Quick connector

• US 5,794,984 A
• Filed: 05/14/1996
• Issued: 08/18/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Proprietary Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Proprietary Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Bartholomew, Donald D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Arola, Dave W.
• Application Number:
  US08/648,103
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 285/319, 285/921, 285/305, 285/91, 285/93, 285/308, 285/45
• US Class Current: 285/91
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/0982 with a separate member for releasing the coupling

Abstract

A quick connector (10) has a pair of waist segments (76 and 81), a shoulder segment (163), a body segment (72) with an aperture (156) therein, and a leg segment (78). The leg segment (78) is defined by a pair of projecting elements (163) which are at least partially compressible toward one another thereby causing the pair of waist segments (76 and 81) to move toward one another. Thus, a swivellable connection is made which has the equivalent length and diameter of a convention non-swivellable threaded coupling. The quick connector (10) may be released by hand or a snap ring tool inserted into holes (410).

Claims

1. A quick connector used to couple a male conduit to a female receptacle, said female receptacle having a bore centrally extending therethrough defined by an inside surface therein, said quick connector comprising:

a body segment defining an aperture with an inner edge, said inner edge adapted to surround a predetermined portion of said male conduit;

a radial member including at least one gap and defining an aperture with an interior edge, said body segment coupled with said radial member;

interface portions for engaging said female receptacle, said interface portions extending from said radial member;

at least one leg member extending from said radial member clear of said aperture within said body segment, said at least one leg member extending from said radial member such that said leg member is orientated substantially parallel with a longitudinal axis of said male conduit; and

said leg member accessible from outside the female bore, said interface portions being insertable into said bore of said female receptacle when said radial member being at least partially compressed toward the male conduit, said radial member upon expansion urging said interface portions radially outward to be engagably coupled within said female receptacle, said interface portions being disengagable from said female receptacle by at least partially compressing said leg member whereby said quick connector can be longitudinally removed from said female receptacle.

2. The quick connector of claim 1 further comprising:

a shoulder segment projecting from said radial member, said shoulder segment having one of said interface portions thereon which attachably engages said female receptacle thereagainst.

3. The quick connector of claim 2 further comprising:

a second shoulder segment projecting from said radial member, said first and second shoulder segments projecting radially opposite from each other.

4. The quick connector of claim 2 wherein:

said shoulder segment is defined by a pair of flanges from which project a pair of side walls joined by a median wall, said shoulder segment has a distal edge thereto, said interface portion of said shoulder segment thereof is defined by a portion of said median wall and an opposing portion of each of said pair of flanges closest to said distal edge therenear.

5. The quick connector of claim 1 wherein:

a second leg member being coupled with said radial member, said first and second leg members are located radially opposite from one another adjacent to and clear of said aperture in said body segment thereof, the radial orientation of said first and second leg members are substantially perpendicular with the radial orientation of said radial member.

6. The quick connector of claim 5 wherein:

said body segment is a separate part from said radial member and said pair of leg members thereon, said body segment further has a plurality of bendable tabs projecting therefrom which are each securely affixed to said radial member adjacent thereto, said plurality of tabs extend from said body segment such that said aperture therein is in registry with said opening of said radial member and is juxtapositioned centrally between said pair of leg members adjacent thereto; and

said radial member is radially compressible between said plurality of tabs and said body segment slidably adjacent thereto.

7. The quick connector of claim 6 wherein:

said body segment is located longitudinally adjacent to said radial member on a surface opposite from said pair of leg member extending therefrom.

8. The quick connector of claim 1 further comprising:

a cover surrounding a predetermined portion of said male conduit with a portion thereof proximate to said female receptacle thereagainst, said cover substantially preventing contaminants from entering said bore of said female receptacle thereof.

9. The quick connector of claim 8 wherein said cover includes:

an annular hub section engagably surrounding a preselected portion of said male conduit, said hub section being longitudinally slidable therealong;

a cup section having an outer portion thereof, said cup section projecting outward from said hub therein;

an outer wall projecting from said outer portion of said cup section attached thereto, said outer wall being open toward said distal end of said male conduit thereof and having an inwardly turned lip therein, said inwardly turned lip being interlockably engagable with said female receptacle thereby providing a contaminant seal between said male conduit and said female receptacle coupled thereto.

10. The quick connector of claim 1 wherein:

a peripheral edge of said body segment has a smaller radial dimension than does said bore of said female receptacle.

11. The quick connector of claim 1 further comprising:

an annular bulge radially formed around said male conduit against which said body segment is longitudinally positioned; and

a bushing longitudinally displaced adjacent to said annular bulge of said male conduit such that said body segment is securely affixed longitudinally therebetween.

12. The quick connector of claim 1 further comprising:

a pair of bushings longitudinally displaced adjacent to each other around said male conduit therein with said body segment affixed longitudinally therebetween.

13. The quick connector of claim 1 further comprising:

a ferrule insertable within a distal end of said male conduit;

said body segment juxtapositioned longitudinally congruent with a predetermined portion of said ferrule internally therein; and

said ferrule causing said male conduit therearound to radially expand thereabout so as to securely affix said inner edge surrounding said aperture of said body segment thereof to said male conduit captured therebetween.

14. The quick connector of claim 1 further comprising:

means for sealing circumferentially surrounding said male conduit disposed inside said bore of said female receptacle, said sealing means preventing fluid from passing between an outside surface of said male conduit and said inside surface surrounding said bore of said female receptacle adjacent thereto.

15. The quick connector of claim 1 further comprising:

a locking member having a finger extending therefrom insertable and removable between said pair of projecting elements of said leg segment, when inserted said locking member preventing said leg member from being compressed and also preventing said pair of shoulder segments from compressing toward one another thereby preventing inadvertent disengagement of said quick connector from said female receptacle.

16. A swivelable quick connector comprising:

a radial member defining an aperture;

a pair of shoulder segments on said radial member, said shoulder segments projecting opposite from one another on said radial member with each having an interface portion thereon;

a body segment having an aperture therethrough defined by an inner edge juxtapositioned centrally in relation to said radial member aperture and said body segment longitudinally adjacent to said radial member; and

a pair of leg members juxtapositioned between said pair of shoulder segments on said radial member, said pair of leg members being displaced clear of said apertures, said pair of leg members each including a pair of projecting elements defining a gap on said radial member, said pair of projecting members of each of said pair of leg members being at least partially compressible toward one another.

17. A coupling system comprising:

a male conduit having a cylindrical shape thereto and a distal end thereof;

a female receptacle having a bore extending therethrough defined by an inside surface therearound, said female receptacle further having means for retaining therein, said distal end of said male conduit insertable within said bore of said female receptacle thereof; and

a quick connector having radially compressible means and a rigid means for retaining said male conduit in said female receptacle, said quick connector positioned on said male conduit within said female receptacle;

said longitudinally rigid means of said quick connector positioned around said male conduit a predetermined distance from said distal end, said rigid means prohibiting longitudinal movement of said male conduit by engagement with said female receptacle, said compressible means including radially expanded means for longitudinally securing said longitudinally rigid means of said quick connector in said female receptacle and said radially compressible means of said quick connector being removably attached to said retaining means of said female receptacle.

18. The coupling system of claim 17 wherein said radially compressible means of said quick connector includes:

a plurality of waist segments radially movable toward each other; and

means for urging said plurality of waist segments radially outward from each other.

19. The coupling system of claim 18 wherein said longitudinally rigid means of said quick connector includes:

a body segment having an aperture therethrough defined by an inner edge therearound, said body segment slidably coupled to said pair of waist segments.

20. The coupling system of claim 18 wherein said urging means includes:

a leg segment attached to said plurality of waist segments, said leg segment defined by a pair of projecting elements coupled to each other and extending from said plurality of waist segments.

21. A coupling system for use in coupling a male conduit having a distal end thereof to a female receptacle, said female receptacle having a bore centrally extending therethrough defined by an inside surface, said female further having a retaining formation, said coupling system comprising:

a quick connector having a first segment thereof which securely engages said male conduit thereto, said quick connector further having a second segment thereof which is attachably engagable with said retaining formation of said female receptacle thereto and means for compressing said second segment for enabling withdrawal from said female receptacle, said means coupled with said second segment; and

a substantially flexible cover surrounding a predetermined portion of said male conduit external to said bore of said female receptacle, a predetermined portion of said substantially flexible cover being proximate to said female receptacle thereagainst thereby providing a containment seal between said male conduit and said female receptacle coupled thereto.

22. A connector used to couple a male conduit to a female receptacle, said female receptacle having a bore centrally extending therethrough defined by an inside surface therein, said connector comprising:

a radial member transmitting radially expansive retention forces while withstanding radial retention and removal forces to retain said connector to said female receptacle and leg means for compressing said radial member for enabling withdrawal from the female receptacle, said leg means coupled with said radial member; and

a body segment means discrete from said radial member for resisting longitudinal pull out forces to retain said connector to said male conduit.

23. The connector of claim 22 wherein said radial member is coupled to said body segment, said body segment has an aperture therethrough defined by an inner edge therearound, said body segment is positioned around said male conduit, a predetermined portion of said male conduit adjacent to said connector thereabout having radially expanded means for longitudinally securing said body segment of said connector thereto.

24. The connector of claim 23 wherein said radial member includes:

a pair of waist segments each having an interior edge thereabout;

an interface portion mounted on each of said pair of waist segments which attachable engage said female receptacle thereagainst;

a pair of leg segments attached to said pair of waist segments clear of said aperture within said body segment thereof, said pair of leg segments each defined by a pair of projecting elements each extending substantially perpendicular to said pair of waist segments such that each said leg segment is orientated substantially parallel with a longitudinal axis of said male conduit adjacent thereto; and

said pair of leg segments protruding through said bore of said female receptacle so as to be accessible from thereout, said interface portions insertable into said bore of said female receptacle by allowing said pair of projecting members of said leg segment to at least partially compress toward one another, said pair of leg segments further urging said interface portions radially outward so as to be engagably coupled within said female receptacle, said interface portions being disengagable from said female receptacle by at least partially compressing said projecting members of said pair of leg segments toward one another whereby said quick connector can be longitudinally removed from said female receptacle.

25. The connector of claim 22 further comprising:

a cover surrounding a predetermined portion of said male conduit and being interlockably engagable upon said female receptacle, said cover substantially preventing contaminants from entering said bore of said female receptacle thereof.