Quick-action connector assembly including a latching...

Pipe joints or couplings – Essential catch

Reexamination Certificate

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C285S093000, C285S319000, C285S308000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06637780

ABSTRACT:

This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-107975 filed on Apr. 6, 2001, the contents of which are incorporated hereinto by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a quick-action connector assembly, and more particularly to a quick-action connector assembly including a tubular male member having an annular protrusion formed on the outer circumferential surface of an engaging end portion thereof, and a female member in which the engaging end portion of the male member is inserted in one axial direction such that the annular protrusion is latched in engagement with a latching projection provided on the female member, whereby the male member and the female member are connected to each other by a single quick action to cause an axial relative movement of the female and male members.
2. Discussion of Related Art
There are known quick-action connector assemblies of various arrangements of the type described above. In one example of the such quick-action connector assembly, the female member includes a cylindrical portion as one axial end portion in which the corresponding end portion of the male member can be inserted. The cylindrical wall of the cylindrical portion of the female member has latching arms which are elastically deformable or displaceable in the radial direction and which have latching projections projecting in the radially inward direction. When the male member having the annular protrusion formed at the inner end of the outer circumferential surface of its engaging end portion is inserted into the cylindrical portion of the female member, the annular protrusion of the male member causes elastic deformation of the latching arms of the cylindrical portion of the female member in the radially outward direction of the cylindrical portion, so that the annular protrusion is moved in sliding contact with the latching projections from one side to the other side of the latching projections, whereby the annular protrusion of the male member is latched in engagement with the latching projections, so as to inhibit a movement of the male member in the axial direction away from the female member, that is, to prevent removal of the male member from the female member.
In the quick-action connector assembly arranged as described above, a single quick action to cause a relative axial movement of the male and female members for moving the engaging end portion of the male member into the cylindrical portion of the female member permits the annular protrusion of the male member to be latched in engagement with the latching projections of the female member, so that the male and female members can be considerably easily and quickly connected to each other. Although the known quick-action connector assembly has an advantage as described above, this connector assembly has a drawback that it is difficult to inspection the connector assembly externally of the female member, to check if the annular protrusion of the male member has been stably latched in engagement with the latching projections of the female member, that is, if the male and female members have been completely connected to each other, since the latching between the annular protrusion and the latching projections takes place within the female member.
Where the quick-action connector assembly is used for connecting two pipes or hoses for flows of a certain fluid in a fluid transporting system, there is a risk of a leakage flow of the fluid from the connection between the male and female members of the connector assembly, if the fluid is transported through the fluid transporting system, in the event of a failure of the male and female members to achieve stable or complete latching between the annular protrusion and the latching projections.
JP-Y2-3-17115 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,328,344 B1 disclose a connector assembly or tube joint which is arranged to permit easy checking as to whether the male and female members have been completely connected to each other.
Described more specifically, the connector assembly or pipe joint disclosed in the above-identified publications includes a female member (tubular joint) into which a male member (pipe) is inserted. The female member includes an axial end portion whose cylindrical wall has elastically deformable or displaceable latching arms (pipe retainer) and windows formed therethrough. Further, the axial end portion of the female member is provided with a latching indicator member (connection checker) which is a generally C-shaped or U-shaped member having a pair of leg portions that are elastically deformable or displaceable such that the two leg portions are moved toward and away from each other. The latching indicator member is fitted in the axial end portion of the female member such that inner parts of the leg portions project through the respective windows into the female member. When the engaging end portion of the male member is inserted into the axial end portion of the female member, the annular protrusion of the male member is brought into latching engagement with the latching projections of the latching arms for connection of the male and female members, while at the same time the pair of leg portions of the latching indicator member are elastically displaced away from each other directly by the annular protrusion of the male member, or indirectly by the annular protrusion via a suitable pusher member or slider, in the radially outward direction of the female member, so that the latching indicator member can be removed from the female member. Then, the latching indicator member is removed from the female member.
In the quick-action connector assembly or pipe joint disclosed in the above-identified publications, it is possible to easily check if the annular protrusion of the male member has been latched in engagement with the latching projections of the latching arms of the female member as a result of insertion of the male member into the female member, that is, if the male and female members have been completely or stably connected to each other, depending upon whether the latching indicator member is placed in a position in which the latching indicator member can be removed from the female member.
In the connector assembly of the type described above, however, the latching indicator member (connection checker) is removed from the female member after the male and female members have been completely or stably connected to each other. If the male and female members are once disconnected from each other and are again connected to each other, no means is available to check if the male and female members have been completely connected to each other, so that the connector assembly cannot be easily inspected for complete connection of the male and female members after these members are once disconnected from each other.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was made in view of the background art described above. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a quick-action connector assembly which permits accurate and easy checking as to whether the male and female members have been completely connected to each other, each time an action to connect these male and female members is effected following disconnection of the male and female members.
The above object may be achieved according to the principle of the present invention, which provides a quick-action connector assembly including a tubular male member having an engaging end portion and an annular protrusion formed on an outer circumferential surface of the engaging end portion, and a female member having a cylindrical end portion into which the male member is to be inserted and which has a cylindrical wall formed with at least one latching arm each of which has a latching projection extending radially inwardly of the cylindrical wall, each of the at least one latching arm being elastically deformable in a radial direction of the cylindrical end portion, and wherein elastic deformation of each latching arm in a radi

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