| 摘要 |
<p>A coupler for connecting a pair of plastic pipe (12) aligned end-to-end includes a rigid plastic sleeve (14) having a center portion (24) and two end portions (26). An internal passage (28) longitudinally extends through the sleeve (14) and is sized for receiving ends of the pipes (12). The center portion (24) has a pair of spaced apart annular sealing grooves (36) located within the internal passage (28). Each of the end portions has circumferentially spaced apart slits (38) longitudinally extending from an end of the sleeve (14) and forming a plurality of elements (40) deflectable toward and, away from the pipes (12). An annular flexing groove (42) is located within the internal passage (28) and near an inner end of the slits (38) for increasing the flexibility of the elements (40). Each of the end portions (26) also has an annular locking groove (44) located within the internal passage (28) and on the elements (40).</p> |
