Extension adapter of a plug-in coupling and associated production and installation method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11549540-B2
Application number	US-201716099826-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2017
Priority date	May 9, 2016
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

An extension adapter of a plug-in coupling, with which a free space between a male coupling element and a female coupling element can be bridged in a connecting manner and which comprises the following features: a male coupling end which can be inserted into the female coupling element, a female coupling end in which the male coupling element can be received and which is connected to the male coupling end via an intermediate piece, and a locking element which is displaceably arranged in the axial direction of the extension adapter and with which, in a locking position surrounding the female coupling end, the release of a male coupling element from the female coupling end is prevented.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Extension adapter of a plug-in coupling, with which a free space between a male coupling element arranged on a first component and at least one female coupling element arranged on a second component can be bridged in a connecting manner, and which has the following features:
a. at least one male coupling end which comprises a thickening and can be latched into the at least one female coupling element,
b. a female coupling end in which the male coupling element can be latched and which is connected to the at least one male coupling end via an intermediate piece, wherein
c. the female coupling end comprises a receiving space, which is defined by a plurality of wall elements, which surround the receiving space spaced apart from each other, or which is defined by a continuous elastic wall, and
d. a locking element which is displaceably arranged in the axial direction of the extension adapter with which, in a locking position at least partially surrounding the female coupling end, a release of a male coupling element from the female coupling end is prevented while a connection between the male coupling end and the female coupling element is not locked so that when the connection between the first and the second components is released, only the connection between the male coupling end and the female coupling end is released.

2. Extension adapter according to claim 1 , wherein the thickening is a ball head.

3. Extension adapter according to claim 1 , in which the locking element in the locking position surrounds the plurality of wall elements in such a way that these non-releasably retain a male coupling element received in the receiving space.

4. Extension adapter according to claim 1 , in which the at least partially surrounding locking element is a ring-shaped or a U-shaped spring clip.

5. Extension adapter according to claim 1 , in which the locking element is a nut element that can be screwed onto a thread on a radial outer side of the female coupling end.

6. Extension adapter according to claim 1 , in which the locking element is a ring element that can be plugged onto a radial outer side of the female coupling end.

7. Extension adapter according to claim 6 , the ring element of which comprises a polygonal contour.

8. Extension adapter according to claim 6 , in which the locking element comprises at least a latching web, which fixes the locking element in a base position and/or the locking position.

9. Extension adapter according to claim 1 , which comprises a base position of the locking element between male and female coupling element and the locking position, wherein the locking element preferably can be latched at least in the base position.

10. Extension adapter according to claim 1 , which comprises a first and a second male coupling end so that the extension adapter is formed Y-shaped.

11. Production method for an extension adapter according to claim 1 , comprising the following steps:
a. providing a first injection mold, which is formed complementary to the extension adapter, which comprises a male coupling end which comprises a thickening and can be latched into a female coupling element, a female coupling end in which a male coupling element can be latched and which is connected to the male coupling end via an intermediate piece, wherein the female coupling end comprises a receiving space, which is defined by a plurality of wall elements, which surround the receiving space spaced apart from each other, or which is defined by a continuous elastic wall,
b. injection molding and demolding of the extension adapter, and
c. arranging a locking element displaceable in the axial direction of the extension adapter on the extension adapter so that in a locking position at least partially surrounding the female coupling end, a release of the male coupling element from the female coupling end is prevented while a connection between the male coupling end and the female coupling element is not locked.

12. Production method according to claim 11 , with the further step:
d. injection molding in a second injection mold and demolding the plastic locking element from the second injection mold and thereafter arranging it on the extension adapter.

13. Production method according to claim 11 , with the further step:
injection molding of the locking element in the first injection mold with the extension adapter contained therein by means of a two-component injection molding method, so that the locking element is frictionally and/or, by means of at least one tear-off web, releasably attached to the extension adapter.

14. Installation method of the extension adapter according to claim 1 , with which a free space between a male coupling element and a female coupling element is bridged and which comprises at least one male coupling end which comprises a thickening and can be latched into the female coupling element, and a female coupling end in which the male coupling element can be latched and which is connected to the at least one male coupling end via an intermediate piece, wherein the female coupling end comprises a receiving space, which is defined by a plurality of wall elements, which surround the receiving space spaced apart from each other, or which is defined by a continuous elastic wall, as well as a locking element arranged displaceably in the axial direction of the extension adapter, wherein the installation method comprises the following steps:
a. plugging the at least one male coupling end into the at least one female coupling element,
b. plugging the male coupling element into the female coupling end of the extension adapter, and
c. displacing the locking element into a locking position, in which the locking element at least partially surrounds the female coupling end, so that a releasing of the male coupling element from the female coupling end is prevented while a connection between the male coupling end and the female coupling element is not locked.

15. Installation method according to claim 14 , with the further step:
d. extending a ring-shaped spring clip as a locking element, so that the spring clip can be plugged onto the female coupling end.

16. Installation method according to claim 14 , with the further step:
e. screwing a nut-like locking element onto the female coupling end.

17. Installation method according to claim 14 , with the further step:
f. plugging a ring-shaped locking element onto the female coupling end.

18. Installation method according to claim 14 , with the further step:
plugging a second male coupling end into a second female coupling element, whereby the extension adapter is formed in a Y-shape.

19. Connection between two components with an extension adapter according to claim 1 , in which a first component is provided with a male coupling element and a second component is provided with at least one female coupling element, so that the extension adapter bridges a free space between the first and the second component via a connection with the male coupling element and the at least one female coupling element.

Assignees

• Boellhoff Verbindungstechnik Gmbh

Inventors

• Fritzsch Jasmin
• Heinrichs Heinrich
• Kahre Michael

Classifications

• F16B21/065 Primary

  with an additional locking element · CPC title

• F16B21/073

  the socket having a resilient part on its inside · CPC title