Quick connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10047888-B2
Application number	US-201514699628-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2015
Priority date	Aug 5, 2013
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A quick connector, which can securely demonstrate the lock confirmation function by a checker when a piped body is reinserted, is provided. A checker includes reinsertion-inhibiting bosses. Thus, when a piped body is inserted through an opening of a retainer again in such a state as the checker is moved to the lock confirmation position after the piped body has been pulled from out of a housing and the retainer in such a state as the checker is moved to the release position, the reinsertion-inhibiting bosses hock up onto an annular boss, thereby inhibiting the piped body from being inserted into the retainer and housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A quick connector to be coupled together with a piped body which is provided with an annular boss on a leading-end side thereof, the quick connector comprising:
a tubular housing;
a retainer formed integrally with or coupled together with said housing, the retainer locking to the annular boss of said piped body, which is inserted into the retainer through an opening thereof, thereby inhibiting said piped body from coming off; and
a checker not only moved from an initial position to a lock confirmation position by a push-in operation, thereby confirming whether the annular boss of said piped body is put in a state of being locked to said retainer; but also moved from the lock confirmation position to a release position by a further push-in operation, thereby canceling the locking of said retainer to the annular boss;
said checker including a reinsertion-inhibiting boss;
the reinsertion-inhibiting boss hooked up onto the annular boss when said piped body is inserted through the opening of said retainer again in such a state as said checker is moved to the lock confirmation position, after said piped body has been pulled from out of said housing and said retainer in such a state as the checker is moved to the release position, thereby inhibiting said piped body from being inserted into said retainer and said housing; and
the reinsertion-inhibiting boss being free of hooking up onto the annular boss in such a state as said checker is placed at the initial position and at the release position, thereby being free of inhibiting the insertion or pullout of said piped body into or from out of said housing and said retainer.

2. The quick connector as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
said retainer includes:
a retainer body having a first locker portion; and
a retainer diametrically-enlarging claw disposed on an opening side of said retainer beyond the first locker portion of said retainer body, formed as a letter-“C” configuration being able to enlarge diametrically by elastic deformation, enlarging diametrically to make the annular boss of said piped body passable therethrough, and restoring the configuration to lock to the annular boss in the axial direction after the annular boss of said piped body has passed therethrough; and

said reinsertion-inhibiting boss is arranged on an opening side of said retainer beyond the retainer diametrically-enlarging claw.

3. The quick as set forth in claim 2 , wherein:
said retainer further includes an opening-end seat member forming the opening through which said piped body is inserted; and
said reinsertion-inhibiting boss is arranged in a middle axially between said retainer diametrically-enlarging claw and the opening-end seat member.

4. The quick connector as set forth in claim 3 , wherein:
said checker further includes a pair of clearance-intervention members intervening in an axial clearance between said retainer diametrically-enlarging claw and said opening-end seat member in such a state as said checker is placed at the lock confirmation position, thereby inhibiting said retainer diametrically-enlarging claw from deforming axially; and
said reinsertion-inhibiting boss is disposed respectively so as to protrude from opposite-face sides of the paired clearance-intervention members to oppositely-facing sides thereof.

5. The quick connector as set forth in claim 4 , wherein said retainer body includes a stopper inhibiting a distance between opposite faces of said paired clearance-intervention members from enlarging.

6. The quick connector as set forth in claim 4 , wherein:
said retainer body further includes a second locker portion; and
said checker further includes a checker axially-deforming claw;
the checker axially-deforming claw formed on a counter side against the opposite faces of said paired clearance-intervention members by way of a slit;
the checker axially-deforming claw formed to be able to undergo flexure or deflection deformation axially on a leading-end side thereof;
the checker axially-deforming claw inhibited from undergoing the flexure or deflection deformation by said retainer diametrically-enlarging claw in such a state as said retainer diametrically-enlarging claw is enlarged diametrically, thereby maintaining such a state as being locked to the second locker portion of said retainer body;
the checker axially-de forming claw locked to the second locker portion of said retainer body, thereby being inhibited from moving from the initial position to the lock confirmation position in relative to the retainer body; and
the checker axially-deforming claw turning into being able to cancel the locking to the second locker portion of said retainer body in such a state as said retainer diametrically-enlarging claw has re stored the configuration, thereby being able to move from the initial position to the lock confirmation position in relative to the retainer body.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Riko Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nishiyama Takahiro
• Hatanaka Kazuki
• Terayama Hisashi
• Kumeno Soutaro

Classifications

• F16L37/0885 Primary

  with access to the split elastic ring from a radial or tangential opening in the coupling · CPC title

• F16L2201/10

  Indicators for correct coupling · CPC title

• F16L37/1225

  using a retaining member the extremities of which, e.g. in the form of a U, engage behind a shoulder of both parts · CPC title

• F16L21/08

  with additional locking means (F16L21/06 takes precedence; couplings of the quick-acting type F16L37/00) · CPC title

• F16L21/03

  placed in the socket before connection ({F16L21/022,} F16L21/025 take precedence) · CPC title