Connector, releasing tool, set comprising connector and releasing tool

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016245441-A1
Application number	US-201415031424-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 22, 2014
Priority date	Oct 22, 2013
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A connector, in particular for hose lines and/or pipelines, comprising at least one sleeve part and at least one insertion part, wherein the insertion part can be or is inserted into a receiving opening of the sleeve part and wherein at least one retaining element is provided for locking the insertion part in the sleeve part in a releasable manner. According to the invention, the retaining element and the insertion part have a two-piece design, and the retaining element can be radially expanded and can be or is mounted on an accommodating segment of the insertion part in a captive and rotationally locked manner and has at least one retaining arm having at least one retaining projection projecting on the outside. Such a connector is suitable particularly in the case of cramped installation conditions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A connector, particularly for hose lines and/or pipelines, comprising: at least one sleeve part and at least one insertion part, wherein the insertion part is insertable or inserted into a receiving opening of the sleeve part, and wherein at least one retaining element is provided for releasably locking the insertion part in the sleeve part, wherein the retaining element and the insertion part have a two-piece design and the retaining element is radially expandable, wherein said retaining element is mountable or mounted on an accommodating segment of the insertion part in a captive and rotationally locked fashion and features at least one retaining arm with at least one outwardly protruding retaining projection, wherein the at least one retaining arm has a free end and an end fixed on a retaining element body and is elastically movable in the radial direction relative to the insertion part in order to interlock and release the at least one retaining projection on/from at least one locking surface of the sleeve part, and wherein at least one guiding segment and/or at least one guiding surface is provided on the retaining element body adjacent to the free end of the at least one retaining arm in order to attach a releasing tool to the retaining element in a guided fashion and to thereby release the connection between the insertion part with its retaining element and the sleeve part.

2 . The connector according to claim 1 , wherein an insertion gap, which serves for inserting the releasing tool for engaging on the at least one retaining arm and for thereby releasing the at least one retaining projection from the locking surface in the sleeve part, is provided between the insertion part and the sleeve part in the interlocked position of the insertion part with its retaining element and the sleeve part.

3 . The connector according to claim 1 , wherein two oppositely arranged retaining projections are provided.

4 . The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the insertion part is provided with at least one rotational lock for the retaining element, wherein the rotational lock is formed by at least one element that radially protrudes from the accommodating segment for accommodating the retaining element.

5 . The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the insertion part is provided with at least one rotational lock for the retaining element, wherein the rotational lock is formed by at least one flattened region that cooperates with a flattened region of the retaining element.

6 . The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the retaining element features on its inner side at least one offset for engaging with a complementary offset of the insertion part.

7 . The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the retaining element body of the retaining element features on its outer side projecting elements that serve as a positioning aid during the attachment of a releasing tool for releasing the connection between the retaining element attached to the insertion part and the sleeve part.

8 . The connector according to claim 1 , characterized in that wherein at least one axial supporting surface for the retaining element is provided on the insertion part for transmitting forces.

9 . The connector according to claim 2 , wherein the guiding surfaces of the retaining element consist of flattened and/or pocketed regions on the retaining element body, particularly on elements of the retaining element body which laterally project from its end and extend into the insertion gap.

10 . The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the accommodating segment of the insertion part is on its ends bordered by protruding sections thereof in order to define the accommodating segment for the retaining element, wherein at least one protruding flange is provided in the region of the free end of the at least one retaining arm.

11 . The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the insertion part and the retaining element are made of different materials, wherein the insertion part is made of metal and/or plastic and the retaining element is made of plastic.

12 . A releasing tool for releasing the connection between an insertion part provided with a retaining element and a sleeve part of a connector according to claim 1 , wherein an insertion gap is provided between the sleeve part and a protruding flange of the insertion part in the interlocked state of the connector, wherein the releasing tool features at least one fork-shaped section with a c-shaped opening, wherein the c-shaped opening features retaining edges for engaging on the retaining arms and at least one guiding segment and/or at least one guiding surface of the retaining element.

13 . The releasing tool according to claim 12 , wherein at least one web is provided as a positioning aid and at least partially encloses the inner c-shaped opening of the fork-shaped section of the releasing tool at a distance therefrom, wherein the opening width of the space enclosed by the web is dimensioned slightly larger than the outside diameter of the sleeve part, but smaller than the outside diameter of a flange of the insertion part arranged adjacent to the insertion gap.

14 . A set comprising a connector and a releasing tool for releasing the connection between an insertion part provided with a retaining element and a sleeve part of the connector according to claim 1 , wherein the sleeve part and the insertion part are designed in such a way that an insertion gap for inserting the releasing tool remains after the sleeve part and the insertion part with its retaining element have been inserted into one another, and in that the releasing tool is in a section realized in a fork-shaped fashion with at least one c-shaped opening for being inserted into the insertion gap, wherein the inner c-shaped opening has such dimensions that retaining edges of the inner opening are during the engagement on the retaining element held on at least one guiding segment and/or at least one guiding surface of the retaining element body adjacent to the retaining arms of the retaining element and retaining projections of the retaining arms of the retaining element are radially moved so far in the direction of the insertion part that they are disengaged from the locking surface of the sleeve part.

15 . The set according to claim 14 , wherein at least one web, which at least partially encloses the inner c-shaped opening, is provided as a positioning aid on the outer side of the sleeve part at a distance from the inner c-shaped opening.

16 . The connector according to claim 11 , wherein the insertion part is plastic with a glass fiber content, wherein the retaining element is plastic with a glass fiber content, and wherein the insertion part has a higher glass fiber content than the retaining element.

17 . The connector according to claim 2 , wherein two oppositely arranged retaining projections are provided.

18 . The connector according to claim 17 , wherein the retaining element features on its inner side at least one offset for engaging with a complementary offset of the insertion part, and wherein the retaining element body of the retaining element features on its outer side projecting elements that serve as a positioning aid during the attachment of a releasing tool for releasing the connection between the retaining element attached to the insertion part and the sleeve part.

19 . The connector according to claim 18 , wherein at least one axial supporting surface for the retaining element is provided on the insertion

Assignees

• Voss Automotive Gmbh

Inventors

• Klein Roland
• Heinrichs Eugen

Classifications

• F16L37/098

  by means of flexible hooks · CPC title

• F16L37/0982 Primary

  with a separate member for releasing the coupling · CPC title

• B25B13/5033

  with fixed jaws · CPC title

• F16L33/00

  Arrangements for connecting hoses to rigid members; Rigid hose-connectors, i.e. single members engaging both hoses (connecting arrangements or other fittings specially adapted to be made of plastics or to be used with pipes made of plastics F16L47/00) · CPC title

• B25B27/10

  inserting fittings into hoses · CPC title