.

[0043] 8A-8C show a mating block 500 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 8A, the mating block 500 is formed in two pieces, including an insert 502 and an outer body 504. Furthermore, the mating block 500 has at least one channel 506 formed along a longitudinal axis L for receiving and coupling with the adapter body 400. FIG. 8B shows the insert 502 formed from a metallic material, such as aluminum or steel, by extrusion. However, in other aspects of the present disclosure, the insert 502 may be formed by other methods, such as cutting, machining, etc. FIG. 8C shows the mating block 500 having an outer body 504 formed from a polymeric material. Furthermore, the outer body 504 may be overmolded onto the insert 502 by plastic injection molding. As shown in FIG. 8A, since the mating block 500 is formed by injection molding, the outer body 504 has a plurality of ribs 503 formed on an outer radial surface 516 of the outer body 504 to reduce material costs and weight of the connection placement device 20. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 7C, when fastening elements 24 such as screws are used to securely attach the connection placement device 20 to the fluid line system component 22, the metal inserts 502 of the mating block 500 provide the necessary strength to support the compressive forces along the longitudinal direction L for sealing between the connection placement device 20 and the fluid line system component 22.

[0044] Returning to FIG. 7C, the mating block 500 has a mating feature 508 configured to interact with the retaining feature 418 of the adapter body 400. The mating feature 508 of the mating block 500 is formed as a groove 510. The groove 510 is formed in the inner surface 512 of the channel 506 along the longitudinal axis L such that the retaining feature 418 of the adapter body 400 engages with the channel 506 of the mating block 500. The mating block 500 of the present disclosure is substantially the same as the mating block 200 (see FIGS. 3A and 3B) described above (see also FIG. 7C), except for the mating block 500 having the stepped annular surface 206, the insert 502 and the outer body 504, and the mating feature 508 located in a different position. In this embodiment, the recess 28 for receiving the sealing washer 128 is formed in the system component 22, but the recess may also be formed in the underside of the adapter body 400.

[0045] In Fig. 7C, the diameter D of the adapter bead 412 is larger than the diameter d of the channel 506 formed in the mating block 500, so that the adapter bead 412 of the adapter body 400 is located on the upper surface 514 of the mating block 500 when the adapter body 400 is firmly coupled to the mating block 500. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 7C, the sealing washer 128 is pressed against the second outlet 406 of the adapter body 400, so that the sealing washer 128 is disposed around the second outlet 406. Thus, the sealing washer 128 provides a seal in the fluid line by being located between the adapter body 400 and the component 22 of the fluid line system when the second outlet 406 of the adapter body 400 is connected to another tube or hose or inserted into the opening 26 formed in the component 22 of the fluid line system. As with the previous embodiment, sealing washer 128 is configured and sized such that an axial force applied to the washer forms a seal with the underside of adapter body 400 and the axially and radially extending surfaces of recess 28.

[0046] The connection arrangement device 10, 20 according to the present disclosure is suitable for various fluid line systems, such as an air conditioning system or a cooling system of an automobile. For example, the connection arrangement device 10, 20 is suitable for a cooling system of a hybrid or electric automobile for cooling or regulating the temperature of electronic components such as a battery. Furthermore, it is desirable that the fluid line system used in an automobile is as light as possible. The fluid line system also realizes a stable connection between components that can withstand vibrations or shocks during the operation of the automobile. Thus, the connection arrangement device 10, 20 according to the present disclosure can realize a connection that is lightweight yet stable and durable.

[0047] The description of various embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the disclosed embodiments. Numerous modifications or variations are possible in light of the foregoing description. The embodiments described above have been selected and described to provide the best explanation of the principles of the present invention and its practical application, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to utilize the invention in various forms, and with various modifications, suited to the particular uses intended. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the present invention, as determined by the following claims, which are to be interpreted as broadly as they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled.

Claims

1. 1. A connection arrangement device for making a rigid connection with at least one tube in a fluid line, comprising: at least one adaptor body having a passage bore defining a fluid channel having at least two outlets, the adaptor body having a retention feature formed on an exterior of the adaptor body; a mating block comprising at least one component, the mating block having at least one channel for receiving the adapter body and a mating feature formed in the channel; Equipped with wherein the retention feature of the adapter body is configured to interact with a mating feature of the mating block when the adapter body is coupled to the channel of the mating block such that the adapter body is securely retained in the channel of the mating block.

2. the adapter body retention feature is beam-shaped; a fixed end attached to the adapter body; a free end extending from the fixed end at an angle relative to a flow direction of the second outlet such that the retention feature is shaped like a beam and engages the mating feature when the adapter body is retained in the channel of the mating block; and 2. The connection arrangement device of claim 1, further comprising:

3. 3. The connection arrangement device of claim 2, wherein the mating feature of the mating block is formed as a groove on an inner side of the channel to receive the beam-like retention feature of the adapter body such that the adapter body is securely held in the channel of the mating block.

4. 2. The connection arrangement device of claim 1, wherein the retention feature of the adapter body comprises at least one protrusion formed on an outer surface of the adapter body, the at least one protrusion engaging with the mating feature of the mating block when the adapter body is retained in the channel of the mating block.

5. 5. The connection arrangement apparatus of claim 4, wherein the mating feature of the mating block includes at least one hole sized to engage the protrusion of the adapter body such that the adapter body is securely held in the channel of the mating block.

6. 2. The connection arrangement of claim 1, wherein the mating block has two components: an insert and an outer body.

7. the insert is formed from a metallic material; The connection arrangement device of claim 6 , wherein the outer body is formed from a polymeric material that is overmolded onto the insert to form the mating block.

8. The connection arrangement of claim 6 , wherein the outer body of the mating block has a mating feature that receives the retention feature of the adapter body.

9. 2. The connection arrangement device of claim 1, wherein the adapter body has a first outlet and a second outlet, the first outlet and the second outlet extending along a straight flow direction in the fluid line or angled relative to one another to change the flow direction of the fluid line.

10. the second outlet of the adapter body has a first end and a second end extending from the first end along a second flow direction of the second outlet; 10. The connection arrangement device of claim 9, wherein the second outlet of the adapter body further comprises an adapter bead formed about the periphery of the first end of the second outlet.

11. 11. The connection arrangement apparatus of claim 10, wherein the channel of the mating block has a stepped annular surface facing perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the channel and having a larger diameter than the channel to receive and support the adapter bead of the adapter body when the adapter body is coupled to the channel of the mating block.

12. the adapter body further includes at least one radially extending circular bead formed along a periphery of the adapter body; The connection arrangement device of claim 10 , wherein the at least one circular bead is spaced apart from the adapter bead along the second flow direction of the second outlet.

13. 13. The connection arrangement device of claim 12, wherein the adapter body further comprises at least one rib formed between and connected to the adapter bead and the circular bead to prevent creep of the adapter body.

14. 2. The connection arrangement apparatus of claim 1, wherein the channel of the mating block further includes a side opening formed in a side wall of the channel to receive a first outlet of the adapter body when the adapter body is coupled to the channel of the mating block.

15. A seal ring is disposed about the second outlet of the adapter body; 2. The connection arrangement device of claim 1, wherein the sealing ring is configured to provide a seal in the fluid line when the second outlet is connected to the tubing or attached to a component of a fluid line system.

16. 16. The connection arrangement device of claim 15, wherein a portion of the seal ring located at the second outlet of the adapter body is disposed on a stepped annular surface of the mating block, and the portion of the seal ring and an adapter bead are located within the channel of the mating block.

17. 10. The connection arrangement of claim 1, wherein the mating block further comprises at least one through hole for receiving a fastening element for attaching the mating block to a component of a fluid line system.

18. 2. The connection arrangement device of claim 1, wherein one of the tubes is inserted into a first outlet of the adapter body and connected to the adapter body by a strong coupling method such as welding.

19. 2. The connection arrangement device of claim 1, wherein the adapter body is formed from a plastic material.

20. 10. The connection arrangement device of claim 1, wherein said mating block is formed from a metal or polymeric material.

21. 1. A connection arrangement device for making a rigid connection with at least one tube in a fluid line, comprising: at least one adaptor body having a passage bore forming a fluid channel having at least two outlets, the adaptor body having a retention feature; a mating block comprising an insert and an outer body, the mating block having at least one channel for receiving the adapter body and a mating feature formed in the channel; Equipped with The connection arrangement, wherein the retention feature of the adapter body engages the mating feature of the mating block such that the adapter body is securely held in the channel of the mating block.

22. 22. The connection arrangement apparatus of claim 21, wherein the adapter body has an adapter bead disposed on an upper surface of the mating block when the adapter body is mated with the mating block.

23. 23. The connection arrangement apparatus of claim 22, wherein the retention feature extends from a second side of the adapter bead such that the retention feature securely engages a groove formed in the mating feature when the adapter body is coupled with the mating block.

24. 22. The connection arrangement device of claim 21, wherein the insert is formed from a metallic material and the outer body is formed from a polymeric material and is overmolded onto the insert.

25. 1. A connection arrangement for a rigid connection in a fluid line using at least one tube, comprising: providing at least one adapter body having at least two outlets; providing a mating block having at least one channel and at least one through hole; inserting an end of the tube into a first outlet and connecting the inserted tube to the adapter body such that a rigid connection is formed; coupling the adapter body, having the tube connected thereto, to the at least one channel of the mating block such that the adapter body engages with the channel of the mating block; The method of claim 1, further comprising:

26. 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of providing a mating block includes providing an insert and an outer body overmolded onto the insert.

27. 26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of installing a sealing washer at the second outlet of the adapter body by placing it around the second outlet of the adapter body for connection with another tube.

28. 26. The method of claim 25, further comprising attaching the mating block engaged with the adapter body to the fluid line with a fastening element through an aperture in the mating block.

29. the adapter body having a retention feature; the mating block having a mating feature; 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the retention feature of the adapter body engages the mating feature of the mating block when the adapter body is coupled to the mating block.

30. The adapter body further includes an adapter bead. the mating block further includes a stepped annular surface; 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the stepped annular surface of the mating block receives and supports the adapter bead of the adapter body when the adapter body is retained in the channel of the mating block.

31. 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the mating block further comprises a side opening formed in a side wall of the channel to receive the first outlet in rigid connection with the tube when the adapter body is coupled with the mating block.

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