Breakaway hose coupling for fuel dispensers

• US 6,050,297 A
• Filed: 11/17/1998
• Issued: 04/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dresser Incorporated (Nagano Keiki Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dresser Industries Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: DiRocco, James David, Ostrowski, Gary M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Joanne Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/193,571
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 137/614.04, 137/614.03, 137/614, 137/614.02, 251/149.6
• US Class Current: 137/614.04
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/3218 relating to emergency shut-off means
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/367 with two gate valves or sliding valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/1007 Couplings closed automatically when broken
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87949 Linear motion of flow path sections operates both
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87957 Valves actuate each other

Abstract

A breakaway hose coupling according to which a removable housing is detachably connected to a fixed housing. A sealing member in the fixed housing is urged towards a seat in the fixed housing to prevent fluid flow through the fixed housing, and a member in the second housing is urged into engagement with the sealing member in the first housing to urge the latter sealing member away from the seat. The connection between the housings is released in response to a predetermined force acting on the second housing and the member in the second housing disengages from the sealing member in the first housing. As a result, the sealing member in the first housing is urged against the seat to prevent fluid flow through the fixed housing.

Claims

1. A coupling for selectively passing two fluids, the coupling comprising:

a first housing having a first bore for passing one of the fluids therethrough and a second bore for passing the other fluid therethrough;

a seat formed in the first housing and surrounding the first bore;

a cylindrical guide flange formed in the first bore;

a first hollow cylindrical sealing member disposed in the first bore and extending over the guide flange for slidable movement relative to the guide flange, the sealing member receiving the fluid from the bore and having at least one window formed therethrough for discharging the fluid radially back into the bore;

a spring engaging the sealing member and normally urging the sealing member in a direction towards the seat;

a second housing having a first bore and a second bore;

a seat formed in the second housing and surrounding the first bore of the second housing;

a cylindrical guide flange formed in the first bore of the second housing;

a hollow cylindrical sealing member disposed in the first bore of the second housing and extending over the latter guide flange for slidable movement relative to the latter guide flange, the latter sealing member receiving the fluid from the first bore of the second housing and having at least one window formed therethrough for discharging the fluid radially back into the first bore of the second housing;

a spring engaging the latter sealing member and normally urging it in a direction towards the seat in the second housing; and

a connector detachably connecting the second housing to the first housing with the first bores in registry and with the second bores in registry, and with the sealing members engaging in a manner to urge each other against the forces of their respective springs and away from their respective seats to permit passage of the fluid through the first bores;

the connector responding to a predetermined force acting on the second housing for allowing the second housing to disconnect from the first housing, the second sealing members to disengage from each other, and each sealing member to move into engagement with its corresponding seat to prevent fluid flow through the first bore of the first housing and the first bore of the second housing.

2. The coupling of claim 1 wherein the first bore of each of said housings has an inlet for receiving the one fluid, and wherein the corresponding guide flange registers with the inlet for receiving the one fluid and passing it into its corresponding sealing member.

3. A gasoline dispensing system comprising:

a dispenser connected to a source of fuel;

a nozzle for dispensing the fuel into a vehicle and for recovering vapors from the vehicle;

a hose assembly connected to the nozzle; and

a coupling connecting the dispenser to the hose assembly for passing the fuel from the dispenser to the nozzle and for passing the vapor from the nozzle to the dispenser;

the coupling comprising;

a first housing having a first bore for passing one of the fluids therethrough and a second bore for passing the other fluid therethrough;

a seat formed in the first housing and surrounding the first bore;

a cylindrical guide flange formed in the first bore;

a first hollow cylindrical sealing member disposed in the first bore and extending over the guide flange for slidable movement relative to the guide flange, the sealing member receiving the fluid from the bore and having at least one window formed therethrough for discharging the fluid radially back into the bore;

a spring engaging the sealing member and normally urging it in a direction towards the seat;

a second housing having a first bore and a second bore;

a seat formed in the second housing and surrounding the first bore of the second housing;

a cylindrical guide flange formed in the first bore of the second housing;

a hollow cylindrical sealing member disposed in the first bore of the second housing and extending over the latter guide flange for slidable movement relative to the latter guide flange, the latter sealing member receiving the fluid from the first bore of the second housing and having at least one window formed therethrough for discharging the fluid radially back into the first bore of the second housing;

a spring engaging the latter sealing member and normally urging the latter sealing member in a direction towards the seat in the second housing; and

a connector detachably connecting the second housing to the first housing with the first bores in registry and with the second bores in registry, and with the sealing members engaging in a manner to urge each other against the forces of their respective springs and away from their respective seats to permit passage of the fluid through the first bores;

the connector responding to a predetermined force acting on the second housing for allowing the second housing to disconnect from the first housing, the second sealing members to disengage from each other, and each sealing member to move into engagement with its corresponding seat to prevent fluid flow through the first bore of the first housing and the first bore of the second housing.

4. The dispensing system of claim 3 wherein the first bore of each of said housings has an inlet for receiving the one fluid, and wherein the corresponding guide flange registers with the inlet for receiving the one fluid and passing it into its corresponding sealing member.