Quick coupling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10458584-B2
Application number	US-201715715851-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2017
Priority date	Oct 6, 2016
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

This coupling (R) includes a male element (A) including a male body ( 2 ) provided with a locking relief ( 22 ), a purging ring ( 4 ) movable between a rear position, in which the purging ring closes off a purging passage of the male body, and a forward position, and a female element (B) including a female body ( 12, 14 ), a ball-retainer ( 23 ) carrying locking balls ( 18 ) of the male body, in a housing between a first position, in which they are able to oppose the removal of the locking relief, and a second position, in which the locking balls allow the removal of the locking relief, a valve body ( 25 ) secured to the ball-retainer, including coupling balls ( 27 ) suitable for securing the valve body and the female body in translation, an inner ring ( 29 ) suitable, in a retaining position, for keeping the valve body and the female body coupled by the coupling balls when the female element is uncoupled from the male element. In a first coupling configuration, the locking balls have crossed the locking relief of the male element; in a second coupling configuration, the inner ring has reached a position in which it no longer keeps the valve body and the female body coupled by the coupling balls; in a third coupling configuration, the female body keeps the locking balls in their first position; and in a fourth coupling configuration, the valve body has reached a position that allows fluid to pass between the two conduits. The female element includes steering means ( 32 ) able to drive the purging ring toward its forward position during the uncoupling.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A quick coupling for sealably joining fluid conduits, including a male element suitable for being connected to a first conduit and a female element suitable for being connected to a second conduit, the male element including:
a male body provided with a locking relief and defining an inner channel in communication with the first conduit,
a purging ring of the first conduit, surrounding the male body, and movable between a rear position, in which the purging ring closes off a purging passage of the male body, and a forward position, in which the purging ring no longer closes off the purging passage,

the female element including:
a female body defining an inner channel in communication with the second conduit,
a ball-retainer arranged inside the female body, forming a receiving housing of the male body and bearing locking balls of the male body, said locking balls being movable in a housing between a first position, in which they are able to oppose the removal of the locking relief, and a second position, in which the locking balls allow the removal of the locking relief,
a valve body secured to the ball-retainer, translatable in the female body between a forward position, in which it closes off the fluid passage toward the second conduit, and a rear position, in which the passage toward the second conduit is open, the valve body including coupling balls suitable for securing the valve body and the female body in translation,
an inner ring arranged inside the valve body, suitable, in a retaining position, for keeping the valve body and the female body coupled by the coupling balls when the female element is uncoupled from the male element,

wherein:
in a first coupling configuration by bringing the male element and the female element closer together, the locking balls have crossed the locking relief of the male element,
in a second coupling configuration by coming closer together, the inner ring has reached a position in which it no longer keeps the valve body and the female body coupled by the coupling balls,
in a third coupling configuration by coming closer together, the female body keeps the locking balls in their first position,
in a fourth coupling configuration by coming closer together, the valve body has reached a position that allows fluid to pass between the two conduits,
the female element includes steering means able to drive the purging ring from its rear position toward its forward position during the uncoupling of the male and female elements by moving away from one another.

2. The quick coupling according to claim 1 , wherein the steering means can be selectively deactivated such that they do not drive the purging ring during uncoupling.

3. The quick coupling according to claim 2 , wherein the female element comprises a selector ring allowing the deactivation of the steering means, mounted around the female body and rotatable between a first position, in which it keeps the steering means in a position in which they cannot drive the purging ring during uncoupling of the male and female elements, and a second position, in which the steering means are able to drive the purging ring from its rear position toward its forward position during the uncoupling.

4. The quick coupling according to claim 1 , wherein the steering means are steering balls housed in the female body and movable between a first position, in which the steering balls protrude from the female body and interfere with the purging ring, and a second position, in which the steering balls do not protrude from the female body.

5. The quick coupling according to claim 4 , wherein the female element includes control fingers of the steering balls, movable between a first position, in which the steering balls are moved radially away from their first position, and a second position, in which the steering balls are radially aligned with a notch of the control fingers and are free to reach their second position.

6. The quick coupling according to claim 5 , wherein the control fingers of the steering balls are kept in their second position by the ball-retainer against a force of a spring in the first and second coupling configurations, and are kept in their first position by the female body in the third and fourth coupling configurations.

7. The quick coupling according to claim 1 , wherein the steering means are claws movable between a deployed position, in which they protrude from the female body and interfere with the purging ring, and a retracted position, in which the claws do not interfere with the purging ring.

8. The quick coupling according to claim 7 , wherein the female element includes control balls of the claws, movable between a low position, in which the claws are free to reach their retracted position centripetally, and a high position, in which the control balls keep the claws in their deployed position.

9. The quick coupling according to claim 8 , wherein the control balls bear on a ramp of the ball-retainer between a lower diameter corresponding to the retracted position of the claws and an upper diameter corresponding to the deployed position of the claws.

10. The quick coupling according to claim 1 , wherein in the fourth coupling configuration by coming closer together, the purging ring is in the rear position, in which the purging ring closes off a purging passage of the male body.

11. The quick coupling according to claim 1 , wherein in the second coupling configuration by coming closer together, the inner ring has reached a position in which it couples itself to the valve body via the coupling balls.

12. The quick coupling according to claim 1 , wherein the inner ring is returned toward its retained position in which it keeps the valve body and the female body coupled by the action of a return spring during the uncoupling.

13. The quick coupling according to claim 1 , wherein in the third coupling configuration by coming closer together, the steering means have passed an inner collar of the purging ring.

14. The quick coupling according to claim 1 , wherein the locking balls and the coupling balls are identical and supported by the ball-retainer.

15. The quick coupling according to claim 1 , wherein the female element includes a control and steering ball bearing on a ramp of the ball-retainer between an upper diameter for which the ball protrudes from the female body and interferes with the inner collar of the purging ring, and an upper diameter for which the steering and control ball does not protrude from the female body.

Assignees

• Staubli Sa Ets

Inventors

• Tiberghien Alain-Christophe
• Durieux Christophe
• Michel Francois

Classifications

• F16L37/38

  with fluid cut-off means in only one of two pipe-end fittings · CPC title

• F16L37/42

  the valve having an axial bore communicating with lateral apertures · CPC title

• F16L37/44

  with one lift valve being actuated to initiate the flow through the coupling after the two coupling parts are locked against withdrawal · CPC title

• F16L37/23 Primary

  by means of balls · CPC title

• F16L37/0844

  by means of a ring pivoting so as to lie against the tube · CPC title