Connector element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11815213-B2
Application number	US-202217590212-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2022
Priority date	Feb 5, 2021
Publication date	Nov 14, 2023
Grant date	Nov 14, 2023

Abstract

A connector element ( 1 ), for a quick connect coupling to a terminal ( 3 ) having an interface ( 33 ) with a cylindrical enclosure, the connector element with a body delimiting an inner passage ( 43 ) for the fluid. In order for the connector to be able to be coupled reliably with terminals of variable dimensions and interface quality, the invention provides that the body has a conical portion ( 45 ) and that the connector element ( 1 ) has a movable bush ( 5 ), an elastic return member ( 8 ), which applies an elastic return force (F 8 ) on the bush ( 5 ), and clamping pads ( 6 ) received in a respective housing ( 51 ) of the bush ( 5 ), the clamping pads being translated radially relative to the bush by mechanical cooperation with the conical portion, between a radial withdrawn position and a radial clamping position, to cooperate mechanically with the interface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A connector element, for a quick connect coupling of a fluid pipe to a terminal, the terminal having an interface with a cylindrical enclosure, the connector element comprising:
a body designed to be secured with the fluid pipe and delimiting an inner passage for the fluid, the inner passage extending along a fitting axis of the connector element, wherein the body comprises a conical portion, centered on the fitting axis;
a bush, which is translatable relative to the body along the fitting axis;
a first elastic return member, which applies a first elastic return force on the bush, relative to the body, along a forward direction;
clamping pads, each clamping pad being received in a respective opening belonging to the bush, the clamping pads being moved in translation radially relative to the bush, within their respective opening, by mechanical cooperation of the clamping pads with the conical portion, between:
a radial withdrawn position of the clamping pads, so that the clamping pads are remote from the interface of the terminal, and
a radial clamping position of the clamping pads, so that the clamping pads cooperate mechanically with the interface of the terminal;

a bearing ring, which is translatable relative to the body along the fitting axis and which comprises:
a circumferential face, by means of which the bearing ring is in fluid-tight radial contact with the body, and
a front face perpendicular to the fitting axis; and

a second elastic return member, which is formed by a spring and which applies a second elastic return force in the forward direction on the bearing ring to place the bearing ring in fluid-tight contact with the terminal by means of the front face.

2. The connector element according to claim 1 , wherein the conical portion defines a half aperture angle whose value is between 3 and 10 degrees.

3. The connector element according to claim 2 , wherein the value of the half aperture angle is equal to 5 degrees.

4. The connector element according to claim 1 , wherein each clamping pad has a cylindrical surface centered on the fitting axis, by means of which the clamping pad is designed to cooperate mechanically with the interface of the terminal when the clamping pad is in the radial clamping position.

5. The connector element according to claim 4 , wherein each cylindrical surface has a thread or a surface treatment increasing its coefficient of friction.

6. The connector element according to claim 1 , wherein a sealing diameter between the front face and the terminal is smaller than a sealing diameter between the circumferential face and the body.

7. The connector element according to claim 1 , wherein the body and the bearing ring are designed to delimit, with the terminal, an inner volume, for an exchange of fluid between the inner volume and the inner passage.

8. The connector element according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing ring is configured to keep the clamping pads in the radial withdrawn position when the connector element and the terminal are uncoupled.

9. The connector element according to claim 1 , wherein the connector element further comprises a maneuvering ring, which is movable to an unlocked position, to release the terminal while the clamping pads were in the radial clamping position and were thus mechanically cooperating with the interface of the terminal.

10. The connector element according to claim 1 , wherein the conical portion faces toward an outside and diverges along the forward direction.

11. The connector element according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing ring is also a maneuvering ring, which is movable to an unlocked position, to release the terminal while the clamping pads were in the radial clamping position and were thus mechanically cooperating with the interface of the terminal.

Assignees

• Staubli Sa Ets

Inventors

• Durieux Christophe
• Marques Barroca Serafim

Classifications

• F16L37/46 Primary

  with a gate valve or sliding valve · CPC title

• F16L37/084

  combined with automatic locking · CPC title

• F16L37/0927

  the wedge element being axially displaceable for releasing the coupling · CPC title

• F16L37/123 Primary

  using a retaining member in the form of a wedge · CPC title

• F16L37/1215 Primary

  using hooks provided with a screw-thread adapted to engage and mesh with an appropriate corresponding part · CPC title