Unisex ball valve coupling with safety locking mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11879581-B2
Application number	US-202117792854-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2021
Priority date	Mar 31, 2020
Publication date	Jan 23, 2024
Grant date	Jan 23, 2024

Abstract

A coupling assembly ( 10 ) is reconfigurable among three states. In a disconnected state, a spring-biased lock indicator ( 20 ) is in a first lock indicator position, and the lock indicator includes a restriction member ( 40 ) that in the first lock indicator position retains an actuator in a first actuator position such that a valve is in a closed position and a locking pin is in a retracted position. In a connected/valve-closed state, the lock indicator ( 20 ) is in a second lock indicator position in which the restriction member ( 40 ) permits movement of the actuator ( 30 ), but with the actuator ( 30 ) still being in the first actuator position such that the valve is in the closed position and the locking pin ( 46 ) is in the retracted position. In a connected/valve-open state, the lock indicator ( 20 ) is in the second lock indicator position to permit movement of the actuator ( 30 ), and now with the actuator ( 30 ) being in the second actuator position such that the valve is in the open position and the locking pin ( 46 ) is in an extended position to lock a second coupling assembly to the coupling assembly to form a unisex coupling connection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A coupling assembly comprising:
a coupler body having a first end and a second end opposite from the first end;
a valve that is housed within the coupler body and is moveable between a closed position and an open position;
a lock indicator that is movable along an outer surface of the coupler body between a first lock indicator position in which the lock indicator extends from the first end of the coupler body and a second lock indicator position that is retracted toward the second end of the coupler body relative to the first lock indicator position, wherein the lock indicator is biased toward the first lock indicator position and includes a restriction member;
an actuator that is movable between a first actuator position and a second actuator position, wherein when the lock indicator is in the first lock indicator position the restriction member maintains the actuator in the first actuator position and precludes movement of the actuator to the second actuator position, and when the lock indicator is in the second lock indicator position the restriction member permits the actuator to move between the first actuator position and the second actuator position; and
a locking pin that is moveable between a retracted position in which the locking pin is encompassed by the coupler body and an extended position in which the locking pin extends outward from the coupler body;
wherein the actuator moves the valve from the closed position to the open position when the actuator moves from the first actuator position to the second actuator position, and moves the valve from the open position to the closed position when the actuator moves from the second actuator position to the first actuator position; and
the actuator includes a leg that drives the locking pin from the retracted position to the extended position when the actuator moves from the first actuator position to the second actuator position, and drives the locking pin from the extended position to the retracted position when the actuator moves from the second actuator position to the first actuator position.

2. The coupling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the restriction member comprises a shoulder formed on the lock indicator, wherein the shoulder precludes movement of the actuator when the lock indicator is in the first lock indicator position and permits movement of the actuator when the lock indicator is in the second lock indicator position.

3. The coupling assembly of claim 2 , wherein the actuator includes a rotating shaft and a stop ridge that extends from the rotating shaft, and the shoulder of the lock indicator interacts against the stop ridge of the actuator when the lock indicator is in the first lock indicator position to preclude movement of the actuator when the lock indicator is in the first lock indicator position.

4. The coupling assembly of claim 3 , wherein the actuator includes a groove, and the shoulder of the lock indicator is aligned with the groove of the actuator when the lock indicator is in the second lock indicator position such that the shoulder can slide within the grove to permit movement of the actuator between the first actuator position and the second actuator position when the lock indicator is in the second lock indicator position.

5. The coupling assembly of claim 3 , wherein the leg extends from the rotating shaft and the locking pin includes a base that defines a pin recess that receives the leg, wherein the leg interacts against the pin recess to drive the locking pin between the retracted position and the extended position.

6. The coupling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the locking pin includes a locking end that extends from the coupler body when the locking pin is in the extended position.

7. The coupling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuator includes a handle that is operable by a user to rotate the actuator between the first actuator position and the second actuator position.

8. The coupler assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuator further includes a pull knob that is pulled to permit movement of the actuator between the first actuator position and the second actuator position.

9. The coupling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuator defines a bore that receives a fastening element, and the fastening element connects the valve to the actuator.

10. The coupling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve is a ball valve that rotates between the closed position and the open position.

11. The coupling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first end of the coupler body comprises a coupling face that defines an open slot, and the lock indicator slides within the open slot between the first lock indicator position and the second lock indicator position.

12. The coupling assembly of claim 11 , wherein the coupling face further defines a recess that receives an opposing lock indicator of a second coupling assembly during a connection operation, and during the connection operation the coupling assembly and the second coupling assembly are rotated relative to each other, and the recess has a surface that drives the opposing lock indicator from the first lock indicator position to the second lock indicator position during the connection operation.

13. The coupling assembly of claim 11 , wherein the coupling face further defines a locking recess that receives an opposing locking pin of the second coupling assembly during the connection operation when the opposing locking pin is in the extended position.

14. The coupling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the coupling assembly is reconfigurable among three states including:
a disconnected state in which the lock indicator is in the first lock indicator position, thereby maintaining the actuator in the first actuator position such that the valve is in the closed position and the locking pin is in the retracted position;
a connected/valve closed state in which the lock indicator is in the second lock indicator position to permit movement of the actuator, with the actuator still being in the first actuator position such that the valve is in the closed position and the locking pin is in the retracted position; and
a connected/valve open state in which the lock indicator is in the second lock indicator position to permit movement of the actuator, with the actuator being in the second actuator position such that the valve is in the open position and the locking pin is in the extended position.

15. The coupling assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a biasing member that biases the lock indicator toward the first lock indicator position.

16. The coupling assembly of claim 15 , wherein the biasing member comprises a spring.

Assignees

• Parker Hannifin Corp

Inventors

• Koller Jason
• Lemay Paul E
• Ellis Shawn D
• Marquis Timothy

Classifications

• F16L37/373 Primary

  with two taps or cocks · CPC title

• F16L37/36 Primary

  with two lift valves being actuated to initiate the flow through the coupling after the two coupling parts are locked against withdrawal · CPC title

• F16L2201/10

  Indicators for correct coupling · CPC title

• F16L2201/20

  Safety or protective couplings · CPC title

• F16L37/44

  with one lift valve being actuated to initiate the flow through the coupling after the two coupling parts are locked against withdrawal · CPC title