Coupling mechanism for coupling fluid and electrical lines between adjacent vehicles

• US 4,624,472 A
• Filed: 06/06/1985
• Issued: 11/25/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Clifton F. Stuart, Harold E. Eskridge
• Original Assignee: Clifton F. Stuart, Harold E. Eskridge
• Inventors: Stuart, Clifton F., Eskridge, Harold E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Love, John J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/742,212
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 280/420, 280/421, 280/422, 138/115, 138/178, 138/111, 174/47, 339/10, 339/75 P, 285/131, 285/119
• US Class Current: 280/420
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/62 involving supply lines, electric circuits, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/005 Electrical coupling combined with fluidic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/62933 Comprising exclusively pivoting lever
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/66 Structural association with built-in electrical component coupling devices having concentrically or coaxially-arranged contacts H01R24/38

Abstract

A coupling mechanism for coupling a plurality of fluid and electrical lines between adjacent coupled vehicles wherein a plurality of elongated flexible fluid lines and electrical lines are grouped together to form a single elongated flexible group line with one end of the group line connected to respective fluid and electrical sources on one vehicle and the other end of the group line connected to respective fluid and electrical loads on the other vehicle through a single hybrid or combination fluid and electrical plug and socket arrangement. The plug and socket arrangement is comprised of a mounting bracket for the plug and a mounting bracket for the socket, one of which is secured to the second vehicle. The mounting brackets are adapted such that one bracket is readily hung on the other bracket and thereby automatically prealigns the plug and socket for engagement. After this self-prealigning engagement is accomplished a lever mechanism or the like is provided which engages the plug and socket together when actuated in a locked coupling position.

Claims

1. A coupling mechanism for coupling elongated flexible energy conveying lines such as fluid and electrical lines between adjacent coupled vehicles comprising, a plurality of such elongated flexible lines grouped together to form a unitary elongated flexible group line, one end of said group line connected to respective energy sources on one vehicle and the other end of said group line connected to respective energy loads on another vehicle through a single hybrid or combination plug and socket apparatus;

said plug and socket apparatus including a first mounting bracket secured to said other vehicle and a second mounting bracket secured to said other end of said group line and adapted for mating and prealigned hanging engagement with respect to said first mounting bracket, and plug and socket members secured, respectively, to said first and second mounting brackets to be thereby prealigned for operative engagement of said plug and socket members when said mounting brackets are in said hanging engagement, and moveable drive means cooperable with said plug and socket apparatus to drive said plug and socket members axially into operative engagement after such prealignment thereof.

2. The coupling mechanism of claim 1 wherein at least one of said lines is an electrical line and said plug and socket apparatus includes switch means operable to automatically close an electrical circuit path for said electrical line after said plug and socket members have been operatively engaged by said drive means.

3. The coupling mechanism of claim 1 wherein one of said mounting brackets includes a vertically extending horn secured to upper portions thereof and the other of said mounting brackets includes an opening in upper portions thereof for receiving and seating said horn to interlockingly engage said second bracket on said first bracket.

4. The coupling mechanism of claim 3, wherein said brackets have engaging body portions which underlie said horn and opening and which body portions further respectively have mating convex and concave contoured sealing surfaces adapted to gravitationally selfalign said second bracket accurately with said first bracket after said horn has been engaged in said opening to accurately prealign said plug and socket members.

5. The coupling mechanism of claim 1 wherein said flexible group line is permanently spring coiled with elastic memory.

6. The coupling mechanism of claim 1 including a third mounting bracket secured to said one vehicle and contoured to mate said first mounting bracket to provide a false or storage mount for said second mounting bracket when said vehicles are not coupled together.

7. The coupling mechanism of claims 1, 3 or 4, said movable drive means comprising, a slide block mounted for limited axial sliding on said second mounting bracket, one of said plug and socket members being mounted on said slide block and the other mounted on said first mounting bracket, rotary means mounted on said second bracket and connected to said slide block to axially slide said slide block when said rotary means is actuated to axially engage said plug and socket members together, said rotary means being adapted to lock in position when fully actuated to engage said plug and socket members.

8. The coupling mechanism of claim 7, wherein at least one of said lines is an electrical line and including switch means on said plug and socket apparatus to be activated by said rotary means when moved to said fully actuated position to electrically engage said electrical lines.

9. The coupling mechanism of claim 8, wherein said rotary means is a pivotal lever means.

10. The coupling mechanism of claim 9, wherein said pivotal lever means includes an over center toggle means for locking said lever means in its fully actuated position.

11. A coupling apparatus for coupling a plurality of motive power conveying means between a pair of adjacent mobile vehicles to permit transmission therebetween of multiple modes of motive power including at least pressurized air and electrical power such that motive power in one such vehicle is provided to supply motive power to respective energy loads in the other such vehicle, said coupling apparatus comprising;

a hybrid combination plug and socket assembly;

said assembly including a socket member adapted to be operatively connected to one of such vehicles and a plug member which is operatively engageable within said socket member, and is adapted to be operatively connected to the other of such vehicles;

said socket and plug members including cooperating air and electrical connection means which are operatively engageable for delivery of pressurized air and electrical power, respectively, through said assembly when said plug member is operatively engaged within said socket member; and

said plug and socket assembly including prealignment means which permits said plug member to be positioned in a self-supporting axially prealigned position with respect to said socket member, and a movable drive means which is operable to drive said prealigned plug and socket members axially together into locked operative engagement for conveyance therethrough of such multiple modes of motive power between such vehicles.

12. The coupling apparatus as claimed in claim 11 additionally including motive power conveying means comprised of an elongated flexible unitary group line means for conveying such multiple modes of motive power.

13. The coupling apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said group line means includes a unitary, elongated body member having a plurality of integrally formed, longitudinally extending motive power conveying channels defined therein within the confines of an integrally formed, continuously extending peripheral exterior wall.

14. The coupling apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein said electrical connection means includes a multiple pin plug and cooperable socket which are axially interengageable for transmission of electrical power between said plug and socket members.

15. The coupling apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein said air connection means includes cooperating elongated nipple and socket connectors which are axially interengageable to provide sealed conveyance of pressurized air between said plug and socket members.

16. The coupling apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein said electrical connection means includes selectively replaceable adaptor means carrying a connection portion of said multiple pin plug and cooperable socket, said connection portion being selectively releasable from said electrical connection means for selective replacement thereof.

17. In an assembly for connecting plural modes of motive power including at least pressurized air and electrical power from motive power sources to respective energy loads, an elongated motive power conveying means comprising:

an elongated body member;

a plurality of motive power conveying channels formed integrally within said body member and extending continuously throughout the longitudinal extent thereof;

said body member including an integrally formed, continuously extending exterior peripheral wall which forms at least an outer wall portion of each of said channels;

means connecting each end of said body member to other motive power conveying means in a manner that each said channel is operatively connected with only a selected one of such other motive power conveying means; and

said plurality of channels including at least one channel which conveys pressurized air therein and at least one channel which guides electrical conductor means therein.

18. The motive power conveying means a claimed in claim 17 wherein said external peripheral wall additionally includes reinforcement means extending continuously therewith.

19. The motive power conveying means as claimed in claim 18 wherein said reinforcement means includes a braided metal jacket encompassing said channels.

20. The motive power conveying means as claimed in claim 19 wherein said reinforcement means is embedded in said outer peripheral wall.

21. In an electrical connector which is cooperable with a mating connector for connecting electrical loads in a first mobile vehicle with an electrical power source in a second mobile vehicle which is adapted to tow such first mobile vehicle, a connector assembly comprising:

an elongated connector body having an axial through opening extending therewithin;

said through opening being adapted to receive electrical conductor means into one end of said connector body;

a connector member cooperable with said opening means to be non-redundently received into the other end of said body;

said connector member including plural securing means for receiving and securing a respective plurality of such electrical conductor means in electrically conductive engagement within said body and electrically insulated from said body;

said connector member additionally including electrically conductive means which are electrically connected to said plural securing means and are accessible from said other end of said body;

a replaceable connection module cooperable with said opening means to be received into said other end of said body and into electrically conductive engagement with said conductive means;

said replaceable connection module including connection means extending therewithin to provide an electrical connection between each of said conductive means and such a mating connector adjacent said other end of said body; and

selectively releasable securing means for securing said replaceable connection module within said body adjacent said other end thereof with said connection means in electrical engagement with said conductive means whereby said replaceable module is readily replaceable to renew said connection means.

22. The connector assembly as claimed in claim 21 wherein said connection means includes socket means extending within said replaceable module to receive said conductive means into one end of said module spaced from said other end of said body and to receive the pins of such a mating connector into the other end of said module located adjacent said other end of said body.

23. The connector assembly as claimed in claim 21 wherein said selectively releasable securing means includes a radially biased tab means on said module which is engageable within a radially inner extent of an aperture formed in a peripheral portion of said body.