Coupling for conduits

• US 4,951,975 A
• Filed: 10/24/1988
• Issued: 08/28/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Proprietary Technology Incorporated 25240 Lahser RD Southfield
• Original Assignee: Proprietary Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Bartholomew, Donald D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Arola, Dave W.
• Application Number:
  US07/264,076
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 285/308, 285/315, 285/111, 285/319, 285/424
• US Class Current: 285/111
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/0982 with a separate member for releasing the coupling

Abstract

A coupling for attaching a conduit to an external member includes a female housing having a passageway formed therein and extending axially therealong and communicating with the external member. A retainer is disposed in the passageway for retaining the conduit when inserted into the passageway and in response to a withdrawing movement of the conduit from the passageway. A bushing is disposed in the passageway and cooperating with the retainer for allowing disengagement of retainer with the conduit to allow the conduit to be withdrawn from said passageway.

Claims

1. In a pressure or vacuum confining system, a coupling for connecting a tubular member to a mating member into which said tubular member is inserted, said mating member comprising:

a female housing;

said female housing having an interior being shaped so as to accept into the open end said tubular member, a gripping means, release bushing means, sealing means, and a retainer release operator;

said gripping means including a discontinuous band enabling insertion into said female housing and at least two spring like means, one of said spring like means adapted to engage said tubular member, the other spring like means cooperating with said interior of said female housing interior to prevent said gripping means from being translated into said female housing to an extend sufficient to disrupt a gripping releasing motion, both of said spring like means extending from said discontinuous band and with said first spring like means cooperating with said female housing preventing withdraw of said tubular member in response to a withdrawing movement of said tubular member;

said releasing bushing positioned in said interior of said female housing and shaped in a manner that said releasing bushing is operated to release said gripping means by the movement of said sealing means;

said sealing means constructed so as to seal the interior of said female housing to the exterior of said tubular member and be located between said releasing bushing and said retaining releasing operator; and

a retaining releasing operator constructed in a manner such that said operator may be installed into said female housing, and once installed, resist removal from said female housing, whereby the retaining releasing operator being constructed so as to be moveable within said housing in a manner that will cause movement of said sealing means in response to an outside force applied to said retainer releasing means for purpose of releasing said tubular element from said mating member.

2. A coupling for attaching a conduit to an external member, comprising:

a female housing having a passageway formed therein and extending axially therealong and communicating with the external member;

means for retaining the conduit when inserted into said passageway, said means disposed in said passageway and including a discontinuous band means enabling insertion into said female housing and at least two spring means, one of said spring means adapted to engage said conduit, the other spring means cooperating with said interior of said female housing interior to prevent said retaining means from being translated into said female housing to an extent sufficient to disrupt a retaining releasing motion, both of said spring means extending from said discontinuous band and said first spring means cooperating with said female housing preventing withdraw of said conduit;

bushing means disposed in said passageway and cooperating with said retaining means for allowing disengagement of said retaining means with the conduit to allow the conduit to be withdrawn from said passageway.

3. The coupling as set forth in claim 2 including sealing means for sealing the interior of said female housing to the exterior of the conduit.

4. The coupling as set forth in claim 3 including releasing means disposed in said passageway and being moveable therein for causing movement of said sealing means to actuate said bushing means in response to an outside force applied to said releasing means.

5. A coupling for attaching a conduit to an external member, comprising:

a female housing having a passageway formed therein and extending axially therealong and communicating with the external member;

means for engaging and retaining the conduit when inserted into said passageway, said means disposed in said passageway and including a discontinuous band means enabling insertion into said female housing and at least two spring means, one of said spring means adapted to engage said conduit, the other spring means cooperating with said interior of said female housing interior to prevent said retaining means from being translated into said female housing to an extent sufficient to disrupt a retaining releasing motion, both of said spring means extending from said discontinuous band and said first spring means cooperating with said female housing preventing withdraw of said conduit in response to a withdrawing movement of said contuit from said passageway;

bushing means disposed in said passageway and cooperating with said retaining means for allowing disengagement of said retaining means with the conduit to allow the conduit to be withdrawn from said passageway;

sealing means for sealing the interior of said female housing to the exterior of the conduit; and

releasing means disposed in said passageway and being moveable therein for causing movement of said sealing means to actuate said busing means in response to an outside force applied to said releasing means.

6. The coupling as set forth in claim 5 wherein said retaining means first spring means includes at least two spring like members adapted to engage the conduit and cooperate with the female housing to prevent withdraw of the conduit in response to a withdrawing movement of the conduit.

7. The coupling as set forth in claim 6 wherein said passageway includes a locking portion formed by axially opposed walls of said female housing which cooperate with said projection to limit the axial movement of said releasing means.

8. The coupling as set forth in claim 7 wherein said bushing means comprises a tubular bushing having a flange extending radially outwardly therefrom.

9. The coupling as set forth in claim 8 wherein said female housing includes a wall extending radially inwardly into said passageway and cooperating with said flange to limit the movement of said bushing.

10. The coupling as set forth in claim 9 wherein said sealing means comprises an O-ring.

11. The coupling as set forth in claim 9 wherein said sealing means comprises a U-shaped annular sealing ring.

12. The coupling as set forth in claim 11 wherein said female housing is a thin-walled deep drawn stamped member.

13. The coupling as set forth in claim 12 wherein said female housing has a radially inwardly extending wall cooperating with the end of the conduit to limit the depth of insertion of the conduit into said coupling.

14. The coupling as set for the in claim 11 including a member disposed within said passageway and forming a tapered wall portion for cooperating with said spring like members.