×

Releasable connection assembly for joining tubing sections

  • US 7,878,553 B2
  • Filed: 04/27/2009
  • Issued: 02/01/2011
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2003
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A connection assembly comprising:

  • a female portion comprising a female shaft defining a lumen and a plurality of catches disposed about the female shaft;

    a male portion comprising a male shaft with an outside diameter that is less than an inner diameter of the lumen of the female shaft, and further defining an annular recess within an outer surface of the male shaft; and

    a clasp assembly comprising a plurality of annularly disposed detents with tapered edges and a plurality of annularly disposed tangs with tapered edges, the detent and tangs being oriented coaxially with respect to each other, the tapered edges of the detents and the tapered edges of the tangs being orientated in radially opposite directions and being orientated in axially opposite directions, the detents and the tangs extending in radially opposite directions and extending in axially opposite directions;

    whereinthe detents seat into the annular recess to constrainedly couple the clasp assembly to the male portion, thereby constraining axial movement while allowing free rotation of the clasp assembly with respect to the male portion;

    the female portion and the male portion are releasably coupled to each other when the plurality of tangs seat into the plurality of catches; and

    the clasp assembly remains coupled to the male portion when the male portion and the female portion are released from each other.

View all claims
  • 2 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×