Coupling for pressure gas lines

• US 4,576,359 A
• Filed: 03/15/1984
• Issued: 03/18/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hans Oetiker AG, Maschinen- und Apparatefabrik
• Original Assignee: Hans Oetiker
• Inventors: Oetiker, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, Samuel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Flanigan, Allen J.
• Application Number:
  US06/589,702
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 285/314, 285/317, 251/149.1, 251/149.6
• US Class Current: 251/149.6
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/086 by means of latching members pushed radially by spring-like elements
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/101 in which the coupling is coaxial with the pipe
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/40 with a lift valve being opened automatically when the coupling is applied

Abstract

A coupling for lines carrying gas under pressure in which a tubularly shaped male member is adapted to be inserted into a bore of a sleeve-like female member containing a valve assembly automatically opened upon insertion of the tubularly shaped male member. The tubularly shaped male member which is provided with an annular groove is held in its inserted position by a locking mechanism in the sleeve-like female member which consists of a latching member, a ring-like member surrounding the sleeve-like female member and a spring between the latching member and the ring-like member. For purposes of releasing the locking action of the latching member which is operable to engage in the annular groove by movement in a milled-in recess, the ring-like member is provided with an inwardly projecting actuating element. To permit a reduction in the dimensions of the ring-like member, the latching member includes a short leg portion bent with respect to the main portion of the latching member at such angle as to point toward the actuating member.

Claims

1. A coupling for a pressure gas line, comprising a sleeve-like first means intended to receive gas under pressure at one end thereof and including spring-loaded valve means for normally closing off said one end with respect to a bore leading to the other end of said first means, a tubularly shaped second means for conducting-on the gas under pressure, said tubularly shaped second means being provided with an annular groove, and further means for detachably connecting said first and second means with each other by inserting said tubularly shaped second means into the bore of said sleeve-like first means while at the same time opening said valve means to thereby establish a through-flow path for gas under pressure from the one end of the sleeve-like first means by way of the now-opened valve means into the interior of said tubularly shaped second means, said further means including a latching means operable to engage in the annular groove provided in said second means, said latching means being formed by a plate-like member operable to be guided in a cut-out provided in the part of said sleeve-like first means containing said bore and extending from the outside of said part to said bore substantially transversely to the axis of the coupling, a ring-like member rotatable on said part of the sleeve-like first means and having an inwardly projecting actuating means for engagement with said plate-like member to displace the same upon rotation of said ring-like member in its disengaging direction, and a spring between said ring-like member and said plate-like member for urging the plate-like member into its engaging position, characterized in that said part of the sleeve-like first means has a reduced diametric dimension relative to the diametric dimension of the section of the sleeve-like first means containing said valve means, and in that said plate-like member has a first substantially flat main portion in engagement with said spring and operable to engage in said annular groove and a second shorter leg portion bent at such obtuse angle to said flat main portion as to extend generally in the direction toward said inwardly projecting actuating means whereby the external diametric dimension of said ring-like member can be kept relatively small.

2. A coupling according to claim 1, wherein said reduced diametric dimension and the thickness of said ring-like member are so chosen that the coupling has substantially the same external diametric dimension over substantially the entire length of the sleeve-like first means including the part thereof carrying said ring-like member.

3. A coupling according to claim 1, in which said first means, said second means and said ring-like member are made of metal, characterized in that said inwardly projecting means consists of a rivet means having a relatively short inwardly projecting portion.

4. A coupling according to claim 3, wherein said inwardly projecting portion has an at least approximately part-spherical shape.

5. A coupling according to claim 4, wherein said rivet means is a pop rivet.

6. A coupling according to claim 3, wherein the shorter leg portion of said plate-like member is bent relative to the main portion at an angle of the order of 150°

-170°

.

7. A coupling according to claim 6, wherein said angle is about 165°

.

8. A coupling according to claim 6, wherein said reduced diametric dimension and the thickness of said ring-like member are so chosen that the coupling has substantially the same external diametric dimension over substantially the entire length of the sleeve-like first means including the part thereof carrying said ring-like member.

9. A coupling according to claim 1, wherein said ring-like member is formed by a plastic cap-like element having said inwardly projecting actuating means formed integrally therewith, said inwardly projecting actuating means having a substantially flat surface operable to engage with the end surface of the shorter leg portion of said plate-like member, said flat surface being at such an angle that said flat surface is at least approximately parallel to the end surface of said shorter leg portion when engaging the latter.

10. A coupling according to claim 9, wherein said reduced diametric dimension and the thickness of said ring-like member are so chosen that the coupling has substantially the same external diametric dimension over substantially the entire length of the sleeve-like first means including the part thereof carrying said ring-like member.

11. A coupling according to claim 9, wherein the shorter leg portion of said plate-like member is bent relative to the main portion at an angle of the order of 60°

-80°

.

12. A coupling having relatively small external dimensions without reduction in the through-flow capacity, comprising a sleeve-like member forming a female part and a tubularly shaped member forming a male part adapted to be disengageably inserted into a corresponding bore of the sleeve-like member, said tubularly shaped member being provided with an external annular groove, and further means in said sleeve-like member for releasably locking said tubularly shaped member in its position fully inserted in said bore in which it also opens a valve means provided in said sleeve-like member, said further means essentially consisting of a stamped-out latching member, of a spring urging said latching member into its locking position, and of a ring-like member for releasing the locking action of said latching member by rotation of the ring-like member, said ring-like member being provided with an inwardly projecting actuating element operable to engage with said latching member, characterized in that said latching member consists of a flat main portion operable to engage with said annular groove and of a shorter leg portion bent at an acute angle of about 60°

to about 80°

with respect to the plane in which said main portion lies in the direction toward said actuating element.

13. A coupling according to claim 12, characterized in that said actuating member is formed by a pop rivet.

14. A coupling according to claim 12, characterized in that said actuating member is formed integrally with the ring-like member which is made of plastic material, and includes a substantially flat actuating surface operable to engage with the end face of the shorter leg portion, said substantially flat actuating surface being at least approximately parallel to said end face.