Tubular connector with an automatic connection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10047889-B2
Application number	US-201514758415-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2015
Priority date	May 22, 2014
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A tubular coupling comprising a female connector (2) into which a male connector (6) provided with an annular collar (7) is designed to be inserted axially, and a connection element (9) that extends in a transverse direction in the female connector. The connection element is designed to interfere mechanically with the collar while the male connector is being inserted into the female connector, and to move by itself in said transverse direction towards the inside of the female connector. In addition, the connection element and the female connector are also designed so that, after the reaction to the radial resilient deformation of the connection element on the collar of the male connector, they come to bear against each other in the manner of a projection (14) that, by resilient return, exerts pressure on a guide ramp (15), so as to generate a thrust force that extends the movement of the connection element towards the inside of the female connector.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tubular coupling comprising a female connector into which a male connector provided with an annular collar is designed to be inserted axially, and a connection element that extends in a transverse direction in said female connector and that is designed to be deformed resiliently and radially towards the outside of said female connector by mechanically interfering with said collar while said male connector is being inserted into said female connector, and, in reaction to this radial resilient deformation, to move by itself in said transverse direction towards the inside of said female connector, wherein after the reaction to said radial resilient deformation said connection element on the collar of said male connector, a projection of said connection element, projecting in an axial direction on an axially facing face of said connection element, comes to bear against a guide ramp of said female connector and, by resilient return, exerts pressure on said guide ramp, so as to generate a thrust force that extends the movement of said connection element in said transverse direction towards said inside of said female connector.

2. A coupling according to claim 1 , wherein said connection element is U-shaped with two prongs spaced apart from each other and extending in said transverse direction, each prong having an axially facing face for interfering with said collar, wherein said female connector has an inside surface that defines two guide ramps that extend in said transverse direction in a manner such as to slant relative to each other, and wherein two projections are provided on respective ones of said two prongs of said connection element so as to come to bear on respective ones of said guide ramps in order to generate said thrust force.

3. A coupling according to claim 2 , wherein each guide ramp has a guide end that is terminated by a recess into which said projection of a corresponding prong of said connection element comes to be engaged.

4. A coupling according to claim 1 , wherein said guide ramp has a contact surface that is provided with ribs or with bumps.

5. A coupling according to claim 1 , wherein said connection element moves by itself in said transverse direction between a pre-assembly high position in which it projects outside said female connector and a retaining low position in which it is fully pushed into said female connector and comes flush with the outside surface of said female connector.

6. A coupling according to claim 1 , wherein said coupling includes a visual indicator for checking proper assembly.

7. A coupling according to any one of claim 1 , wherein said coupling includes an indicator clip designed to be inserted into the connection element while said male connector is being inserted into said female connector and serving as an indicator of assembly of said coupling.

Assignees

• A Raymond Et Cie

Inventors

• Chaupin Jerome
• Poggi Frederic

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

• F16L37/144

  the securing element being U-shaped · CPC title

• F16L27/08

  allowing adjustment or movement only about the axis of one pipe · CPC title

• F16L21/08 Primary

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