PRESSURE BALANCED COUPLER
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A pressure balanced coupler including:
- a female coupler including;
a body having a bore and a port in a sidewall of the bore; and
a plug disposed in the bore, the plug movable between a closed position blocking fluid from entering the port and an open position allowing fluid to enter the port; and
a male coupler configured to be received in the female coupler, the male coupler including a body defining a stab configured to be received in a bore of the plug and removably coupled to the plug and a port opening to a sidewall of the stab;
wherein when the stab and plug are removably coupled the plug moves axially with the stab to the open position allowing for communication between the port in the female coupler and the port in the male coupler for enabling flow of fluid through the coupler, and upon removal of the male coupler the plug will move axially with the stab until the plug reaches the closed position after which the stab will be disconnected from the plug to allow for further withdrawal of the stab while the plug is held in the closed position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Provided is a pressure balanced coupler including male and female couplers configured to be coupled together, the male coupler having a stab removably coupled to a plug in the female coupler to move the plug from a closed position preventing fluid flow to a port in the female coupler and an open position allowing flow. In this way, a pressure balanced coupler for use with high pressure fluids in high pressure environments may be provided that does not have a net load acting to separate the male and female couplers.
7 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A pressure balanced coupler including:
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a female coupler including; a body having a bore and a port in a sidewall of the bore; and a plug disposed in the bore, the plug movable between a closed position blocking fluid from entering the port and an open position allowing fluid to enter the port; and a male coupler configured to be received in the female coupler, the male coupler including a body defining a stab configured to be received in a bore of the plug and removably coupled to the plug and a port opening to a sidewall of the stab; wherein when the stab and plug are removably coupled the plug moves axially with the stab to the open position allowing for communication between the port in the female coupler and the port in the male coupler for enabling flow of fluid through the coupler, and upon removal of the male coupler the plug will move axially with the stab until the plug reaches the closed position after which the stab will be disconnected from the plug to allow for further withdrawal of the stab while the plug is held in the closed position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A female coupler configured to couple to a male coupler, the female coupler including:
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a body having a bore and a port in a sidewall of the bore; a plug disposed in the bore, the plug including a locking mechanism configured to engage a stab of the male coupler so that the male coupler can move the plug between a closed position blocking fluid from entering the port and an open position allowing fluid to enter the port; and at least one metal seal disposed between an outer wall of the female plug and a wall of the bore, the at least one metal seal providing frictional resistance to movement of the plug to enable the locking mechanism to lock the stab to the plug and to allow the stab to move out of the plug once the plug is in the closed position and the locking mechanism is released. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A male coupler configured to be coupled to a female coupler, the male coupler including:
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a body defining a stab configured to be received in a bore of the female coupler and a port opening to a sidewall of the stab, the body being configured to be removably coupled to the female coupler; a collar surrounding at least a portion of the body; and a locking mechanism configured to engage a wall of the bore in the body of the female coupler to hold the collar in position in the bore when the male coupler is coupled to the female coupler; wherein the body is movable relative to the collar. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification