Flat face, pipe coupling with spring-loaded shutoff sleeves to prevent spillage upon uncoupling

• US 7,942,163 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2008
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Faster S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Faster S.p.A.
• Inventors: Sauer, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Kevin L
• Application Number:
  US12/154,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20090289453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 137/614, 13761403-61406, 137/242, 137243-2432, 251/149.1, 251/149.6
• US Class Current: 137/614.06
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 29/007 Joints with cut-off devices controlled separately takes precedence; operating means for cut-off devices in general F16K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/26 in which the connection is made by transversely moving the parts together, with or without their subsequent rotation
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/34 at least one of the lift valves being of the sleeve type, i.e. a sleeve is telescoped over an inner cylindrical wall
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87949 Linear motion of flow path sections operates both
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87973 Coupling interlocked with valve, or closure or actuator

Abstract

A pipe coupling connecting and disconnecting media conducting pipes, hoses or like conduits, which comprise two coupling halves situated at ends of the conduits; and a connector and a socket end having shutoff sleeves in both coupling halves.

Claims

1. A pipe coupling for pressurized media, comprising:

a first coupler having a first housing, a first conduit extending along a longitudinal axis, and a first shutoff sleeve surrounding the first conduit and movable along the longitudinal axis between a closed state and an open state, the first shutoff sleeve bounding a first annular compartment with the first conduit within the first housing in the closed state, the first conduit having a flat first end face at a first inner axial end region, a first interior passage, and a plurality of first ports that extend between the first interior passage and the first annular compartment, the first shutoff sleeve containing the pressurized media in the first annular compartment in the closed state;

a second coupler having a second housing, a second conduit extending along the longitudinal axis, and a second shutoff sleeve surrounding the second conduit and movable along the longitudinal axis between a closed position and an open position, the second conduit having a shaft that terminates in a flat second end face at a second inner axial end region, a second interior passage, and a plurality of second ports in communication with the second interior passage, the second shutoff sleeve bounding a second annular compartment with the shaft within the second housing, the second shutoff sleeve overlying the second ports in the closed position for containing the pressurized media in the second interior passage;

holders on the first and second housings for holding the first and second couplers together against movement apart along the longitudinal axis with the flat first and second end faces in mutual engagement in a held condition; and

an actuator operative in the held condition of the first and second couplers for moving the first shutoff sleeve along the longitudinal axis to the open state in which the pressurized media is no longer contained in the first annular compartment and, in turn, for moving the second shutoff sleeve to the open position in which the second shutoff sleeve is remote from the second ports, thereby enabling the pressurized media to flow between the first and second couplers.

2. The pipe coupling as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first coupler has a plurality of first annular gaskets spaced apart along the longitudinal axis at opposite sides of the first annular compartment.

3. The pipe coupling as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second coupler has a plurality of second annular gaskets spaced apart along the longitudinal axis at opposite sides of the second ports.

4. The pipe coupling as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first and second annular gaskets have the same diameters.

5. The pipe coupling as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second coupler has a spring for constantly biasing the second shutoff sleeve to the closed position.

6. The pipe coupling as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the couplers has a rail, and wherein the other of the couplers has a flange that is slid transversely of the longitudinal axis into the rail.

7. The pipe coupling as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the couplers is fixed to a support, and wherein the other of the couplers is movable relative to the support.

8. The pipe coupling as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second coupler has a dirt protection cap mounted on the second shutoff sleeve for movement from an extended position to a retracted position along the longitudinal axis by movement of the first shutoff sleeve.

9. The pipe coupling as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second coupler has a spring for constantly biasing the dirt protection cap to the extended position.

10. The pipe coupling as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the shutoff sleeves is spring-loaded to automatically contain the pressurized media therein when the first and second couplers are not in the held condition.

11. The pipe coupling as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flat first and second end faces have substantially the same diameters.

12. The pipe coupling as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuator is manually actuated.

13. The pipe coupling as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuator is actuated by a pressure source.