CN118110856A

CN118110856A - Female joint and joint assembly

Info

Publication number: CN118110856A
Application number: CN202211523500.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 曹聪; 韩之明
Original assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc
Current assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc
Priority date: 2022-11-30
Filing date: 2022-11-30
Publication date: 2024-05-31

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a female joint and joint assembly, the female joint is used for receiving and fixed connection male joint, the female joint includes: the female connector comprises a female connector shell, a clip and a sliding sleeve. Wherein, sliding sleeve and checkpost are set up to, female joint receives and the in-process of fixed connection male joint: when the female connector receives the male connector but is not yet fixedly connected in place, the male connector presses and pushes the at least one catch leg out of the channel so that the at least one catch leg is at least partially located in the sliding path of the sliding sleeve, thereby being able to block the sliding sleeve from sliding to the indicating position; and when the female connector continues to receive the male connector until fixedly connected in place, at least one of the clip legs is received by the receiving portion and extends into the channel and out of the sliding path of the sliding sleeve, thereby allowing the sliding sleeve to slide to the indicated position. The female connector can conveniently indicate the fixed connection of the male connector and the female connector.

Description

Female joint and joint assembly

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to the field of joint assemblies, and more particularly, to a quick connector type joint assembly and a female connector thereof.

Background

A quick connect type fitting assembly is a fitting that does not require tools to make or break the line. Quick-connect connector type connector assemblies typically include a male connector and a female connector that are respectively connected to two pipes to be connected. Without the aid of external tools, a user can directly plug the male connector into the female connector, and the assembly connection between the male connector and the female connector is achieved, so that fluid can flow through the pipelines of the connector assembly, and two pipelines to be connected are connected in a circulating manner through the connector assembly.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a female connector that can indicate an effective connection between a male connector and a female connector by a sliding sleeve, preventing the male connector and the female connector from being not installed in place.

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a female connector for receiving and fixedly connecting a male connector, the female connector comprising: the female connector comprises a female connector shell, a clip and a sliding sleeve. The female connector housing is cylindrical and forms a passage, and is configured to be able to receive and fixedly connect the male connector inserted in an axial direction of the female connector housing through the passage, wherein the female connector housing is provided with at least one receiving portion in a housing portion circumferential direction that receives the male connector. The clip includes at least one clip leg that mates with the at least one receptacle and extends at least partially through the receptacle into the channel for fixedly connecting the female connector to the male connector. The sliding sleeve is sleeved on the outer side of the female connector housing, the sliding sleeve is provided with an indication position and an initial position, and the sliding sleeve is arranged to be capable of sliding from the initial position to the indication position through the accommodating part along the axial direction of the female connector housing. Wherein the sliding sleeve and the clip are configured to, during the process of receiving and fixedly connecting the female connector to the male connector: when the female connector receives the male connector but is not yet fixedly connected in place, the male connector squeezes the at least one catch leg out of the channel such that the at least one catch leg is at least partially in the sliding path of the sliding sleeve, thereby being able to block the sliding sleeve from sliding to the indicating position; and when the female connector continues to receive the male connector until fixedly connected in place, the at least one clip leg is received through the receiving portion and extends into the channel and out of the sliding path of the sliding sleeve, thereby allowing the sliding sleeve to slide to the indicating position.

According to the first aspect described above, the female connector housing includes an indicator protruding outwardly from an outer surface of the female connector housing; when the sliding sleeve slides to the indication position, the sliding sleeve abuts against the indication piece.

According to the first aspect, the female connector housing includes an indication area on an outer surface thereof, the indication area being used for providing a marker; wherein the marker on the indicating area is exposed when the sliding sleeve is slid to its indicating position, and is at least partially obscured by the sliding sleeve when the sliding sleeve has not yet reached its indicating position.

According to the first aspect, the sliding sleeve includes an operation portion for an operator to operate to slide the sliding sleeve from the initial position to the indication position, and at least one holding portion; the at least one retaining portion extends around the female connector housing and is connected to the operating portion.

According to the first aspect described above, the at least one clip leg includes a pair of clip legs that can be expanded or contracted relative to each other so that the clip has a retracted state and an expanded state, wherein when the female connector receives the male connector but is not yet fixedly connected in place, the male connector pushes each of the clip legs out of the passage so that the clip is in the expanded state; and when the female connector continues to receive the male connector until fixedly connected in place, the clip is in a retracted state such that each of the clip legs is received through the receptacle and extends into the channel.

According to the above first aspect, the at least one holding portion includes a pair of holding portions provided on opposite sides of the operation portion in a circumferential direction, proximal ends of the pair of holding portions being connected to opposite sides of the operation portion, respectively, distal ends of the pair of holding portions being spaced apart from each other to form an opening; wherein the pair of holding portions of the slide bush are configured such that, when the clip is in an open state, the pair of clip legs can abut front ends of the pair of holding portions facing the pair of clip legs to block the slide bush from sliding to its indication position, and when the clip is in a retracted state, the pair of clip legs enter the opening to allow the slide bush to slide to its indication position.

According to the above first aspect, the width W1 of the opening is smaller than the distance of the distal ends of the pair of clip legs of the clip that is not in the retracted state, so that the pair of clip legs can enter the opening only when the clip is in the retracted state.

According to the first aspect, the female connector further includes a limiting structure, the limiting structure includes a housing limiting member disposed on the female connector housing and a sliding sleeve limiting member disposed on the sliding sleeve, and the housing limiting member and the sliding sleeve limiting member cooperate to limit the sliding sleeve from the indication position to the initial position.

According to the first aspect, the housing stopper includes a housing bead protruding outward from an outer surface of the female connector housing, the slide sleeve stopper includes a slide sleeve bead protruding inward from an inner surface of the slide sleeve, and the slide sleeve bead cooperates with the housing bead to restrict the slide sleeve from sliding from the indication position to the initial position.

According to the first aspect, the housing stopper includes a pair of additional housing ribs protruding outward from the outer surface of the female connector housing, and the slide sleeve rib cooperates with the pair of additional housing ribs to hold the slide sleeve in the initial position.

According to the first aspect described above, the clip further includes a connecting portion to which the pair of clip legs are connected respectively on opposite sides, the connecting portion being located outside the female connector housing; an indicator piece is arranged on the outer surface of the female connector shell, the indicator piece is provided with a clip mounting groove, and a connecting part of the clip is accommodated in the clip mounting groove; the front ends of the operating portions of the sliding sleeve facing the clip are retracted rearward relative to the front ends of the pair of holding portions to form a notch capable of accommodating the connecting portion of the indicator and the clip.

According to the above first aspect, the female connector further includes a clip stopper located outside the female connector housing and having a pair of stopper surfaces facing distal ends of the pair of clip legs, respectively, with a space therebetween to accommodate the distal ends of the pair of clip legs; wherein the clip stops are configured such that the pair of stop surfaces abut the distal ends of the pair of clip legs, respectively, such that the distal ends of the pair of clip legs undergo circumferential movement along the stop surfaces during deformation of the clip from the retracted state to the extended state; and wherein when the clip is in a retracted state and the slide sleeve is in its indicated position, distal ends of the pair of retaining portions of the slide sleeve abut distal ends of the clip legs to limit circumferential movement of the distal ends of the clip legs.

According to the first aspect, the female connector housing has a cylindrical shape, and the pair of blocking surfaces are arcuate surfaces that match the outer surfaces of the female connector housing.

According to the first aspect described above, the thickness of the sliding sleeve is set so that the sliding sleeve can be accommodated in the space between the pair of blocking surfaces and the outer surface of the box housing.

According to the first aspect, the outer surface of the operating portion is provided with a plurality of operation ribs, and the operation ribs protrude outwards from the outer surface of the operating portion so as to facilitate the operation of an operator.

According to the first aspect described above, the female connector housing includes at least one housing opening that forms the receiving portion, and the clip is disposed to extend at least partially through the housing opening into the passage.

The present disclosure provides in a second aspect a joint assembly comprising: a male connector and a female connector according to the first aspect. The male connector includes an outer surface and a groove recessed inwardly from the outer surface and extending circumferentially. Wherein the male connector is inserted into the female connector in an axial direction of the female connector housing, and the clip legs protrude into the grooves of the male connector to fixedly connect the male connector and the female connector with each other.

Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings, and may assist in a comprehensive understanding of the present disclosure.

Drawings

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a joint assembly of the present disclosure;

FIG. 1B is an exploded view of the joint assembly of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the female connector of FIG. 1A with the sliding sleeve in an initial position;

FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the female connector of FIG. 1A with the sliding sleeve in the indicated position;

FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view of the female connector of FIG. 2A taken along line A-A;

FIG. 2D is a cross-sectional view of the female connector of FIG. 2B taken along line A-A of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 2E is an exploded view of the female connector of FIG. 1A;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are perspective view of two angles of the sliding sleeve;

Fig. 4A and 4B are front views of the clip in a retracted state and an expanded state;

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the female connector with the clip in the retracted state and the sliding sleeve in the indicating position, after the support ring 240 is omitted;

FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the female connector with the clip in an open position and the sliding sleeve not in the indicated position after the support ring 240 has been omitted;

FIGS. 6A and 6B show cross-sectional views of the female connector along lines B-B and C-C in FIG. 2A, respectively, without the male connector inserted;

FIGS. 7A and 7B show cross-sectional views of the connector assembly with the clip in an open position and the sliding sleeve in an initial position during insertion into the male connector;

FIGS. 8A and 8B show cross-sectional views of the connector assembly with the male connector inserted in place, with the clip in a retracted state, and the sliding sleeve in an initial position;

Fig. 9A and 9B show cross-sectional views of the connector assembly with the clip in a retracted state and the sliding sleeve in the indicated position after the male connector has been inserted into place.

Detailed Description

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. It is to be understood that, although directional terms are used in this disclosure, such as "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "top" and "bottom", etc., describe various example structural portions and elements of this disclosure, these terms are used herein for convenience of description only and are determined based on the example orientations shown in the drawings. As embodiments of the present disclosure may be arranged in a variety of orientations, these directional terms are used by way of illustration only and should not be considered limiting.

Fig. 1A is a perspective view of a connector assembly 100 using a female connector 102 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and fig. 1B is a partially exploded view of the connector assembly 100 of fig. 1A, wherein a male connector 104 is separated from the female connector 102. As shown in fig. 1A and 1B, the connector assembly 100 includes a male connector 104 and a female connector 102. The male connector 104 is fixedly connected to the female connector 102 by plugging, i.e., the male connector 104 is partially inserted into the female connector 102, thereby effecting fluid communication between the male connector 104 and the female connector 102.

The male connector 104 is generally in the shape of a straight cylinder with a circular cross section, and a male connector channel 124 is provided inside the male connector 104. The male connector passageway 124 extends through the male connector 104 such that the male connector passageway 124 is capable of communicating with the interior of the female connector 102 when the male connector 104 is inserted within the female connector 102 in the direction of arrow x. An inward concave groove 125 is formed in the outer surface 127 of the male connector 104, and the groove 125 is in a ring shape and is arranged around the outer periphery of the male connector 104. The male connector 104 has a beveled guide surface 181 at one end for insertion into the female connector 102 (see further fig. 7A). The groove 125 is configured to receive the catches 120 of the female connector 102 to fixedly connect and lock the male connector 104 and the female connector 102 relative to one another, and the guide surface 181 is configured to guide insertion of the male connector 104 between the catches 120 of the female connector 102.

The female connector 102 is generally in the shape of a straight cylinder. In other embodiments, the female connector 102 may also be an elbow or other shape to accommodate different application environments. The female connector 102 includes a female connector housing 110. The internal diameter of the female connector 102 at the proximal end of the female connector housing 110 for receiving the male connector 104 matches the external diameter of the male connector 104 so that the male connector 104 can be inserted into the female connector 102. In this embodiment, the distal end of the box housing 110 is provided with external threads so that the box 102 can be threadably coupled to an external conduit (not shown) by external threads, and in other embodiments, the box 102 can be coupled to an external conduit by other means, such as a clamp connection, etc. The female connector housing 110 defines a passage 111 therethrough. The female connector 102 receives and secures the male connector 104 through the channel 111. When the male connector 104 is inserted into the female connector 102, the male connector passageway 124 communicates with the passageway 111 of the female connector housing 110, thereby enabling fluid communication between the conduit to which the male connector 104 is connected and the conduit to which the female connector 102 is connected. In the present embodiment, the female joint 102 and the male joint 104 are substantially coaxially provided in a cylindrical shape, and have a common axis i. For convenience of description, in the present disclosure, an extending direction of the axis i is set as an axial direction, a direction around the axis i is set as a circumferential direction, and a direction perpendicular to the axis i is set as a radial direction. The male connector 104 is axially inserted into the channel 111 of the female connector 102. And both the male connector passageway 124 and the passageway 111 extend in an axial direction. In some other embodiments, the male connector 104 and the female connector 102 may be of any other shape and may be disposed on different axes.

The female connector 102 further includes a sliding sleeve 130, where the sliding sleeve 130 is generally in the shape of a ring with a notch, and the size of the sliding sleeve is matched with that of the female connector housing 110 and is sleeved on the outer side of the female connector housing 110. The sliding sleeve 130 has an initial position (see fig. 2A) near the distal end (i.e., the rear end) of the female connector housing 110 and an indication position (see fig. 2B) near the proximal end (i.e., the front end) of the female connector housing 110, and the sliding sleeve 130 is movable along the axial direction of the female connector 102 from the initial position to the indication position to indicate whether the male connector 104 and the female connector 102 are locked with respect to each other. In this embodiment, the sliding sleeve 130 is movable along the axial direction of the box 102 between an initial position and an indicated position.

Fig. 2A-2E illustrate a specific configuration of the female connector 102. Wherein fig. 2A and 2B show perspective structural views of the female joint 102 when the sliding sleeve 130 is in the initial position and when the sliding sleeve 130 is in the indicated position, respectively, fig. 2C and 2D are sectional views of fig. 2A and 2B taken along the line A-A in fig. 2A, respectively, and fig. 2E is an exploded view of the female joint 102. As shown in fig. 2A-2E, the female connector 102 includes a female connector housing 110, a clip 120, and a sliding sleeve 130. The clip 120 is attached to the front of the female connector housing 110, i.e., the housing portion for insertion into the male connector 104. A portion of the clip 120 protrudes into the channel 111 of the female connector housing 110 and another portion of the clip 120 protrudes outside the female connector housing 110. The catch 120 is used to lock the male connector 104 relative to the female connector 102 when the male connector 104 is inserted into the female connector 102, thereby maintaining a secure connection therebetween. The clip 120 includes a connecting portion 223 and a pair of clip legs 222, proximal ends of the pair of clip legs 222 are connected to the connecting portion 223, and distal ends of the pair of clip legs 222 are bent to form leg portions 228, and in the present embodiment, the two leg portions 228 are respectively bent from the two clip legs 222 toward two different directions. The clip 120 is made of a metal material (e.g., stainless steel) having a certain rigidity. The clip 220 has an elongated shape so that the pair of clip legs 222 have elasticity. That is, the pair of clip legs 222 can be moved toward or away from each other to place the clip 120 in the retracted state or the expanded state. In the free state of the clip 120, the clip 120 is in the contracted state, and the two clip legs 222 are substantially parallel to each other. It should be noted that, although the distal ends of the two clip legs 222 are bent to form the leg portions 228 in the present embodiment, the distal ends of the two clip legs 222 may not be bent to form the leg portions in other embodiments. And in some other embodiments, the clip may include only one clip leg with elasticity, and the installation requirement of the male connector 104 and the female connector 102 is satisfied by the elastic movement of the one clip leg, which is within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

The female connector housing 110 is provided with at least one receiving portion 215 on a portion for receiving the male connector 104, the receiving portion 215 extending circumferentially and penetrating the female connector housing 110 in a radial direction. In the present embodiment, the number of the receiving portions 215 matches the number of the clip legs 222 of the clip 120 such that the clip legs 222 are engaged with the receiving portions 215 such that at least a portion of the clip legs 222 can protrude into the passage 111 through the receiving portions 215 or such that the clip legs 222 are pushed out of the receiving portions 215 by elastic movement. In the present embodiment, the receiving portion 215 is formed by a housing opening communicating with the passage 111 so that the clip legs 222 can protrude into the passage 111 through the housing opening. In some other embodiments, the receiving portion 215 may or may not be in direct communication with the channel 111.

The female connector housing 110 includes a tube portion 282 and a support ring 240, with the channel 111 extending through the support ring 240 and the tube portion 282. The support ring 240 is annular and is attached to the forward (i.e., proximal) end of the tube portion 282. As an example, the female connector 102 may further include a sealing ring (not shown in the drawings), and the inner wall of the tube portion 282 is provided with a step portion 283, and the sealing ring abuts between the step portion 283 and the support ring 240 to define a position of the sealing ring in an axial direction, thereby achieving a sealed connection between the male connector 104 and the female connector 102. The support ring 240 is provided with a support ring opening 247 corresponding to the accommodation portion 215 in the circumferential direction. The support ring openings 247 are located inside the receiving portions 215 and when the support ring 240 is installed in place in the female connector housing 110, the support ring openings 247 are aligned with the corresponding receiving portions 215 so that the clip legs 222 of the clips 120 can pass through the receiving portions 215 and the support ring openings 247 in sequence into the channels 111 and mate with the grooves 125 on the male connector 104 inserted into the support ring 240 to fixedly connect the male connector 104 to the female connector 102, locking the male connector 104 relative to the female connector 102. The tube portion 282 is further provided with a pair of support ring mounting holes 217. The pair of support ring mounting holes 217 of the tube portion 282 and the pair of mounting members 245 of the support ring 240 can be cooperatively connected, such as by a snap-fit connection, to fixedly connect the support ring 240 with the tube portion 282. In this embodiment, a pair of support ring mounting holes 217 are located at the top and bottom of tube portion 282, respectively. The two support ring mounting holes 217 are identical in size and shape, penetrate the pipe portion 282 in the radial direction, and are symmetrically disposed with respect to the central axis of the female joint housing 110. In some other embodiments, the support ring 240 may also be integrally formed with the tube portion 282.

With further reference to fig. 2A-2B and 2E, an indicator 216 is also provided on the outer surface of the top of the female connector housing 110 that protrudes outwardly from the outer surface of the female connector housing 110. The indicator 216 is adapted to receive the connection portion 223 of the clip 120 and to block further forward movement of the sliding sleeve 130 when the sliding sleeve 130 moves forward from its initial position to its indicated position. That is, when the sliding sleeve 130 reaches its indicating position, the sliding sleeve 130 abuts the rear wall of the indicator 216. Thus, the operator can confirm whether the sliding sleeve 130 has reached its indicated position. Specifically, the indicator 216 has a clip mounting groove 218 in the middle thereof, the clip mounting groove 218 extending in the circumferential direction of the indicator 216, that is, the clip mounting groove 218 dividing the indicator 216 into two portions disposed side by side in the axial direction. And the position of the clip mounting groove 218 in the axial direction corresponds to the receiving portion 215 so that the clip mounting groove 218 can receive the connecting portion 223 of the clip 120. When the clip 120 is in the retracted state, the connecting portion 223 is flush with the indicator 216; when the clip 120 is in the open state, the connecting portion 223 protrudes from the indicator 216. In the present embodiment, the indicator 216 has a notch 224 at a middle portion along the circumferential extension direction of the female connector housing 110, and the notch 224 is provided so that the user can observe the position and state of the clip 120 from the side of the female connector 102.

The female connector 102 further includes a clip stopper 221, the clip stopper 221 being located at an outer side of the female connector housing 110 for limiting a movement path of the clip 120. In the present embodiment, the clip stopper 221 is integrally formed with the support ring 240 at the front end of the support ring 240, and extends outwardly from the front end of the support ring 240 to the outside of the tube portion 282 in the axial direction. In other embodiments, the clip stops 221 may also be directly attached to the outer surface of the tube portion 282. The clip stopper 221 has a stopper face 203 facing the clip leg 222 of the clip 120, a space is provided between the stopper face 203 and the tube portion 282 to accommodate the distal end of the clip leg 222, and the stopper face 203 is for abutting the distal end of the clip leg 222. Thus, by providing the shape of the blocking surface 203, the movement path of the clip leg 222 of the clip 120 can be restricted. In the present embodiment, the blocking surface 203 is an arc surface that matches the female connector housing 110, that is, the leg 228 moves circumferentially along the blocking surface 203 when the clip legs 222 of the clip 120 are elastically moved toward or away from each other. When the clip 120 is deformed from the retracted state to the expanded state, the clip 120 is lifted as a whole as the clip legs 222 move away from each other due to the restriction of the blocking surface 203 of the circular arc surface, so that the connecting portion 223 protrudes from the indicator 216. When the clip 120 is deformed from the open state to the retracted state, the clip 120 as a whole is lowered as the clip legs 222 move toward each other so that the connecting portion 223 is flush with the indicator 216. In the present embodiment, the number of clip stoppers 221 is two, and the stopper surfaces 203 of the two clip stoppers 221 abut against the pair of clip legs 222 of the clip 120, respectively. In some other embodiments, the two clip stops 221 may also be joined to form a single piece. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that it is not necessary in this embodiment to provide a clip stop to control the path of movement of the clip, but rather the clip need only be capable of resilient movement to meet the requirements of the fitting assembly installation.

The sliding sleeve 130 is sleeved around the outside of the female connector housing 110, and includes an operation portion 207 and at least one holding portion 208 extending around the female connector housing 110 and connected to the operation portion 207. The operation portion 207 is used for facilitating an operation by an operator to slide the slide sleeve 130. The retaining portion 208 is configured to cooperate with the clip legs 222 of the clip 120 to indicate the condition of the clip 120 when the sliding sleeve 130 is slid, thereby enabling the sliding sleeve 130 to indicate the connection or installation condition of the male connector 104 and the female connector 102. The sliding sleeve 130 has an initial position shown in fig. 2A and 2C, and an indicated position shown in fig. 2B and 2D. When the sliding sleeve 130 is in the initial position, the sliding sleeve 130 is on the rear side with respect to the box housing 110. When the sliding bush 130 is in the indication position, the operation portion 207 of the sliding bush 130 abuts against the rear wall of the indication piece 216, and the holding portion 208 of the sliding bush 130 covers the accommodating portion 215 and protrudes between the blocking surface 203 of the clip blocking piece 221 and the outer wall of the tube portion 282 of the female connector housing 110. In the present embodiment, the thickness of the sliding sleeve 130 is set to be not greater than the interval between the clip stopper 221 and the outer surface of the pipe portion 282.

The outer surface of the operation part 207 is provided with a plurality of operation convex ribs 231, and the operation convex ribs 231 are outwards protruded out of the outer surface of the operation part 207 so as to facilitate the operation of the sliding sleeve 130 by an operator. Mutually matched limiting structures are respectively arranged at corresponding positions on the inner surface of the operation part 207 and the outer surface of the female connector housing 110 and used for limiting the sliding sleeve 130 to slide from the indication position to the initial position, so that the sliding sleeve 130 is kept at the indication position. In some embodiments, the stop structure can also limit sliding movement of the sliding sleeve 130 from the initial position to the indicated position, thereby maintaining the sliding sleeve 130 in the initial position.

More specifically, as further shown in fig. 2C and 2D, the limiting structure includes a sliding sleeve bead 236 provided on an inner surface of the operation portion 207, the sliding sleeve bead 236 protruding inward from the inner surface of the operation portion 207, and as an example, the sliding sleeve bead 236 may have a smooth outer surface to facilitate sliding of the sliding sleeve 130. The spacing structure further includes a housing bead 235 provided at an outer surface of the female connector housing 110, a pair of additional housing beads 233 and 234, the additional housing beads 233 and 234 including a first additional housing bead 233 and a second additional housing bead 234. The housing bead 235, the second additional housing bead 234, and the first additional housing bead 233 are provided in this order on the outer surface of the female joint housing 110 in the front-to-rear direction in the axial direction. That is, the housing bead 235 is at the foremost side and the first additional housing bead 233 is at the rearmost side. The housing bead 235, the second additional housing bead 234 and the first additional housing bead 233 are each formed to protrude outwardly from the outer surface of the female connector housing 110 and have a smooth outer surface. In this embodiment, the height of the first additional housing bead 233 is greater than the height of the housing bead 235 and the second additional housing bead 234 so that the sliding sleeve bead 236 can pass over the housing bead 235 and the second additional housing bead 234 when stressed, but is difficult to pass over the first additional housing bead 233. Also in the present embodiment, the middle part of the outer surface of the female connector housing 110 has a protruding boss 219, the middle part of the operation part 207 has a protruding shape that mates with the boss 219, and the housing bead 235, the second additional housing bead 234, and the first additional housing bead 233 are provided on the outer surface of the boss 219.

Thus, when the sliding sleeve 130 is in the initial position, the sliding sleeve bead 236 is trapped between the second additional housing bead 234 and the first additional housing bead 233, so that the sliding sleeve 130 can be maintained in the initial position when not subjected to an external force, thereby facilitating transportation of the female connector 102. When the sliding sleeve 130 is subjected to an external force, such as an operator's operation, the sliding sleeve bead 236 presses the second additional housing bead 234 and the housing bead 235 and moves forward over the respective beads until the front end of the sliding sleeve 130 abuts the rear wall of the indicator 216, and the sliding sleeve 130 reaches the indicating position. The rear end of the sliding bush bead 236 is blocked by the case bead 235 at this time, so that the sliding bush 130 can be maintained at the indicated position when it is not subjected to an external force. Similarly, when the sliding sleeve 130 is operated by an operator, the sliding sleeve bead 236 can also be pressed against and over the housing bead 235 and the second additional housing bead 234 and then returned to the original position. By providing such a limiting structure, an operator needs to apply force to make the sliding sleeve bead 236 sequentially pass through the housing bead and the additional housing bead, so that the operator can determine whether the sliding sleeve 130 reaches the indication position from the hand feeling.

The holding portion 208 is a pair of holding portions 208 that cooperate with the clip legs 222, and the pair of holding portions 208 are connected to opposite sides in the circumferential direction of the operation portion 207 and extend around the female connector housing 110. Proximal ends of the pair of holding portions 208 are connected to opposite sides of the operation portion 207, respectively, and distal ends of the pair of holding portions 208 are spaced apart from each other to form an opening 259. In the present embodiment, the holding portion 208 can at least partially cover the receiving portion 215 on the female connector housing 110 in the circumferential direction. And the length of the holding portion 208 in the axial direction is set so that the holding portion 208 is located at the rear side of the receiving portion 215 when the slide bush 130 is in the initial position, so that the slide bush 130 does not affect the elastic movement of the clip leg 222 of the clip 120. And when the slide bush 130 is in the indicated position, the holding portion 208 can be inserted between the clip stopper 221 and the pipe portion 282 through the accommodating portion 215.

The female connector housing 110 also includes an indicator region 229 disposed on the outer surface. The indication area 229 is located on the rear side of the outer surface of the boss 219 and on the rear side of the first additional housing bead 233. The indication area 229 may be used to provide a marker, such as a two-dimensional code. In the present embodiment, the length of the operation portion 207 in the axial direction is substantially the same as the boss 219. When the sliding sleeve 130 is in the initial position, the boss 219 is located entirely below the operating portion 207, and when the sliding sleeve 130 is moved to the indicating position, the operating portion 207 can be at least partially separated from the boss 219, thereby exposing the identification member on the indicating area 229. And the indicator region 229 and the indicator member are sized to fully expose the indicator member on the indicator region 229 after the sliding sleeve 130 has been moved to the indicating position. While the indicia may be at least partially obscured by the sliding sleeve 130 when the sliding sleeve 130 has not been moved to the indicating position. Thus, the operator can confirm whether the sliding sleeve 130 has reached the indicated position by the identification on the indication area 229. In some other embodiments, the operating portion 207, the indication region 229 and the identifier may be provided in other dimensions, only to ensure that the identifier is fully exposed only when the sliding sleeve 130 reaches its indication position.

Thus, during receipt and secure insertion of the female connector 102 into the channel 111, the clip legs 222 of the clip 120 initially abut the outer surface 127 of the male connector 104. The male connector 104 presses the catch legs 222 outwardly and out of the channel 111 such that the catch 120 is in an open state and the catch legs 222 are at least partially in the sliding path of the sliding sleeve 130. If the slide bush 130 is slid from the initial position to the indication position, the clip leg 222 will abut against the front end of the holding portion 208 facing the clip leg 222, thereby blocking the slide bush 130 from continuing to slide forward, so that the slide bush 130 cannot reach the indication position.

Until the male connector 104 is inserted into place, the catch legs 222 are aligned with the grooves 125 of the male connector 104, and the catch 120 is in a retracted state such that the catch legs 222 are received by the receptacles 215 and extend into the grooves 125 in the channel 111 to block continued axial insertion of the male connector 104 into the female connector 102. At this time, the male connector 104 and the female connector 102 are fixedly connected in place, and the clip 120 can lock the relative positions of the male connector 104 and the female connector 102, so that the male connector 104 and the female connector 102 form a fixed connection. If the sliding sleeve 130 is slid from the initial position to the indicated position, the distal ends of the catch legs 222 can enter the openings 259, thereby exiting the sliding path of the sliding sleeve 130, allowing the sliding sleeve 130 to continue to slide forward until the sliding sleeve 130 abuts the indicator 216, and the sliding sleeve 130 reaches the indicated position.

Fig. 3A and 3B further illustrate a specific structure of the sliding sleeve 130, wherein fig. 3A is a specific structure of the sliding sleeve 130 seen from top to bottom, and fig. 3B is a specific structure of the sliding sleeve 130 seen from bottom to top, to further more specifically describe the structure of the sliding sleeve 130. As shown in fig. 3A and 3B, the sliding sleeve 130 has a substantially circular ring shape, and a pair of holding portions 208 are symmetrically connected to the left and right sides of the operation portion 207. Each holding portion 208 extends from one side edge of the operation portion 207 to the distal end 346 in the circumferential direction to form an opening 259 between the distal ends 346 of the pair of holding portions 208. The opening 259 formed between the distal ends 346 of the retention portions 208 has a width W1.

The front end 338 of the operating portion 207 is retracted rearward relative to the front end 337 of the holding portion 208 to form a notch 243 in the middle of the sliding sleeve 130. That is, the front end 337 of the holding portion 208 protrudes axially upward from the front end 338 of the operating portion 207. The notch 243 is capable of receiving the indicator 216 and the connecting portion 223 of the clip 120. Thus, when the front end 338 of the operation portion 207 abuts against the rear wall of the indicator 216, the front end 337 of the holding portion 208 can be projected forward into the cover accommodating portion 215 so as to be engaged with the clip leg 222 of the clip 120. In this embodiment, the openings 259 extend axially such that the distal ends of the pair of retention portions 208 are unattached, and in some other embodiments, the rear sides of the distal ends 346 of the pair of retention portions 208 may be attached, forming openings 259 only on the front sides.

The middle portion of the operation portion 207 is upwardly protruded to be spaced apart from the boss 219 of the female connector housing 110 by a certain distance so as to provide the above-mentioned limit structure. In the present embodiment, the operation rib 231 is provided on the outer surface of the operation portion 207 of the convex portion, and the slide bush rib 236 is provided on the inner surface of the operation portion 207 of the convex portion. It will be appreciated that the operating ribs 231 and the sliding sleeve ribs 236 may be provided at other locations on the sliding sleeve 130, and that it is only necessary to provide corresponding housing ribs and additional housing ribs at corresponding locations on the box housing 110.

Fig. 4A and 4B show specific structures of the clip 120 in a retracted state and in an expanded state, respectively. As shown in fig. 4A and 4B, the clip 120 is a strip having a plurality of bending sections, and in this embodiment, the clip 120 is formed by bending a straight bar having a strip shape with a circular cross section. The middle portion of the connection portion 223 of the clip 120 is protruded upward to facilitate the user's operation. Proximal ends of the pair of clip legs 222 are connected to the connecting portion 223, and the pair of clip legs 222 extend vertically downward from both ends of the connecting portion 223, respectively, for achieving the snap-fit between the male connector 104 and the female connector 102. The two clip legs 222 extend substantially the same length, and the center line of the connecting portion 223 and the center line of the two clip legs 222 are substantially on the same plane. The provision of the feet 228 facilitates the attachment of the clip 120 to the female connector housing 110 such that the clip 120 is not easily removed from the female connector housing 110. In the present embodiment, the two leg portions 228 extend in directions perpendicular to the plane in which the center line of the connecting portion 223 and the center line of the clip leg 222 lie.

When the clip 120 is in the retracted state as shown in fig. 4A, the distance between the distal ends of the clip legs 222 is D1; when the clip 120 is in the open state as shown in fig. 4B, the distance between the distal ends of the clip legs 222 is D2. The width W1 of the opening 259 of the holding portion 208 is substantially equal to the distance D1 (see fig. 4A) between the clip legs 222 of the clip 120 in the retracted state, or W1 is slightly larger than D1, but W1 is smaller than D2. Such that only when clip 120 is in the retracted state, clip legs 222 can enter openings 259 to clear the sliding path of sliding sleeve 130. While the clip 120 is not yet in the retracted state, the clip legs 222 will not enter the openings 259 but are in the sliding path of the sliding sleeve 130, blocking the retaining portion 208 from sliding forward.

Fig. 5A and 5B illustrate the mating relationship of the sliding sleeve 130 and the clip legs 222 with the clip 120 in the retracted and expanded states, respectively, and the support ring 240 is omitted from fig. 5A and 5B to more clearly illustrate the mating relationship of the two. As shown in fig. 5A, when the clip 120 is in the retracted state, the slide sleeve 130 can reach the indicated position. At this point, the legs 222 of the clip 120 enter the openings 259 of the runner 130 and the feet 228 of the legs 222 abut the distal ends 246 of the retention portions 208 of the runner 130 such that the distal ends 246 are able to limit the circumferential movement of the feet 228 of the legs 222. Thus, the clip legs 222 cannot be lifted up in the circumferential direction until the sliding sleeve 130 is not moved from the indicated position, the clip 120 cannot be deformed into the open state, and the male connector 104 and the female connector 102 will remain fixedly connected.

As shown in fig. 5B, when the clip 120 is in the open state, the slide sleeve 130 cannot reach the indicated position. At this time, the clip leg 222 of the clip 120 is in the sliding path of the slider 130, and the leg 228 of the clip 120 abuts against the front end of the holding portion 208, thereby blocking the slider 130 from reaching its indicated position. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the distal ends of the clip legs 222 block the retention feature 208 even though the clip 120 is not provided with a rearwardly extending foot in some embodiments.

Fig. 6A and 6B show an axial cross-sectional view of the female connector 102 along line B-B in fig. 2A and a radial cross-sectional view along line C-C, respectively, when the male connector 104 has not been inserted into the female connector 102. As shown in fig. 6A and 6B, when the male connector 104 has not been inserted into the female connector 102, the clip 120 is in a retracted state without external force, and the pair of clip legs 222 pass through the accommodating portion 215 and the support ring opening 247 substantially in parallel to enter at least partially into the passage 111, with distal ends of the clip legs 222 abutting the blocking surface 203 of the clip blocking portion 221. The sliding sleeve 130 is in the rightmost initial position.

In fixedly connecting the male connector 104 and the female connector 102, the operator inserts the male connector 104 into the passage 111 of the female connector 102 from the left end of the female connector 102 to the right. The male connector 104 moves axially relative to the female connector 102 to the position shown in fig. 7A and 7B.

Fig. 7A and 7B illustrate an axial cross-sectional view and a radial cross-sectional view of the connector assembly 100 along line B-B and line C-C, respectively, of the pin 104 during initial insertion into the box 102. As shown in fig. 7A and 7B, the male connector 104 is axially inserted into the channel 111 of the female connector 102, but the groove 125 of the male connector 104 is not yet aligned with the clip leg 222 of the clip 120. The clip legs 222 of the clip 120 are pushed out of the channel 111 against the outer surface 127 of the male connector 104 such that the clip 120 is in an expanded state. The distal ends of the catch legs 222 remain in abutment with the blocking surface 203 of the catch blocking portion 221 such that during deployment of the catch 120, the distal ends of the catch legs 222 move circumferentially along the blocking surface 203, i.e., as the catch legs 222 move away from each other, the catch legs 222 also lift upwardly such that the connecting portion 223 of the catch 120 lifts upwardly to protrude from the indicator 216. The sliding sleeve 130 is still in the initial position at this time. And the retaining portion 208 of the sliding bush 130 overlaps with the clip leg 222 in a radial cross section as shown in fig. 7B such that the clip leg 222 is in the sliding path of the sliding bush 130. Therefore, even if the slide bush 130 is slid toward the indication position, the slide bush is blocked by the clip leg 222 and cannot reach the indication position.

The operator continues to insert the male connector 104 rightward into the channel 111 of the female connector 102 until the recess 125 of the male connector 104 is aligned with the catch leg 222 and the male connector 104 reaches the position shown in fig. 8A and 8B.

Fig. 8A and 8B show an axial cross-sectional view and a radial cross-sectional view of the connector assembly 100 along line B-B and C-C of fig. 2A, respectively, with the male connector 104 inserted into place. As shown in fig. 8A and 8B, the male connector 104 and the female connector 102 are in a mounted in place position with the grooves 125 of the male connector 104 aligned with the clip legs 222 of the clip 120. The catch legs 222 are no longer subjected to the force of being pushed out by the outer surface 127 of the male connector 104 and the catch 120 returns to the retracted state. As the catch legs 222 move toward each other, the catch legs 222 enter the recess 125 and the connecting portion 223 of the catch 120 descends to be flush with the indicator 216. After the clip legs 222 enter the grooves 125, they can clamp the male connector 104, thereby blocking the male connector 104 from continuing to move in the axial direction, and thus fixedly connecting the male connector 104 and the female connector 102. At this time, there is no longer an overlap of the retaining portion 208 of the sliding sleeve 130 with the clip leg 222 in the radial cross section as shown in fig. 8B, so that the clip leg 222 leaves the sliding path of the sliding sleeve 130, thereby allowing the sliding sleeve 130 to move toward the indicated position.

The operator can slide the slide bush 130 leftward by the operation portion 207 until the slide bush 130 reaches the indicated position shown in fig. 9A and 9B.

Fig. 9A and 9B illustrate an axial cross-sectional view and a radial cross-sectional view of the connector assembly 100 taken along line B-B and C-C of fig. 2A, respectively, after the male and female connectors are fixedly connected and the sliding sleeve 130 is slid to the indicated position. As shown in fig. 9A and 9B, after the clip leg 222 gives up the sliding path of the sliding sleeve 130, the sliding sleeve 130 can slide leftward to reach its indicated position. At this time, the clip 120 is kept in a retracted state, locking the relative positions of the male connector 104 and the female connector 102, and making them fixedly connected. And the sliding sleeve 130 blocks the movement of the clip legs 222 of the clip 120 in the circumferential direction, thereby preventing the clip 120 from being opened again.

An operator can determine whether the sliding sleeve 130 has reached its indicated position by visual inspection, and thus whether the male connector 104 is fixedly connected to the female connector 102. In some embodiments, the operator can also determine whether the sliding sleeve 130 has reached its indicated position by the feel of the sliding sleeve bead passing over the housing bead and the additional housing bead as the sliding sleeve 130 moves, and can also determine whether the sliding sleeve 130 has reached the indicated position by the indication area 229 being fully exposed. In addition, in some embodiments, the operator may also determine whether the male connector 104 is fixedly connected to the female connector 102 by directly comparing whether the connection portion 223 of the clip 120 is flush with respect to the indicator 216 to determine whether the clip 120 is in the retracted state.

In the process of fixedly connecting the male connector and the female connector, since the male connector is inserted into the female connector, it is difficult to directly see from the exterior whether the male connector is inserted into place. Other indicating components are required to indicate the position and status of the male connector relative to the female connector. The female connector and connector assembly of the present disclosure includes a clip that can fixedly connect a male connector and a female connector when the male connector is inserted into place. Although an operator can directly judge whether the male connector and the female connector are fixedly connected by comparing the positions of the indicating piece and the clamp, the size of the connecting part of the clamp is small, and the operator has difficulty in visually observing whether the connecting part is completely flush with the indicating piece, especially when the observation view angle is not correct, deviation is easy to exist.

The female connector and connector assembly of the present disclosure further includes a sliding sleeve disposed around the female connector housing, and whether the male connector and the female connector are fixedly connected can be determined by determining whether the sliding sleeve reaches an indication position. Because the sliding sleeve surrounds and sets up in the female joint casing outside, the size of sliding sleeve is great, consequently the operating personnel of being convenient for observe the position of sliding sleeve through naked eye. In addition to visual inspection, the present disclosure may also determine whether the sliding sleeve has reached the indicated position in a variety of ways, such as by the hand of an operator, determining whether the sliding sleeve abuts the indicator, determining whether the indicator on the indicated area is fully exposed, and the like. Therefore, the female connector disclosed by the invention can more conveniently indicate the fixed connection of the male connector and the female connector.

In addition, the sliding sleeve of the present disclosure can also function as a locking clip to prevent the clip from being undesirably deformed by other components after the male connector and the female connector are fixedly connected, resulting in the clip being released. Therefore, the structure of the fixed connection is more stable by using the joint component of the female joint.

While the present disclosure has been described in conjunction with the examples of embodiments outlined above, various alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements, and/or substantial equivalents, whether known or that are or may be presently or later be envisioned, may be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Further, the technical effects and/or technical problems described in the present specification are exemplary rather than limiting. The disclosure in this specification may be used to solve other technical problems and to have other technical effects. Accordingly, the examples of embodiments of the disclosure as set forth above are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the present disclosure is intended to embrace all known or earlier developed alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements and/or substantial equivalents.

Claims

1. A female connector for receiving and fixedly connecting a male connector, the female connector comprising:

A female joint housing (110), the female joint housing (110) being cylindrical and forming a channel (111), the female joint housing (110) being arranged to be able to receive and fixedly connect the male joint (104) inserted in an axial direction of the female joint housing (110) through the channel (111), wherein the female joint housing (110) is provided with at least one accommodation (215) in a housing part circumference receiving the male joint (104);

-a clip (120), the clip (120) comprising at least one clip leg (222), the at least one clip leg (222) cooperating with the at least one receiving portion (215) and extending at least partially through the receiving portion (215) into the channel (111) for fixedly connecting the female connector (102) to the male connector (104); and

A sliding sleeve (130), the sliding sleeve (130) being sleeved outside the female joint housing (110), the sliding sleeve (130) having an indication position and an initial position, the sliding sleeve (130) being arranged to be slidable in an axial direction of the female joint housing (110) from the initial position to the indication position through the accommodation portion (215);

Wherein the sliding sleeve (130) and the clip (120) are configured to, during the receiving and secure connection of the female connector (102) to the male connector (104):

when the female connector (102) receives the male connector (104) but is not yet fixedly connected in place, the male connector (104) presses and pushes the at least one catch leg (222) out of the channel (111) such that the at least one catch leg (222) is at least partially located in the sliding path of the sliding sleeve (130) so as to be able to block the sliding sleeve (130) from sliding to the indicating position; and

When the female connector (102) continues to receive the male connector (104) until fixedly connected in place, the at least one clip leg (222) is received through the receptacle (215) and extends into the channel (111) and out of the sliding path of the sliding sleeve (130), thereby allowing the sliding sleeve (130) to slide to the indicated position.

2. The female connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

The female connector housing (110) includes an indicator (216) protruding outwardly from an outer surface of the female connector housing (110);

Wherein the sliding sleeve (130) abuts the indicator (216) when the sliding sleeve (130) slides to its indicating position.

3. The female connector as claimed in claim 2 wherein:

The female connector housing (110) includes an indication area (229) on an outer surface thereof, the indication area (229) for providing a marker;

Wherein the identification element on the indication area (229) is exposed when the sliding sleeve (130) is slid to its indication position, and the identification element on the indication area (229) is at least partially obscured by the sliding sleeve (130) when the sliding sleeve (130) has not yet reached its indication position.

4. The female connector as claimed in claim 2 wherein:

The sliding sleeve (130) comprises an operation part (207) and at least one holding part (208), wherein the operation part (207) is used for an operator to operate to slide the sliding sleeve (130) from the initial position to the indication position;

The at least one holding portion (208) extends around the female connector housing (110) and is connected to the operating portion (207).

5. The female connector as claimed in claim 4 wherein:

The at least one clip leg (222) comprises a pair of clip legs (222), the pair of clip legs (222) being capable of expanding or contracting relative to each other such that the clip (120) has a retracted state and an expanded state, wherein when the female connector (104) receives the male connector (104) but is not yet fixedly connected in place, the male connector (104) pushes each of the clip legs (222) out of the channel (111) such that the clip (120) is in the expanded state; and when the female connector (104) continues to receive the male connector (104) until fixedly connected in place, the clip (120) is in a retracted state such that each of the clip legs (222) is received through the receiving portion (215) and extends into the channel (111).

6. The female connector as claimed in claim 5 wherein:

The at least one holding portion (208) includes a pair of holding portions (208) provided on opposite sides of the operation portion (207) in a circumferential direction, proximal ends of the pair of holding portions (208) being connected to opposite sides of the operation portion (207), respectively, distal ends of the pair of holding portions (208) being spaced apart from each other to form an opening (259);

Wherein the pair of retaining portions (208) of the sliding sleeve (130) are configured such that when the clip (120) is in an open state, the pair of clip legs (222) can abut front ends (337) of the pair of retaining portions (208) facing the pair of clip legs (222) to block the sliding sleeve (130) from sliding to its indicated position, and when the clip (120) is in a retracted state, the pair of clip legs (222) enter the opening (259) to allow the sliding sleeve (130) to slide to its indicated position.

7. The female connector as claimed in claim 6 wherein:

the width W1 of the opening (259) is smaller than the distance of the distal ends of the pair of clip legs (222) of the clip (120) that are not in the retracted state, so that the pair of clip legs (222) can enter the opening (259) only when the clip (120) is in the retracted state.

8. The female connector as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

The limiting structure comprises a shell limiting part arranged on the female connector shell (110) and a sliding sleeve limiting part arranged on the sliding sleeve (130), wherein the shell limiting part is matched with the sliding sleeve limiting part so as to limit the sliding sleeve (130) to slide from the indication position to the initial position.

9. The female connector as claimed in claim 8 wherein:

The housing retainer includes a housing bead (235) protruding outwardly from an outer surface of the box housing (110), the sleeve retainer includes a sleeve bead (236) protruding inwardly from an inner surface of the sleeve (130), the sleeve bead (236) cooperating with the housing bead (235) to limit sliding of the sleeve (130) from the indicating position to the initial position.

10. The female connector as claimed in claim 9 wherein:

The housing retainer includes a pair of additional housing ribs (233, 234) projecting outwardly from an outer surface of the box housing (110), the sleeve rib (236) cooperating with the pair of additional housing ribs (233, 234) to retain the sleeve (130) in the initial position.

11. The female connector as claimed in claim 6 wherein:

The clip (120) further comprises a connecting portion (223), the pair of clip legs (222) are respectively connected to opposite sides of the connecting portion (223), and the connecting portion (223) is located outside the female connector housing (110);

An indicator (216) is arranged on the outer surface of the female connector housing (110), the indicator (216) is provided with a clip mounting groove (218), and a connecting part (223) of the clip (120) is accommodated in the clip mounting groove (218);

The front end of the operating portion (207) of the sliding sleeve (130) facing the clip (120) is retracted rearward relative to the front ends of the pair of holding portions (208) to form a notch (243), the notch (243) being capable of accommodating the connection portion (223) of the indicator (216) and the clip (120).

12. The female connector as claimed in claim 6 wherein:

The female connector (102) further includes a clip stopper (221), the clip stopper (221) being located outside the female connector housing (110) and having a pair of stopper surfaces (203) facing distal ends of the pair of clip legs (222), respectively, the pair of stopper surfaces (203) having a space from an outer surface of the female connector housing (110) to accommodate the distal ends of the pair of clip legs (222);

Wherein the clip stopper (221) is configured such that the pair of stopper surfaces (203) abut the distal ends of the pair of clip legs (222), respectively, such that the distal ends of the pair of clip legs (222) undergo circumferential movement along the stopper surfaces (203) during the deformation of the clip (120) from the retracted state to the expanded state; and

Wherein when the clip (120) is in a retracted state and the sliding sleeve (130) is in its indicated position, distal ends (346) of the pair of retaining portions (208) of the sliding sleeve (130) bear against distal ends of the clip legs (222) to limit circumferential movement of the distal ends of the clip legs (222).

13. The female connector as claimed in claim 12 wherein:

The female joint housing (110) has a cylindrical shape, and the pair of blocking surfaces (203) are circular arc surfaces that match the outer surface of the female joint housing (110).

14. The female connector as claimed in claim 12 wherein:

The thickness of the sliding sleeve (130) is set such that the sliding sleeve (130) can be accommodated in a space between the pair of blocking surfaces (203) and an outer surface of the box housing (110).

15. The female connector as claimed in claim 4 wherein:

the outer surface of the operation part (207) is provided with a plurality of operation convex ribs (231), and the operation convex ribs (231) outwards protrude out of the outer surface of the operation part (207) so as to be convenient for operators to operate.

16. The female connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

The female connector housing (110) comprises at least one housing opening forming the receiving portion (215), the clip (120) being arranged to extend at least partially through the housing opening into the channel (111).

17. A connector assembly, comprising:

A male connector (104), the male connector (104) comprising an outer surface (127) and a groove (125) recessed inwardly from the outer surface (127) and extending circumferentially; and

The female joint (102) according to any one of claims 1-16;

Wherein the male connector (104) is inserted into the female connector (102) in an axial direction of the female connector housing (110), and the clip legs (222) protrude into the grooves (125) of the male connector (104) to fixedly connect the male and female connectors with respect to each other.