AU671994B2

AU671994B2 - Plug-in coupling for pressure liness

Info

Publication number: AU671994B2
Application number: AU40582/93A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Albrecht Wuethrich
Original assignee: Hans Oetiker AG Maschinen und Apparatefabrik
Current assignee: Oetiker Schweiz AG
Priority date: 1992-06-03
Filing date: 1993-06-02
Publication date: 1996-09-19
Anticipated expiration: 2013-06-02
Also published as: WO1993024781A1; NO940351L; CA2114794A1; EP0598077B1; NO312735B1; HUT67845A; HU9400280D0; SK280178B6; PL171597B1; EP0598077A1; DE59301105D1; NO940351D0; PL302311A1; ES2083860T3; RU2110727C1; CA2114794C; CH685257A5; SK11494A3; JPH06509634A; KR100301171B1

Abstract

The components of the coupling for pressure lines are a female coupling (1) and a male coupling (2). The female coupling (1) has two adjacent axial bores (3; 4) of different diameters. An annular groove (5) around the smaller bore (4) is formed coaxially with the bores (3; 4) from the larger bore (3) side. When the coupling components (1; 2) are fitted together, the male coupling (2) is inserted into the bore (3) of the female coupling (1). Here, the male coupling (2) is pushed over the nipple (6) formed by the annular groove (5) and the smaller bore (4). The seal fitted in the male coupling (2) sealingly engages the smooth outer surface (7) of the nipple (6). The shape of the female coupling (1) and the mating male coupling (2) makes coupling and uncoupling with a predetermined flow cross section possible with less force than with prior art couplings.

Description

OPI DATE 30/12/93 APPLN. ID 40582/93 111111 IIh~~I AOJP DATE 10/03/94 PCT NUMBER PCT/CH93/00142 1111111 111 111I AU9340582 (51) Internationiale Pateiklassifikation 5 1 (It) Internationale Veriiffentlichungsnumrncr: ['161, 37/38 Ai1' (43) Inlernittionales Veriiffentlichungsdatum: 9. D~e WO 93/24781 zeniher 1993 (09.12,93) (21) Internationales Aktenzcichen: (22) Internationales Annieldedatum: PCT 'CH93100 142 2. Juni 1993 (02.06,93) Prioritiitdaten: 1807 92-6 3. Juni 1992 (03.06.92) (81) llestimmungsslaaten:- AT, AU, BB, 13G, BR, BY, CA. CH, DF, DK, ES, F1, GB, H-U, JP. KIP, KRt, KZ, LK, LU, M6. MN, MW. NL, NO, NZ, PL. PT, RC), RU, SI), SE, SK, UA, US, VN, europiiisches Patent (AT, BE, (CH, DE, 1)K, ES, FR, GB, OR, IE, IT, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE), GAP! Patent (BF, BJ, (CF, CG. CI, CM, G/.

ON, ML, MR. NE, SN, TD), TO).

Verliffentlicht Afi! hil'rnala' ialcin RechrcunLriL ht (71) Anmelder (fiir a/Ic Be'.timnmungsstaamen ausser US): HANS ()LTIKfER AG MASCHINEN. APPARATEFA- BRIK [CH' CHJ; Oberdorfstrasse 21, CH-8812 Horgen 2 (C H).

(72) Erfinder; und Errinder/Anmelder (nurfiir US) WUETH RICH, Albrecht ICH'C HJ; Buholzstrasse, CH-61 10 Wolhusen (CH), (74) Anwalt: FELBER PARTNER AG; Dufourstrasse 116, (H-8034 ZUrich (CH).

(54) Title: PLUG-IN COUPLING FOR PRESSURE LINESS (54) Bezeichnung: STECKBARE KUPPLUNG FOR DRUCKLEITUNGEN 6 7' 2 16 (57) Abstract 19 pN5 9 8 The components of the coupling for pressure lines are a female coupling and a male coupling The female coupling has two adjacent axial bores 4) of different diameters. An annular groove around the smaller bore is formed coaxially with the bores 4) from the larger bore side. When the coupling components (I are fitted together, the male coupling is inserted into the bore of the female coupling Here, the male coupling is pushed over the nipple formed by th ainnular groove and the smaller bore The seal fitted in the male coupling sealingly engages the smooth outer surface of the nipple The shape of the female coupling and the mating male coupling makes coupling and uncoupling with a predetermined flow cross section possible with less force than with prior art couplings.

(57) Zusainmenfassung D~ie Bestandteile der Kupplung f~r Druckleitungen sind eine Kupplungsbuchse und emn Kupplungsstecker Die Kupplungshuchse weist zwei aneinander anschliessende, axiale Bohrungen 4) mit unterschiedlichen Durchmessern auf.

IVon der Seite der grbisseren Bohrung her ist koaxial zu d'!n Bohrungen 4) eine Ringnut um die kleinere Bohrurjg (4) herum auspenommen. Beim Zusammenstecken der Kupplungselemente 2) wird der Stecker in die lBohrung der Kupplungsbuchse t 1) eingesteckt. Dabei wird der Kupplungsstecker Olber den durch die Ringnut und die klcinere Bohrung (4) entstehendi'ii Nippi1 geschoben. Das im Stecker liegende Dichtelement umnschliesst dichtend die fiussere glatte Oberflilche des Nippels Mit der Formgebung der Buchse und des dazugehOrigen Steckers wird erreicht, dass das Emn- und Auskuppeln bei vorgegebenemn Durchflussquerschnitt mit einem geringeren Kraftaufwand erfolgen kann als bei herk6mmlichen Kupplungen.

Plug-in Coupling for Pressure Lines The present invention relates to a pluggable coupling for lines of pressure media consisting, among others, of a female coupling connector and a male coupling connector, wherein compressible as well as non-compressible flowable media are being considered.

Conventional linear couplings for pressure lines consist in general of a male coupling connector and a female coupling connector as well as a locking mechanism which keeps the female connector and the male connector together, and furthermore of a blocking device which prevents the medium under pressure from flowing out or escaping when the coupling is undone. To make a conducting connection, in most couplings the male coupling connector is inserted into the female coupling connector and the male connector is fixed in the female connector by means of a locking system. When the male coupling connector is inserted into the female connector, the blocking function of the coupling is opened and the medium can flow through the coupling. If the coupling is undone, the flow is also interrupted again. In this case it is necessary during coupling and locking as well as when undoing the locking and uncoupling of such a coupling to push the male connector in the direction of the female connector. The force necessary for this depends on the interior pressure in the pressure line and the effective cross-sectional surface of the coupling. The effective cross-sectional surface is composed, on the one hand, of the inner cross-sectional surface of the male connector or the female connector and, on the other hand, of the material annular cross-sectional surface of the male connector or the female connector on which the medium under pressure acts when the blocking device of the coupling is undone. With high pressure, a large expenditure of force is required to insert the male connector into the female connector and to lock it or, vice versa, in the locked position to remove the male coupling connector from the female coupling connector. In most cases the coupling or uncoupling operation cannot be performed with one hand because of the large expenditure of force required, because it is necessary to press the male coupling connector against the female coupling connector and simultaneously to operate the locking mechanism.

In contrast to linear couplings, with pivotable couplings a pivotable blocking member is used as the female coupling connector and which at the same time blocks the flow-through in the uncoupled state. The male coupling connector is inserted without being under pressure at an oblique angle to the pressure line into the blocking member which is pivotably seated in a coupling housing. The pressure line is stijl interrupted after this insertion. By pivoting the male coupiing connector and thus the blocking member in the interior of the coupling housing, the coupling is brought into a linear and conducting position. As soon as the male connector has attained the linear position, the blocking member is secured against pivoting in that the male connector is slightly pushed back in the female connector by the pressure prevailing in the pressure line and in this way is pushed into a recess in the interior of the coupling housing. In this way the coupling is locked. This process of coupling and locking can take place with a relatively small expenditure of force, because it is only necessary to overcome the frictional forces acting on the blocking member during pivoting. However, uncoupling requires a comparatively large expenditure of effort.

To unlock the blocking member it is first necessary to push the male connector out of the recess in the coupling housing in the direction toward the female coupling connector. The force required for this depends on the pressure in the pressure line and may be considerable. In the course of the subsequent pivoting -2- -3operation, the blocking member of the coupling takes up a position blocking the flow-through and then passes over a relief bore in the coupling housing. A pressure compensation between the interior of the male coupling connector to be removed and the environment is attained in this pivoted position. Then the blocking member is pivoted further so that at the end the male connector can be removed pressureless out of the female connector.

With both above mentioned types of couplings namely with the linear coupling as well as with the coupling with a pivotable blocking member the seal between the female coupling connector and the male coupling connector is located either in the female connector and the exterior of the male connector constitutes a sealing face, or the interior of the female connector constitutes a sealing face and the seal is located on the exterior of the male connector. These structures have the disadvantage that the :s;.ling face or the seal of the coupling can be easily damaged :t'eause they face outward. In actual use the male coupling I 6opnector is in most cases mounted on a loose hose end. If it is fo=t connected, the sealing face can easily be damaged and rapidly t"Upomes dirty. Male coupling connectors which are lying unprotected on the ground are damaged, for example, by vehicles Solling over them, by dragging the hose on the ground and other "ffects on the sealing faces. This results in increased waste and :.4apid wear of the coupling parts. If the sealing face or the seal .are damaged, the 'coupling becomes le ky and the defective coupling *part must be replaced.

It would be advantageous if at least preferred embodiments of the present invention provided a pluggable coupling which is easy to operate and, in particular, i; connection with a defined interior flow-through cross section can be coupled or locked and unlocked with reduced expenditure of force in comparison with the pluggable couplings known up to now, and wherein the wear of the coupling element is reduced and for this reason the service life is longer in comparison with conventional couplings.

The present invention provides a pluggable coupling for pressure lines, having a male coupling connector and a female coupling connector, wherein the female coupling connector has two opposing axial bores of different diameters, wherein an annular groove is formed within the diameter of the larger bore and around the bore of lesser diameter to define a nipple having a wall thickness that is only thick enough to resist distortion during coupling/uncoupling, and wherein the male coupling connector can be sealingly inserted into the annular groove so that the nipple passes into a bore of the male connector, with the nipple and/or male connector bore being sized such that, when the male and female connectors are coupled, the diameters of the bore within the nipple and the male connector bore match.

Various preferred embodiments of the coupling of the invention and their respective constructions will be explained in the subsequent non-limiting description.

Embodiments of the coupling are illustrated in the drawings by way of example.

*ij Shown are in: Fig. 1, the coupling elements of male connector and to female connector in a section view, wherein the sealing element is located on the male connector; 25 Fig. 2, the coupling elements of male connector and female connector in a sectional view, wherein the sealing element is located in the female connector; Fig. 3, an embodiment of the coupling of the invention with a pivotable blocking element in an 30 exploded view; Fig. 4, an illustration of a blocking member of a pluggable coupling which can be locked in several pivoted positions.

Fig. 1 shows the female coupling connector 1 and the male coupling connector 2 of a coupling of the invention.

Here, the female coupling 1 is embodied as a pivotable blocking member which can be inserted in a housing of a pivot coupling. With linear couplings the female S:23101A -4A connector has a different shape on the outside. The interior shape of the female connector 1 is S:231 01 A essential. It has two axial bores 3, 4 of different diameters which follow each other. From the side of the larger bore 3 an annular groove 5 has been cut coaxially with the bores 3, 4 around the smaller bore 4, the exterior diameter of which corresponds to the larger bore 3. The width and depth of the annular groove have been selected such that the male coupling connector 2 can be seated in an exactly fitting manner in the annular groove 5. The exterior diameter of the nipple 6 formed by the annular groove and the smaller bore 4 should be as small as possible, because this diameter determines the effective cross-sectional face which, together with the overpressure in the interior of the coupling, determines the force required to be able to push the male connector 2 into the female connector. Thus the wall thickness of the nipple 6 should be as thin a possible at a defined flowthrough cross section, which is determined by the interior diameter of the bore 4. In the embodiment here illustrated, the outer smooth surface 7 of the nipple 6 forms a sealing face. A circular groove 12 has been cut from the inside of the associated male connector 2, into which an O-ring has been placed as a sealing element 9. When plugging the coupling elements 1, 2 together, in a first phase the male connector 2 is inserted sufficiently far into the bore 3 of the female coupling connector 1 that the sealing element 9 located in the circular groove 12 of the male connector 2 comes to rest in a sealing manner over the nipple 6. In this phase of coupling together of the male connector 2 and the female connector 1, the pressure acts on the entire cross-sectional surface of the male connector 2 until the sealing element 9 has reached the sealing face 7.

In a second phase of coupling together, as soon as 'he sealing element 9 has been pushed on the nipple 6, the pressure can act in the direction of the male connector only on that surface 18 on the male connector 2 which is exposed to pressure inside the seal 19. Thus the cross section of the male connector exposed to pressure is considerably reduced by means of this malefemale connector design with the characterizing nipple 6 in the female connector 1. So that the medium present in the annular groove 5 can escape when the male connector 2 is inserted, one or a plurality of relief bores 19 lead to the outside from the vicinity of the bottom of the bore forming the annular groove Fig. 2 shows a variant embodiment, which essentially corresponds to the above described embodiment, only in this case the sealing element 10 is located in a circular groove 13 which has been cut from the outside 7 of the nipple 6. The inside 11 of the male coupling coupling connector 2 correspondingly constitutes the associated sealing face.

At a defined flow-through cross section it is attained by means of the shape of the female connector 1 and the associated male connector 2 that the cross-sectional surface on which the internal pressure acts during coupling and uncoupling is reduced without reducing the flow-through cross section, the diameter of which corresponds to the bore 4 of the female connector 1 and the interior diameter 15 of the male connector 2. The diameter of the cross-sectional surface on which the pressure of the medium acts corresponds to the interior diameter of the opening 14 of the male connector 2. With conventional male connectors, the sealing element of the coupling is located between the outside 16 of the male coupling connector 2 and the inside 17 of the bore 3 of the female coupling connector 1. The cross section which is effective in this case has the diameter of the bore 3 of the female coupling connector 1. The reduction of the expenditure of force required when pushing the male coupling connector and the female coupling connector together results from the difference betweer the two mentioned diameters, namely the interior diameter of the opening 14 and the interior diameter of the bore 3, or their corresponding cross-sectional faces.

A further advantage of the embodiments of the coupling of the invention described in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 in contrast to conventional couplings lies in that the seal as well as the sealing surface are located on the inside, thus are protected from mechanical effects, and therefore are subject to considerably less exterior mechanical wear, which leads to increased sealing and therefore to increased operational dependability of the connected machinery and to an exteasion of the service life of the coupling.

Fig. 3 shows a variant of a pluggable coupling for pressure lines in accordance with the invention, wherein the female coupling connector 1 is disposed in the interior of a pivotable blocking member 20. Here the coupling is shown in an exploded view, i.e. in the disassembled state. The one-piece blocking element 20 is sealingly seated in a housing 21 by means of the seal 25 and is secured therein with a grooved drive stud 22. In the assembled state, the seal 25 is inserted into the housing 21 and has a curved sealing face which then sealingly rests against the exterior of the blocking member 20. The grooved driving stud 22 is placed inside a bore 24 in the housing 21 and engages an annular groove 23 in the blocking member 20. The coupling can be brought from a blocking position into a conducting position by the insertion of the male coupling connector 2 into the female coupling connector 1 and by pivoting the blocking member 20. As soon as the male connector 2 has attained the linear position, it is pushed slightly out of the female connector 2 into a recess 26 in the coupling housing 21 because of the pressure prevailing in the pressure line and is locked in this position. Now the male coupling connector 2 and thus also the blocking member 20 in which it is inserted can no longer be pivoted and the coupling is locked. For unlocking it is necessary to push the male connector 2 slightly in the direction toward the female connector 1, because of which it is pushed out of the recess 26 and releases the blocking member 20 for pivoting. With large line diameters and with high pressures, this pushing back of the male connector 2 is the manipulation which is considerably eased in that the exertion of force required is considerably reduced. During subsequent pivoting of the male coupling connector 2, it again takes along the blocking member 20, which is brought into the blocking position by this. In the process the bore leading through the blocking member 20 passes over a relief bore on the side facing away from the male connector 2 which is present there in the housing 21, through which a pressure compensation between the environment and the interior of the male coupling connector is provided. Finally, in the completely pivoted-back blocking position of the blocking member it is possible to pull the male coupling connector 2 without pressure out of the female coupling connector 1, i.e. toward the top in the drawings. It is attained by the use of the male-female connector embodiment in accordance with the invention in a coupling that, with a defined flow-through cross section, unlocking of such a coupling with a pivotable blocking member can be performed with considerably reduced expenditure of force, compared with that up to the present.

A variant of the pluggable coupling with a pi, >table blocking member in accordance with the invention is illustrated in Fig. 4. The female coupling connector 1 is housed in a one-piece blocking member 20 which is seated in a coupling housing 21.

Again, the blocking member 20 can be brought by pivoting into a conducting, a pressure-relieving and a blocking position 27 by means of the inserted male coupling connector. The pivot position of the blocking member 20 can be secured in each one of these positions 27. The blocking member 20 can be unlocked by pressing a pushbutton on the housing 21 and pivoted into the -8appropriate position for uncoupling. For this purpose a springloaded pin 28 protrudes through the housing 21 in the radial direction is relation to the pivotable blocking member 20. This pin has a dovetail-like thickened end 32, with wlmh it moves in a groove 29 corresponding to the thickening 32 when the blocking member 20 is pivoted and which extends around a portion of the circumference of the blocking member 20. The groove 29 in the blocking member 20 has recesses 31 in the radial direction in respect to the blocking member 20 at the arresting places 27, into which the thickened end 32 of the pin 28 fits. If the blocking member 20 is pivoted into one of the arresting places 27, the thickened end 32 of the pin 28 engages the recess 31 there in an interlocking manner because of its spring loading. In this way the blocking member 20 is arrested and can only be pivoted out of this position into another position by pushing the pin 28 in the direction toward the blocking member

Claims

1. A pluggable coupling for pressure lines, having a male coupling connector and female coupling connector, wherein the female coupling connector has two opposing H axial bores of different diameters, wherein an annular groove is formed within the diameter of the larger bore ard around the bore of lesser diameter to define a nipple having a wall thickness that is only thick enough to resist distortion during coupling/uncoupling, and wherein the male coupling connector can be sealingly inserted into the annular groove so that the nipple passes into a bore of the male connector, with the nipple and/or male connector bore being sized such that, when the male and female connectors are coupled, the diameters of the bore within the nipple and the male connector bore match.

2. A pluggable coupling for pressure lines in accordance with claim 1, wherein the nipple has a sealing face with a smooth exterior surface, and a sealing element is located in a circular groove formed in the bore of the male coupling connector, such that when coupled, the sealing element engages the smooth exterior surface of the nipple.

3. A pluggable coupling for pressure lines in accordance with claim 1, wherein the nipple exteiior that 25 is surrounded by the annular groove has a circular groove formed therein into which a sealing elcrncnt is inserted, and the bore of the male connector is provided with a smooth sealing face, such that when coupled, the sealing element engages the smooth sealing face of the male connector bore.

4. A pluggable coupling for pressure lines in accordance with either claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the sealing element is a molded part which can be inserted S:23101A 11 into its respective circular groov.

A pluggable coupling for pressure lines in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the female coupling connector is disposed in the interior of a pivotable blocking member that is sealingly seated in a housing and wherein the blocking member with the male connector inserted therein can be pivoted within the housing between a pressure transmittal position and a closed position.

6. A pluggable coupling for pressure lines in accordance with claim 5, wherein the female coupling connector is the blocking member and is a single piece.

7. A pluggable coupling for pressure lines in accordance with claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the pivotable blocking member can be locked in one or a plurality of pivot positions at and/or between the transmittal and closed positions, by a spring-loaded pin that projects radially through the housing with respect to che "pivotable blocking member, and such that during pivoting e. 20 the pin runs with a dovetail-like thickened end in a go. form-fitting manner in a corresponding groove extending around a portion of the circumference of the blocking member that is provided with recesses formed in the radial direction with respect to the blocking member, the 25 pin thickened end travelling in the recesses during .o pivoting, but fasteningly engaging therewith under the pin spLing-loading.

8. A pluggable coupling for pressure lines in accordance with claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the blocking member is cylindrical and is secured in the housing in the axial direction by the engagement of a grooved driving stud extending through the housing and into a circular groove formed in the blocking member. S:23101A 12

9. A pluggable coupling for pressure lines in accordance with claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the blocking member can be locked in one or a plurality of pivot positions at and/or between the transmittal and closed positions by means of a pin which engages a bore in the blocking member through the housing.

A pluggable coupling for pressure lines in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one relief bore is provided in the female connector, that enables communication between the surrounds and the annular groove.

11. A pluggable coupling for pressure lines substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 15th day of July 1996 HANS OETIKER AG MASCHINEN- APPARATEFABRIK S. By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK CO o :0 **o e e S:23101A Abstract The components of the coupling for pressure lines are a female coupling connector and a male coupling connector (2) The female coupling connector has two axial bores 4) of different diameters which follow each other. An annular groove has been cut coaxially to the bores 4) around the smaller bore from the side of the larger bore When the coupling elements 2) are inserted into each other, the male connecter is inserted into the bore of the female coupling connector In the process, the male coupling connector is pushed over the nipple created by the annular groove and the smaller bore The sealing element located in the male connector sealingly encloses the exterior smooth surface (7) of the nipple It is attained by means of the shaping of the female connector and the associated male connector that at a defined flow-through cross section, coupling and uncoupling cin take place with a lesser exertion of force than with conventional couplings. (Fig. 1) -13- I