U.S. patent application number 15/720672 was filed with the patent office on 2019-04-04 for quick disconnect coupling with selective mating capability.
The applicant listed for this patent is AdelWiggins Group, a Division of Transdigm Inc.. Invention is credited to Christopher Quang.
Application Number | 20190101234 15/720672 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 65896014 |
Filed Date | 2019-04-04 |
![](/patent/app/20190101234/US20190101234A1-20190404-D00000.png)
![](/patent/app/20190101234/US20190101234A1-20190404-D00001.png)
![](/patent/app/20190101234/US20190101234A1-20190404-D00002.png)
![](/patent/app/20190101234/US20190101234A1-20190404-D00003.png)
![](/patent/app/20190101234/US20190101234A1-20190404-D00004.png)
![](/patent/app/20190101234/US20190101234A1-20190404-D00005.png)
United States Patent
Application |
20190101234 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Quang; Christopher |
April 4, 2019 |
QUICK DISCONNECT COUPLING WITH SELECTIVE MATING CAPABILITY
Abstract
A quick disconnect incorporates a male component (nipple) and a
female component (socket) that cooperate to form the fluid tight
coupling. The nipple at the mating end includes at the outer
surface a stepped end forming first and second diameters that are
inserted into the socket. The socket includes first and second
sleeves, where only the precise stepped end will fit through the
sleeves and open the valve of the coupling. The internal fluid path
remains identical across all variations of the stepped end and
mating sleeves, and many different variations of the quick
disconnect valve can be constructed with only minor changes to the
stepped end and sleeves.
Inventors: |
Quang; Christopher;
(Pasadena, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
AdelWiggins Group, a Division of Transdigm Inc. |
Los Angeles |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
65896014 |
Appl. No.: |
15/720672 |
Filed: |
September 29, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16L 37/23 20130101;
F16L 37/35 20130101; Y10T 137/87957 20150401; F16L 37/086 20130101;
F16L 37/40 20130101; F16L 37/34 20130101; F16L 37/123 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F16L 37/086 20060101
F16L037/086; F16L 37/23 20060101 F16L037/23; F16L 37/40 20060101
F16L037/40 |
Claims
1. A quick disconnect coupling comprising: a socket comprising: a
tubular member rigidly mounted against a base, the tubular member
including a fluid pathway; a first sleeve having a first outer
radius along a first portion of its length and a second outer
radius along a second portion of its length, the first outer radius
having a greater value than the second outer radius, and the first
sleeve biased by a first spring to block the fluid pathway; a
second sleeve at a first radial position biased by a second spring
in a flush position, the second sleeve including an interfering
element with the first sleeve for axially displacing the first
sleeve when the second sleeve is displaced axially where the second
sleeve is radially seated against the first sleeve along both the
first outer radius and second outer radius of the first sleeve; a
third sleeve at a second radial position biased by a third spring
in a flush position, the third spring disposed between the second
sleeve and the third sleeve in the flush position, the third sleeve
including an interfering element with the second sleeve for axially
displacing the second sleeve when the third sleeve is displaced
axially and the third sleeve further comprising a stop that bears
against the base when the third sleeve is maximally displaced from
the flush position; and a nipple comprising: a valve biased by a
spring in a closed position; a cylindrical housing having an
annular proximal end with a shoulder spaced therefrom, the annular
proximal end disposed at the first radial position and the shoulder
disposed at the second radial position; whereby engagement of the
nipple with the socket displaces the second sleeve of the socket by
the proximal end of the nipple to move the first sleeve from the
fluid pathway; and whereby the shoulder of the nipple displaces the
third sleeve of the socket to allow the tubular member to overcome
the bias of the spring and open the valve.
2. The quick disconnect coupling of claim 1, wherein the valve
includes a stem and a cylindrical guide to guide an occluding
member along an axial direction.
3. The quick disconnect coupling of claim 1, wherein the valve will
only open if the proximal end of the nipple passes narrowly between
the first sleeve and third sleeve.
4. (canceled)
5. The quick disconnect coupling of claim 1, wherein the socket has
a substantially flush surface at an interface with the nipple.
6. The quick disconnect coupling of claim 1, wherein the nipple
includes an occluding member having a surface flush with an
interface of the socket.
7. The quick disconnect coupling of claim 1, wherein the second and
third sleeves are interlocking.
8. The quick disconnect coupling of claim 1, wherein the socket
further comprises a biased collar over a cylindrical housing.
9. The quick disconnect coupling of claim 8, further comprising a
plurality of locking balls disposed within the biased collar.
10. The quick disconnect coupling of claim 1, further comprising a
second quick disconnect coupling having a socket and a nipple,
whereby the nipple of the second quick disconnect coupling does not
mate with the socket of the first quick disconnect coupling and the
socket of the second quick disconnect coupling does not mate with
the nipple of the first quick disconnect coupling, where the only
difference between the first disconnect coupling and the second
disconnect coupling is the first radial position of the annular
proximal end and second radial position of the shoulder of the
nipples.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] Fluid quick disconnect couplings are well known in many
industries, including industrial, aerospace, automotive,
agricultural, etc. The need to quickly and reliably attach a fluid
source to a hose or fluid client has made the quick disconnect
coupling a standard component of most fluid systems. Quick
disconnects improve performance by simplifying
connections/disconnections and preventing fluid leakage, and
typically eliminate the need for special tools to engage and
disengage the coupling since most disconnects are actuated by
hand.
[0002] There are a wide variety of fluid quick disconnect couplings
in the art. Snap type (ball latching) quick disconnects are
designed with a spring loaded ball latching mechanism that
automatically locks the two halves of the fitting together when
they are pushed together. When the releasing sleeve is pulled back,
the internal end and external ends quickly disengage from each
other. This quick release feature is advantageous in designs that
require numerous connections throughout the life cycle of the
product because they are so simple to operate. Alternatively,
non-latching quick disconnects are used in applications where quick
serviceability in a compact envelope is required. Typically, a
non-latching quick disconnect is selected when a portion of the
device requires frequent change out or when the releasing sleeve
may be inaccessible. No shut-off quick disconnects are used when
high flow rates are required. They are generally limited to
applications involving low pressure air or other non-hazardous
gases because the fluid is not contained in either half of the
assembly upon disconnection. In single shut-off quick disconnects,
the internal half of the assembly contains a valve preventing flow
from escaping. This design is advantageous when one wishes to fill
or evacuate pressure from a chamber or portable device and then
disconnect the fill line. Double shut-off quick disconnects have
shut-off valves within both the internal and external ends. These
shut-off valves retain pressure in both fluid lines when the
assembly is disconnected. This is ideal when the fluid is a liquid,
an expensive gas, or flammable gas (also consider a "dry break"
quick disconnect).
[0003] In many industries, such as in the mining industry, a haul
truck or excavator may have the need to supply multiple fluids on
site to machinery or other vehicles. Fluids such hydraulic oil,
transmission oil, coolant, and the like are supplied by the haul
truck to the machinery through hoses with quick disconnect
connectors. One issue that arises in this environment and similar
situations is that simply color coding the hoses and disconnects
for the specific fluids does not ensure that the user will apply
the proper connections. Dirt, grease, and spillage can obscure
color codings and markings, and lead to incorrect connections. For
this reason, each fluid must have a different mechanical connection
to prevent the wrong fluid from being delivered to the
machinery.
[0004] Non-interchangeability is most simply achieved by
progressively increasing the sizes of the couplings, including
valves, seals, springs, etc. However, this approach has several
shortcomings. First, different sized couplings will have different
flow rate performances (the smallest inner diameter will have the
highest pressure drop and vice versa), which requires that the user
must assess which fluids will work best with each sized coupling
based on viscosity and other fluid properties in order to maximize
the performance of the fluid transfers. Second, by requiring each
coupling to have different sizes and different components (springs,
seals, etc.), manufacturing costs are increased for each variation
of the coupling.
[0005] The industry is in need of a quick disconnect coupling that
can assume multiple configurations made substantially of common
components and achieving an identical flow path, eliminating the
need to analyze which quick disconnect would be best served for a
particular fluid.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention is a quick disconnect coupling that
can take one of multiple forms, each with an identical flow path.
In a preferred embodiment, the quick disconnect is a flush or flat
face disconnect that incorporates a male component (nipple) and a
female component (socket) that cooperate to form the fluid tight
coupling. The nipple at the mating end includes at the outer
surface a stepped end forming first and second diameters that are
inserted into the socket. The socket includes first and second
sleeves, where only the precise stepped end will fit through the
sleeves and open the valve of the coupling. The internal fluid path
remains identical across all variations of the stepped end and
mating sleeves, and many different variations of the quick
disconnect valve can be constructed with only minor changes to the
stepped end and sleeves.
[0007] These and other features of the present invention will best
be understood with reference to the detailed description of the
preferred embodiments along with the accompanying figures set forth
below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a side view of a first preferred embodiment of the
present invention;
[0009] FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the embodiment of FIG.
1;
[0010] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1
with a matching nipple and socket in the engaged state;
[0011] FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the first preferred
embodiment of the present invention with a mismatched nipple (too
large) and the socket of FIG. 1; and
[0012] FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the first preferred
embodiment of the present invention with a mismatched nipple (too
small) and the socket of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0013] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the two main components of the
quick disconnect coupling 10 of the present invention, namely a
socket 20 and a nipple 40. Socket 20 is comprised of a base 22
having an outlet 21 and an hexagonal ridge 24. A cylindrical
housing 26 is mounted on the base 22 and abuts the hexagonal ridge
24, and the cylindrical housing 26 supports a spring biased collar
28 that is biased toward an outlet end of the cylindrical housing
26 by spring 27. The spring biased collar 28 includes an annular
cavity 29 in which a row of locking balls 23 are disposed that are
used to engage the nipple 40 in a releasable snap connection as is
known in the art.
[0014] The hollow socket 20 has an interior portion 30 with a flow
pathway 31 that is occluded by inner sleeve 32, which is biased
toward the outlet side by spring 33. Unless sleeve 32 is retracted,
flow will not pass through the socket 20. Sleeve 32 is formed with
a shoulder 34, and moves longitudinally on a threaded tubular
element 35 connected to the base and forming a substantially flush
outlet face 36 of the socket 20. Seals are preferably disposed
between the tubular element 35 and the sleeve 32 for preventing
fluid from leaking into the exterior compartments of the socket
20.
[0015] Between the inner sleeve 32 and the housing 26 are a pair of
spring actuated nested, interlocking sleeves 37,38 having proximal
surfaces flush with the outlet face 36 of the threaded tubular
element 35. The sleeve 38 includes a stepped surface 39 bearing
against the sleeve 32 such that a longitudinal displacement of the
sleeve 38 causes the stepped surface 39 to drive the shoulder 34 of
the sleeve 32 against the bias of the spring 33 to open the pathway
31 of the socket 20. Therefore, the arrangement of the nipple and
socket must be such that the sleeve 38 is retracted into the socket
20, carrying the sleeve 32 past the opening of the pathway 31, so
that fluid may bypass the sleeve 32. Interlocking sleeve 37 is
formed such that, if sleeve 38 is pushed inward into the socket 20
by the nipple 40 against the bias of spring 19, sleeve 38 will not
be affected and will remain biased toward the outlet end by spring
18. However, the interlocking nature of sleeves 37 and 38 are such
that displacement of sleeve 37 inward carries sleeve 38 inward by
the same distance by the engagement of sleeves 37 and 38. The
distance that each sleeve 37,38 can travel is selected so that only
the correct axial displacements of the sleeves 37, 38 will open the
socket, which will be dictated by the geometry of the nipple and
the stepped distal end.
[0016] Turning to the nipple 40, a stem 42 includes an hexagonal
ridge 44 and an annular ring 46 that retains a cylindrical housing
48. The cylindrical housing 48 has a proximal end 50 that includes
a first outer diameter 52 and a second outer diameter 54, the
second outer diameter 54 smaller than the first outer diameter with
a shoulder 55 separating the two diameters. The proximal end 50
further includes a valve 56 having an occluding member 58 biased by
a spring 60 against the opening of the nipple 40. In the
undisturbed condition (FIG. 2), the occluding member 58 blocks the
flow of fluid through the nipple. Only by retracting the occluding
member of the valve 56 against the biasing of the spring 60 into
the interior 62 of the nipple 40 can fluid flow through the nipple
40 around the occluding member 58. The occluding member 58 may
include a centering stem 64 that is partially fixed in a
cylindrical guide 66 to help guide the movement of the occluding
member along the axis of the nipple 40.
[0017] When the correct size nipple 40 and socket 20 are arranged,
the coupling will allow fluid to flow through, as shown in FIG. 3.
In FIG. 3, the proximal face 70 of the nipple's cylindrical housing
48 is rigidly by virtue of the cylindrical housing's engagement
with the stem 42 but the occluding member 58 can retract into the
nipple's interior 62 against the bias of the spring 60. Similarly,
the tubular element 35 of the socket 20 is fixed by the engagement
to the base 22, but the sleeve 38 can retract into the socket's
interior against the bias of the spring 19. In FIG. 3, the proximal
face 70 of the nipple's cylindrical housing has the same diameter
as the sleeve 38 of the socket 20, and when the two components are
pushed together the cylindrical housing 48 of the nipple 20
retracts the sleeve 38 of the socket to its maximum displacement.
By displacing the sleeve 38 to its maximum displacement, the inner
sleeve 32 is bypassed to open the pathway 31 so that fluid can flow
through the socket 20 as shown by the arrows.
[0018] Moreover, the shoulder 55 of the nipple's proximal end has
an outer diameter that matches the diameter of the sleeve 37 of the
socket 20 and the shoulder 55 displaces the sleeve 37 by the length
of cylindrical housing from the shoulder to the proximal edge. This
displacement of the sleeve 37 allows the tubular element 35 to
displace the occluding member 58 of the nipple 40 and open the
valve (see FIG. 3). Only by displacing both sleeves 37 and 38 as
shown will the inner sleeve 32 of the socket be bypassed and the
occluding member 58 of the nipple 40 be displaced. In this manner,
the "key" to open the quick disconnect is not based on the size of
the components but rather the mating ends that open the valve.
[0019] FIG. 4 illustrates the case where the socket is the same as
in FIG. 3, but the nipple's shoulder has a slightly larger outer
diameter. In this case, the proximal face 70 once again retracts
the sleeve 38 as before, but only partially because the shoulder 55
is too large and cannot depress the sleeve 37. Although occluding
member 58 is driven back from the closed position, sleeve 32 is
still closed and thus fluid cannot pass through the coupling. Thus,
the slightly larger shoulder prevents the valve from opening even
though the sizes of the two components are unchanged except for the
size of the shoulder of the nipple. The pathway 31 is blocked, and
although valve 58 is partially open sleeve 32 blocks the flow of
fluid and therefore no flow can pass through the coupling 10.
[0020] FIG. 5 illustrates the case where the diameter of the
proximal face 70 is too large when compared with the example of
FIG. 3. Here, the proximal face 70 engages and displaces both
sleeves 38 and 37 instead of just 38 because the height of the
proximal face is greater than the height of sleeve 38. When both
sleeves 37 and 38 are displaced by the same amount by the proximal
face 70 of the nipple, the interference of the sleeve 37 with the
base 22 prevents the sleeve 38 from achieving the necessary depth
to clear the sleeve 32 and open the pathway 31, which remains
blocked. Further, the failure of the nipple to extend to its
maximum depth in the socket as illustrated in FIG. 3, and sleeve 32
prevents flow of fluid through the coupling.
[0021] It is important that sleeves 38, 37 have diameters that
match the proximal face 70 and shoulder 55, respectively, and
converge (or diverge) rather than increase together or decrease
together. That is, if the nipple 40 has a proximal face 70 and
shoulder 55 that are both smaller than the corresponding diameters
of the sleeves 38 and 37, respectively, the nipple and socket could
mate and defeat the non-interchangeability of the invention.
[0022] Moreover, a set of multiple sockets and nipples can be
created using the same components, as long as the rule is followed
whereby a starting diameter "X" for the sleeve 38/proximal face 70
and starting diameter "Y" for the sleeve 37/shoulder 55 is selected
(provided that the inner diameter of housing 26 matches the outer
diameter 52 of cylindrical housing 48, and inner diameter of sleeve
37 matches outer diameter 54 of cylindrical housing 48). As long as
the value of X increases as Y decreases, or vice versa, then there
will be no crossover and the components will only work for their
intended complimentary component. In this way, ten, twelve, or more
couplings can be generated with the same diameter and flow
characteristics without sacrificing any performance and without
risking cross contamination of fluids due to mismatching of quick
disconnects.
[0023] While the foregoing describes and depicts several preferred
embodiments of the present invention, the scope of the present
invention is not limited to those embodiments described or
depicted. A person of ordinary skill in the art would readily
recognize and appreciate that many modifications and substitutions
would be available to the foregoing embodiments, and the present
invention is intended to include all such modifications and
substitutions. Thus, the present invention is properly measured not
by any limiting language or depiction herein, but rather by the
words of the appended claims using their plain and ordinary
meanings consistent with this disclosure.
* * * * *