Quick-release connector for hoses and the like

• US 5,104,157 A
• Filed: 10/02/1990
• Issued: 04/14/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rasmussen GmbH (NORMA Group SE)
• Original Assignee: Rasmussen GmbH (NORMA Group SE)
• Inventors: Bahner, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Arola, Dave W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABERLE, TIMOTHY
• Application Number:
  US07/591,735
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 285/307, 285/39, 285/314, 285/351, 285/331, 285/332.1, 285/332, 285/921, 285/423, 285/401, 285/360, 285/73, 285/349
• US Class Current: 285/307
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/084 combined with automatic locking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 285/921 Snap-fit

Abstract

A quick-release connector for a pair of conduits has a tubular male component which has a rear portion insertable into a first conduit, a front portion, an annular external protuberance between the front and rear portions, and several equidistance axially parallel disengaging members which cross the protuberance and have projections at their front ends. A tubular female component of the connector has a rear part which is insertable into the other conduit and a front part with equidistance axially parallel resilient arms, one for each disengaging member. The arms have internal detents which can engage a radial rear flank of the protuberance when the front portion of the male component is inserted into the front part of the female component. The detents can be disengaged from the rear flank of the protuberance in response to rotation of the two components relative to each other so that the detents ride onto the rear sections of the disengaging members behind the radial flank and can be moved axially toward but not over the projections. Complete disengagement of the two components is possible only when the detents are moved beyond the adjacent projections in the circumferential direction of the two components. Proper insertion of the male component into the female component is possible only when the projections can bypass the detents. The maximum width of each projection at least equals the maximum width of the rear section of the corresponding disengaging member.

Claims

1. A quick-release connector for two conduits, comprising a tubular male component having a longitudinal axis and having a front portion, a rear portion connectable with one of the conduits, an annular external protuberance disposed between said portions and having a radial rear flank confronting said rear portion and a conical front flank sloping inwardly toward said front portion, and a plurality of circumferentially equidistant axially parallel disengaging members each crossing said protuberance and each having a rear section extending axially beyond said rear flank and a front section at said front flank and extending axially forward of said front flank, said rear sections having lateral ramps and said protuberance having a peripheral surface between-said flanks;

and a tubular female component having a longitudinal axis and including a rear part connectable to the other conduit and a front part having a plurality of axially parallel circumferentially equidistant resilient arms, one for each of said disengaging members, each of said arms including an internal detent having a cam face engaged by and yielding radially outwardly to said front flank during insertion of said front portion into said front part and a substantially radial shoulder which is engaged by said rear flank on completed insertion of said front portion, the mutual spacing of said disengaging members in the circumferential direction of said male component being identical with the mutual spacing of said arms in the circumferential direction of said female component, at least one of said front sections having a projection extending radially outwardly beyond the circumferential surface of said front section and being spaced apart from said peripheral surface in a direction toward said front portion, said detents being movable radially outwardly to predetermined outermost positions due to resiliency of said arms and the distance of said projection from the common longitudinal axis of said components in inserted position of said front portion being greater than the distance of said detents from said axis in the outermost positions of said detents, said projection including a radially outermost portion having a first predetermined width in the circumferential direction of said male component and said rear sections including radially outermost portions having a second predetermined width which at most equals said first width, whereby to disengage said components said detents are aligned with said disengaging surfaces and the male and female components are axially moved apart until the detents engage the projection and upon relative rotation of said components, said components may be axially disengaged.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein said projection has at least one circumferentially double tapered shoulder facing in one of two directions toward and away from said peripheral surface, said projection having a radially extending ridge.

3. The connector of claim 1, wherein said projection has a circumferentially double tapered shoulder confronting said front portion.

4. The connector of claim 1, wherein said projection has a circumferentially double tapered shoulder confronting said peripheral surface.

5. The connector of claim 1, wherein said projection has a shoulder confronting said peripheral surface and making an oblique angle with the common axis of said components in inserted position of said front portion.

6. The connector of claim 1, wherein said arms have end portions remote from said rear part and said front part further includes resilient arcuate portions connecting said end portions of said arms to each other.

7. The connector of claim 1, wherein said at least one front section further includes a connecting portion disposed between said projection and said peripheral surface, said connecting portion having a first width at said projection and a second width at said peripheral surface, the first width of said connecting portion being at most equal to the second width of said connecting portion and the first width of said connecting portion being equal to said first predetermined width.

8. The connector of claim 6, wherein said detents constitute the end portions of said arms.

9. The connector of claim 7, wherein the width of said connecting portion is constant.

10. The connector of claim 7, wherein the width of said connecting portion increases gradually from said projection toward said peripheral surface.

11. The connector of claim 7, wherein the width of said projection varies gradually in a direction toward said connecting portion and the width of said connecting portion varies gradually in a direction toward said peripheral surface at the same rate as the width of said projection.