Connector having a pilot with an indicator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11796099-B2
Application number	US-202016998869-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2020
Priority date	Aug 22, 2019
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

A connector and process for coupling a tube and the resulting assembly is disclosed. A receptacle includes pilot in a mounted position. The pilot is slidable from a mounting position to a final position while the pilot urges legs of a retention clip into a spread condition during a transition between the mounting position and the final position. In the final position, the pilot permits legs of the retention clip to retract to a relaxed condition and an indicator piece is visible.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A connector comprising:
a receptacle including an annular outer wall and at least one opening and a socket having an inner annular wall concentric with the receptacle outer wall defining an annulus between the receptacle outer wall and the socket inner wall, the receptacle including a modular head having a mating end, the mating end including at least one latch extending from the mating end into the annulus, the latch engaging the opening and mating the modular head to the receptacle;
a pilot located in the receptacle modular head in a mounted position, the pilot having an indicator piece including a flat face having a scan code, the pilot slidable from said mounting position to a final position while legs of a retention clip are urged into a spread condition during a transition between said mounting position and said final position,
wherein in said final position the pilot is past the legs of the retention clip, causing the legs of the retention clip to retract to a relaxed condition and the scan code of the indicator piece to become visibly located in a window of the receptacle.

2. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the retention clip embraces an outer wall of the receptacle modular head and the legs to extend through slots into an interior of the receptacle modular head.

3. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the pilot has a recess that receives the legs of the retention clip in said mounted position.

4. The connector of claim 3 , wherein the pilot has an inclined wall adjacent to the recess which urge the legs of the retention clip into the spread condition while the pilot is sliding in transition to said final position.

5. The connector of claim 4 , wherein the scan code located on the indicator piece is not visible while the pilot is in the mounted position.

6. The connector of claim 5 , wherein the scan code is readable by a scanning device when visible in the window indicating that the pilot is in said final position.

7. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the pilot is an annular crown piece with grooves that mate with ridges inside the receptacle modular head to guide the sliding of the pilot.

8. An assembly of a connector and a tube, said assembly comprising:
a receptacle including an annular outer wall and at least one opening and a socket having an inner annular wall concentric with the receptacle outer wall defining an annulus between the receptacle outer wall and the socket inner wall, the receptacle including a modular head having a mating end, the mating end including at least one latch extending from the mating end into the annulus, the latch engaging the opening and mating the modular head to the receptacle;
a pilot having an indicator piece including a flat face having a scan code, the pilot located in the receptacle modular head in a mounted position and the pilot is arranged to accept the tube and be slidable to a final position upon insertion of the tube into the receptacle modular head, thereby urging legs of a retention clip into a spread condition while the pilot is sliding from said mounted position into said final position
wherein in the said final position the pilot is past the legs of the retention clip permitting the legs to retract to a relaxed condition and the scan code to become visibly located in a window of the receptacle.

9. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the retention clip embraces an exterior of the receptacle modular head and the legs to extend through slots into an interior of the receptacle modular head.

10. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the pilot has a recess that receives the legs of the retention clip in said mounted position.

11. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the pilot has an inclined wall adjacent to the recess which urge the legs of the retention clip into the spread condition while the pilot is in transition to said final position.

12. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the tube includes an endform with a ramped wall that engages the inclined wall of the pilot during insertion of the tube to the pilot in said mounted position.

13. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the scan code is not visible in the window when the pilot is in said mounted position.

14. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the endform has a groove that receives the legs of the retention clip when the pilot is in said final position.

15. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the scan code is readable by a scanning device when visible in the window indicating that the pilot is in said final position and the tube is fully inserted into the receptacle.

16. A process for coupling a tube comprising:
mating a modular head to a receptacle, the receptacle including an annular outer wall and at least one opening and a socket having an inner annular wall concentric with the receptacle outer wall defining an annulus between the receptacle outer wall and the socket inner wall and the modular head having a mating end, the mating end including at least one latch extending from the mating end into the annulus, the latch engaging the opening and mating the modular head to the receptacle
inserting a tube into the receptacle modular head, the tube engaging a pilot mounted in the modular head;
sliding the pilot and the tube from a mounted position in which a scan code on a flat face of an indicator piece on the pilot is not visible to a final position past the legs of a retention clip wherein the scan code becomes visible in a window in the receptacle;
urging the legs of the retention clip into a spread condition while the pilot is transitioning from said mounting position into said final position; and
permitting the legs to retract to a relaxed condition when the pilot and the tube are in said final position coupling the tube to the receptacle.

17. The process of claim 16 , wherein the legs of the retention clip embrace the tube when the pilot is in said final position.

Assignees

• Cooper Standard Automotive Inc

Inventors

• Gocha Kenneth J
• Frederiksen Stephen S
• Veraza Christian A

Classifications

• F16L37/0885 Primary

  with access to the split elastic ring from a radial or tangential opening in the coupling · CPC title

• F16L33/03

  Self-locking elastic clips · CPC title

• F16L2201/10

  Indicators for correct coupling · CPC title