Easy to manoeuvre fluidic connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11460130-B2
Application number	US-201916516103-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2019
Priority date	Jul 20, 2018
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

A fluidic connector intended to enable the circulation of a fluid and includes two parts configured to be coupled, each of the parts comprising a channel, the two channels communicating when the two parts are coupled, the fluid being intended to be conveyed by the two channels, and a locking mechanism configured to bear on a first of the two parts and to exert a force on a second of the two parts in order to hold the two parts in position when the two parts are coupled, the locking mechanism passing through an opening in the first of the two parts.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fluidic connector configured to enable circulation of a fluid, the fluidic connector comprising:
first and second parts configured to be coupled, each of the first and second parts comprising a channel in communication with each other when the first and second parts are in a coupled configuration, wherein the channels of the first and second parts are configured to convey the fluid;
a locking mechanism configured to bear on the second part and to exert a force on the first part to hold the first and second parts in the coupled configuration, wherein the locking mechanism is configured to pass through an opening in the second part; and
a seal fluidly separating the combined channels of the first and second parts from the opening,
wherein the second part comprises a female frustoconical surface, the first part comprises a male frustoconical surface, the male and female frustoconical surfaces are complementary, an interference fit between the male and female frustoconical surfaces enables the relative position of the first and second parts to establish communication between the channels of the first and second parts, and the locking mechanism is configured to exert a force on the first part along an axis of the female frustoconical surface, and
wherein the second part comprises an extractor in the form of a threaded ring configured to exert a force that enables decoupling of the first and second parts.

2. The fluidic connector of claim 1 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises a screw having a head that bears on the second part, and the screw passes through the opening and cooperates with a screw thread on an axial end of the first part.

3. The fluidic connector of claim 2 , wherein the screw extends along the axis of the female frustoconical surface, and the screw thread is on an axial end of the first part forming a reduced diameter section of the male frustoconical surface.

4. The fluidic connector of claim 3 , wherein the locking mechanism exerts a force at the center of the axial end of the first part.

5. The fluidic connector of claim 1 , wherein the male and female frustoconical surfaces have an angle that provides self-adhesion of the male and female frustoconical surfaces when fitted together.

6. The fluidic connector of claim 2 , wherein the screw is configured to bear on the extractor to exert a force on the first part to decouple the male and female frustoconical surfaces.

7. The fluidic connector of claim 6 , wherein the screw bears on the second part via an elastic element biased to move the screw away from a seat after unscrewing the screw from the screw thread of the first part.

8. The fluidic connector of claim 6 , wherein the extractor is configured to render the screw captive.

9. The fluidic connector of claim 1 , wherein each of the male and female frustoconical surfaces define a surface of revolution about an axis, and the axes of the male and female frustoconical surfaces coincide when the first and second parts are coupled, and the fluidic connector further comprises a set of angular abutments configured to define at least one orientation of the first and second parts about the coincident axes.

10. The fluidic connector of claim 9 , wherein the set of angular abutments is configured to define first and second angular orientations of the first and second parts about the coincident axes, the first orientation enabling communication between the channels of the first and second parts, and the second orientation interrupting the communication between the channels of the first and second parts.

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique

Inventors

• Dechelle Christian
• Villedieu Eric

Classifications

• F16L19/062

  specially adapted for use with attachments, e.g. reduction units, T-pieces, bends or the like · CPC title

• F16L27/0845 Primary

  forming an angle of 90 degrees · CPC title

• F16L15/008 Primary

  with sealing rings · CPC title

• F16L43/02

  adapted to make use of special securing means · CPC title