Coupling member for pipe coupling

• US 8,196,606 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2007
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nitto Kohki Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nitto Kohki Company Limited
• Inventors: Kitagawa, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): PRICE, CRAIG JAMES
• Application Number:
  US12/515,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20100051129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,673 Days
• Field of Search: 137614-61405, 251/149.1, 251/149.6, 251/359, 251/900
• US Class Current: 137/614.04
• 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: Y10S 251/90 Valves with o-rings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87949 Linear motion of flow path sections operates both
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87957 Valves actuate each other
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/9029 With coupling

Abstract

A coupling member is disclosed which includes a valve device that is axially movable between an open position and a closed position where the valve device closes an annular valve opening defined an outer valve seat portion and an inner valve seat portion. The valve device includes an outer annular sealing member and an inner annular sealing member. The inner annular sealing member includes an annular extending portion configured such that, when the valve device approaches the closed position, the annular extending portion sealingly engages the inner valve seat portion and is elastically bent to allow the valve device advance further to the closed position so that the outer annular sealing member positively engages the outer valve seat portion.

Claims

1. A female coupling member comprising:

a cylindrical coupling body having a male member receiving portion and a fluid passage portion in communication with a fluid passage of a male coupling member when received into the male member receiving portion; and

a valve device configured to open and close said fluid passage portion, said valve device being disposed in said coupling body, said valve device comprising;

an outer valve seat portion projectingly formed on an inner peripheral surface of said coupling body so as to surround the male member receiving portion;

an inner valve seat portion forming an annular valve opening between said outer valve seat portion and said inner valve seat portion in said coupling body;

an annular valve member disposed in said coupling body so as to be displaceable in an axial direction thereof between a closed position where said valve member engages with said outer and inner valve seat portions to close the valve opening and an open position where said valve member is displaced in the axial direction away from said male member receiving portion toward said fluid passage portion to be apart from said outer and inner valve seat portions to open said valve opening;

a spring configured to bias said valve member in the axial direction toward the closed position;

an outer annular sealing member mounted on and around said valve member, said outer annular sealing member being configured to be moved without contact with said coupling body when said valve member is moved between the closed position and the open position and to be forced against said outer valve seat portion in the axial direction by said spring to seal between an outer peripheral surface of said valve member and said outer valve seat portion when said valve member is at the closed position; and

an inner annular sealing member having a fixed portion fixedly attached to said valve member on a radially outer side with respect to said inner valve seat portion and an annular extending portion extending radially inward beyond an annular surface, which defines said valve opening of said inner valve seat portion, wherein, when said valve member is moved from the open position toward the closed position and approaches the closed position such that said valve member advances into said annular valve opening, said annular extending portion of said inner annular sealing member is sealingly engaged with said inner valve seat portion and, upon further advancement of said valve member, is elastically bent while maintaining the sealingly engagement to allow said valve member to reach the closed position while said annular extending portion remains outside said annular valve opening.

2. A female coupling member according to claim 1, wherein said outer annular sealing member is disposed on said outer peripheral surface of said valve member.

3. A female coupling member according to claim 1, wherein:

said inner peripheral surface of said valve member includes an annular axially-extending surface which is advanced along said annular surface, defining said valve opening, of said inner valve seat portion when said valve member approaches the closed position, and an annular radially-extending surface extending radially outwardly on a side of the open position with respect to said axially-extending surface;

said inner annular sealing member has a fixed portion fixedly attached to said valve member on the side of the open position with respect to said annular axially-extending surface of said valve member, and an extending portion adapted to extend from said fixed portion, radially inwardly along said annular radially-extending surface of said valve member, to a radially inner side with respect to said inner peripheral surface of said valve member; and

when said valve member approaches the closed position when said annular axially-extending surface of said valve member is advanced along said annular surface of said inner valve seat portion with said outer annular sealing member being pressed against said outer valve seat portion, said extending portion engages with said inner valve seat portion and is then bent, thereby being elastically deformed so as to move away from said annular radially-extending surface of said valve member.

4. A female coupling member according to claim 3, wherein when said valve member comes close to the closed position, said extending portion engages with said inner valve seat portion, and then said outer annular sealing member engages with said outer valve seat portion, and wherein as said valve member comes further closer to the closed position, said extending portion is bent and elastically deformed so as to move away from said annular radially-extending surface of said valve member with said outer annular sealing member being pressed against said outer valve seat portion.

5. A female coupling member comprising:

a cylindrical coupling body having a male member receiving portion and a fluid passage portion in communication with a fluid passage of a male coupling member when received into the male member receiving portion; and

a valve device configured to open and close said fluid passage portion disposed in said coupling body, said valve device comprising;

an outer valve seat portion projectingly formed on an inner peripheral surface of said coupling body so as to surround said male member receiving portion;

an inner valve seat portion forming, in said coupling body, an annular valve opening between said outer valve seat portion and said inner valve seat portion;

an annular valve member disposed in said coupling body so as to be displaceable in an axial direction thereof between a closed position where said valve member engages with said outer and inner valve seat portions to close said valve opening and an open position where said valve member is displaced in the axial direction away from the male member receiving portion toward said fluid passage portion to be apart from said outer and inner valve seat portions to open the valve opening;

a spring configured to bias said valve member toward the closed position;

an inner annular sealing member configured to be moved without contact with said coupling body when said valve member is moved between the closed position and the open position and to be forced against said inner valve seat portion in the axial direction by said spring to seal between an inner peripheral surface of said valve member and said inner valve seat portion when said valve member is at the closed position; and

an outer annular sealing member having a fixed portion fixedly attached to said valve member on a radially inner side with respect to said outer valve seat portion and an annular extending portion extending radially outward beyond an annular surface of said outer valve seat portion defining a valve opening wherein when said valve member is moved from the open position toward the closed position and approaches the closed position such that said valve member advances into said annular valve opening, said annular extending portion of said outer annular sealing member sealingly engages with said outer valve seat portion and, upon further advancement of said valve member is elastically bent while maintaining the sealingly engagement with said outer valve seat portion to enable said valve member to reach the closed position while said annular extending portion remains outside said annular valve opening.

6. A female coupling member comprising:

a cylindrical coupling body having a male member receiving portion and a fluid passage portion in communication with a fluid passage of a male coupling member received into the male member receiving portion; and

a valve device, which is disposed in the coupling body, configured to open and close said fluid passage portion,

said valve device comprising;

an outer valve seat portion projectingly formed on an inner peripheral surface of said coupling body so as to surround said male member receiving portion;

an inner valve seat portion forming an annular valve opening between said outer valve seat portion and said inner valve seat portion in said coupling body;

an annular valve member disposed in said coupling body so as to be displaceable in an axial direction thereof between a closed position where said valve member engages with said outer and inner valve seat portions to close said valve opening and an open position where said valve member is displaced in said axial direction away from said male member receiving portion toward said fluid passage portion to be apart from said outer and inner valve seat portions to open said valve opening;

a spring configured to bias said valve member in the axial direction toward the closed position;

an inner annular sealing member having a fixed portion fixedly attached to the valve member on a radially outer side with respect to said inner valve seat portion and an annular extending portion extending radially inward beyond an annular surface of said inner valve seat portion, defining said valve opening, wherein, when said valve member is moved from the open position toward the closed position and approaches the closed position such that said valve member advances into said annular valve opening, said annular extending portion of said inner annular sealing member sealingly engages with said inner valve seat portion and, upon further advancement of the valve member is elastically bent while maintaining the sealingly engagement with said inner valve seat portion to allow the valve member to reach the closed position while said annular extending portion remains outside said annular valve opening; and

an outer annular sealing member having a fixed portion fixedly attached to the valve member on a radially inner side with respect to the outer valve seat portion and an annular extending portion extending radially outward beyond an annular surface of said outer valve seat portion defining said valve opening, wherein when said valve member is moved from the open position toward the closed position and approaches the closed position such that said valve member advances into said annular valve opening, said annular extending portion of said outer annular sealing member sealingly engages with said outer valve seat, portion and, upon further advancement of said valve member, is elastically bent while maintaining the sealingly engagement with said outer valve seat portion to allow said valve member to reach the closed position while said annular extending portion of said outer annular sealing member remains outside said annular valve opening.