CA1051940A - Quick-connect coupling - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

The invention relates to a quick-connect coupling for use with a conventional threaded male coupling member in which a female coupling member is provided of such design that the male member may be inserted and locked without moving or rotating the female member. A resilient snap ring is situated at one end thereof within a tubular shell member and is provided at said end with internal threads for engaging and holding the male member in position. The snap ring possesses a peripheral bevel on the outer surface of said threaded end which seats within a correspondingly enlarged section of said shell to hold the snap ring in locking engagement with the male member. In the event that force is applied to the coupling to pull it apart, the bevel is forced against an interior wall of said enlarged section and the ring is forced to contract in diameter to effect said locking engagement.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTTON
This invention relates ln general to coupling devices, and more partlcularly to a qulck-connect and dlsconnect coupllng for condults and the llke.
Detachable connections for condults and the llke have conventlonally comprised a palr of complementary threaded male and remale members whlch were permanently mounted on the respective condult ends. When connection of such a coupling was deslred, the members were brought lnto contact and one member was rotated while the other member was kept stationary untll rotation was lmposslble, so as to provide the threaded connection. Dlsconnectlon of the coupling lnvolved a reversal of the above rotation. This type of coupling provided a satisfactory, leak-proof connection between conduits but was time consuming and could, in some cases, prove to be inconvenient.
Several coupling deslgns have been proposed in the prlor art to simpli~y the connection and disconnection of conduits. One such design is disclosed in U.S. Patent No.
3,635,501, to Thorne-Thomsen. The disclosed device comprises a remale coupling which houses a snap ring possessing internally dlrected threaded lobes which engage and hold an inserted threaded male member. The operation of the device requlres, however, the movement o~ an outer sleeve or cam-ring into contact with the snap ring to lock the male member in place after its insertion. Likewise, then, the reverse motion of the cam-ring is required to release the male member and permit its removal.
Another quick-connect design has been generally employed whlch provides the one-step connection of male and ~emale coupllng members and relies on the achlevement o~ a locking engagement by entry of the two members lnto a predetermined position. Thus, for example, U.S. Patent No. 3,352,576, to Thorne-Thomsen, provldes a coupling assembly employing unthreaded male and female members wherein a locklng means movably mounted in the female member engages an annular groove located on the male member.
Upon insertion o~ the male member, a spring loaded sleeve mounted on the female member permlts the expansion of the locking means and enables the male member to be lnserted.
Upon reaching the position within the ~emale member whereby the locking means and the annular groove are in alignment, the locking means contracts into the annular groove and permits the sleeve to return to a position which holds the locking means in ~ixed engagement. Removal of the male member is accompli~hed by pulling back on the sleeve so as to permit the expansion of the locking means and the disengagement o~ the male member.
A variation o~ the one-step coupling is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 1,509,651, to Iftiger. Patentee's coupling likewise relies on the locking engagement o~ two unthreaded sur~aces in a particular position, as tapered ~aws are provided on a ~emale member to engage an annular indentation~
on a nipple-like male member upon its ~ull insert~on.
Release i3 accomplished by pulling back on an outer sleeve mounted on the female member, causing an attached inner sleeve to communicate with the tapered surfaces of the ~aws and ~orce them radially outward and away ~rom contact with the annular groove.

As noted above, all o~ the previously mentloned coupling deslgns possess certain structural disadvantages.
In the lnstance where the female coupling ls adapted for use with a conventional threaded male coupling, the insertlon o~ the male member into locking engagement requires the movement of a portlon o~ the female coupllng member, while those designs which a~'~ord one-step locklng engagement require a connection between specially prepared unthreaded male and ~emale coupling members which can only achleve locking engagement when united ln one posltlon.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
-The coupllng o~ thls invention comprises a female coupling member which is adapted ~or use with a conventional male coupling member and whlch possesses a novel locking means, the means belng such that the two members become automatlcally locked together by a slmple snap actlon merely upon lntroduction of the male member into the female member. The locking means o~ this invention comprlses a resillent snap ring which is situated at one end thereo~
within æ tubular shell member and is provided at said end with internal threads ~or engaglng and holding the inserted male member in position in the female member regardless of the extent of its insertion. The threads are provided in a double-threaded arrangement which may be placed side-by-side or in a staggered relationship. The snap ring possesses a peripheral bevel on the outer surface o~ said threaded end which seats wlthin a correspondingly inclined, inwardly ~unneled section o~ said shell member to hold the snap ring in locklng engagement in the event that force is applled to the connection to pull the members apart. A

1051g40 seallng means possesslng an expandable llp member extends into the maln portion o~ the shell member to communicate wlth the male coupllng member regardless of lts extent of lnsertlon so as to provlde a leak-proof fluld seal.
Dlsengagement o~ the male member from the female coupling member of thls lnventlon is achieved by pulllng back on an outer sleeve-like pro~ectlon located at the end of the snap rlng which protrudes from the shell member, whereby sald perlpheral bevel moves out of contact wlth an lnterlor surface o~ sald annularly enlarged section and allows the threaded end of the snap rlng to move radially away from the male member.
The coupling o~ this invention can be employed wlth conventlonal male couplings and ls economical to manufacture.
Connection of the male member i5 accomplished in one step and ls not restricted to one posltion. Separation o~ the two members is equally expeditious by a simple operation per~ormed on the ~emale member while pulling the members apart.
Accordingly, it is a principal ob~ect o~ the present invention to provlde a coupling devlce which may be quickly connected and disconnected.
It is a ~urt~er ob~ect of the present invention to provide a coupling device of slmple construction and low cost which may be utilized with conventional threaded coupling members.
It i3 a still ~urther ob~ect of the present invention to provide a coupling device which achieves locking engagement in one ~tep.

lOS~94(~
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a coupling device wherein locking engagement may be achieved in more than one position.
In accordance with a specific embodiment, a female member for a quick-connect coupling device, adapted for use with a conventional threaded male coupling member, comprises:
A. a tubular shell member for receiving said male member comprising a shank portion, a first enlarged portion, a larger main portion, and a mouth portion; B. a sealing means housed 1~ within said first enlarged portion; C. a resilient snap ring possessing at one end thereof internal threads for engaging and holding said male member which possesses an outwardly extended peripheral bevel at said internally threaded end which cooperates with said locking means to hold said male member in fixed position; D. a locking means located in said main portion which contacts and forces said snap ring radially inward into locking engagement with said male member when removal without release is attempted; and E. release means located on said snap ring for permitting the removal of said male member comprising a longitudinally extended sleeve-like projection which extends beyond said mouth portion, which, when pulled back toward said mouth, releases radially inwardly directed pressure maintained on said snap ring through said bevel~
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will appear from the discussion which proceeds with reference to the following drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of one embodiment of the present invention showing the female coupling member prior to introduction of the male member.

Figure 2 i9 an exploded sectional. view of the female coupling member of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a sectional view of the female coupling member of Figure 1, showing the male member in locking engage-ment therewith.
Figure 4 is a sectional view of the female coupling membex of Figure 1, showing the disengagement of the male menlber .
Figure 5 is a top view of the snap ring shown in Figure 2.
Figure 6 is a side elevation of the shell member shown in Figure 2 modified by the projection of a threaded end portion.
Figure 7 is a side sectional view of another embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
According to one embodiment of the present invention depicted in detail in Figures 1 and 2, there is shown a quick-connect coupling comprising a female coupling member designated generally as 10 comprising a shell member 11 - 5a -10519~0 which, as can be seen rrom Figure 2, has a tubular elongated shank portion 12. The shell member dlameter is lncreased at 13 to form a ~irst enlarged portlon 14, which house~ the sealing means. The diameter of the shell member then increases once agaln at 15 to form the main portlon thereof 16, which houses the resllient snap ring. Main portlon 16 ls radially outwardly extended at 17, and then radially inwardly funneled at 18 to accommodate the perlpheral bevel o~ the snap ring in a manner hereina~ter described. Main portion 16 terminates in a uniformly longitudinally extending mouth portion 19 of reduced dlameter which cooperates with the sleeve-like por~ecting end of the snap ring in a manner likewise described herelnafter.
The first enlarged portion 14 o~ shell member 11 houses the sealing means o~ this invention. The sealing means 20 comprises a hollow gasket portion 21 which is axially and radially inwardly extended at one end thereof to define a lip member 22. Lip member 22 can be visualized as ~rustoconical in shape, and, when sealing means 20 is positioned wlthin ~irst enlarged portion 14, will extend into the area defined by the main portlon 16 to communicate ~ith the male member M to be inserted, in a manner to be described hereinafter.
The sealing means of this invention must be sufficiently ~lexible to permit the expansion o~ lip member 22 during operatlon, while at the same time possessing sufflcient ~
resilience to retain lts baslc shape throughout long perlods of intensive use. Several materials have been ~ound to be suitable in thls regard, among them natural and synthetlc rubbers and substances such as polyvlnyl chloride. Materials such as those a~orenoted, which possess Durometer readin8s o~ about 50 pos~ess ~ultable elasticlt~ and re~illence for the purpose of thls invention. The inventlon ls not limlted thereby, however, as other uses of the coupllng are pos~lble which might requlre a sealing means prepared from a materlal possessing Durometer readings either higher or lower than that set forth above.
The main portion 16 of shell member 11 houses the resillent snap rlng 23 which ls shown in greater detall ln Figures 2 and 5. Snap ring 23 possesses at one end thereo~
a threaded lnner sur~ace 24 which generally conforms in diameter to a standard female hose coupling for engagement with the threads of an inserted male member. The threads 25 de~ined by inner surface 24 may vary in depth, and may, ~or example, range from the standard 60 threaded angle to a shallower 100 angle without impalring the ability of the snap ring to successfully engage a wide variety o~ threaded male members. In accordance with the present invention, the threads 2~ are provlded in a double-threaded arrangement.
That ls, the depth o~ threads 25 is so reduced that two threads may be provided wlthln the same pltch, pitch belng deflned as the axial dlstance traveled by a thread ln one revolution. As can be seen in Figures 3 and 4 discussed ln detall ~urther on, the additional set of threads 25 facilltates a ~lner ad~ustment o~ the coupling position of the male member M to an optimum sealing position within coupllng 10.
In addltion to the provision of the feature of double-threads, the snap ring o~ the present lnvention possesses two additional useful ~eatures. Firstly, snap ring 23 lOS1940 possesses a plurality of longltudlnally extended sllt3 26 whlch commence at the threaded end 27 of snap rlng 23 and continue untll they reach the expanded thlckness of sleeve-llke pro~ection 29, situated at the unthreaded end 28.
Slits 26 serve a dual functlon, as they dlvide the threaded end 27 into discrete segments which are then capable o~
lndependent radlally outward movement. Ll~ewise the spaces provlded between the segments enable threaded end 27 to constrlct its dlameter in response to pressure radlally applled by the shell member at funneled portlon 18. m e number and size of sllts 26 are depicted herein for purposes o~ illustration only, as both parameters may vary widely wlthin the scope of the invention, and, accordlngly, the lnvention should not be limlted thereto.
The second feature of snap rlng 23 has to do with the locking and releasing function of the coupling of the present inventlon. Speclflcally, referrlng to Flgures 1, 2 and 5, the snap rlng 23 possesses a radlal enlargement on the outer surface ad~acent to threaded end 27 which comprises a perlpheral bevel 30 which ls adapted to seat wlthin the enlargement of maln portion 16 defined by 17 and 18. Bevel 30 is of such slze that when snap rlng 23 is not engaged, -~
~hreaded end 27 ls able to radially expand into the aforenoted enlarged space S provlded in main portlon 16.
When snap ring 23 is engaged, however, as can be seen ln Flgure 3, bevel 30 ls retalned by the lnterlor surface of radially funneled wall 18 of main portion 16, and threaded end 27 is, in effect, forced to radially constrlct around male coupllng M to hold lt ln flxed positlon. Though bevel 30 has been deplcted as havlng two beveled sur~aces, it is only neces~ary that the surface contacting wall 18 need be lnclined, and that, accordingly, a varlety of shapes o~ bevel 30 are posslble withln the scope of the inventlon.
In addition to the provision of bevel 30 as the locking means o~ the present invention, snap ring 23 1~ provided at unthreaded end 28 with the release means ~or male coupling M, comprislng sleeve-like proJection 29, which extends axlally beyond the terminus of end 28. Referring to Figures 1-4, and particularly to Flgure 2, pro~ection 29 possesses a stepped-up outer thickness from that of the rest of end 28.
This thickness serves to define a line of demarkation between ~lexlble threaded end 27 and relatlvely rlgld unthreaded end 28. Also, ln its capaclty as release means, pro~ectlon 29 requires the stepped-up thlckness to serve as a stop upon communicatlon with the mouth portlon 19 of shell member 11, after being pulled back thereto, as illustrated below. Naturally, the stepped-up thickness facilitates the grasp o~ pro~ection 29 to perform the release action.
The snap ring o~ the present inventlon may be either of integral or modular construction. In the latter instance, the snap ring is modified by the provision of a separation occurring between the unthreaded end thereof and the ~lexible threaded end whereby the release means and the loc~ing means are separable from each other. Referring to Flgure 7, coupling 33 is shown which is outwardly identical to coupllng 10. Snap ring 34 has been modified by separatlon lnto two sections comprislng a first threaded portion 35 and a second unthreaded portlon 36. Threaded portlon 35 and unthreaded portlon 36 are seated adJacent each other within shell member 41 and are thus adapted ~or axlal communicatlon during disengagement ~rom a male coupling. Further modl~lcation o~ snap rlng 34 comprise~
the ~oreshortening of sllts 37 from those employed ln snap ring 23 in Figure l. This foreshortening is to provlde su~rlclent support for the separate segments comprlslng threaded portion 35. Unthreaded portion 36 comprises cylindrical body 38 one end o~ which is enlarged to form pro~ection 39 whlch extends beyond mouth portlon 40 of shell member 41 to provide a surface for applylng force to pull the coupling apart. Pro~ection 39 is in all respects slmllar to proJectlon 29 shown in Flgure l, however, the stepped-up thickness located ad~acent pro~ection 29 has been eliminated and replaced with lateral expansion 42 located ad~acent the area o~ communication between threaded portlon 35 and unthreaded portion 36. Lateral expansion 42 serves, in con~unctlon wlth lnwardly directed lip 43 comprising a modi~lcatlon o~ mouth portion 40, to pre~ent the disengage-ment of unthreaded portlon 36 from shell member 41. Thus, though snap ring 34 ls separated lnto threaded portion 35 and unthreaded portion 36, the ~unction of the snap ring 34 as well as that of the entire coupling is substantlally unaltered ~rom that o~ the coupling set forth and described in con~unctlon with Flgure l. The ~oregoing modiflcatlon as well as all others apparent to those skilled in the art is believed to be within the scope of the present invention.
In the operatlon of the quick-connect coupling as illustrated in Figure l, when a standard male hose coupling M, ~or example, possessing threads T and attached to hose H, is introduced, it travels through and engages threads 25 o~
snap rlng 23, which because of its reslllence, permlts the ~ OS1940 male member to move forward until lt encounters the llp member 22 of the seallng means. Upon release of the forward pressure on coupllng M, ~nap rlng 23 whlch has engaged threads T wlth threads 25, holds coupllng M ln posltlon.
As shown ln Flgure 3, the male member M is coupled to the female member 10 by threaded engagement with the snap ring 23. Because the snap ring is resilient yet comparably dimensioned to a standard female coupling, no external force i9 needed to engage the male member, and the coupling operation thus, requires only the insertion of the male member. Once lnserted, coupllng M ls held ln posltlon by the radlal pressure exerted by wall 18 ln contact wlth bevel 30, upon threads 25. Naturally, l~ after engagement is completed, force is applied to pull the couple apart, the snap ring 23 will ride slightly forward in engagement wlth the male member until threads 25 are fully constricted around threads T by the aforenoted radial pressure, at whlch polnt the male member M will be held in motionless locklng engagement.
Re~errlng again to Figure 3, when the male member is coupled with the female member, llp member 22 o~ sealing means 20 ls somewhat dlstended but extends into the male coupllng member. In the event that the coupllng device o~
this lnvention ls employed in a fluid conduit, seallng means 20 will respond to the pressure differentlal created by the fluid, and lip member 22 will expand radially outward and against the inner surface 31 of the male member so as to form a leak-proof seal. The slze of the llp member 22 ls such that an effectlve seal can be establlshed although the male member is only partially inserted. The use ~ ust descrlbed, however, i5 merely exemplary, and the instant coupllng device may be employed wherever a quick-connect and disconnect assembly is deslred between two parts. For example, by suitable modification the lnstant coupling may be employed ~or ~oining electrical transmission members, the male and female members of the electrical connector being securely mounted within a conventional male coupling member and the female coupling member o~ this invention, respectively.
When removal of the male member ~rom engagement with the female coupling of this invention is desired, sleeve 29 is moved longitudinall~ ln the opposite direction ~rom the male member as indicated by the arrow in Figure 3 and illustrated in Figure 4. Snap ring 23 is thereby retracted from contact with wall 18, likewise releasing the inward pressure exerted upon bevel 30, and the threads 25 o~ snap ring 23 are thus ~ree to expand and release their firm engagement o~ the threads T of the male member. When this is done, the male coupling can be removed by simply pulling it away from the ~emale coupling 10.
The shell members 11 shown in Figures 1-4, as well as shell member 41 o~ Figure 7, are designed for the case where they may be shrink ~itted, crimped or otherwise ~astened onto varlous conduits and appliances, M uid carrying and otherwise. Those skilled in the art can readily determine proper ~abrication methods for holding the shell member shank 12 in engagement with the various conduits and appliances as aforenoted.
In the embodiment shown ln Figure 6, the structure of the shell member 11', inso~ar as portions 13' - 19~ are concerned, ls the same as that shown in Figure 2, however, it is apparent that shank portion 121 differs from shank 12 in that threads 32' are provlded. The threads ~2' allow the coupling device to be secured lnto the ~tandard threaded ~emale coupling which is found on such condults and appliances as, ~or example, garden hoses, sprinklers, carwash-brush assemblies, insectlcide dispensers and related articles. Thus, after the coupling device of this invention ls secured into these appliances they may then be connected to a male hose coupling without the need o~ extended turning o~ threaded members. Additionally, i~ the coupling device having the threaded shank of Figure 6 is secured into the standard ~emale hose coupling, the hose can very easily be connected to conventional outdoor water taps which are generally standard male hose couplings. It ls readily apparent that many uses exist in con~unction with ~luid-carrying conduits and appliances for the coupling device of this invention.
~ he coupling o~ this invention may be produced ~rom any desired material, and any desired manner. However, it has been ~ound that sheet brass is particularly advantageous in the production o~ this device. Such material results in a durable coupling which is capable of being produced at a low cost. All parts o~ the instant coupling may be o~
sheet brass other than the sealing means as a~orenoted, and the snap ring. The snap ring may be manu~actured from synthetic resins which may be determined withln the skill o~ the art to possess the requisite resiliency and hardness.

3o

Claims (4)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:-

1. A quick-connect coupling device comprising a female coupling member adapted for use with a conventional threaded male coupling member, wherein said female member comprises:
A. a tubular shell member of monolithic construction for receiving said male member comprising a shank portion, a first enlarged portion, a larger main portion, and a mouth portion, said shell member possessing an outer contour identical to its inner contour as defined by said shank portion, said first enlarged portion, said main portion and said mouth portion;
B. a sealing means housed within said first enlarged portion, said sealing means comprising a formed hollow gasket portion and a formed frustoconical lip member extending there-from, and situated within said first enlarged portion whereby said lip member extends within the inner surface of said male member and is attached to expand radially outward and against said inner surface in response to internal fluid pressure to pro-vide a leak-proof seal;
C. a reslient snap ring possessing at one end thereof internal threads for engaging and holding said male member, and at the same end thereof an outer surface defining an outwardly extended peripheral bevel;
D. a locking means located in said main portion which contacts the peripheral bevel of said snap ring and thereby forces said snap ring radially inward into locking engagement with said male member when removal without release is attempted; and E. release means located on said snap ring for permit-ting the removal of said male member comprising a longitudinally extended sleeve-like projection which extends beyond said mouth portion, which, when pulled back toward said mouth, releases radi-ally inwardly directed pressure maintained on said snap ring through said bevel, and a plurality of radially displaced, longi-tudinally extended slits extending through the threaded end of said snap ring defining distinct, finger-like segments at said threaded end, said segments thereby adapted for radially outward movement to facilitate the release of said male member.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said locking means com-prises an enlarged inwardly funneled portion of said main portion which contacts said peripheral bevel and generates said radially inwardly directed pressure thereagainst.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said internal threads are reduced in width to accommodate a double-threaded arrangement.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said shell member possesses a threaded shank portion.