Quick connector

• US 6,170,886 B1
• Filed: 07/29/1998
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1996
• 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:
  US09/124,619
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 285/319, 285/921, 285/305, 285/91, 285/93, 285/308, 285/45
• US Class Current: 285/305
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/098 by means of flexible hooks
• 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 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 radial member transmitting radially expansive retention forces while withstanding radial retention and removal forces to retain said connector to said female receptacle, said radial member being ring shaped and including means for enabling compressive and expansive radial movement of said ring so that said ring is in a compress state being inserted into said female receptacle and expanding in said female receptacle for retaining said connector in said female receptacle; and

a body segment resisting longitudinal pull out forces to retain said connector to said male conduit, said body segment coupled with said radial member.

2. The connector of claim 1 wherein 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.

3. The connector of claim 2 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 attachably 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.

4. The connector of claim 1 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.

5. A method of coupling a male conduit having a cylindrical shape thereto and a distal end thereof within a female receptacle having a bore extending therethrough defined by an inside surface therearound, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a connector having an aperture therethrough defined by an inner edge therearound;

positioning said connector substantially around said male conduit;

compressing a first ring portion of said connector such that said first ring portion is compressed radially inwardly;

inserting said connector and said male conduit into said female receptacle;

releasing said compressing force and expanding said first ring portion of said connector;

transmitting radially expansive retention forces onto said female receptacle through said first ring portion of said connector while withstanding radial retention and removal forces between said male conduit and said female receptacle; and

resisting longitudinal pull out forces through a second portion of said connector between said male conduit and same female receptacle, said second portion coupled with said first ring portion.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said step of resisting longitudinal pull out forces between said male conduit and said female receptacle includes the steps of:

expanding said second portion of said male conduit adjacent to said connector to longitudinally secure said connector to said male conduit; and

providing said connector with a peripheral edge having a smaller radial dimension than said bore of said female receptacle.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein said step of transmitting radially expansive retention forces through said first portion of said connector while withstanding radial retention and removal forces between said male conduit and said female receptacle includes the steps of:

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

mounting a pair of interface portions on each of said pair of waist segments which attachable engage said female receptacle thereagainst;

attaching a pair of leg segments to said pair of waist segments clear of said aperture within said body segment thereof;

defining each said leg segment by a pair of projecting elements each extending 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 is accessible from thereout;

inserting said interface portions into said bore of said female receptacle by allowing said pair of leg segments to at least partially compress toward one another;

urging said pair of interface portions radially outward so as to be engagably coupled within said female receptacle; and

disengaging said interface portions from said female receptacle by at least partially compressing said projecting elements of said pair of leg segments toward one another whereby said connector can be longitudinally removed from said female receptacle.

8. A coupling system comprising:

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

a female receptacle having a bore defined by an inside surface therearound, said distal end of said male conduit insertable within said bore of said female receptacle thereof; and

a quick connector having radially compressible means for retaining said male conduit in said female receptacle, said radially compressible means operable in a compressed state while said quick connector is inserted into said female receptacle and expandable in said female receptacle for retaining said quick connector in said female receptacle, said quick connector positioned on said male conduit within said female receptacle, said quick connector further includes a longitudinally rigid means positioned around said male conduit a predetermined distance from said distal end, said rigid means prohibiting longitudinal movement of said male conduit, said compressible means 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 female receptacle and to said rigid means.

9. The coupling system of claim 8 wherein said radially compressible means of said quick connector includes a pair of tab members radially movable toward each other.

10. The coupling system of claim 9 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 tabs.

11. A quick connector used to couple a male conduit to a female receptacle, said female receptacle having a bore 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 ring member including a radial edge for engaging said female receptacle and defining an aperture with an interior edge, said body segment coupled with said ring member;

at least one tab member extending from said ring member clear of said aperture within said body segment, said at least one tab member extending from said ring member such that said tab member is orientated substantially parallel with a longitudinal axis of said male conduit, a force applied on said tab member for providing compressive radial inward movement of said ring member; and

said radial edge of said ring member being insertable into said bore of said female receptacle during application of said force on said tab member when said ring member being at least partially compressed toward the male conduit, said ring member upon removing said force of said tab member urging said radial edge radially outward to be engageably coupled within said female receptacle, said radial edge being disengagable from said female receptacle by at least partially compressing said tab member whereby said quick connector can be longitudinally removed from said female receptacle.

12. The quick connector of claim 11 further including:

a second tab member being coupled with said radial member, said first and second tab 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 tab members are substantially perpendicular with the radial orientation of said radial member.

13. The quick connector of claim 12 wherein:

said radial member including said pair of tab members thereon is a separate part from said body segment.

14. The quick connector of claim 13 wherein:

said body segment is located longitudinally adjacent to said radial member.

15. The quick connector of claim 11 further comprising:

a cover surrounding a predetermined portion of said male conduit with a portion thereof proximate to said female receptacle thereagainst.

16. The quick connector of claim 15 wherein said cover includes;

a cup section having an outer portion thereof; and

an outer wall projecting from said outer portion of said cup section attached thereto, said outer wall having an inwardly turned lip therein, said inwardly turned lip being interlockably engageable with said female receptacle.

17. The quick connector of claim 11 wherein:

said bore of said female receptacle has a smaller radial dimension than does radial edge of said radial member.

18. The quick connector of claim 11 further comprising:

means for sealing circumferentially surrounding said male conduit disposed inside said bore of said female receptacle.