Pipe joints or couplings – Packed – Cam
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-16
2001-08-28
Luu, Teri Pham (Department: 3627)
Pipe joints or couplings
Packed
Cam
C285S360000, C285S376000, C285S912000, C285S018000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279968
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a servicing device for compressed air handling systems comprising a principal body able to be incorporated in a fluid duct system and a receiving shell able to be releaseably attached to the principal body by a bayonet connecting device, first bayonet connecting means being provided on said receiving shell, which by rotation in relation to the principal body may be moved between a released position rendering possible mounting and dismounting of the receiving shell along an assembly axis and a locking position latching the receiving shell on the principal body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Servicing devices of this type are employed in order to prepare or, respectively, treat compressed air as employed in pneumatic equipment. Accordingly various types of servicing devices, as for example filter devices, oiler devices, regulating devices or combinations of such devices exist. To the extent that it is here a question of a serving device having a filter or oiler there is as a rule a principal body able to be placed on a fluid duct of the compressed air network, a receiving shell being arranged underneath the said body and called referred to as a filter shell or oiler shell. This receiving shell serves to take up or catch condensate or oil.
Under certain circumstances it is necessary for the receiving shell to be removed from the principal body. Accordingly a releasable connecting device is provided between the receiving shell and the principal body, such connecting device preferably being in the form of a bayonet connection. Such a bayonet connection is for example disclosed in the German patent publication 4,442,128 A1, in which a servicing device of the type initially mentioned is described in detail.
In order to latch the receiving shell on the principal body, it is moved toward the principal body along an imaginary assembly axis onto the principal body and then twisted in relation to same. When this is done first outwardly projecting bayonet connecting means provided on the receiving shell assume a locking position, in which same hook onto second bayonet connecting means provided on the principal body. For the removal of the receiving shell same is twisted in the opposite direction until it reaches a release position so that it may readily be removed.
Frequently several servicing devices of different types are directly mounted on one another to form servicing devices.
This means that the accessibility of the receiving shells is interfered with and the handling thereof for attachment to or removal from the principal body is more difficult.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the present invention is to provide a servicing device of the type initially mentioned whose receiving shell may be simply mounted and dismounted even when there is little space available.
In order to attain this object there is a provision such that the receiving shell is held on a holding body adapted to be mounted in a rotationally locked manner on the principal body, the first bayonet connecting means being able to be rotated in relation to the holding body and a manually actuatable rotary drive means is provided on the holding body serving to produce the rotary movement of the first bayonet connecting means.
It is in this manner that the first bayonet connecting means provided on the receiving shell may be cause to perform the necessary rotary movement without having to take hold of the receiving shell itself for turning. The operation of twisting or turning is caused by actuation of the rotary drive means, which is arranged at a suitable position on the holding body and is connected with the bayonet connecting means of the receiving shell in a rotary driving manner. In this respect it is possible for the rotary drive means to be positioned where it may be readily gripped, for instance on the front side of the servicing device so that laterally adjacent to the servicing device further servicing devices may be arranged in the direct vicinity without interfering with the rotary actuation. It is in this manner that it is possible for extremely compact arrangements of servicing devices to be assembled without interfering with the mounting on and removal from a principal body.
Further advantageous developments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.
It is convenient for the rotary drive means to possess drive tooth means able to be moved, and more particularly turned, in relation to the holding body, such drive tooth means being engaged with a output drive tooth means associated with the receiving shell and the first bayonet connecting means. On actuation of the rotary drive means there is then a movement of the drive tooth means associated with it so that the output drive tooth means, in mesh with same, of the receiving shell is also displaced and a rotary movement of the first bayonet connecting means, connected with it, is caused. The result is then a slip-free and extremely reliable transmission of force.
Both the drive tooth means of the rotary drive means and also the output drive tooth means associated with the receiving shell preferably possess an arcuate form and are designed in the form of interlocking external tooth means.
The drive movement of the drive tooth means is preferably a rotary movement, the center of the rotary movement preferably coinciding with the center of curvature of the arcuate form.
The necessary actuating force may be produced in an extremely simple manner with little application of force, if the drive tooth means is adapted to cooperate with a pivotally placed actuating lever so that there is a leverage for acting on the output drive tooth means.
In order to prevent accidental actuation of the rotary drive means it is convenient to provide a safety catch for releaseably securing the actuating lever in its home position in which the first bayonet connecting means assume its locked setting.
It would be feasible in principle for the first bayonet connecting means to be arranged on a for instance annular body and to mount same on the receiving shell for rotary motion in relation to it. However there is a substantial reduction in complexity without causing any special sealing problems, if the first bayonet connecting means, as in the prior art, is a permanent and more especially integral part of the receiving shell, the rotary motion of the first bayonet connection means being due to a rotary movement, caused by the rotary drive means, of the receiving shell itself. The output drive tooth means is in this case preferably permanently connected with the receiving shell and more particularly designed in the form of an integral component thereof. The holding body may in this case constitute a bearing body, on which the receiving shell is held in a rotary fashion while being unable to move axially.
In a particularly convenient design the holding body is designed in the form of an external housing, which entirely surrounds the receiving shell apart from the region with the first bayonet connecting means.
In what follows the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 941990 (1909-11-01), Hickey
patent: 977472 (1910-12-01), Pilkington
patent: 981866 (1911-01-01), Lockart
patent: 1236182 (1917-08-01), Kennard
patent: 1580541 (1926-04-01), Sherman
patent: 2347721 (1944-05-01), Tjaarda et al.
patent: 2652828 (1953-09-01), Matheson
patent: 4652021 (1987-03-01), Pido
patent: 4990022 (1991-02-01), Watanabe et al.
patent: 5058929 (1991-10-01), Zentner
patent: 5372464 (1994-12-01), Bureller
patent: 75 14 529 (1978-03-01), None
patent: 35 23 406 A1 (1987-01-01), None
patent: 44 42 128 A1 (1996-05-01), None
patent: 0 708 007 A1 (1996-04-01), None
patent: 904 (1874-01-01), None
Berner Michael
Stoll Kurt
Festo AG & Co.
Hoffmann & Baron , LLP
Luu Teri Pham
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