Pipe joints or couplings – Essential catch – With manipulator
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-10
2001-05-15
Luu, Teri Pham (Department: 3627)
Pipe joints or couplings
Essential catch
With manipulator
C285S317000, C285S403000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06231089
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a coupling assembly for interconnecting fluid passageways and, more particularly, to molded female and male coupling members used in such a coupling.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Quick connect/disconnect coupling assemblies for small flexible tube applications and other applications are known in the art. Such couplings are often times utilized for biomedical applications, convenience handling, beverage dispensing, instrument connections, photochemical handling, as well as for many other applications.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,436,125, 5,052,725 and 5,104,158 each disclose a quick connect/disconnect coupling assembly including cooperating female and male couplings, each defining a fluid passageway therethrough. The male coupling is constructed for releasable attachment to the female coupling. The male coupling includes a seal for providing a fluid tight seal between the male and female couplings. The female coupling includes a releasable locking or quick connecting/disconnecting mechanism for locking the male and female couplings together in a coupled state. The locking mechanism includes a locking collar or plate which is slideably mounted in grooves formed in the female coupling. The plate slides between a first or released position and a second or locked position. In the locked state, an inner edge of the plate extends into the bore of the female coupling and engages a groove or indentation in the surface of the male coupling so as to lock the male and female coupling together.
Additionally, Nitto Kohki Co. Ltd. of Tokyo, Japan, illustrates on page 38 of its
Quick Connective Fluid Coupler
catalog a coupling having male and female couplings that are locked together by a slidable locking plate.
It has been found that prior art couplings that utilize a slidable locking plate can become inadvertently disconnected, which could potentially cause a fluid leakage or spill. In particular, the locking plate can be accidentally actuated to the first, released position, such as when the coupling and the fluid lines connected thereto are dropped and the locking plate hits the floor or when any inadvertent force is applied to the locking plate. When there is fluid flowing through the fluid lines connected to the coupling, and such an accidental actuation of the locking plate occurs, the male and female couplings can become partially or fully disconnected, thereby allowing fluid to escape. Such a fluid leakage is especially dangerous when the fluid in the fluid lines is hazardous to the environment or to humans.
What is needed then is an improved quick connect/disconnect coupling assembly having cooperating female and male couplings that is designed to prevent accidental disconnection of the male and female couplings, while retaining many of the advantages of the prior art coupling assemblies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides an improved quick connect/disconnect coupling having a female coupling member, a male coupling member, and a clip member slidably mounted on the female coupling member for retaining the female and male coupling members together in a coupled state. The clip member is designed to prevent inadvertent actuation thereof, thereby preventing accidental disconnection of the female and male coupling members once they are in the coupled state.
In one embodiment in accordance with the invention, a quick connect/disconnect coupling is provided that includes a female coupling member having a front end and a back end, and defining a path for the flow of fluid therethrough. The coupling further includes a male coupling member having a front end and a back end and defining a path for the flow of fluid therethrough, with the front end of the male coupling member being insertable into the front end of the female coupling member. A quick connect/disconnect clip member is slidably mounted on the female coupling member whereby the clip member is slidable between a connect position wherein the clip member engages the male coupling member for retaining the male coupling member within the female coupling member and a disconnect position wherein the clip member is disengaged from the male coupling member thereby enabling disconnection of the male coupling member and the female coupling member. The clip member is further movable between a lock position at which sliding movement of the clip member from the connect position to the disconnect position is prevented and an unlock position at which sliding movement of the clip member from the connect position to the disconnect position is permitted.
Thus, the clip member must first be moved to the unlock position before the clip member can be actuated to the disconnect position. The additional movement of the clip member to the unlock position prevents accidental actuation of the clip member to the disconnect position, thereby preventing accidental disconnection of the female and male coupling members.
In another embodiment in accordance with the invention, a quick connect/disconnect coupling is provided that includes a female coupling member having a front end and a back end, and defining a path for the flow of fluid therethrough. The coupling further includes a male coupling member having a front end and a back end and defining a path for the flow of fluid therethrough, with the front end of the male coupling member being insertable into the front end of the female coupling member. A quick connect/disconnect clip member is slidably mounted on the female coupling member whereby the clip member is slidable between a connect position wherein the clip member engages the male coupling member for retaining the male coupling member within the female coupling member and a disconnect position wherein the clip member is disengaged from the male coupling member thereby enabling disconnection of the male coupling member and the female coupling member. The clip member includes a shoulder that is selectively engageable with and disengageable from the female coupling member, wherein sliding movement of the clip member from the connect position to the disconnect position is prevented when the shoulder is engaged with the female coupling member.
In yet another embodiment in accordance with the invention, a female coupling member is provided including a housing having a front end and a back end and defining a path for the flow of fluid therethrough. A slot is defined in the housing and extends generally transversely of the flow path. A quick connect/disconnect clip member is slidably mounted in the slot whereby the clip member is slidable in a direction generally transverse to the flow path between a first position and a second position. In addition, the clip member is movable within the slot between a lock position at which the clip member is retained at the first position and sliding movement of the clip member from the first position to the second position is prevented and an unlock position at which sliding movement of the clip member from the first position to the second position is permitted.
A variety of additional advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.
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patent: 2819733 (1958-01-01), Maisch
patent: 3124157 (1964-03-01), Krezewina
patent: 3124373 (1964-03-01), Thomsen
patent: 3527485 (1970-09-01), Goward et al.
patent: 3948548 (1976-04-01), Voss
patent: 4244608 (1981-01-01), Stuemky
patent: 4423892 (1984-01-01), Bartholomew
patent: 4436125 (1984-03-01), Blenkush
patent: 4500118 (1985-02-01), Blenkush
patent: 4541457 (1985-09-01), Blenkush
DeCler Charles Peter
Meyer David W.
Colder Products Company
Luu Teri Pham
Merchant & Gould P.C.
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