Quick-release connector for flexible hoses and the like

• US 5,074,601 A
• Filed: 10/02/1990
• Issued: 12/24/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Norma Germany Gbmh
• Original Assignee: Rasmussen GmbH (NORMA Group SE)
• Inventors: Bahner, Frank, Wachter, Gerhard, Spors, Ralf, Hohmann, Ralf
• Primary Examiner(s): Arola, Dave W.
• Application Number:
  US07/591,562
• Time in Patent Office: 448 Days
• Field of Search: 285/39, 285/308, 285/319, 285/921, 285/314, 285/305, 285/423
• US Class Current: 285/308
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/12 using hooks, pawls or other movable or insertable locking members F16L37/084 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 285/921 Snap-fit

Abstract

A quick-release connector wherein a tubular male component has a rear portion insertable into the end portion of a first conduit and a front portion insertable into the resilient front part of a tubular female component. The male component has an annular protuberance between the front and rear portions and the protuberance has a conical front flank and a radial rear flank. The rear part of the female component is insertable into the end portion of a second conduit and the front part has two arms with internal male detents within a ring which connects the front ends of the arms to each other. In order to insert the front portion of the male component, the conical flank of the protuberance is caused to move the detents apart until the detents snap behind the radial flank of the protuberance. An annular disengaging member has two parallel walls which are inwardly adjacent the arms behind the detents and have ramps which can be moved against the arms to thus move the detents apart and permit extraction of the protuberance and front portion of the male component from the female component. The disengaging member is more or less permanently connected with the female component and is movable transversely of the female component between a first end position in which the ramps deform the arms and a second end position in which the detents are free to engage the radial flank of the protuberance.

Claims

1. A quick-release connector for a pair of conduits, comprising a tubular male component having a rear portion connectable with one of the conduits, a front portion and a protuberance between said portions, said protuberance having a conical front flank sloping inwardly toward said front portion and a substantially radial flank confronting said rear portion;

an elongated tubular female component having a rear part connectable with the other of the conduits and a resilient front part arranged to receive the front portion of said male component, said front part comprising a ring and a pair of arms disposed substantially diametrically opposite each other and extending longitudinally of said female component between said ring and said rear part, said front part further comprising an internal male detent for each of said arms, each of said detents being aligned with the respective arm and having a conical cam face sloping outwardly away from said rear part, said male detents being displaceable by said conical flank during insertion of said front portion into said front part and each detent further having a substantially radial shoulder confronting said rear part and abutting said radial flank upon completed insertion of said front portion; and

means being irremovably attached to said front part at least upon said completed insertion for disengaging said detents from said protuberance to permit extraction of said front portion from said front part, said disengaging means having two spaced apart walls each of which is inwardly adjacent one of said arms and each of which is movable transversely of said front part between first and second positions, said walls having ramps which engage and spread said arms apart in response to movement of said walls toward said first positions to thereby disengage said detents from said protuberance, said ramps permitting said arms to move their detents toward each other due to resiliency of said front part in the second positions of said walls.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein at least one of said walls has a stop which abuts the respective arm in the second positions of said walls.

3. The connector of claim 1, wherein said disengaging means is an annular member which further comprises two webs alternating with said walls, one of said webs abutting said protuberance in said first positions of said walls.

4. The connector of claim 1, wherein said ring has an inner diameter and said protuberance has an outer diameter smaller than said inner diameter, said detents being spaced apart from each other a distance which is less than said outer diameter when said front portion is extracted from said front part.

5. The connector of claim 1, further comprising at least one elastically deformable annular sealing element arranged to surround said front portion within said front part in inserted position of said front portion.

6. The connector of claim 1, wherein said arms have internal surfaces adjacent the respective detents and transversely extending recesses provided in said internal surfaces for the respective walls.

7. The connector of claim 1, wherein said arms abut the respective ramps in said first positions of said walls.

8. The connector of claim 7, wherein said ramps have a slope such that said arms automatically maintain said walls in said second positions due to resiliency of said front part unless said walls are forcibly held in said first positions.

9. The connector of claim 1, wherein said walls further comprise platforms adjacent the respective ramps and engaging the respective arms in the first positions of said walls to prevent said arms from moving said walls toward said second positions due to resiliency of said front part.

10. The connector of claim 9, wherein said platforms have parallel outer surfaces which engage the respective arms in the first positions of said walls.