Fluid handling – With casing – support – protector or static constructional... – Vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-22
2001-06-26
Rivell, John (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
With casing, support, protector or static constructional...
Vehicle
C137S539000, C137S539500, C137S543170
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250336
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to fluid couplings and more particularly relates to water supply couplings for land or marine recreational vehicles and the like.
Recreational vehicles, such as campers and boats, are conventionally equipped with interior plumbing. This plumbing facilitates the operation of running water conveniences such as sinks, showers, toilets, and the like. In a recreational vehicle, the interior plumbing system includes a pump to pressurize the pipes to cause a desired water flow. Accordingly, the plumbing system must be sealed in order to maintain this pressure.
The recreational vehicle typically has a tank or reservoir to store a predetermined amount of water. This tank is filled from an external water supply through a coupling which may be mounted in a wall of the vehicle for convenient external access. When a recreational vehicle is parked or docked, it is desirable to connect the interior plumbing to an external water supply, such as city water. This coupling desirably acts as a one-way valve which permits flow into, but not out from, the interior plumbing so that the plumbing system may be pressurized.
The externally-supplied water is typically delivered through a flexible hose having a standard threaded end portion. The end portion is securable to the coupling of the recreational vehicle in a substantially water-tight manner. Thus, the hose and water supply coupling is mounted in fluid communication with the plumbing system of the recreational vehicle.
A conventional water coupling for a recreational vehicle has included a one-way valve mechanism utilizing a plunger axially movable within a water passage. The conventional plunger has a radially-extending flange with a groove for accommodating an elastic O-ring. A spring biases the plunger toward a closed position wherein the O-ring contacts a beveled surface in the passage. When the O-ring properly contacts the beveled surface, a seal is formed to prevent unintentional flow through the coupling outwardly from the interior plumbing system and thus, maintaining the pressurized integrity of the plumbing system.
Unfortunately, such a conventional water coupling is susceptible to failure. Specifically, it has been found that the O-ring can be dislocated from its groove under conditions of high water flow or high water pressure. When this occurs, the plunger fails to effectively seal the passage, rendering the conventional coupling ineffective for preventing an outward flow of water from the plumbing system and maintaining the pressurized integrity of the plumbing system. Repairing this problem has required disassembly of substantially the entire coupling or replacement of the coupling altogether.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a one-way water supply coupling for a recreational vehicle that is reliable. Furthermore, a need exists for an improved water supply coupling which has few parts and which eliminates a need for an O-ring.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides an improved water supply coupling for permitting one-way flow from an external water supply to an internal plumbing system of a recreational vehicle. The coupling includes a tubular body and a check member that moves axially to open and close a cavity extending through the body. In one embodiment, the check member is a spherical check ball. In another embodiment, the check member is a unitary plunger. In a further embodiment, the check member generally has a “mushroom” shape, including a hemispherical seat portion and a stem portion. The unique construction of the check member eliminates the need for a conventional O-ring because the unitary check ball is urged in sealable contact directly against an annular beveled surface within the body, creating an effective seal to prevent leakage of fluid through the coupling in a closed condition.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the disclosure herein, including the drawings.
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Murphey Britt
Smith De Von
B&B Molders
Leydig , Voit & Mayer, Ltd.
Rivell John
LandOfFree
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