Coupling assembly

• US 4,863,201 A
• Filed: 04/13/1989
• Issued: 09/05/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Linvatec Corporation (Jefferies Financial Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hall Surgical DIV of Zimmer Incorporated
• Inventors: Carstens, Felix
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/338,481
• Time in Patent Office: 145 Days
• Field of Search: 285/23, 285/308, 285/317, 285/924, 251/149.6, 251/149.2, 251/149.9, 137/614.02, 137/614.03, 137/614.04
• US Class Current: 285/317
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/0841 by means of a transversally slidable locking member surrounding the tube
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/42 the valve having an axial bore communicating with lateral apertures

Abstract

A coupling assembly includes a female coupling member that can be connected to a fluid supply source and a male coupling member that can be quickly coupled to the female coupling member and quickly separated from the female coupling member. A pair of spaced latching members provided on the female coupling member move transversely with respect to a longitudinal axis of the coupling assembly into and out of engagement with one or more latch engaging surfaces on the male coupling member. The latching members have openings that are out of alignment with each other. An actuating button on the female coupling member is arranged to move the latching members in predetermined fasion to permit the openings in each of the latching members to sequentially interfere with the latch engaging surface or surfaces on the male coupling member to establish sequential latching positions. The sequential latching positions permit placement of the coupling assembly in a fluid flow position, a depressurization position and an unlatched position which permits separation of the coupling members. A further embodiment of the invention permits placement of the coupling assembly in an intermediate position between the fluid flow position and the depressurization position wherein the coupling assembly remains pressurized but fluid flow is shut off. The further embodiment includes a pair of stop surfaces on the male coupling members which interengage with the latching members. The coupling assembly is thus depressurized while the coupling members are latched together and a single actuation of the actuating button permits the coupling assembly to pass through each of the latching positions in a predetermined sequence before the coupling members are unlatched. Quick and safe uncoupling is thus accomplished.

Claims

1. A coupling assembly comprising,

(a) a pair of interengageable and separable coupling members having a longitudinal axis, said coupling members moveable into engagement and disengagement along said longitudinal axis,

(b) moveable latching means on one of said coupling members and latch engaging means on the other coupling member for latching said one coupling member to the other coupling member, said latching means including a pair of interference members moveable transversely of said longitudinal axis and said latch engaging means including a first stop surface engageable with one of said interference members in said first latching position, and a second stop surface spaced from said first stop surface,

(c) said latching means and said latch engaging means having a first latching position for latching said coupling members together in a fluid flow position to permit fluid flow through said coupling members, said latching means and said latch engaging means having a second latching position for latching said coupling members together in a depressurization position wherein fluid cannot flow through said coupling members and said coupling assembly depressurizes, said second stop surface being engageable with the other interference member in said second latching position, said latching means and said latch engaging means being unlatchable to permit separation of said coupling members, and

(d) actuating means comprising a button on said one coupling member for actuating movement of said latching means, in a first direction when said coupling assembly is in said fluid flow position to move said latching means form said first latching position to said second latching position to permit placement of said coupling members in said depressurization position, said actuating button being deactuatable in a reverse direction to said first direction when said coupling assembly is in said depressurization position in order to move said latching means from said second latching position to said unlatched position and permit separation of said coupling members.

2. The coupling assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said coupling members is a male member and the other said coupling member is a female member, said latching means being provided on said female coupling member and said latch engaging means being provided on said male coupling member.

3. The coupling assembly as claimed in claim 1 having a longitudinal axis, and said latching means are moveable transversely of said longitudinal axis.

4. The coupling assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein said latch engaging means are moveable in the direction of said longitudinal axis.

5. The coupling assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second stop surface is engageable with said one interference member when said coupling members are in an intermediate position between said fluid flow position and said depressurization position wherein fluid flow is shut off and said coupling assembly remains pressurized.

6. The coupling assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said interference members encircle said male coupling member when said male coupling member is engaged in said female coupling member.

7. The coupling assembly is claimed in claim 6 wherein said interference members each have an interfering surface spaced a first predetermined distance along said longitudinal axis and said male coupling member is moveable said first predetermined distance from the fluid flow position to said depressurization position.

8. The coupling assembly as claimed in claim 6 wherein said interference members each have an opening sized to clear said male coupling member, said openings being normally out of alignment with each other by a first predetermined amount such that movement of said actuating means in said first direction effects movement of said interference members to position one of said openings to clear said male coupling member and to position the other said opening to interfere with said male coupling member, and movement of said actuating means in a reverse direction to said first direction effects movement of said interference members to clear the other said opening with said male coupling member and cause interference between said one opening and said male coupling member.

9. The coupling assembly as claimed in claim 8 wherein in said first latching position, the opening in said one interference member is positioned to permit engagement of said one interference member with said one stop surface and the opening in said other interference member is positioned to clear said male coupling member.

10. The coupling assembly as claimed in claim 9 wherein said one stop surface is engageable with the other interference member in said second latching position.

11. The coupling assembly as claimed in claim 8 wherein said one stop surface is engageable with the other interference member in said second latching position and, in said second latching position, the opening in the other interference member is positioned to permit engagement of the other interference member with said one stop surface, and the opening in said one interference member is positioned to clear said male coupling member.

12. The coupling assembly as claimed in claim 8 wherein said latch engaging means comprise a second stop surface spaced from said first stop surface, said second stop surface being engageable with the other interference member in said second latching position, and in said second latching position, the opening in the other interference member is positioned to permit engagement of the other interference member with said second stop surface, and the opening in said one interference member is positioned to clear said male coupling member.

13. The coupling assembly as claimed in claim 12 wherein said latch engaging means comprise two stop surfaces spaced a second predetermined distance along said longitudinal axis, said second predetermined distance being less than said first predetermined distance.

14. The coupling assembly as claimed in claim 12 wherein said second stop surface is engageable with said one interference member when said coupling members are in an intermediate position between said fluid flow position and said depressurization position, wherein fluid flow is shut off and said coupling assembly remains pressurized, and in said intermediate position, the opening in said one interference member is positioned to permit engagement of said one interference member with said second stop surface, and the opening in said other interference member is positioned to clear said male coupling member.

15. The coupling assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said actuating means comprise a depressible member connected to at least one of said interference members.

16. The coupling assembly as claimed in claim 15 wherein said depressible member effects movement in said interference member when said depressible member is depressed in said first direction.

17. The coupling assembly of claim 1 wherein said actuating means is biased to move from said first direction to said reverse direction by a spring.

18. The coupling assembly of claim 17 wherein said latching means include a pair of moveable interference members, said latch engaging means including a first stop surface engageable with one of said interference members in said first latching position, and a second stop surface spaced from said first stop surface being engageable with the other interference member in said second latching position.

19. A coupling assembly comprising,

(a) a pair of coupling members having an internal longitudinal axis, said coupling members being attachable and separable along said longitudinal axis,

(b) latching means on one of said coupling members for maintaining said coupling members together in a first condition to permit fluid flow through said coupling members for maintaining said coupling members together in a second condition that permits depressurization of said coupling assembly, said latching means being releasable from the other coupling member to permit separation of said coupling members, and

(c) actuating means comprising a button moveable toward the longitudinal axis to permit movement of said coupling members from said first condition to said second condition, movement of said actuating means away from the longitudinal axis to permit separation of said coupling members.

20. A method of safely disconnecting a coupling assembly that includes a male coupling member and a female coupling member having an internal longitudinal axis, the coupling members being attachable and separable along the longitudinal axis comprising,

(a) providing a first latching position of the coupling members which holds the coupling members together in a fluid flow condition,

(b) providing a second latching position for the coupling members that holds the coupling members together in a non-fluid flow condition and enables the coupling assembly to depressurize,

(c) providing an unlatched position for the coupling members which permits separation of the coupling members,

(d) preventing the coupling members from reaching the unlatched position until the coupling members have first passed through the second latching position,

(e) actuating movement of the coupling assembly from the first latching position to the second latching position by depressing an actuating button toward the longitudinal axis, and

(f) actuating movement of the coupling assembly from the second latching position to the unlatched position by releasing the actuating button to move away from the longitudinal axis.

21. The method of claim 20 including the step of providing an intermediate latching position between the first and second latching positions wherein the coupling assembly does not permit fluid flow but remains pressurized.

22. A coupling assembly comprising,

(a) a pair of interengageable and separable coupling members having an internal longitudinal axis, said coupling members being attachable and separable along the longitudinal axis,

(b) moveable latching means on one of said coupling members and latch engaging means on the other coupling member for latching said one coupling member to the other coupling member,

(c) said latching means and said latch engaging means having a first latching position for latching said coupling members together in a fluid flow position to permit fluid flow through said coupling members, said latching means and said latch engaging means having a second latch position for latching said coupling members together in a depressurizaton position wherein fluid cannot flow through said coupling members and said coupling assembly depressurizes, said latching means and said latch engaging means being unlatchable to permit separation of said coupling members, and

(d) a releasably depressible actuating botton on said one coupling member for actuating movement of said latching means, said actuating button being depressible toward the longitudinal axis when said coupling assembly is in said fluid flow position to move said latching means from said first latching position to said second latching position to permit placement of said coupling members in said depressurization position, said actuating button being releasable away from the longitudinal axis when said coupling assembly is in said depressurization position, to move said latching means from said second latching position to said unlatched position to permit separation of said coupling members.