Plug connector for fluid lines, comprising an inner adapter sleeve

• US 10,670,175 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2015
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VOSS Automotive GmbH (Park-Ohio Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: VOSS Automotive GmbH (Park-Ohio Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Klein, Roland, Heinrichs, Eugen
• Primary Examiner(s): Dragicevich, Zachary T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choi, William S.
• Application Number:
  US15/315,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20170152980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,828 Days
• Field of Search: 285314, 285305, 285319, 285 86, 285 39
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/084 combined with automatic locking
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/0985 the flexible hook extending radially inwardly from an outer part and engaging a bead, recess or the like on an inner part F16L37/0982 takes precedence

Abstract

A connector for connecting at least one fluid line with another fluid line or a power unit. The connector includes a housing, a mating connector and an adapter sleeve. The adapter sleeve includes positive-locking elements that retain the adapter sleeve engaged with the housing. The adapter sleeve further includes latching arms releasably retaining the mating connector in the adapter sleeve.

Claims

1. A connector for connecting at least one fluid line with another fluid line or to a unit connection, the connector comprising a housing, a mating connector and an adapter sleeve, the housing defining a through-channel and having an end formed as a sleeve section into which the mating connector and adapter sleeve are received, the adapter sleeve configured to releasably attach the mating connector to the housing, the adapter sleeve being held in the sleeve section by positive-locking elements, the adapter sleeve including a sleeve wall having a front end in a direction of insertion (Z) of the adapter sleeve into the sleeve section and a rear end in a direction opposite of the direction of insertion (Z), the sleeve wall surrounding a constant diameter through-opening in which a plug shank of the mating connector is received, a latching mechanism formed in the sleeve wall and having at least two latching arms that are radially elastic in relation to a longitudinal central axis of the adapter sleeve, the latching arms extending parallel to the longitudinal central axis and being formed on the circumference of the adapter sleeve by cutout slots in the sleeve wall between the front end and rear ends, the latching arms being attached to the sleeve wall at the front end of the adapter sleeve and extending from the front end toward the rear end and terminating at free ends thereof, the free ends having first locking cams extending radially towards the longitudinal central axis,

in the inserted state of the plug shank of the mating connector the first locking cams of the latching arms being engaged in a locking groove formed on the plug shank and being axially located outside of the sleeve section of the housing, the positive-locking elements are formed as radially elastically flexible arms having a portion extending parallel to the longitudinal central axis (X-X), the flexible arms being diametrically opposite to one another and offset by 90°

relative to the latching arms, the flexible arms having on free ends extending in the direction of insertion (Z) second locking cams that project radially outward, the flexible arms are separated by a U-shaped slot from the sleeve wall of the adapter sleeve and are integrally connected with the sleeve wall of the adapter sleeve at the rear end thereof pointing against the direction of insertion.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the second locking cams include an oblique surface facing in the direction of insertion (Z) and a latching surface extending perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis that facing in a direction against the direction of insertion.

3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the second locking cams circumferentially define a circle having a diameter that is smaller than an outer diameter of the sleeve section and larger than the inner diameter of the sleeve section.

4. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the latching arms have a radial thickness that is smaller than the wall thickness of the adapter sleeve, so that a stepped surface extending radially in the direction of the longitudinal central axis is formed between the outer circumference of the wall of the adapter sleeve and the latching arms.

5. The connector according to claim 4, wherein a radial height of the stepped surface and a length of the latching arms within the sleeve section are dimensioned such that a radially outwardly directed spring path is present in such manner that when spread radially outwardly a radial distance to the longitudinal central axis from the locking cams is at least equal to an inner radius of the through-opening of the adapter sleeve and at least equal to an outer radius of the plug shank of the mating connector.

6. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the positive-locking elements are attached in recesses in a positive-locking manner in the circumferential direction of the adapter sleeve, whereby the recesses include four recesses offset by 90°

relation to one another.

7. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the adapter sleeve has an annular collar circumferentially extending on a rear opening-edge seen in the direction of insertion (Z), with the first end of the adapter sleeve fully inserted into the sleeve section the annular collar and the first locking cams being positioned outside of the sleeve section.

8. The connector according to claim 7, wherein the annular collar is configured as circumferentially circular and has an outer diameter smaller than or equal to an outer diameter of a circular circumferential contour of the sleeve section or an outer diameter of the sleeve section.

9. The connector according to claim 7, wherein in the region of the actuating extensions, open-edged guide grooves or apertures are formed on the annular collar, the guide grooves or apertures resulting in the annular collar being interrupted by the actuating extensions, the actuating extensions each having an extension projecting against the direction of insertion and extending parallel to the longitudinal central axis outside a respective one of the guide groove or aperture so that a plug-through opening is formed for inserting of a release tool between the extensions and the guide grooves.

10. The connector according to claim 9, wherein radial outer surfaces of the extensions define a diameter equal to an outer diameter of the annular collar.

11. The connector according to claim 10, wherein an outer diameter of the annular collar in a region adjacent to the first locking cams is equal to an outer diameter of the sleeve section.

12. The connector according to claim 7, wherein the annular collar is separated from the adapter sleeve by circumferential gap sections between the latching arms and surrounds the latching arms in a region of the first locking cams and is connected to the latching arms in this region, and the annular collar including deformation sections centrally between the latching arms and configured to be deformed under a force directed radially toward the longitudinal central axis thereby producing a radially outwardly directed spreading of the latching arms such that the first locking cams enter a release position relative to the mating connector.

13. The connector according to claim 7, wherein a release lock is provided on an outer circumference of the sleeve section and displaceable in the longitudinal direction between first and second positions, the release lock, when in the second position being configured to prevent a spreading of the latching arms and when in the first position being configured to not prevent spreading of the latching arms.

14. The connector according to claim 13, wherein the release lock is a sleeve surrounding the sleeve section, the sleeve having, on its circumferential edge, latching tongues extending in the direction of insertion that are engaged in recesses defined in a circumferential wall of the sleeve section when in the second position.

15. The connector according to claim 14, wherein the sleeve in its second position surrounds the annular collar and the extensions.

16. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the latching arms are offset relative to one another by 180°

and that actuating extensions are provided on the free ends of the latching arms, the actuating extensions projecting radially outward in relation to the longitudinal central axis.

17. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the latching arms have a radial thickness smaller than the wall thickness of the adapter sleeve and define a stepped surface extending in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis and formed between an outer circumference of the wall of the adapter sleeve and the latching arms.

18. The connector according to claim 17, wherein a radial height of the stepped surface and a length of the latching arms located within the sleeve section is dimensioned such that a radially outwardly directed spring path of the first locking cams is produced such that a radial spacing of the locking cams when radially spread outwardly is greater than or equal to an inner diameter of the adapter sleeve and/or greater than an outer diameter of the plug shaft of a mating connector.

19. The connector according to claim 1, wherein a circumferential seal for sealing a circumferential gap between an inner wall of the sleeve section and the plug shank of the mating connector is positioned in the through-opening of the sleeve section in front of the adapter sleeve.

20. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve section includes an annular shoulder at a transition of increased diameter from the through-channel, the annular shoulder defining an abutment for a circumferential seal, and the circumferential seal is crimped between the annular shoulder and a front end face of the adapter sleeve.

21. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the housing has on an end opposite of the sleeve section a connecting pin with a circumferential seal at its free end, and on which are arranged, in a region of the connecting pin opposite the free end, a plurality of latching webs extend parallel to the longitudinal central axis and in the direction of the free end, the latching webs having at ends thereof catch projections directed radially inward in relation to a longitudinal central axis of the connecting pin.

22. The connector according to claim 21, wherein between the latching webs and the connecting pin, a guide gap is formed, into which is received a connecting sleeve, the connecting sleeve having a through-bore receiving the connecting pin, the connecting sleeve having an annular shoulder that projects outward in relation to the longitudinal central axis of the connecting pin, the annular shoulder being slideable in the guide groove between the catch projections and an opposite end of the latching webs.

23. The connector according to claim 1, wherein in the direction of insertion at a front end of the adapter sleeve an annular step is formed by a reduction in diameter of the adapter sleeve, extending on an outer surface of the adapter sleeve from the annular step are guide grooves parallel to the longitudinal central axis, a groove bottom of the guide grooves lying on a same radius as a circumference of the annular step, the guide grooves receiving guide ribs formed on an inner wall of the sleeve section.

24. The connector according to claim 23, wherein the annular step of the adapter sleeve has a circumferential contact surface extending radially to the longitudinal central axis, the sleeve section having a corresponding ring-shaped stop surface formed at a diameter-widening of the through-channel, wherein in an inserted state of the adapter sleeve, the adapter sleeve abuts the contact surface with the stop surface.

25. The connector assembly according to claim 1, where the mating connector includes a locking groove formed behind the plug shank in the direction of insertion (Z), wherein the plug shank is dimensioned such that in the inserted state, its free end projects out of the adapter sleeve and terminates in the through-channel of the housing and its outer diameter is greater than the radial distance between the locking cams in a non-spread state.

26. The connector according to claim 25, wherein the locking groove is arranged and formed such that in the inserted state of the plug shank the first locking cams of the latching arms engage in the locking groove in a positive-locking manner.

27. The connector according to claim 25, wherein the locking groove has an axial extent in the direction of the direction of insertion such that in the inserted state in the adapter sleeve, an axial displacement of the plug shank according to a certain displacement path is given, the length of the plug shank between the locking groove and its free end being dimensioned such that the plug shank is extended by the length of the axial displacement path.