Dispensing apparatus and methods utilizing quick connect member to secure fluid body and actuator body

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9816849-B2
Application number	US-201514719651-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2015
Priority date	May 22, 2015
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A fluid dispensing apparatus includes an actuator body with an actuator and a valve stem coupled for movement with the actuator, and a fluid body having a fluid chamber capable of fluid communication with an outlet. The valve stem is adapted to extend from the actuator body into the fluid chamber for dispensing fluid from the fluid chamber through the outlet. A quick connect member is provided to selectively fully engage and disengage a first coupling element on the actuator body with a second coupling element on the fluid body, to connect and disconnect the actuator body and the fluid body with respect to each other. The quick connect member advantageously connects or disconnects these bodies without requiring disassembly or dismounting of the bodies from other elements associated with the fluid dispensing apparatus, with a simple manual movement such as a sliding linear continuous movement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for dispensing a fluid from a fluid supply, the apparatus comprising:
an actuator body;
an actuator at least partially mounted within the actuator body;
a valve stem coupled for movement with the actuator;
a fluid body including a fluid chamber capable of fluid communication with the fluid supply and with an outlet, the valve stem extending from the actuator body into the fluid chamber when the actuator body and the fluid body are connected, for dispensing the fluid from the fluid chamber through the outlet;
a first coupling element on the actuator body;
a second coupling element on the fluid body; and
a quick connect member having a slidable element having an open end and a closed end and an interior extending between the closed end and the open end, the open end being adapted to receive the first and second coupling elements, the slidable element being configured to move in a substantially linear and continuous manner and to selectively fully engage and fully disengage the first and second coupling elements with one another to connect and disconnect the actuator body and the fluid body with respect to each other,
wherein at least one of the first coupling element and the second coupling element comprises a biasing member adapted to bias the fluid body away from the actuator body when the quick connect member is engaged with the first and second coupling elements,
wherein the slidable element includes a detent adapted to compress the biasing member during movement of the quick connect member between positions that engage and disengage the first and second coupling elements, such that frictional resistance to the movement of the quick connect member between positions is increased, and
wherein at least one of the first coupling element and the second coupling element includes a bore, the closed end of the slidable element defines an aperture, and the quick connect member includes a threaded fastener extending through the aperture into the interior of the slidable element, the bore being operable to receive the threaded fastener to further secure the quick connect member to the at least one of the first coupling element and the second coupling element at the bore when the quick connect member is engaged with the first and second coupling elements.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the quick connect member is further configured to engage the first and second coupling elements in response to a first movement of the quick connect member from a first position to a second position, and to disengage from the first and second coupling elements in response to a second movement of the quick connect member from the second position to the first position.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the slidable element is U-shaped.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the quick connect member further comprises a handle extending from the closed end of the slidable element, the handle being operative to facilitate engagement and disengagement of the quick connect member with the first and second coupling elements by hand.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the interior extending between the closed end and the open end and is delimited by an upper tongue and a lower tongue, the upper tongue and the lower tongue being adapted to engage the first and second coupling elements respectively.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein each of the first coupling element and the second coupling element comprises a beveled surface or a groove, the beveled surface or the groove of the first coupling element and the second coupling element being adapted to contact the upper tongue and the lower tongue of the slidable element, respectively.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the upper tongue and the lower tongue of the slidable element includes an entry beveled surface adapted to facilitate engagement of the quick connect member with the first and second coupling elements when the first and second coupling elements are not approximated with each other upon initial engagement of the quick connect member.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the threaded fastener includes a handle operable by hand and a pin having a proximal end connected to the handle and a distal end, the bore being adapted to threadably engage the distal end of the pin, and the aperture being operative to enable the distal end of the pin to extend into the interior of the slidable element while preventing the handle from entering the interior of the slidable element.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one of the first coupling element and the second coupling element comprises a stopper, and the other of the first coupling element and the second coupling element includes a mating structure including at least one of distinct sides and distinct protrusions, such that one of the distinct sides or distinct protrusions is positioned adjacent to the stopper and is configured to prevent rotational relative movement of the mating structure and the stopper when the quick connect member is fully engaged with the first and second coupling elements, thereby to prevent the actuator body and the fluid body from rotating relative to each other when the quick connect member is fully engaged with the first and second coupling elements.

Assignees

• Nordson Corp

Inventors

• Doering Frederick L
• Jones John D

Classifications

• B67D7/0294

  Combined with valves · CPC title

• F16L37/1225

  using a retaining member the extremities of which, e.g. in the form of a U, engage behind a shoulder of both parts · CPC title

• B05B15/065

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B05C5/0237 Primary

  Fluid actuated valves · CPC title

• B67D7/0233

  the plunger being gas driven · CPC title