Fluid couplings
First Claim
1. A female coupling member, releasably interconnectable with a male coupling member to form a fluid coupling, the female coupling member comprising:
- a tubular body having an inlet end for axially receiving the inlet end of the male coupling member, and an outlet end connectable to a fluid flow line;
a locking mechanism operable to exert a retaining influence on the male coupling member, when received within the female coupling member, to releasably interconnect the male and female coupling members; and
,a lock release mechanism selectively operable to remove the retaining influence of the locking mechanism so as to release the male and female coupling members, the lock release mechanism including;
release member being manually movable to operate the lock release mechanism, movement of the release member including a preliminary movement to a preparatory position in which the lock release member is then able to operate the lock release mechanism to remove the retaining influence thereof followed by a further movement in at least a non-axial direction which operates the lock release mechanism to remove the retaining influence; and
,biasing means acting on the release member to bias the release member away from the preparatory position, the release member being manually moved to the preparatory position against the bias of the biasing means.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A fluid coupling comprising releasably interconnectable male and female coupling members for interconnecting fluid flow lines. The male coupling member has an inlet and an outlet connectable to a fluid flow line, whilst the female coupling member has an inlet for receiving the inlet of the male coupling member, and an outlet connectable to another fluid flow line. A locking mechanism exerts a retaining influence on the male coupling member, when received within the female coupling member, to connect the coupling members together. A lock release mechanism is operable to remove the retaining influence of the locking mechanism and release the coupling members. The lock release mechanism has a release member manually movable to operate the lock release mechanism. Release member movement includes a preliminary movement to a preparatory position in which the lock release member is then able to operate the lock release mechanism to remove the retaining influence thereof followed by a further movement in at least a non-axial direction which operates the lock release mechanism to remove the retaining influence. Biasing means acts on the release member to bias the release member away from the preparatory position.
70 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A female coupling member, releasably interconnectable with a male coupling member to form a fluid coupling, the female coupling member comprising:
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a tubular body having an inlet end for axially receiving the inlet end of the male coupling member, and an outlet end connectable to a fluid flow line; a locking mechanism operable to exert a retaining influence on the male coupling member, when received within the female coupling member, to releasably interconnect the male and female coupling members; and
,a lock release mechanism selectively operable to remove the retaining influence of the locking mechanism so as to release the male and female coupling members, the lock release mechanism including; release member being manually movable to operate the lock release mechanism, movement of the release member including a preliminary movement to a preparatory position in which the lock release member is then able to operate the lock release mechanism to remove the retaining influence thereof followed by a further movement in at least a non-axial direction which operates the lock release mechanism to remove the retaining influence; and
,biasing means acting on the release member to bias the release member away from the preparatory position, the release member being manually moved to the preparatory position against the bias of the biasing means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A fluid coupling for interconnecting fluid flow lines, including:
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a tubular male coupling member having an inlet end, and an outlet end connectable to a fluid flow line; a tubular female coupling member having an inlet end for axially receiving the inlet end of the male coupling member, and an outlet end connectable to a fluid flow line; a locking mechanism operable to exert a retaining influence on the male coupling member, when received within the female coupling member, to releasably interconnect the male and female coupling members, and, a lock release mechanism selectively operable to remove the retaining influence of the locking mechanism so as to release the male and female coupling members, the lock release mechanism including a release member being manually movable at least in a non-axial direction to operate the lock release mechanism, movement of the release member including a preliminary movement to a preparatory position in which the lock release member is then able to operate the lock release mechanism to remove the retaining influence thereof followed by a further movement in at least a non-axial direction which operates the lock release mechanism to remove the retaining influence; and
,biasing means acting on the release member to bias the release member away from the preparatory position, the release member being manually moved to the preparatory position against the bias of the biasing means. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A female coupling member, releasably interconnectable with a male coupling member to form a fluid coupling, the female coupling member comprising:
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a tubular coupling body having an inlet end for axially receiving the inlet end of the male coupling member, and an outlet end connectable to a fluid flow line; a locking mechanism operable to exert a retaining influence on the male coupling member, when received within the female coupling member, to releasably interconnect the male and female coupling members; and
,a lock release mechanism selectively operable to remove the retaining influence of the locking mechanism so as to release the male and female coupling members, the lock release mechanism including; a release member being manually movable to operate the lock release mechanism movement of the release member including a preliminary movement to a preparatory position in which the lock release member is then able to operate the lock release mechanism to remove the retaining influence thereof followed by a further movement which operates the lock release mechanism to remove the retaining influence, the preliminary movement of the release member being in a direction along a longitudinal axis of the coupling, and the further movement of the release member being in compound rotational and lineal directions respectively about and along the longitudinal axis of the coupling, wherein the lock release member is slidably and rotatably carried on the tubular coupling body, and slidably moves along the tubular coupling body during the preliminary movement, and the lock release mechanism includes at least one screw thread on the coupling body and at least one co-operable screw thread on the release member, the screw threads progressively interengaging upon rotation of the release member on the tubular coupling body to cause the release member to move in the compound rotational and lineal directions, wherein the screw threads are disengageable upon reverse direction rotation of the release member, and upon disengagement the screw threads are axially spaced apart, the release member being axially movable relative to the coupling body member during the preliminary movement in order to bring the screw threads into engagement, and wherein the lock release mechanism includes a biasing element acting on the release member to bias the release member in an axial direction in which the disengaged screw threads are maintained in spaced apart relation, the release member being manually movable against the biasing element to bring the screw threads into engagement.
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Specification