PLUG CONNECTION FOR CONNECTING LINES FOR PRESSURIZED LIQUIDS OR GASES

• US 20150101173A1
• Filed: 05/06/2013
• Published: 04/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Henn GmbH & Co KG.
• Original Assignee: Henn GmbH & Co KG.
• Inventors: Hartmann, Harald
• Granted Patent: US 9,657,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/525.01
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/0885 with access to the split elastic ring from a radial or tangential opening in the coupling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49947 by applying separate fastener

Abstract

The invention relates to a plug connection (1), comprising a first plug connector (2), a second plug connector (7) which can be inserted in the first plug connector (2), and a detent spring (13) fastened to the first plug connector (2) which engages in a groove (21) of the second plug connector (7) when a second plug connector (7) is inserted. The essential aspect of this is that the detent spring (13) can be moved from a locked position, in which position the detent spring (13) is prevented from effecting a movement radially outwards into an unlocked position, in which position the movement of the detent spring (13) radially outwards is released, and a release device (33) which can be selectively activated is provided on the first plug connector (2), and the activated release device (33) holds the detent spring (13) in the unlocked position. A method of using such a plug connection (1) is also defined. A plug connection (1) and a method of using this plug connection (1) are thereby provided, whereby it is possible to ensure in a most safe, simple and inexpensive manner that only properly manufactured plug connectors (2, 7) can be connected to one another.

Claims

1. Plug connection (1) for connecting lines for pressurized liquids or gases, comprising a first plug connector (2) having an insertion end (3) and a fixing end (4) lying axially opposite, a second plug connector (7) having an insertion end (8) and a fixing end (9) lying axially opposite, and the second plug connector (7) can be inserted by its insertion end (8) in the first plug connector (2) via its insertion end (3), and a detent spring (13) fastened to the first plug connector (2) which, in a closed position on the first plug connector (2) and when a second plug connector (7) is inserted, engages in a radially extending groove (21) in an external face (10) of the second plug connector (7) by means of at least one retaining portion (19, 20) so that the second plug connector (7) inserted in the first plug connector (2) is prevented from becoming loose, and a radially extending bevel ramp (22) for the at least one retaining portion (19, 20) of the detent spring (13) is provided between the insertion end (8) and the groove (21) of the second plug connector (7), preferably directly in front of the groove (21), wherein the detent spring (13) in the closed position on the first plug connector (2) can be moved from a locked position, in which position the at least one retaining portion (19, 20) is blocked relative to the first plug connector (2) to prevent a movement radially outwards, into an unlocked position, in which position the movement of the at least one retaining portion (19, 20) radially outwards is released, and wherein a release device (33) which can be selectively activated is disposed on the first plug connector (2), and the deactivated release device (33) enables the detent spring (13) to be positioned in the locked position and the activated release device (33) holds the detent spring (13) in the unlocked position.

2. Plug connection according to claim 1, wherein the detent spring (13) is essentially disposed on an external face (12) of the first plug connector (2) and comprises at least one arm (14, 15), which arm (14, 15) extends through a radially extending slot (16, 17) in a part-portion of the first plug connector (2) into an inner region (18) of the first plug connector (2) when the detent spring (13) is closed and forms the at least one retaining portion (19, 20), and the slot (16, 17) has a recess (29, 29′

, 30, 30′

) or wider region facing away from the insertion end (3) of the first plug connector (2) in one of its two end regions (27, 27′

, 28, 28′

) for accommodating the at least one arm (14, 15) of the detent spring (13), which recess (29, 29′

, 30, 30′

) extends across less than half the longitudinal extension of the slot (16, 17), and the release device (33) is essentially disposed on the external face (12) of the first plug connector (2) and comprises a ring (34) rotatable along the longitudinal extension of the slot (16, 17), which ring (34) has two differently recessed portions (35, 36, 35′

, 36′

, 37, 38, 37′

, 38′

) in the region of the recess (29, 29′

, 30, 30′

) of the slot (16, 17) towards the fixing end (4) of the first plug connector (2) as viewed in the axial direction, preferably with a bevel (39, 39′

, 40, 40′

) extending in between, and by rotating the ring (34), either the deeper recessed portion (35, 35′

, 37, 37′

) can be moved above the recess (29, 29′

, 30, 30′

) so that the recess (29, 29′

, 30, 30′

) is exposed and the release device (33) is deactivated or the less deeply recessed portion (36, 36′

, 38, 38′

) can be moved above the recess (29, 29′

, 30, 30′

) so that the recess (29, 29′

, 30, 30′

) is covered and the release device (33) is activated.

3. Plug connection according to claim 2, wherein several slots (16, 17) and a detent spring (13) with several corresponding retaining portions (19, 20) are provided, in particular two oppositely lying slots (16, 17) with recesses (29, 29′

, 30, 30′

) disposed in mirror image and a detent spring (13) with two arms (14, 15) and retaining portions (19, 20).

4. Plug connection according to claim 2, wherein the respective slot (16, 17) in the first plug connector (2) has a recess (29, 29′

, 30, 30′

) respectively extending across less than half the longitudinal extension of the slot (16, 17) in two end regions (27, 27′

, 28, 28′

) and the rotatable ring (34) has respectively two differently recessed portions (35, 36, 35′

, 36′

, 37, 38, 37′

, 38′

) in the region of a recess (29, 29′

, 30, 30′

) towards the fixing end (4) of the first plug connector (2) as viewed in the axial direction, preferably with a bevel (39, 39′

, 40, 40′

) extending in between.

5. Plug connection according to claim 2, wherein a portion (31, 32) of the first plug connector (2), which portion (31, 32) lies directly adjacent to the slot (16, 17) in the direction towards the fixing end (4) of the first plug connector (2), is provided in the form of a multi-layered sheet metal part in particular.

6. Plug connection according to claim 1, wherein at least one axially oriented projection (41, 42) is provided on the external face (10) of the second plug connector (7), which projection (41, 42) can be pushed into at least one co-operating axially oriented groove (47, 48) with an end face opening (49, 50) at the insertion end (3) of the first plug connector (2) if the release device (33) is activated when the second plug connector (7) is being inserted in the first plug connector (2), and the at least one projection (41, 42) is prevented from being pushed into the at least one groove (47, 48) if the release device (33) is deactivated.

7. Plug connection according to claim 6, wherein the release device (33) is essentially disposed on the external face (12) of the first plug connector (2) and comprises a ring (34) rotatable along the external circumference of the first plug connector (2), which ring (34) has a first groove portion (43, 44) which is oriented in the radial direction in alignment with a second groove portion (45, 46) in the first plug connector (2) when the release device (33) is activated, and which first groove portion (43, 44) is positioned at a distance from the second groove portion (45, 46) along the external circumferences of the first plug connector (2) when the release device (33) is deactivated by turning the ring (34).

8. Plug connection according to claim 1, wherein a retaining lug (51) of the release device (33) engages in a first retaining groove (52) when the release device (33) is deactivated and in a second retaining groove (53) when the release device (33) is activated, and the retaining lug (51) can be moved out of the respective retaining groove (52, 53), in particular by applying a mechanical force, and can be moved farther together with the release device (33) to the other respective retaining groove (53, 52).

9. Plug connection according to claim 1, wherein the detent spring (13) can be moved from the closed position on the first plug connector (2) into an open position on the first plug connector (2), in which open position the at least one retaining portion (19, 20) of the detent spring (13) is disposed outside the groove (21) in the external face (10) of an inserted second plug connector (7).

10. Method of using a plug connection (1) according to claim 1, wherein before using each first plug connector (2), the detent spring (13) is optionally closed and the release device (33) is deactivated to enable the detent spring (13) to be positioned in the locked position, and in the event of an attempt to insert the second plug connector (7), the detent spring (13) is either already positioned in the locked position or is moved into the locked position by the bevel ramp (22) of the second plug connector (7) so that the at least one retaining portion (19, 20) of the detent spring (13) is prevented from effecting a movement radially outwards relative to the first plug connector (2) making full insertion of the second plug connector (7) in the first plug connector (2) impossible, and during or immediately after a line has been successfully fitted to the fixing end (4) of the first plug connector (2) by means of a fitting device, the release device (33) of the detent spring (13) is activated so that the detent spring (13) is moved into the unlocked position and is held there, and in the event of an attempt to insert the second plug connector (7), the at least one retaining portion (19, 20) of the detent spring (13) is moved radially outwards relative to the first plug connector (2) by the bevel ramp (22) of the second plug connector (7) and the second plug connector (7) is fully inserted in the first plug connector (2) and locked by the at least one retaining portion (19, 20) which can then move into the groove (21) of the second plug connector (7).

11. Method of using a plug connection (1) according to claim 2, wherein before using each first plug connector (2), the detent spring (13) is optionally closed and the release device (33) is deactivated by turning the ring (34) on the external face (12) of the first plug connector (2) so that the respectively deeper recessed portion (35, 35′

, 37, 37′

) of the ring (34) is moved above the respective recess (29, 29′

, 30, 30′

) of the slot (16, 17) of the first plug connector (2), thereby exposing the at least one recess (29, 29′

, 30, 30′

) enabling the at least one arm (14, 15) of the detent spring (13) to be moved into the at least one recess (29, 29′

, 30, 30′

), and in the event of an attempt to insert the second plug connector (7), the at least one arm (14, 15) is either already positioned in the at least one recess (29, 29′

, 30, 30′

) or is moved into the at least one recess (29, 29′

, 30, 30′

) by the bevel ramp (22) of the second plug connector (7) so that the at least one arm (14, 15) is prevented from effecting a movement radially outwards relative to the first plug connector (2) making it impossible to insert the second plug connector (7) fully in the first plug connector (2), and during or immediately after a line has been successfully fitted to the fixing end (4) of the first plug connector (2) by means of a fitting device, the release device (33) of the detent spring (13) is activated by turning the ring (34) so that respectively the less deeply recessed portion (36, 36′

, 38, 38′

) of the ring (34) is moved above the respective recess (29, 29′

, 30, 30′

) of the slot (16, 17) so that the at least one recess (29, 29′

, 30, 30′

) is covered and the at least one arm (14, 15) is preferably moved along the bevel (39, 39′

, 40, 40′

) extending between the deeper recessed portion (35, 35′

, 37, 37′

) and the less deeply recessed portion (36, 36′

, 38, 38′

) out of the at least one recess (29, 29′

, 30, 30′

) or the at least one arm (14, 15) is held outside the at least one recess (29, 29′

, 30, 30′

), and in the event of an attempt to insert the second plug connector (7), the at least one arm (14, 15) is moved radially outwards relative to the first plug connector (2) by the bevel ramp (22) of the second plug connector (7) and the second plug connector (7) is fully inserted in the first plug connector (2) and locked by the at least one arm (14, 15) which is then able to engage in the groove (21) of the second plug connector (7).

12. Method according to claim 10, wherein during or immediately after the line has been successfully fitted to the fixing end (4) of the first plug connector (2), the release device (33) is activated by the fitting device for the line.