Locking coupling connector

• US 5,957,716 A
• Filed: 09/23/1997
• Issued: 09/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ultra Electronics Limited (Ultra Electronics Holdings PLC)
• Original Assignee: Ultra Electronics Limited (Ultra Electronics Holdings PLC)
• Inventors: Hall, Rex, Collier, Malcolm Wilfrid, Buckley, Paul Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephan, Steven L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Byrd, Eugene G.
• Application Number:
  US08/860,308
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 439/321, 439/320, 439/323, 439/312, 439/469, 439/470, 439/905
• US Class Current: 439/321
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/622 Screw-ring or screw-casing H01R13/623 takes precedence

Abstract

A locking coupling comprises a body (1) adapted for connection to a separate body, a coupling collar (2) rotatably mounted on said body (1) and adapted to cooperate with said separate body to hold it in axial connection with said body (1), a locking collar (4) mounted on said body (1) and longitudinally movable thereon between locking and unlocking position, bias means (8) that urges the locking collar (4) towards the locking position, and locking formations (11, 10) on the locking collar (4) and coupling collar (2) that interengage axially when the locking collar (4) is moved to the locking position so as to restrain the coupling collar (2) against rotation on said body (1). The locking collar (4) can be retained in the unlocking position by retention formations (5, 9) on the locking collar (4) and body (1) that interengage longitudinally. The locking collar (4) is held captive longitudinally on the body by The coupling collar, and the latter is held captive on the body by an internal circlip (3). The locking formations (10, 11) comprise axially extending teeth of a saw-tooth form. Warning indicator means on said body (1) is exposed only when the locking collar (4) is in the unlocking position.

Claims

1. A locking coupling comprising:

a body (1) adapted for connection to a separate body;

a coupling collar (2) rotatably mounted on said body and adapted to cooperate with said separate body to hold it in axial connection with said body, said coupling collar being rotatable in a locking sense to hold said body (1) and said separate body together, and in a release sense to release said body from said separate body;

a locking collar mounted on said body and longitudinally movable with respect to the coupling collar between locking and unlocking positions;

bias means (8) that urge the locking collar (4) towards the locking position; and

locking formations (10,

     11) on the locking collar and coupling collar;

characterised in that the locking collar (4) is restrained from rotating when it is at the locking position and in that the locking formations on the coupling collar interengage axially with those on the locking collar when the locking collar is moved to the locking position so as to restrain the coupling collar against rotation in the release sense on said body (1).

2. A locking coupling as claimed in claim 1 in which the locking collar (2) is retained in the unlocking position by retention formations (5,9) on the locking collar and body that interengage longitudinally.

3. A locking coupling as claimed in claim 2 in which the retention formations comprise keying means that guide the locking collar longitudinally on the body and allow rotation of the locking collar on the body only in the unlocking position, when the keying means then cooperate longitudinally to retain the locking collar in the unlocking position.

4. A locking coupling as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the locking collar (4) is held captive longitudinally on the body by the coupling collar (2), and the coupling collar in turn is held captive on the body by a separate fastener (3).

5. A locking coupling as claimed in claim 4 in which the separate fastener (3) comprises an internal circlip.

6. A locking coupling as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the locking formations comprise axially extending teeth (10,11).

7. A locking coupling as claimed in claim 6 in which the teeth have a tooth form so as to restrain the coupling collar against rotation in one sense which would otherwise allow uncoupling of said separate body.

8. A locking coupling as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which indicator means on said body is covered by the locking collar and only exposed as a warning when the locking collar is in the unlocking position.