Connect under pressure coupling
First Claim
1. A coupling having a male half and a female half,the male half including a cylindrical plug with a front face, and a locking groove formed on an outer surface of the plug toward the front face;
- and the female half including i) a cylindrical coupling body and a fitting at a rear end of the coupling body, the fitting having a first internal flow passage, said coupling body having a series of locking ball openings toward the front end, ii) a locking collar axially moveable relative to the coupling body at a front end of the coupling body, the locking collar including a ball groove formed on an inner surface that can receive locking balls, iii) a collar spring urging the locking collar forwardly in the coupling body, iv) a series of locking balls received in the locking ball openings in the coupling body, the ball groove in the locking collar being normally axially aligned with the locking balls and the locking balls being received in the ball groove, v) a cylindrical face sleeve axially moveable relative to the coupling body received in the coupling body, said face sleeve having a front face engageable with the front face of the male half when the male half is inserted into the female half, vi) a sleeve spring urging the face sleeve forwardly in the coupling body, vii) a cylindrical retainer sleeve received in the face sleeve, the retainer sleeve being fixed relative to the coupling body, viii) a sealing sleeve axially moveable relative to the coupling body received in the retainer sleeve, ix) a valve body received in the sealing sleeve and also fixed relative to the coupling body, the coupling body having a second internal flow passage defined between the sealing sleeve and valve body, and x) a pressure-balanced valve sleeve moveable relative to the sealing sleeve normally in a forward, closed position preventing flow between the first and second flow passages, said valve sleeve moveable rearwardly into an open position allowing flow between the first and second flow passages, the valve sleeve having a front end normally in sealing engagement within the coupling body when the sleeve is in the closed position;
the male half moving the face sleeve rearwardly in the coupling body when the male half is inserted into the female half, the face sleeve cooperating with the sealing sleeve and moving the sealing sleeve rearwardly in the coupling body and out of sealing engagement with the valve body when the male half is inserted into the female half, the sealing sleeve further cooperating with and moving the valve sleeve rearwardly in the coupling body into the open position to open a flow path between the first and second flow passages, and the locking balls, when the face sleeve is moved rearwardly, becoming axially aligned with the locking groove in the valving such that the locking balls can be urged radially inward by the locking collar into the locking groove in the valving to couple the male half to the female half.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A quick-connect coupling includes a male half and a female half, where the female half includes a locking mechanism to couple the male half to the female half; and a valve assembly, which when the male half is coupled to the female half, opens a flow path through the coupling. The valve assembly includes an upstream, pressure balanced secondary valve and a downstream primary valve. The secondary valve maintains the downstream portion of the female coupling half at zero pressure, such that the male half can be easily connected. When the male half is removed, the primary and secondary valves of the valve assembly close to prevent fluid flow through the coupling. The female coupling also allows pressure to escape from the downstream end of the female half to atmosphere, should there be leakage around seals in the secondary valve after the female coupling half is disconnected.
43 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A coupling having a male half and a female half,
the male half including a cylindrical plug with a front face, and a locking groove formed on an outer surface of the plug toward the front face; - and
the female half including i) a cylindrical coupling body and a fitting at a rear end of the coupling body, the fitting having a first internal flow passage, said coupling body having a series of locking ball openings toward the front end, ii) a locking collar axially moveable relative to the coupling body at a front end of the coupling body, the locking collar including a ball groove formed on an inner surface that can receive locking balls, iii) a collar spring urging the locking collar forwardly in the coupling body, iv) a series of locking balls received in the locking ball openings in the coupling body, the ball groove in the locking collar being normally axially aligned with the locking balls and the locking balls being received in the ball groove, v) a cylindrical face sleeve axially moveable relative to the coupling body received in the coupling body, said face sleeve having a front face engageable with the front face of the male half when the male half is inserted into the female half, vi) a sleeve spring urging the face sleeve forwardly in the coupling body, vii) a cylindrical retainer sleeve received in the face sleeve, the retainer sleeve being fixed relative to the coupling body, viii) a sealing sleeve axially moveable relative to the coupling body received in the retainer sleeve, ix) a valve body received in the sealing sleeve and also fixed relative to the coupling body, the coupling body having a second internal flow passage defined between the sealing sleeve and valve body, and x) a pressure-balanced valve sleeve moveable relative to the sealing sleeve normally in a forward, closed position preventing flow between the first and second flow passages, said valve sleeve moveable rearwardly into an open position allowing flow between the first and second flow passages, the valve sleeve having a front end normally in sealing engagement within the coupling body when the sleeve is in the closed position;
the male half moving the face sleeve rearwardly in the coupling body when the male half is inserted into the female half, the face sleeve cooperating with the sealing sleeve and moving the sealing sleeve rearwardly in the coupling body and out of sealing engagement with the valve body when the male half is inserted into the female half, the sealing sleeve further cooperating with and moving the valve sleeve rearwardly in the coupling body into the open position to open a flow path between the first and second flow passages, and the locking balls, when the face sleeve is moved rearwardly, becoming axially aligned with the locking groove in the valving such that the locking balls can be urged radially inward by the locking collar into the locking groove in the valving to couple the male half to the female half.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A push-to-connect, flush-face coupling having a male half and a female half,
the male half including a cylindrical plug with a front face, and a locking groove formed on an outer surface of the plug toward the front face; - and
the female half including i) a cylindrical coupling body and ii) a fitting at a rear end of the coupling body, the fitting having a first internal flow passage;
said coupling body having a) a locking mechanism at a forward end of the coupling body for coupling the female half to the male half when the plug of the male half is inserted into the female half; and
b) a valve assembly, the valve assembly including an upstream secondary valve and a downstream primary valve, with a second internal flow passage defined in the primary valve, the secondary valve comprising a pressure-balanced valve normally in a closed position in sealing engagement with the coupling body preventing flow between the first and second flow passages, and moveable into an open position out of sealing engagement with the coupling body allowing fluid flow between the first and second flow passages, the secondary valve being supported and having a configuration such that the movement of the secondary valve is not significantly effected by fluid pressure applied against the secondary valve.- View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A female coupling half for a push-to-connect, flush-face coupling, the female coupling half comprising:
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a coupling body, a first internal flow passage at an upstream end of the coupling body and a second internal flow passage at a downstream end of the coupling body, a locking mechanism in the downstream end of the coupling body for coupling the female coupling half to a male half when the male half is inserted into the coupling body; and
a valve assembly, the valve assembly including an upstream secondary valve and a downstream primary valve, the secondary valve comprising a pressure-balanced valve normally in a closed position in sealing engagement with the coupling body preventing fluid flow between the first and second flow passages, and moveable into an open position out of sealing engagement with the coupling body allowing fluid flow between the first and second flow passages, the secondary valve being supported and having a configuration such that the movement of the secondary valve is not significantly effected by fluid pressure applied against the secondary valve.- View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
the coupling body includes a series of locking ball openings toward the upstream end, i) a locking collar axially moveable relative to the coupling body at the upstream end of the coupling body, the locking collar including a ball groove formed on an inner surface that can receive locking balls, ii) a collar spring urging the locking collar forwardly in the coupling body, iii) a series of locking balls received in the locking ball openings in the coupling body, the ball groove in the locking collar being normally axially aligned with the locking balls and the locking balls being received in the ball groove, iv) a cylindrical face sleeve axially moveable relative to the coupling body received in the coupling body, said face sleeve having a front face engageable with a front face of the male half when the male half is inserted into the female half, v) a sleeve spring urging the face sleeve forwardly in the coupling body, vi) a cylindrical retainer sleeve received in the face sleeve, the retainer sleeve being fixed relative to the coupling body, vii) a sealing sleeve axially moveable relative to the pressure balanced valve and to the coupling body received in the retainer sleeve, viii) a valve body received in the sealing sleeve and also fixed relative to the coupling body, the second internal flow passage defined between the sealing sleeve and valve body, the face sleeve moveable rearwardly in the coupling body and cooperating with the sealing sleeve and moving the sealing sleeve rearwardly in the coupling body and out of sealing engagement with the valve body, the sealing sleeve further cooperating with and moving the pressure balanced valve rearwardly in the coupling body to open a flow path between the first and second flow passages, and the locking balls, when the face sleeve is moved rearwardly, moveable radially inward by the locking collar.
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34. The female coupling half as in claim 33, further including a tubular actuator received within the sealing sleeve and moveable by the sealing sleeve to move the secondary valve.
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35. The female coupling half as in claim 34, wherein the tubular actuator is integral with the secondary valve.
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36. The coupling as in claim 33, and further including xi) an inner sleeve spring urging the sealing sleeve forwardly in the coupling body;
- and xii) a separate valve spring urging the pressure balanced valve forwardly in the coupling body.
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37. The coupling as in claim 33, wherein the sealing sleeve and pressure balanced valve have cooperating structure which enables the sealing sleeve to i) move a predetermined distance rearwardly within the coupling body before contacting the pressure balanced valve, and ii) thereafter contact the pressure balanced valve to move the pressure balanced valve rearwardly into the open position.
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38. The coupling as in claim 33, wherein the pressure balanced valve is normally in a forward, closed position with a forward distal end in sealing engagement with the coupling body, and moves rearwardly into the open position such that the distal end moves away from and out of sealing engagement with the coupling body.
Specification