Pipe joints or couplings – Essential catch
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-27
2003-02-11
Swann, J. J. (Department: 3677)
Pipe joints or couplings
Essential catch
C285S319000, C285S921000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06517120
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates in general to a quick connector including a tubular male element which has an annular protrusion portion formed on an outer circumferential surface of an introduced end portion of the male element and spaced apart form an axial end of the male element by a predetermined distance, and a tubular female element which has in its axially opposite end portions an opening portion into that the tubular male element is introduced whereby the tubular male and female elements are connected to each other.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventionally, as this kind of quick connectors, there have been proposed various ones having respective constructions. For example, in a quick connector as disclosed in JP-A-03-219189 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,450, the female element is provided by a tubular connector body which has a window formed through its cylindrical wall, and a socket body which has an elastic claw wall protruding inwardly in the radial direction. The socket body is fitted onto the connector body, by moving the socket body from one of opposite sides of the connector body onto the connector body, such that the elastic claw wall of the socket body protrudes through the window of the connector body into a bore of the connector body. The elastic claw wall is brought into engagement with an annular swelling wall portion of the tubular male element, which is introduced into the bore of the connector body, whereby the connector body and the tubular male element are quickly connected to each other. For providing a fluid tightness between the male element and the connector body, an O-ring is provided to be fitted in the bore of the connector body. The O-ring is held by a bushing member which is formed independently of the connector body and the socket body and which is fitted in the bore of the connector body.
In this quick connector constructed as described above, the male element is introduced into the female element in which the socket body is fitted in an opening portion of the connecter body. This construction inevitably increases the diameter of the female element and accordingly increases the size of the entirety of the connector, causing a problem in installation of the connector which requires to be installed in a relatively narrow space. Further, the bushing member is provided to exclusively hold the O-ring or other elastic sealing ring member which is fitted in the bore of the connector body. The provision of the bushing member requires an additional step in the assembling process and also increases the number of the required components, resulting in an increased cost of manufacturing of the quick connector.
In a connector designed for connecting pipe of small diameter, which is disclosed in JP-A-08-210576, there is employed a construction in which a generally U-shaped slit is formed through a cylindrical wall of a connector body as the male element, whereby an elastic claw wall defined by the U-shaped slit is formed integrally with the connector body. The elastic claw wall is biased to be inclined inwardly in the radial direction of the connector body, so that an annular swelling wall of the male element (pipe) which is introduced into the connector body is brought into engagement with the elastic claw wall. However, this connector body having the construction, in which the elastic claw wall is biased to be inwardly inclined, has a configuration that is extremely difficult to be manufactured. It is considered that such a connector body is practically impossible to be produced in an injection molding operation that is very common to be practiced for efficiently producing a connector body. Even if such a connector body could be produced in an injection molding operation, it would be necessary to prepare a mold having an extremely complicated construction. Further, this connector includes a bushing member exclusively used to hold a sealing member which provides a fluid tightness between the connector body and the introduced pipe, for preventing the sealing member from coming off from the connector. The use of the bussing member problematically complicates the assembling process, deteriorates the efficiency of the manufacture, and increases the number of the required components, as in the above-described connector disclosed in JP-A-03-219189.
Further, JP-A-11-201355 discloses a quick connector including a tubular connector body (female element) and a holding member which has a generally C-shaped cross section and which is fitted in an axial end portion of the tubular connector body to be fixed to the tubular connector body. The holding member is brought into engagement with an annular protrusion portion formed in an outer circumferential surface of the male element in the form of a pipe, which is introduced into the holding member, so. that the connector body and the pipe are connected with each other. Owing to the cross sectional shape of the holding member, the tubular connector body, the holding member and the pipe are easily removable from each other, without using an releasing tool or other exclusive tool. However, this connector still has not provided a substantial solution to the problems encountered in the above-described two types of connectors.
That is, even in the construction of the connector disclosed in JP-A-11-201355, the diameter of the connector body is inevitably increased due to the introduction of the holding member in the axial end portion of the connector body, thereby still resulting in an increase in size of a connecting portion of the connector at which the connector is connected with the pipe. Further, in the interest of permitting the operation for removing the holding member from the connector body without using a releasing tool, the holding member is designed to protrude outwardly from the end portion of the connector body, thereby problematically increasing the (axial) length of the connector. Still further, this connector also requires, in addition to the holding member, another independent member in the form of a bushing member that is exclusively used to hold an O-ring as a sealing member, thereby complicating the assembling process and increasing the number of the components.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was developed under the above-described background situation. An object to be achieved by the present invention is to provide a quick connector which is capable of being more compact in its radial and longitudinal (axial) dimensions with a smaller -number of its components, than a conventional quick connector. Another object of the invention is to improve efficiencies of assembling and production of a quick connector with a reduced production cost, by reducing the number of the components.
The above technical object may be achieved according to the essence of the present invention, which provides a quick connector for providing a quick connection, characterized by comprising: (a) a tubular male element having an introduced end portion which straightly extends and which has an extreme end portion and an annular protrusion portion located rearwardly of and adjacently to the extreme end portion; and (b) a tubular female element having a first receiving portion and a second receiving portion which have respective tubular shapes configured to receive therein the annular protrusion portion and the extreme end portion of the introduced end- portion, respectively; wherein the first receiving portion extends from an axial end of the tubular female element toward the other axial end of the tubular female element, and has an axial hole into which the introduced end portion of the tubular male element is introduceable through an opening of the axial hole that is open in the axial end of the tubular female element; wherein the second receiving portion is located on one of opposite sides of the first receiving portion that is closer to the other axial end of the tubular female element than the other of the opposite sides of the first receiving portion such that the first and second receiving portio
Ito Tomohide
Miyajima Atsuo
Sakazaki Kazushige
Takayanagi Akira
Burr & Brown
Lugo Carlos
Swann J. J.
Tokai Rubber Industries Ltd.
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