Breakaway thread-lock quick connect/disconnect coupling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9279529-B2
Application number	US-201113272264-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2011
Priority date	Oct 13, 2010
Publication date	Mar 8, 2016
Grant date	Mar 8, 2016

Abstract

A female coupler for a breakaway thread-lock quick disconnect coupling having a retainer wire positioned interiorly of an outer housing and a coupler support portion that prevents contamination of the retainer wire and a capture space formed by grooves in the outer housing and an inner housing, which may prevent degradation of performance and/or decrease the chances that the retainer wire is dislodged.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A female coupler for a quick connect/disconnect coupling, the female coupler including:
a retainer wire;
an inner housing having a radially outwardly opening groove and a nipple portion for sealing to an inner diameter surface of a corresponding male coupler;
an outer housing having a radially inwardly opening groove aligned with the radially outwardly opening groove, wherein the grooves form a capture space for receiving the retainer wire, the retainer wire having a dimension greater than a depth of each groove so that when the retainer wire is inserted into the capture space, the wire axially interferes with sidewalls of the grooves to restrict relative axial movement of the inner and outer housings; and
a female coupler support having a proximal end rotatably supported on a radially outer surface of the inner or outer housing and a distal end being internally threaded for threaded receipt of an externally threaded portion of the corresponding male coupler.

2. A female coupler according to claim 1 , wherein the outer housing includes a loading hole extending from a radially outer surface of the outer housing to a radially inner surface of the outer housing and through which the retainer wire can be inserted into the capture space, and wherein a sleeve radially outwardly surrounds the outer housing and is axially shiftable between a first position permitting access to the loading hole and a second position covering the access hole to prevent the retainer wire from being dislodged from the capture space.

3. A female coupler according to claim 1 , further including an actuating sleeve rotatably coupled to the female coupler support for rotation therewith.

4. A female coupler according to claim 3 , further including a dowel pin disposed between the actuating sleeve and the coupler support that prevents the actuating sleeve from rotating relative to the coupler support.

5. A female coupler according to claim 4 , wherein the actuating sleeve is movable between a latched position and a released position.

6. A female coupler according to claim 5 , wherein the actuating sleeve is biased in the latched position.

7. A female coupler according to claim 6 , wherein the actuating sleeve is biased by a resilient member disposed between the actuating sleeve and the sleeve.

8. A female coupler according to claim 1 , further including a poppet valve disposed interiorly of the inner housing, the poppet valve being movable between open and closed positions to open/close a flow passage in the coupler.

9. A female coupler according to claim 8 , wherein the poppet valve is biased by a resilient member in the closed position.

10. A female coupler according to claim 9 , wherein the poppet valve is sealed to a radially inner surface of the inner housing by a seal.

11. A male coupler for use with the female coupler of claim 1 , the male coupler including:
an inner housing being externally threaded for threaded receipt of the female coupler support at a distal end of the inner housing and having a plurality of openings;
an outer housing having a plurality of openings;
a male coupler support disposed between a proximal end of the inner housing and a distal end of the outer housing, the coupler support including a plurality of openings aligned with the openings in the inner and outer housings; and
a plurality of screws disposed in the plurality of openings to couple the inner housing, outer housing and male coupler.

12. A male coupler according to claim 11 , wherein the male coupler further includes a poppet valve disposed interiorly of the outer housing and the male coupler support, the poppet valve being movable between open and closed positions to open/close a flow passage in the male coupler.

13. A male coupler according to claim 12 , wherein the poppet valve is biased by a resilient member in the closed position and sealed to a radially inner surface of the male coupler support by a seal.

14. A male coupler according to claim 13 , wherein the screws are configured to sever when a load on the male coupler and/or female coupler exceeds a predetermined value, thereby causing the poppet valve and a poppet valve disposed interiorly of the inner housing in the female coupler to move to their closed positions to prevent fluid flow through interior passages of the female and male couplers.

15. A female coupler for a quick connect/disconnect coupling, the female coupler including:
a female coupler support having a proximal end rotatably supported on a radially outer surface of an inner or outer housing and a distal end being internally threaded for threaded receipt of an externally threaded portion of a corresponding male coupler;
an actuating sleeve rotatably coupled to the female coupler support for rotation therewith;
a plurality of seals provided at interfaces of the actuating sleeve that prevent environmental particles from migrating into cavities in the female coupler; and
a sleeve radially outwardly surrounding the outer housing and having a radially outer surface supporting a radially inner surface of the actuating sleeve, the actuating sleeve being movable relative to the sleeve,
wherein the actuating sleeve is sealed to the sleeve at the interface of the actuating sleeve by one of the plurality of seals.

16. A female coupler according to claim 15 , wherein the plurality of seals are dust rings.

17. A female coupler according to claim 15 , wherein the actuating sleeve is sealed to the female coupler support at one of the interfaces of the actuating sleeve by one of the seals.

18. A female coupler according to claim 15 , wherein the actuating sleeve is movable relative to the female coupler support between a latched position and a released position.

19. A quick connect/disconnect coupling including mating female and male quick connect/disconnect couplers each having a main body configured for connection to a respective sub-system, and a poppet valve disposed in an interior flow passage of the respective coupler and biased toward a closed position but movable to an open position by engagement with the poppet valve of the other coupling when the female and male couplers are coupled together, and wherein the main body of at least one of the female and male couplers includes an inner portion effecting the connection to the other coupler and an outer portion carrying the respective poppet valve, and wherein the inner and outer portions are joined to one another by a frangible connection configured to break when a load on the coupling exceeds a predetermined value, and wherein separation of the outer portion from the inner portion allows the poppet valves to disengage and move to their respective closed positions.

20. A method of closing a fluid flow path through a quick connect/disconnect coupling when a load on the coupling exceeds a predetermined value, the coupling including mating female and male couplers each having a main body configured for connection to a respective sub-system and a poppet valve disposed in an interior flow passage having a closed position and an open position, wherein the main body of at least one of the female and male couplers includes an inner portion effecting the connection to the other coupler and an outer portion carrying the respective poppet valve, and whereby the poppet valve is engaged with the poppet valve of the other coupling when the female and male couplers are coupled together, the method including:
breaking a frangible connection that joins the inner portion and the outer portion

Assignees

• Zhang Geoffrey R
• Carmody Tim
• Alandy Jose M
• Kakavand Siavosh S
• Parker Hannifin Corp

Inventors

• Zhang Geoffrey R
• Carmody Tim
• Alandy Jose M
• Kakavand Siavosh S

Classifications

• Y10T137/0402

  Cleaning, repairing, or assembling · CPC title

• F16L29/04

  with a cut-off device in each of the two pipe ends, the cut-off devices being automatically opened when the coupling is applied · CPC title

• F16L37/148 Primary

  the securing element being flexible (F16L37/144 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T137/9029

  With coupling · CPC title