Emergency detachable pipe coupling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10514121-B2
Application number	US-201715670235-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2017
Priority date	Feb 13, 2015
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

An emergency detachable pipe coupling configured to decouple a female coupling member and a male coupling member which are coupled together when an external force makes the male coupling member tilted at a predetermined angle relative to a female coupling member. When the male coupling member is tilted, a pressing surface of the male coupling member presses a to-be-pressed surface of a locking element restraining member of the female coupling member to displace the locking element restraining member to a release position where a locking element becomes displaceable to an unlocking position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An emergency detachable pipe coupling comprising:
a female coupling member having a female-side passage extending from a forward end opening to a rear end opening; and
a male coupling member having a male-side passage extending from a forward end opening to a rear end opening and further having a connecting end portion at a forward end thereof, the male coupling member being configured to be coupled to the female coupling member with the connecting end portion inserted into the female-side passage from the forward end opening of the female coupling member such that the male-side passage and the female-side passage communicate with each other;
wherein the female coupling member includes:
a cylindrical female coupling body having the female-side passage;
a locking element retained by the female coupling body displaceably between a locking position, where the locking element projects from an inner peripheral surface of the female coupling body to engage a locking element engaging surface of the male coupling member to thereby lock the male coupling member, and an unlocking position, where the locking element is displaced radially outward of the female coupling body from the locking position to disengage from the locking element engaging surface;
a locking element restraining member attached to the female coupling body displaceably relative to the locking element between a restraining position where the locking element restraining member restrains the locking element in the locking position and a release position where the locking element restraining member allows the locking element to be displaced to the unlocking position; and
an urging member disposed between the female coupling body and the locking element restraining member to urge the locking element restraining member toward the restraining position;

wherein the male coupling member has a pressing surface, and the locking element restraining member has a to-be-pressed surface to be engaged and pressed by the pressing surface;
wherein, when the female coupling member and the male coupling member are in a coupled state, the male coupling member is tiltable relative to a longitudinal axis of the female-side passage, and when the male coupling member is tilted at a predetermined angle, the pressing surface presses the to-be-pressed surface, causing the locking element restraining member to be displaced to the release position, and allowing the connecting end portion of the male coupling member to come out of the female coupling member;
wherein the locking element restraining member is displaceable between the restraining position and the release position in a direction of the longitudinal axis of the female-side passage;
wherein the connecting end portion has a spherical surface and rotates about a center of curvature of the spherical surface when the male coupling member is tilted until the locking element restraining member reaches the release position;
wherein the female coupling member further includes a female-side valve member displaceable between a closed position, in which the female-side valve member closes the female-side passage, and an open position, in which the female-side valve member opens the female-side passage, and a female-side valve urging member urging the female-side valve member toward the closed position, the female-side valve member having a conical seal surface engageable with the spherical surface of the connecting end portion; and
wherein, when the connecting end portion of the male coupling member is inserted into the female-side passage, the spherical surface of the connecting end portion engages the conical seal surface of the female-side valve member, and when the connecting end portion is further inserted such that the male coupling member is coupled to the female coupling member, the female-side valve member is displaced to the open position to make the male-side passage and the female-side passage communicate with each other, and when the male coupling member is tilted in a state in which the male coupling member and the female coupling member are coupled together, the connecting end portion rotates about the center of curvature of the spherical surface, with the spherical surface being in sealing contact with the conical seal surface.

2. The emergency detachable pipe coupling of claim 1 , wherein the locking element engaging surface comprises a part of the spherical surface.

3. The emergency detachable pipe coupling of claim 2 , wherein, when the locking element restraining member is displaced from the restraining position to the release position in response to tilting of the male coupling member, the locking element restraining member is stopped from displacement in the direction of the longitudinal axis by the female coupling body, and the male coupling member rotates about a fulcrum defined by a point of engagement between the to-be-pressed surface of the locking element restraining member, which has been stopped, and the pressing surface of the male coupling member, thereby allowing the connecting end portion to be moved in a direction in which the connecting end portion comes out of the female-side passage.

4. The emergency detachable pipe coupling of claim 2 , wherein the to-be-pressed surface of the locking element restraining member is located forward in the direction of the longitudinal axis relative to a position of the center of curvature when the female coupling member and the male coupling member are coupled together, the to-be-pressed surface being inclined forward in the direction of the longitudinal axis.

5. The emergency detachable pipe coupling of claim 1 , wherein, when the locking element restraining member is displaced from the restraining position to the release position in response to tilting of the male coupling member, the locking element restraining member is stopped from displacement in the direction of the longitudinal axis by the female coupling body, and the male coupling member rotates about a fulcrum defined by a point of engagement between the to-be-pressed surface of the locking element restraining member, which has been stopped, and the pressing surface of the male coupling member, thereby allowing the connecting end portion to be moved in a direction in which the connecting end portion comes out of the female-side passage.

6. The emergency detachable pipe coupling of claim 1 , wherein the male coupling member further includes a male-side valve member displaceable between a closed position, in which the male-side valve member closes the male-side passage, and an open position, in which the male-side valve member opens the male-side passage, and a male-side valve urging member urging the male-side valve member toward the closed position;
wherein, when the connecting end portion of the male coupling member is inserted into the female-side passage, the male-side valve member engages the female-side valve member and is pressed and displaced to the open position.

7. The emergency detachable pipe coupling of claim 1 , wherein the locking element restraining member includes an inner sleeve slidably disposed over an outer peripheral surface of the female coupling body to engage the locking element, and an outer sleeve having the to-be-pressed surface and slidably disposed over an outer peripheral surface of the inner sleeve;
wherein the urging member comprises a first spring urging the outer sleeve, and a second spring urging the inner sleeve;
wherein the inner sleeve is pressed against the outer sleeve by the second spring and is displaced together with the outer sleeve when the locking element restraining member is displaced from the restraining position to the release position, and when the inner sleeve is displaced against an urging

Assignees

• Nitto Kohki Co

Inventors

• Wada Akihiro

Classifications

• F16L2201/20

  Safety or protective couplings · CPC title

• F16L37/23 Primary

  by means of balls · CPC title

• F16L37/52

  Universal joints, i.e. with a mechanical connection allowing angular movement or adjustment of the axes of the parts in any direction · CPC title

• F16L55/1015

  Couplings closed automatically when disengaging force exceeds preselected value (F16L55/1007 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16L37/32

  at least one of two lift valves being opened automatically when the coupling is applied · CPC title