Inline connect breakaway hose coupler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9791087-B2
Application number	US-201514754984-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2015
Priority date	Jun 30, 2014
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

A coupling including female and male couplers configured to be connected together. The female coupler includes a valve body and a detent carrier surrounding the valve body and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings extending through a wall of the detent carrier for receiving detents to connect the female coupler to the male coupler. When the female and male couplers are connected together, the detent carrier is axially movable relative to the valve body by externally applied loads acting on the male and female couplers to cause the male and female couplers to separate. A pressure-balancing chamber is provided to prevent premature separation of the couplers. Once separated, the detent carrier axially moves back and the female and male couplers may be reconnected.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A coupling including female and male couplers configured to be connected together,
the female coupler including:
a female coupler valve body having axially inner and axially outer ends and an axially extending cavity extending therebetween;
a detent carrier surrounding the female coupler valve body and having at least one detent opening extending through a wall of the detent carrier, the detent carrier being axially movable relative to the female coupler valve body by externally applied loads acting to cause the male and female couplers to separate;
a release sleeve surrounding the detent carrier at the at least one detent opening and being movable between first and second positions relative to the detent carrier;
at least one detent received in the at least one detent opening, each detent being held in a lock position by the release sleeve when the release sleeve is in the first position and being movable radially outwardly to an unlock position when the release sleeve is in the second position; and
a female coupler valve disposed in the axially extending cavity of the female coupler valve body, the valve allowing for fluid flow through the cavity when the couplers are connected together and preventing fluid flow through the cavity when the couplers are disconnected; and
the male coupler including:
a male coupler valve body having an axially inner end configured to be received in the female coupler, an axially outer end, and an axially extending cavity;
a detent recess on an outer surface of the male coupler valve body or a detent sleeve surrounding the male coupler valve body into which the at least one detent of the female coupler moves radially inwardly into to connect the female and male couplers; and
a male coupler valve disposed in the axially extending cavity, the valve allowing for fluid flow through the cavity when the couplers are connected together and preventing fluid flow through the cavity when the couplers are disconnected; and
wherein the female coupler valve body has at least one flow passage extending through a wall of the female coupler valve body through which fluid flows into a chamber axially defined between the female coupler valve body and the detent carrier, whereby fluid flows through the at least one flow passage in the female coupler valve body into the chamber to act against the female coupler valve body and detent carrier to resist separation of the male and female couplers.

2. The coupling according to claim 1 , wherein the female coupler further includes a resilient member biasing the release sleeve in the first position, wherein the resilient member has a first end seated on a ledge of the release sleeve that projects radially inwardly and a second end seated on a retainer coupled to a carrier retainer.

3. The coupling according to claim 1 , further including a seal that seals the female coupler valve body to the detent carrier between the axially inner end of the female coupler valve body and the chamber, and a seal that seals the female coupler valve body to the detent carrier between the axially outer end of the female coupler valve body and the chamber.

4. The coupling according to claim 1 , wherein the female coupler valve is biased in a first position to prevent fluid flow through the cavity of the female coupler valve body when the couplers are disconnected and is movable to a second position to allow fluid flow through the cavity of the female coupler.

5. The coupling according to claim 4 , further including a seal that seals the female coupler valve to the female coupler valve body when the female coupler valve is in the first position, and wherein the female coupler further includes a seal disposed in a groove in an inner surface of the female coupler valve body configured to seal the female coupler valve body to a valve sleeve of the male coupler when the couplers are connected.

6. The coupling according to claim 1 , wherein the female coupler further includes a female valve connector coupled to the female coupler valve body and configured to be coupled to a fluid conduit, and wherein the female valve connector has an axially extending cavity fluidly communicating with the axially extending cavity of the female coupler valve body, and further including a seal that seals the female valve connector to the female coupler valve body at the axially outer end.

7. The coupling according to claim 1 , wherein the female coupler further includes a guide disposed in the axially extending cavity of the female coupler valve body and surrounding a stem of the female coupler valve, wherein the guide includes a hub that surrounds the stem and a plurality of circumferentially spaced legs extending radially outwardly from the hub, and wherein fluid flowing through the cavity flows around the legs, wherein the plurality of circumferentially spaced legs are captured between a ledge projecting inwardly from an inner surface of the female coupler valve body and an end face of a female valve connector, and further including a resilient member biasing the female coupler valve in a first position, wherein the resilient member has one end seated on a first insulating sleeve and a second end seated on a second insulating sleeve.

8. A coupling including female and male couplers configured to be connected together,
the female coupler including:
a female coupler valve body having axially inner and axially outer ends and an axially extending cavity extending therebetween;
a detent carrier surrounding the female coupler valve body and having at least one detent opening extending through a wall of the detent carrier, the detent carrier being axially movable relative to the female coupler valve body by externally applied loads acting to cause the male and female couplers to separate;
a release sleeve surrounding the detent carrier at the at least one detent opening and being movable between first and second positions relative to the detent carrier;
at least one detent received in the at least one detent opening, each detent being held in a lock position by the release sleeve when the release sleeve is in the first position and being movable radially outwardly to an unlock position when the release sleeve is in the second position; and
a female coupler valve disposed in the axially extending cavity of the female coupler valve body, the female coupler valve allowing for fluid flow through the cavity when the couplers are connected together and preventing fluid flow through the cavity when the couplers are disconnected; and
the male coupler including:
a male coupler valve body having an axially inner end configured to be received in the female coupler, an axially outer end, and an axially extending cavity;
a detent recess on an outer surface of the male coupler valve body or a detent sleeve surrounding the male coupler valve body into which the at least one detent of the female coupler moves radially inwardly into to connect the female and male couplers; and
a male coupler valve disposed in the axially extending cavity, the male coupler valve allowing for fluid flow through the cavity when the couplers are connected together and preventing fluid flow through the cavity when the couplers are disconnected; and
wherein the female coupler further includes a resilient member surrounding the female coupler valve body and being seated at a first end by a support abutting an outer surface of the female coupler valve body and at a second end by a spring retainer coupled to the detent carrier, and wherein the detent carrier and retainer are movable relative to the female coupler valve body by externally applied loads acting on the male and female couplers that are greater than a force of the resilient member to compress the res

Assignees

• Parker Hannifin Corp

Inventors

• Boothe Brian
• Banks Calvin

Classifications

• F16L37/34

  at least one of the lift valves being of the sleeve type, i.e. a sleeve being telescoped over an inner cylindrical wall · CPC title

• F16L37/32

  at least one of two lift valves being opened automatically when the coupling is applied · CPC title

• F16L55/1015 Primary

  Couplings closed automatically when disengaging force exceeds preselected value (F16L55/1007 takes precedence) · CPC title