FR3140145A1 - Male end for fluid connection for fluid transfer circuit. - Google Patents

Abstract

The male fluid connection tip comprises an end profile (36) corrugated along a circumferential trajectory centered around a main axis which has a variable axial amplitude relative to a transverse reference plane perpendicular to the main axis between two lower (PI) and upper (PS) transverse planes and configured to define a non-planar geometric profile, the corrugated profile having at least two vertex crests (A, C) and at least two trough crests (B, D) formed by axial excursions relative to the transverse reference plane such that the insertion of the male end inside the female end follows a stepped profile which has steps defined by the upper (PS) and lower planes (PI) and intermediate planes located between the two upper (PS) and lower (PI) planes. ABRIDGED FIGURE: FIGURE 6.

Description

Male end for fluid connection for fluid transfer circuit. Technical area.

The present invention relates to the technical field of fluid transport such as air or water, particularly in a fluid transfer circuit. It applies more particularly but not exclusively to the transfer of fluid in a fuel circuit, an air or vacuum circuit, a steam circuit or a cooling circuit of an engine, a battery for an electric vehicle or hybrid, power electronics or others, for example by means of a heat exchanger. The invention relates more particularly to a male connector tip for a fluid connection for a fluid transfer circuit.

In general, such a fluid connection comprises a female connector and a male connector having complementary internal and external shapes allowing them to cooperate by fitting. Thus, the female connector comprises a receiving orifice configured to receive by complementary shape an end tip of the male connector. Furthermore, locking of the end of the male connector and the female connector can be achieved by quick fixing elements, such as clips, snap tabs and/or fixing clips.

In order to ensure fluid tightness of this quick-coupling fitting, it is conventional to provide an annular seal, for example an O-ring seal. This seal thus ensures fluid tightness between the male connector and the female connector of the fluid connection.

In this case, in order to seal this interface, at least one of the ends is generally provided with a groove or an annular groove shaped to receive the annular seal. In order to generate the sealing effect, the seal is compressed during fitting between the internal wall of the female receiving orifice and the external wall of the male insertion tip.

However, during fitting, the annular seal, by forming an annular bulge, generates additional insertion force. This insertion effort can reach a level such that manual assembly sometimes proves very tedious and can thus cause a relatively significant loss of time during assembly operations of such fluidic connections.

The invention aims in particular to propose a solution which makes it possible to reduce the insertion effort while guaranteeing a safe sealing effect.

Prior technique.

We already know from the prior art the document US 2008/0217912 A1 which describes a fluid connection comprising a female connector and a male end intended to be fitted inside a receiving orifice of the female connector. The female connector has on an internal wall of its receiving orifice a peripheral shoulder delimiting a seat for receiving a seal. This receiving surface has a generally corrugated shape in the circumferential direction and is thus shaped to receive a seal which is also corrugated.

With this specific configuration, the efforts to insert the male tip inside the female receiver are reduced. In this known prior art, the presence of the seal can however still generate additional effort from the fitting of the two male and female connectors together during the passage of the corrugation crests. The invention aims in particular to propose further reducing insertion efforts without generating significant additional costs.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a male end piece for a fluid connection with a main axis of insertion, of the type comprising a corrugated end profile along a circumferential trajectory centered around the axis which has a variable axial amplitude relative to a transverse reference plane perpendicular to the main axis between two lower and upper transverse planes and configured to define a non-planar geometric profile, the corrugated profile having at least two vertex crests and at least two trough crests formed by axial excursions relative to the transverse reference plane, characterized in that at least one peak and one trough are located on the upper and lower planes respectively and at least the other peaks and troughs are each located on an intermediate transverse plane, the intermediate planes being offset axially from one another and located axially strictly between the two upper and lower planes such that the insertion of the male end follows a stepped profile which has steps defined by each of the planes upper, intermediate and lower.

Thanks to the invention, the fitting or insertion efforts are reduced. The reduction in insertion forces is obtained by modifying the geometry of the male connector tip such that the fitting of the male connector tip inside the female receiver tip occurs gradually during the axial insertion which reduces instantaneous insertion forces.

A male end piece according to the invention may also include one or more of the following characteristics.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, portions of the corrugated end profile connecting the ridges are curvilinear.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the peak crests and/or the trough peaks each extend opposite each other.

The invention also relates to a fluid connection for a fluid circuit, of the type comprising a female connector comprising a main body provided with a female receiving orifice with a main axis of insertion, a male connector comprising a main body provided with a male insertion tip having a shape complementary to the female receiving orifice to cooperate by fitting along the main insertion axis, an O-ring seal intended to ensure fluid tightness between the connectors, and in which, during fitting, a first of the connectors is configured to carry the seal and a second of the connectors has a circumferential engagement surface configured to come into tight engagement against the seal, characterized in that the second of the connectors comprises a male end piece according to the invention.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the connectors have complementary forms of mutual engagement delimiting, in the fitted state, an internal annular cavity for housing the seal.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the female connector comprises a peripheral shoulder internally delimiting a radial surface forming an annular sealing seat configured to receive the sealing O-ring.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the connector comprises a retaining ring inserted into the main body on the side of the connection end of the female connector to form with the peripheral shoulder an annular groove open towards the inside.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the seal is radially compressed inside the annular groove by the male connector after insertion into the female connector.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the female connector comprises slots in a circumferential direction and further comprises a jumper engaged in the slots to retain the male connector inside the body of the female connector.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the male and female connectors are made of a plastic material or a metallic material.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear in the light of the description which follows, made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig.1

represents a perspective view of a male connector end of a fitting according to the invention;

Fig.2

represents a longitudinal sectional view of the end of the ;

Fig.3

represents a perspective view of the connector tip of the from three angularly spaced points of view;

Fig.4

represents a perspective view of the connection of the invention;

Fig.5

represents a sectional view of the fluid connection of the in assembled state;

Fig.6

represents a detailed perspective view of the insertion end profile of the male end of the ;

Fig.7

represents a particular example of the 360° unfolding of the variation of the axial amplitude of the insertion end profile of the relative to a transverse reference plane.

A fluid connection according to the invention is shown in the figures. This fluidic connection bears the general reference 10. This fluidic connection 10 includes a female connector 12 (illustrated in detail on the ) and a male connector tip 20 (shown in detail on the ) described below in detail.

In particular, such a fluid connection 10 may belong to a circuit for transporting a fluid, such as a cooling fluid for an engine or a battery of a motor vehicle. For example, it is intended for the rapid assembly of a first fluidic tubular element such as a grooved tubing or annular flange to a second fluidic conduit element such as a flexible pipe (not shown in the figures) intended to be connected for example by fitting onto the fluid connection 10. The flexible pipe is for example made of an elastomeric material, such as rubber.

For example, with reference to the , the female connector 12 of the fluid connection 10 is shown in detail. In general, the female connector 12 may include a main body 14 of generally tubular shape having an axial passage 16 extending longitudinally through the body 14. A first connection end 18 of the passage 16 (or receiving port 18) may be dimensioned to slidingly receive a tubular tip end 36 of the male connector 20 (described below). The tubular body 14 defines a main axis of insertion X along which the male connector 20 can be inserted. Preferably, on the other hand 21, the female component 12 is provided with another end for connection to a second fluid transport conduit such as a flexible pipe (not shown in the figures).

Preferably, as shown in the , the body 14 may include a radial groove 22 formed within the body 14 on an internal wall of the passage 16 which is internally spaced from the connection end 18 of the body 14. The groove 22 may have a variety of profile profiles. section (for example, rounded, square, rectangular, trapezoidal, polygonal, etc.) and can generally be formed continuously around the interior circumference of said passage 16.

In this example as illustrated on the , the male connector 20 further comprises a body 30 provided with the male insertion end 36 having a complementary shape to the female connection end 18 to allow engagement by fitting along the main insertion axis inside passage 16 of female connector 12.

In the example illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, the male connector 20 is a male connection end. In these figures, the body 30 of the male end piece 20 further comprises a circumferential groove 38 and the main body 14 of the female connector 12 comprises slots 26 extending in a circumferential direction to the main body 14. The fluid connection 10 comprises in in addition to a clip 28 intended to be engaged as a jumper inside the slots 26 of the female connector 12 in order to cooperate with the circumferential groove 38 and thus to retain the male connector 20 inside the passage 16 of the female connector 12.

Furthermore, as illustrated in the , the male connector 20 comprises a peripheral ring 46 formed in this example in relief and integral with the body 30. In addition, the ring 46 has on its external surface the exterior at least one index mark 48 presented under lug shape in order to allow the male connector 20 and the female connector 12 to be immobilized in rotation. The indexing mark 48 aims to define and lock the relative angular position of the two male 20 and female 12 connectors of the connection 20 In this case, the indexing pin 48 of the male connector 20 can only fit into the female connector 12 which has a corresponding recessed counter-shape.

According to the invention, the fluid connection 10 also comprises an O-ring seal 50. The O-ring seal 50 can be partially disposed inside the groove 22. As described in detail below, the seal The seal 50 can be dimensioned to engage tightly around the male connector 20 when the latter is received inside the passage 16. The seal 50 can be formed from any suitable material, for example vulcanized rubber, silicone, synthetic elastic and/or elastic material, etc.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the seal 50 is carried by the female connector 12. In this case, the seal 50 is, for example, annular or O-ring and is inserted inside the passage 16 in the annular groove 22 provided for this purpose.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the male connector 20 has an outer peripheral circumferential engagement surface 23 configured to come into tight engagement against the seal 50, when the male connector 20 is inserted inside the axial passage 16 of female connector 12.

For example, the male 20 and female 12 connectors have complementary forms of mutual engagement delimiting in the inserted state a closed annular cavity for housing the seal 50, defined by the annular groove 22 closed by the circumferential engagement surface 23 of the male connector 20.

Preferably, the female connector 12 further comprises a peripheral internal shoulder 24 delimiting a radial surface forming an annular sealing seat, configured to form one of the side walls of the annular groove 22.

As clearly appears in the sectional view of the fluid connection 10 shown on the , the seal 50 is radially compressed inside the groove 22 of the female connector 12 by the male connector 20.

Optionally, the fluid connection 10 also comprises a retaining ring 40. Thanks to the retaining ring 40 which radially forms the other of the side walls of the groove 22, the seal 50 is retained in the main body 14 of the female connector 12 between the retaining ring 40 and the inner shoulder 24 of the female connector 12.

According to the invention, more specifically, the end profile 36 of the male connector tip 20 is corrugated along a circumferential path centered around the axis transverse reference (not shown) perpendicular to the main axis X between lower transverse planes PI and upper PS.

As illustrated in , the corrugated profile of the male connector tip 20 has a plurality of undulations and comprises at least two vertex crests (A, C) and at least two hollow crests (B, D) formed by axial excursions relative to to the transverse reference plane.

As this is illustrated very schematically on the , at least one vertex crest (A) and at least one trough crest (B) are each arranged respectively on the upper transverse plane PS and on the lower transverse plane PI and at least one vertex crest (C) and at least a crest of hollows (D) are each located on intermediate transverse planes P1 and P2. In particular, the intermediate planes P1 and P2 are axially offset from each other and are located axially strictly between the lower plane PI and the upper plane PS.

Thanks to this configuration, the fitting of the male connector 20 inside the female connector 12 follows a staircase profile which has steps defined by each of the lower PI, upper PS and intermediate planes P1 and P2 during the axial insertion of the two male 20 and female 12 connectors of the fluidic connection 10 ( ). Preferably, connection portions 52 of the male connector tip 20 extending between the vertex crests and the hollow crests are curvilinear. In addition, the vertex crests A, C (and/or the trough crests B, D) extend diametrically opposite each other.

For example, during fitting, a first 12 of the connectors is configured to carry the seal 50 and a second 20 of the connectors has a circumferential engagement surface configured to come into tight engagement against the seal 50.

Preferably, the male connector 20 and/or female 12 is made of a plastic material, for example by plastic molding. However, in a variant of the invention, the male connector 20 and/or the female connector 12 is made of a metallic material.

The support pressure exerted against the seal 50 during the fitting of the male connector 20 inside the female connector 12 thus makes it possible to guarantee an effective sealing connection between the two connectors 12, 20.

We will now describe the main aspects of the invention with reference to the preferred embodiment of the invention previously described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 7.

Initially, the seal 50 is mounted on one of the male 20 or female 12 connectors. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the seal 50 is mounted inside the annular groove 22 of the connector female 12, delimited axially by an internal peripheral shoulder 24 formed in the internal surface of the female connector 12 and by an end face of the retaining ring 40.

Then, in a second step, the insertion end 36 of the male connector 20 is inserted into the connection end of the female connector 12. During this insertion, the male connector 20 radially deforms the joint 50 in order to be able to overcome the relief created by the seal 50.

As the male connector tip 50 is non-planar at its insertion end 36 but is on the contrary provided with undulations according to the very specific end profile defined by the invention, the pressure exerted by the end profile 36 of the male connector 20 on the seal 50 is gradual which facilitates the instantaneous insertion of the male connector 20 inside the axial passage 16 of the female connector 12.

The gradual support pressure exerted by the engagement surface of the male connector 20 on the joint 50 makes it possible to reduce the effort of instantaneous insertion or introduction of the male end 20 inside the female end 12, compressing one side first, then the opposite side and then the left and right sides, one by one. Consequently, the profile of the intensity of the insertion force appears to follow a very progressive staircase without causing any excess effort during insertion.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments previously described. Other embodiments within the reach of those skilled in the art can also be considered without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the claims below.

Claims (10)

Male end (20) for a fluid connection (10) with a main axis of insertion (X), of the type comprising an end profile (36) corrugated along a circumferential trajectory centered around the axis (X) which has a variable axial amplitude relative to a transverse reference plane perpendicular to the main axis (X) between two lower (PI) and upper (PS) transverse planes and configured to define a non-planar geometric profile, the corrugated profile (36) having at least two vertex crests (A, C) and at least two hollow crests (B, D) formed by axial excursions relative to the transverse reference plane, characterized in that at least one vertex (A, C ) and a hollow (B, D) are located on the upper (PS) and lower (PI) planes respectively and at least the others of the vertices (A, C) and hollows (B, D) are each located on a transverse plane intermediate (P1, P2), the intermediate planes (P1, P2) being offset axially from one another and located axially strictly between the two upper (PS) and lower (PI) planes such that the insertion of the male end (20) follows a stepped profile which has steps defined by each of the upper (PS), intermediate (P1, P2) and lower (PI) planes. Male end (20) according to the preceding claim, in which portions (52) of the corrugated end profile (36) connecting the crests (A, B, C, D) are curvilinear. Male end piece (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the vertex crests (A, C) and/or the hollow crests (B, D) each extend opposite each other. the other. Fluid connection (10) for fluid circuit, of the type comprising:

• a female connector (12) comprising a main body (14) provided with a female receiving orifice (18) with a main insertion axis (X),
• a male connector (20) comprising a main body (30) provided with a male insertion tip (34) having a complementary shape to the female receiving orifice (18) to cooperate by fitting along the main insertion axis (X),
• an O-ring seal (50) intended to ensure fluid tightness between the connectors (12, 20),

and in which, during fitting, a first (12) of the connectors (12, 20) is configured to carry the seal (50) and a second (20) of the connectors (12, 20) has a surface circumferential engagement configured to come into tight engagement against the joint (50),characterized in thatthe second (20) of the connectors (12, 20) comprises a male end (20) according to any one of the preceding claims. Connection (10) according to the preceding claim, in which the connectors (12, 20) have complementary shapes of mutual engagement delimiting in the fitted state an internal annular cavity for housing the seal (50). Connection (10) according to any one of claims 4 and 5, in which the female connector (12) comprises a peripheral shoulder (24) internally delimiting a radial surface forming an annular sealing seat configured to receive the O-ring of sealing (50). Connection (10) according to the preceding claim, in which comprising a retaining ring (40) inserted in the main body (14) on the side of the connection end (18) of the female connector (12) to form with the shoulder peripheral (24) an annular groove (22) open towards the inside. Connection (10) according to the preceding claim, in which the joint (50) is radially compressed inside the annular groove (22) by the male connector (20) after insertion into the female connector (12). Connection (10) according to any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the female connector (12) comprises slots (26) in a circumferential direction and further comprises a jumper (28) engaged in the slots (26) for retain the male connector (20) inside the body (14) of the female connector (12). Connection (10) according to any one of claims 4 to 9, in which the male (20) and female (12) connectors are made of a plastic material or of a metallic material.