JP2024027538A - quick connector - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a quick connector capable of automatically fixing a pipe to a body only with the operation to press the body and the pipe against each other without having a member to be pushed into the body separately from the pipe.SOLUTION: The cylindrical body has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of an opening part of the pipe, and its inner peripheral face includes a locked recessed part. The retainer is fixed to the body rotatably around an axis crossing the axial direction of the body. An arm part of the retainer is pushed by a flange of the pipe when the pipe is arranged in the body. A locking protruded part of the retainer is protruded from the arm part in the direction of the outer periphery. A claw part of the retainer is caught on the flange by the rotation of the retainer when the pipe is arranged in the body, to prevent the separation of the pipe from the body. In the state that the flange is separated from the arm part, the locking protruded part is located on the opening end side of the body further than the locked recessed part, and when the retainer is rotated with the arm part pushed by the flange, the locking protruded part is fitted into the locked recessed part to fix the retainer to the body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a quick connector for piping, and more particularly to one that utilizes an auxiliary tool to secure its main body to the piping.

"Quick connector", when referring to a joint connected to piping such as a pipe, hose, or tube, is characterized by the ease of operation required for connection. There are types of quick connectors that utilize means other than screws, such as snap fit and interference fit (press fit), to connect to piping (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 6). To connect this type of quick connector to piping, basically all you have to do is press the opening (axial end) of its cylindrical body and the opening of the piping together, and the main body, etc. There is no need to twist any part several times. In this respect, quick connectors are advantageous in reducing the time required to assemble piping equipment because the operations required to connect them to piping are simple. Therefore, quick connectors are useful, for example, in piping equipment used in the manufacture of semiconductors, medical products, medicines, foods, etc., particularly in areas where piping is frequently connected and disconnected. This is because reducing the time required for attaching and detaching piping is effective in reducing the burden on workers who perform maintenance such as cleaning. Quick connectors are also useful in piping installations installed in automobiles that carry gasoline, cooling water, exhaust gas, and the like. These piping facilities are required to have particularly high reliability in order to ensure the safety of automobiles. In order to meet this requirement while maintaining high workability in assembling piping equipment, it is effective to quickly realize reliable connections of piping by using quick connectors.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-266475 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-078077 JP2019-132431A JP2020-204366A JP2013-177911A

There are types of quick connectors that use an auxiliary tool separate from the main body to fix the main body to piping (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4). This auxiliary tool is generally a complete annular member or an annular member with a part of its circumference missing, that is, an open annular member, and is called a "retainer."

For example, the retainers disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 4 can expand their inner diameters by elastic deformation. Both the retainers disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 4 and the spring latch disclosed in Patent Document 3 are designed to penetrate the side wall of the quick connector body before the piping is accommodated in the opening of the body. It is pushed into the hole, and at least a portion of the annular inner circumferential side protrudes into the internal space of the main body. When the pipe is pushed into the opening of the main body in this state, the flange projecting outward from the outer circumferential surface of the pipe pushes the retainer or spring latch wider and allows it to get over the retainer. On the other hand, the retainer disclosed in Patent Document 2 has an open ring shape, and after the piping is accommodated in the opening of the main body of the quick connector, it is pushed into the through hole in the side wall of the main body. At this time, both ends of the retainer in the circumferential direction are pressed against the side walls of the pipe to widen the gap, so the retainer holds the pipe. In this way, both the retainer and the spring latch disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 4 fit into a portion of the piping on the side opposite to the opening with respect to the flange by snap-fitting using their own elasticity. Therefore, even if the piping is pulled from the outside, the flange is caught on the retainer or the like, so that the piping cannot be separated from the main body of the quick connector.

However, all of the quick connectors disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 4 have the following problems. To connect these quick connectors to piping, it is necessary to push a retainer or spring latch into a through hole in the side wall of the main body, in addition to pushing the pipe into the opening of the main body. In this respect, it is difficult to further improve the workability of quick connectors. Furthermore, in order to push a retainer or the like into the through hole in the side wall of the main body, a certain amount of space must be secured on the outer peripheral side of the main body in the radial direction. This condition limits the degree of freedom in designing the installation location of the quick connector, making it difficult to further expand the uses of the quick connector.

In addition to the above-mentioned quick connectors, there is also one disclosed in Patent Document 5. In this quick connector, first, the side wall of the opening of the pipe is sandwiched between the side wall of the opening of the cylindrical main body and the cantilever-like claw extending in the axial direction on the outer circumference side of the quick connector. Then, a cylindrical locking member surrounds the opening of the main body, the claw, and the opening of the pipe, and the inner peripheral surface of the locking member presses the claw against the pipe, so that the main body is fixed to the pipe. This quick connector does not have a member that must be pushed into the main body from a direction other than the piping, such as the retainer disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 4. However, to connect this quick connector to a pipe, it is necessary to sandwich the pipe between the opening of the main body and the claw, and then move the locking member in the axial direction. In order to further reduce the working time, it is desirable that the piping be automatically fixed to the main body simply by pressing the main body and the piping together.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and in particular, the main body does not have a member that must be pushed in from a direction other than the piping, and the piping can be inserted into the main body by simply pressing the main body and the piping together. The object of the present invention is to provide a quick connector that can be automatically fixed.

A quick connector according to one aspect of the present invention is connected to a pipe including a flange projecting toward the outer circumference on the outer circumferential surface, and includes a cylindrical main body and a retainer. The inner diameter of the main body is larger than the outer diameter of the opening of the pipe. The retainer is fixed to the main body so as to be rotatable about an axis that intersects with the axial direction of the main body. The retainer includes an arm, a locking recess, and a claw. The arm is pushed by the flange when the pipe is placed in the interior space of the main body. The locking recess protrudes from the arm toward the outer circumference. When the piping is placed in the internal space of the main body, the arms are pushed by the flange and the retainer rotates, so that the claws are caught on the flange and prevent the piping from separating from the main body. When the flange is separated from the arm, the locking protrusion is located closer to the open end of the main body than the locking recess. When the arm portion is pushed by the flange and the retainer rotates, the locking protrusion fits into the locking recess and fixes the retainer to the main body.

In the above-mentioned quick connector according to the present invention, when the piping is placed in the internal space of the main body, the retainer rotates with its arms pushed by the flanges of the piping, hooks the claws on the flanges, and connects the piping from the main body. prevent the departure of Furthermore, the locking protrusion of the retainer fits into the locking recess of the main body, thereby fixing the retainer to the main body. Therefore, since this quick connector does not require a member that must be pushed into the main body from a direction different from the direction of the piping, the space that must be secured when connecting this quick connector to the piping can be reduced. As a result, this quick connector can improve the degree of freedom in designing its installation location. Furthermore, in this work, the pipe is automatically fixed to the main body simply by pressing the main body and the pipe together, so that the work time can be shortened. This quick connector is thus more versatile and more workable than conventional ones.

The inner circumferential surface of the main body may include a temporary fixing recess closer to the open end of the main body than the locking recess, and the arm portion of the retainer may include a temporary fixing protrusion projecting from the outer circumferential surface toward the outer circumference. The temporary fixing convex part fits into the temporary fixing recess when the flange of the piping is separated from the arm, and comes off from the temporary fixing concave when the arm is pushed by the flange. In this case, the retainer can be temporarily fixed to the main body before the piping is arranged in the internal space of the main body, with the retainer's claws being located on the outer peripheral side of the flange of the piping. Therefore, in the work of connecting this quick connector to a pipe, the main body and the pipe can be pressed together immediately, so there is no need to retract the claw portion, and the work time can be shortened.

1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a quick connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the quick connector shown in FIG. 1; (a) is a cross-sectional view along a plane that includes the straight line III-III shown in FIG. 1 and is perpendicular to arrow a, that is, a vertical cross-sectional view, and (b) includes the straight line III-III. , and is a sectional view taken along a plane perpendicular to arrow b, that is, a horizontal sectional view. (a) and (b) are a front view and a side view of the retainer shown in FIG. 2, respectively, and (c) and (d) are a front view and a side view of the main body shown in FIG. 2, respectively. (a), (b), and (c) are a vertical sectional view, a horizontal sectional view, and a front view, respectively, of the quick connector shown in FIG. 1 with the piping separated. (a), (b), and (c) are a vertical sectional view, a horizontal sectional view, and a front view, respectively, of a state in which piping is inserted into the quick connector shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a quick connector according to a modified example of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a quick connector 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded view thereof. 3(a) is a sectional view along a plane including the straight line III-III shown in FIG. 1 and perpendicular to arrow a, that is, a vertical sectional view, and (b) is a vertical sectional view of the straight line III-- FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along a plane including III and perpendicular to arrow b, that is, a horizontal cross-sectional view. The quick connector 100 preferably connects between a pipe 510 and a hose 520, as shown in FIG. 3, in a cooling piping system of a battery pack of an electric vehicle (EV). The pipe 510 is preferably a circular tube made of a highly rigid material such as metal, and is used as an inlet or an outlet for cooling water (LLC) in a battery pack, radiator, pump, or the like. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pipe 510 includes an annular flange 515 on its outer circumferential surface that extends toward the outer circumference. The flange 515 preferably has rounded corners on both sides (left and right in FIG. 3) in the axial direction. The hose 520 is preferably a circular tube made of a highly flexible resin such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and is installed in the automobile as a flow path for the LLC.

As shown in FIG. 2, quick connector 100 includes a main body 200, a retainer 300, and a seal ring 400. 4A and 4B are a front view and a side view of the retainer 300, respectively, and FIGS. 4C and 4D are a front view and a side view of the main body 200, respectively. The main body 200 is a cylindrical member, preferably made of a resin with relatively high rigidity, such as polyamide (PA) or glass fiber reinforced polyamide (PA-GF). The retainer 300 is a semicircular member, and is preferably made of resin, such as PA or PA-GF, which has a rigidity comparable to or less than that of the material of the main body 200. The seal ring 400 is composed of a main ring 410 and a lip seal 420, which are two annular members of the same size. Preferably, the main ring 410 is made of a resin having higher rigidity than the material of the lip seal 420, such as PA or PA-GF, and the lip seal 420 is preferably made of a resin with higher sealing properties than the material of the main ring 410, such as thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). Made of high-quality resin. Main ring 410 and lip seal 420 are coaxially integrated, preferably by two-color molding.
[Body]

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the opening 210 (hereinafter referred to as the "first opening") on one side (left side in the drawing) of the main body 200 in the axial direction is coaxially enclose the opening end side part). As shown in FIG. 3, an opening 220 on the opposite side (right side in the drawing) from the first opening 210 (hereinafter referred to as the "second opening") is coaxially inserted into the open end of the hose 520. Ru. As a result, the internal space of the pipe 510 communicates with the internal space of the hose 520 through the internal space of the main body 200.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4(c), the end surface 217 of the first opening 210 has a semicircular shape, and a pair of edges extend from both circumferential ends in the same tangential direction (upward in the drawing). The bearing plates 211 extend parallel to each other. The shapes of the bearing plates 211 are mirror images of each other. The bearing plate 211 is shorter than the first opening 210 in the axial direction of the first opening 210 . The first opening 210 is therefore semi-cylindrical in the region of the bearing plate 211 in the axial direction, and completely cylindrical on the side opposite the end face 217 with respect to the bearing plate 211 . This fully cylindrical portion preferably includes four fixing recesses 218. The fixing recess 218 is preferably an oblong through hole, and as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4(d), the fixing recess 218 is at the same distance from the end surface 217 of the first opening 210 in the axial direction. , are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4(d), each bearing plate 211 includes a shaft hole 212, a ramp 213, a locking recess 214, a temporary fixing recess 215, and a locking auxiliary recess 216.

The shaft hole 212 is preferably a circular through hole, and is located at the tip of the bearing plate 211 (that is, the end farthest from the central axis of the first opening 210, and the upper end in the drawing). The shaft hole 212 is located at a distance from the central axis of the first opening 210 of the main body 200 that is equal to or more than the inner diameter of the first opening 210 .

The lamp 213 is preferably a rectangular recess, and is located on the inner surface (the first 4 (c)). The long side of the lamp 213 extends in the axial direction of the first opening 210, and becomes shallower as it moves away from the end surface 217 of the first opening 210 along the axial direction (proceeding to the right in FIG. 4(d)). As such, the bottom surface is inclined with respect to the axial direction (see (b) in FIG. 5 and (b) in FIG. 6).

The locking recess 214 is preferably a rectangular through hole, and is on the side of the base end (lower end in the drawing) of the bearing plate 211 opposite to the end surface 217 of the first opening 210 with respect to the lamp 213 (FIG. In (d), it is located on the right side). The long side of the locking recess 214 is inclined with respect to the axial direction so as to face the shaft hole 212. The distance from the shaft hole 212 to the locking recess 214 is substantially equal to the distance from the shaft hole 212 to the ramp 213.

The temporary fixing recess 215 is preferably a circular through hole and is located between the shaft hole 212 and the lamp 213. The auxiliary locking recess 216 is preferably a through hole having the same shape and size as the temporary fixing recess 215, and is located between the shaft hole 212 and the locking recess 214. The temporary fixing recess 215 and the locking auxiliary recess 216 have substantially the same distance from the shaft hole 212.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first opening 210 preferably has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the opening 511 of the pipe 510, except for the vicinity of the boundary with the second opening 220 (the right end in FIG. 3). It is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the seal ring 400. Thereby, the first opening 210 can accommodate the seal ring 400 coaxially on the inner circumferential side, and the opening 511 of the pipe 510 can be arranged coaxially on the inner circumferential side. Furthermore, since the first opening 210 is preferably longer in the axial direction than the opening 511 of the pipe 510, the entire opening 511 can be accommodated therein.

Preferably, the inner circumferential surface of the first opening 210 includes a narrowed portion 219 near the boundary (the right end in FIG. 3) with the inner circumferential surface of the second opening 220. The narrowed portion 219 is an annular portion protruding toward the inner circumference, and has an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the opening 511 of the pipe 510 and smaller than the outer diameter of the seal ring 400.

As FIG. 3 shows, the outer diameter of the second opening 220 is larger than the inner diameter of the hose 520, so the second opening 220 is press-fit into the hose 520 and spreads out its open end. The resulting restoring force of the open end tightens the second opening 220 in the inner circumferential direction, so that the hose 520 is fixed to the second opening 220 and the inner circumferential surface of the hose 520 and the outer circumferential surface of the second opening 220 are gaps are sealed.
[Retainer]

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 (a) and (b), the retainer 300 includes a rotating shaft 310, a pair of arm portions 320, and a claw portion 330.

The rotating shaft 310 is a substantially straight rod-shaped portion, and is longer than the distance between the bearing plates 211 of the main body 200 (see FIGS. 1 and 4 (a) and (c)). Both ends 311 of the rotating shaft 310 are cylindrical and have a diameter smaller than the diameter of the shaft hole 212 of the main body 200. Therefore, the rotating shaft 310 is arranged perpendicularly to the axial direction of the first opening 210 of the main body 200 by fitting both ends 311 into the shaft hole 212, and the retainer 300 is attached to the bearing plate 211. Rotatably fixed around.

As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the arm portions 320 protrude in the same outer circumferential direction from the same circumferential portion of both ends of the rotating shaft 310. Each of the arm portions 320 has an arcuate shape, and their shapes are mirror images of each other. Due to the combination of the rotating shaft 310 and the arm portion 320, the entire retainer 300 forms a semicircular shape as shown in FIG. 4(a). The distance from the rotating shaft 310 to the tip of the arm portion 320 is approximately equal to or greater than the distance from the shaft hole 212 of the first opening 210 of the main body 200 to the central axis (see (b) and (d) in FIG. 4). ).

(a), (b), and (c) of FIG. 5 are a vertical sectional view, a horizontal sectional view, and a front view, respectively, of a state in which the pipe 510 is separated from the first opening 210 of the main body 200. (a), (b), and (c) of FIG. 6 are a vertical cross-sectional view, a horizontal cross-sectional view, and a front view, respectively, of a state in which the pipe 510 is arranged in the first opening 210. As shown in FIGS. 1, 3(b), 4(a) and 4(c), 5(c), and 6(c), the inner diameter of the arm portion 320 is is larger than the inner diameter of the pipe 510, but smaller than the outer diameter of the flange 515 of the pipe 510. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, when both ends 311 of the rotating shaft 310 are fitted into the shaft hole 212 of the first opening 210, the pipe 510 slides in the first opening 210 in the axial direction. The arm portion 320 is located on the trajectory of the flange 515 when the flange 515 is moved. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3B, FIG. 5, and FIG. The angle of arm portion 320 changes.

Preferably, in the arm portion 320, a locking convex portion 321 protrudes toward the outer circumferential direction from the outer circumferential surface of the tip portion. The locking protrusion 321 is preferably a rectangular protrusion as shown in FIGS. is smaller than any rectangle in . Further, the distance from the rotating shaft 310 to the locking convex portion 321 is substantially different from both the distance from the shaft hole 212 of the first opening 210 to the lamp 213 and the distance from the shaft hole 212 to the locking recess 214. be equivalent to. Therefore, when both ends 311 of the rotating shaft 310 are fitted into the shaft hole 212, the locking protrusion 321 also fits into the lamp 213 depending on the angle of the arm 320 with respect to the axial direction of the first opening 210 (see FIG. 5) and also fit into the locking recess 214 (see FIG. 6). Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4C, the width from the tip of one locking protrusion 321 of the arm 320 to the tip of the other locking protrusion 321 is equal to the width of the first opening 210. The spacing between the bearing plates 212 is slightly wider than the spacing between the bearing plates 212. Therefore, once the locking protrusion 321 is fitted into the ramp 213 or the locking recess 214, it cannot be removed naturally from the ramp 213 or the locking recess 214 unless the arm 320 is bent inward. . Preferably, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the front end surface of the locking convex portion 321 extends from the outside toward the back side along the axial direction of the first opening 210 (left side in FIG. 5(b)). The opening 210 is inclined toward the inner circumferential side (lower side in FIG. 5B) of the first opening 210 as it moves toward the right side.

Preferably, in the arm portion 320, a temporary fixing convex portion 322 protrudes toward the outer circumferential direction from the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate portion. The temporary fixing convex part 322 is preferably a hemispherical protrusion as shown in FIGS. The diameter is slightly larger than both 216 and 216. Further, the distance from the rotating shaft 310 to the temporary fixing convex part 322 is the distance from the shaft hole 212 of the first opening 210 to the temporary fixing concave part 215, and the distance from the shaft hole 212 to the locking auxiliary concave part 216. substantially equal to any of the following. Therefore, when both ends 311 of the rotating shaft 310 are fitted into the shaft hole 212, the temporary fixing convex part 322 also extends into the temporary fixing concave part 215 depending on the angle of the arm part 320 with respect to the axial direction of the first opening 210. (see FIG. 5), and also fits into the auxiliary locking recess 216 (see FIG. 6). Furthermore, when the temporary fixing convex part 322 fits into the temporary fixing concave part 215, the locking convex part 321 fits into the lamp 213, and when the temporary fixing convex part 322 fits into the locking auxiliary concave part 216, the locking convex part 321 fits into the locking recess 214. Once the temporary fixing convex part 322 is fitted into the temporary fixing concave part 215 or the locking auxiliary concave part 216, the arm part 320 receives an external force that exceeds the frictional force from each of the concave parts 215 and 216, and is bent inward. Unless it is, it cannot be removed naturally from the temporary fixing recess 215 or the locking auxiliary recess 216.

As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the claw portion 330 protrudes from the center of the rotating shaft 310 in an outer circumferential direction different from that of the arm portion 320. As shown in FIGS. The claw portion 330 is hook-shaped, and a tip 331 is bent in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 310. As shown in FIG. 5, both ends 311 of the rotating shaft 310 are fitted into the shaft hole 212 of the first opening 210 of the main body 200, and the locking protrusion 321 is fitted into the lamp 213 of the first opening 210. In this state, when the pipe 510 slides in the axial direction inside the first opening 210, the claw portion 330 retreats from the trajectory drawn by the flange 515 of the pipe 510 to the outer peripheral side (upper side in FIG. 5A). are doing. The claw portion 330 is further located outside the arm portion 320 in the axial direction of the first opening 210 (on the left side in FIGS. 5A and 5B). When the pipe 510 slides in the first opening 210 in the axial direction, the flange 515 pushes the arm portion 320 and rotates the retainer 200, thereby causing ) and (b), the tip 331 of the claw portion 330 is caught on the outside (left side in the drawing) of the flange 515 in the axial direction. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 6(a), the size of the claw portion 330 is designed such that the tip 331 and the base end 323 of the arm portion 320 sandwich the flange 515. .
[Seal ring]

As shown in FIG. 3, the outer diameter of the seal ring 400 is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the first opening 210 of the main body 200, so that the seal ring 400 is coaxially press-fitted into the inner circumferential side of the first opening 210. The seal ring 400 further has an axial length that is less than or equal to the axial distance from the bearing plate 211 of the first opening 210 to the narrowed portion 219 . Accordingly, the seal ring 400 is completely surrounded by the complete cylindrical portion of the first opening 210 when the seal ring 400 is pushed to a position where the entire circumference of the lip seal 420 contacts the entire circumference of the constriction 219 . In this way, the entire outer circumferential surface of the seal ring 400 comes into close contact with the inner circumferential surface of that portion. On the other hand, since the inner diameter of the seal ring 400 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the opening 511 of the pipe 510, when the opening 511 of the pipe 510 is arranged in the first opening 210, the inner diameter of the seal ring 400 Coaxially press-fitted. As a result, the entire inner circumferential surface of the seal ring 400 comes into close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the opening 511 of the pipe 510.

From the outer circumferential surface of the main ring 410, preferably four fixing convex portions 411 protrude in the outer circumferential direction and are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The fixing protrusion 411 is preferably a hemispherical protrusion as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and has a slightly larger diameter than the fixing recess 218 of the first opening 210 of the main body 200. As a result, when the seal ring 400 is press-fitted into the inner peripheral side of the first opening 210 and rotated with respect to the first opening 210, the fixing convex part 411 fits into the fixing recess 218, so that the seal ring 400 is fixed to the first opening 210.

The lip seal 420 preferably includes two lips 421, 422 on the side of the first opening 210 of the main body 200 facing the narrowing section 219 (the right side in FIG. 3), as shown in FIG. The outer lip 421 extends from the outer edge of the lip seal 420, and the inner lip 422 extends from the inner edge of the lip seal 420 in the axial direction (rightward in FIG. 3). The lips 421 and 422 have a thin annular shape, and can be bent to increase or decrease the distance between them in the radial direction due to the elasticity of the material. Furthermore, the axial distance from the fixing convex portion 411 to the tips (right end in FIG. 3) of the lips 421 and 422 of the lip seal 420 is the same as the axial distance from the fixing concave portion 218 of the first opening 210 to the narrowing portion 219. The distance is less than or equal to Therefore, when the fixing convex portion 411 is fitted into the fixing recess 218, the entire circumference of the lips 421, 422 contacts or is pressed against the entire circumference of the narrowed portion 219.
[Connecting the quick connector to the pipe]

Prior to the work of connecting the quick connector 100 to the pipe 510, the seal ring 400 is first press-fitted into the first opening 210 of the main body 200, and as shown in FIG. It is fitted into the fixing recess 218. Thereby, the seal ring 400 is fixed to the first opening 210. Next, both ends 311 of the rotating shaft 310 of the retainer 300 are fitted into the shaft hole 212 of the first opening 210 of the main body 200, and the locking protrusion 321 of the arm 320 of the retainer 300 is inserted into the lamp 213 of the first opening 210. The temporary fixing convex part 322 of the arm part 320 is fitted into the temporary fixing concave part 215 of the first opening 210. As a result, the retainer 300 is temporarily fixed to the first opening 210.

In the connection work, first, the opening 511 of the pipe 510 is placed on the inner peripheral side of the first opening 310 as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. As described above, the claws 330 of the retainer 300 are retracted from the orbit of the flange 515 of the pipe 510 to the outer circumferential side (upper side in FIG. 5A) in the radial direction of the first opening 210, and In the axial direction of the portion 210, the portion 210 is located outside the arm portion 320 of the retainer 300 (on the left side in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b)). Therefore, the flange 515 contacts the arm portion 320 without contacting the claw portion 330, and pushes it in the axial direction of the first opening 210 (to the right in FIGS. 5A and 5B). As a result, the temporary fixing protrusion 322 of the arm 320 comes off the temporary fixing concave 215 of the first opening 210, and the locking protrusion 321 of the arm 320 slides along the ramp 213 of the first opening 210. move. Due to the inclination between the bottom surface of the ramp 213 and the tip end surface of the locking projection 321, the locking projection 321 rides smoothly on the ramp 213, and accordingly, the arm portion 320 gradually bends toward the inner circumference.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the flange 515 moves further back (to the right in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(d)), the locking protrusion 321 reaches the locking recess 214 of the first opening 210. , fits there due to the restoring force of the arm portion 320. Further, the temporary fixing convex portion 322 of the arm portion 320 fits into the locking auxiliary concave portion 216 of the first opening 210 . The retainer 300 is fixed to the first opening 210 by such a snap fit method.

When the flange 515 pushes the arm portion 320 and rotates the retainer 200, the tip 331 of the claw portion 330 is caught on the outside of the flange 515 in the axial direction (on the left side in FIGS. 6A and 6B), and the arm portion 320 is rotated. A flange 515 is sandwiched between the base end 323 of the base end 323 of the base end 323 of the base end 323 of This prevents the pipe 510 from leaving the first opening 210.

On the inner circumferential side of the first opening 210, an opening 511 of the pipe 510 is press-fitted into the inner circumferential side of the seal ring 400, and the entire inner circumferential surface of the seal ring 400 is in close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the opening 511. Since the main ring 410 has relatively high rigidity, its inner peripheral surface closely contacts the outer peripheral surface of the opening 511 of the pipe 510, thereby stably maintaining the opening 511 coaxially with the first opening 210. On the other hand, the lip seal 420 brings the lips 421 and 422 into contact with the narrowed portion 219 of the first opening 210 . When LLC flows between the pipe 510 and the hose 520 in this state, the LLC enters the gap between the lips 421, 422 and the narrowed part 219, so the pressure causes the outer lip 421 to close the first opening 210. The lip 422 on the inner circumferential side is in close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the opening 511 of the pipe 510 . In this way, the gap between the first opening 210 and the opening 511 of the pipe 510 is sealed. At this time, the main ring 410 prevents the lip seal 420 from digging into the gap between the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface of the first opening 210 due to the pressure of the LLC, that is, preventing the lip seal 420 from protruding.
[Separating the pipe from the quick connector]

To separate the pipe 510 from the quick connector 100 in the state shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, first insert the locking protrusion 321 of the retainer 300 using a tool or the like through the locking recess 214 of the first opening 210 of the main body 200. The arm portion 320 of the retainer 300 is bent toward the inner circumference by pushing it toward the circumference, and the lock protrusion 321 is removed from the lock concave portion 214 . When the pipe 510 is pulled in this state, the flange 515 of the pipe 510 pushes away the claw portion 330 of the retainer 300, so that the opening 511 of the pipe 510 can be pulled out from the first opening 210.
[Advantages of embodiment]

In the quick connector 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the opening 511 of the pipe 510 is arranged on the inner peripheral side of the first opening 210 of the main body 200, the arm 320 of the retainer 300 is pressed by the flange 515 of the pipe 510. The retainer 300 rotates. Accordingly, the claw portion 330 of the retainer 300 is caught on the flange 515, and the locking convex portion 321 of the arm portion 320 is fitted into the locking recess 214 of the first opening 210, so that the pipe 510 is inserted into the first opening 210. Fixed. In this way, the quick connector 100 does not require a member that should be pushed into the first opening 210 from a direction other than the pipe 510, so that it can be secured during the work of connecting the quick connector 100 to the pipe 510. The power space can be reduced. As a result, the quick connector 100 can improve the degree of freedom in designing its installation location. Furthermore, in this work, the pipe 510 is automatically fixed to the first opening 210 by simply pushing the first opening 210 and the opening 511 of the pipe 510 together, so that the working time can be shortened. . Thus, the quick connector 100 is more versatile and more workable than conventional ones.

When the flange 515 of the pipe 510 is separated from the arm portion 320 of the retainer 300, the temporary fixing convex portion 322 of the arm portion 320 is fitted into the temporary fixing recess 215 of the first opening 210, and the arm portion When 320 is pushed by flange 515, it comes off from temporary fixing recess 215. In this case, before the opening 511 of the pipe 510 is arranged in the first opening 210, the retainer 300 is inserted into the first opening in a state in which the claws 330 of the retainer 300 are retracted from the orbit of the flange 515 toward the outer circumference. 210 can be temporarily fixed. Therefore, in the work of connecting the quick connector 100 to the pipe 510, the first opening 210 and the opening 511 of the pipe 510 can be pressed together immediately, so there is no need to retract the claw part 330. It is also possible to shorten the working time.
[Modified example]

(1) The application of the quick connector 100 is not limited to the cooling piping system of an EV battery pack, but also other piping systems that flow gasoline or exhaust gas, semiconductors, medical products, drugs, food, etc. In a production line, it may be a piping system that flows pure water, chemical solutions, high-temperature gas for sterilization/heating, etc. Moreover, the piping to be connected is not limited to the combination of the pipe 510 and the hose 520, but can be changed in various ways, such as between pipes, between hoses, or with other connectors.

(2) The resin material of the quick connector 100 is not limited to PA and PA-GF. In addition, various resins such as low density polyethylene, polypropylene, polycarbonate, polyamide, polyacetal, polyether ether ketone, polyphenylene sulfide, and polyimide can be used. These may be appropriately selected depending on the field or application of the quick connector 100, the materials of the pipe 510 and the hose 520, and the like.

(3) The flange 515 of the pipe 510 is completely annular. However, the piping to which the quick connector according to the present invention connects is not limited to those having flanges of such a shape. For example, the flange may be a single open ring-shaped flange, or it may be a collection of a plurality of arcuate bodies arranged discretely in the circumferential direction of the pipe. In this case, when the pipe is connected to the quick connector 100, the arm part 320 and the claw part 330 of the retainer 300 are arranged so that both are located within the range of the flange in the circumferential direction of the pipe. The claw portion 330 may be designed.

(4) The entrance of the opening 511 of the pipe 510 into the first opening 210 of the main body 200 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is accompanied by an operation of pressing the first opening 210 and the opening 511 of the pipe 510 together. It is their relative movement. More specifically, the operation may be an operation of pushing the opening 511 of the pipe 510 into the first opening 210 or, conversely, an operation of pressing the first opening 210 against the opening 511 of the pipe 510. Good too.

(5) The structure for rotatably fixing the retainer 300 to the first opening 210 of the main body 200 is not limited to the combination of the bearing plate 212 of the first opening 210 and the rotating shaft 310 of the retainer 300. As long as the retainer can rotate with its arms pushed by the flange 515 of the pipe 510 and the claws can be hooked on the flange 515, the number, shape, and dimensions of the pairs between the shaft hole of the first opening and the rotation axis of the retainer. , arrangement, etc. can be changed in various ways. For example, the angle at which the rotation axis and the axial direction of the first opening intersect may be other than 90°. Further, the rotation axis is rotatably fixed to the first opening so as to intersect with the central axis of the first opening, and the arm part and the claw part are arranged on opposite sides of the central axis of the first opening. may be done. Additionally, the rotation shaft 310 of the retainer 300 is separate from the bearing plate 212 of the first opening 210, but the retainer is configured such that the connection between the retainer and the first opening forms a living hinge. It may be integrated with the first opening.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a quick connector 150 according to a modified example of the embodiment of the present invention. The quick connector 150 differs from the quick connector 100 shown in FIG. 1 in that the first opening 210 of the main body 200 includes two combinations of a pair of bearing plates 212 and a retainer 300. In particular, four bearing plates 212 and two retainers 300 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the first opening 210, and two bearing plates 212 are integrated into one plate-like member. There is. As a result, when the pipe 510 and the first opening 210 are pressed together, the claws 330 of the retainer 300 are caught on both sides of the flange 515 with respect to the central axis of the pipe 510. As a result, the opening 511 of the pipe 510 is more stably fixed to the first opening 210, and has higher resistance to being pulled out from the first opening 210.

(6) The claw portions 330 of the retainer 300 are merely an example, and the invention is not limited to their specific structure. The number, shape, size, arrangement, etc. of the claw portions can be varied in various ways as long as they can be caught on the flange 515 of the pipe 510 and prevented from separating the opening 511 of the pipe 510 from the first opening 210.

(7) The locking recess 214 of the main body 200 is rectangular, the temporary fixing recess 215 is circular, the locking convex 321 of the retainer 300 is rectangular, and the temporary fixing convex 322 is hemispherical. However, the invention is not limited to these structures. As long as the retainer 300 is fixed to the main body 200 with sufficient strength by fitting the corresponding projections into each recess, the number, shape, size, arrangement, etc. of the recesses and projections can be varied in various ways. . Further, each of the recesses 214 and 215 may be a bottomed recess provided in the inner peripheral surface of the main body 200 instead of being a through hole.

(8) When the locking protrusion 321 of the arm portion 320 of the retainer 300 fits into the locking recess 214 of the bearing plate 212 of the main body 200, the temporary fixing protrusion 322 fits into the locking auxiliary recess 218 of the bearing plate 212. circle. As a result, the temporary fixing protrusion 322 does not interfere with the bearing plate 212, so that the locking protrusion 321 enters the locking recess 214 sufficiently deeply. However, this is not necessary for the invention. Regardless of the interference between the temporary fixing protrusion 322 and the bearing plate 212, if the locking protrusion 321 enters the locking recess 214 sufficiently deeply, the auxiliary locking recess 218 will not be provided in the bearing plate 212. You can.

(9) Until the arm portion 320 is pushed by the flange 515 of the pipe 510, the retainer 300 is mounted on the bearing plate of the first opening 210 of the main body 200 by fitting the temporary fixing convex portion 322 into the temporary fixing recess 215. It is temporarily fixed at 212. Further, during this time, the locking convex portion 321 is fitted into the ramp 213 of the bearing plate 212. However, these are not essential to the invention. For example, if the static friction force between the temporary fixing convex part 322 and the bearing plate 212 is sufficiently strong and the retainer 300 does not rotate naturally, even if the temporary fixing concave part 215 is not provided in the bearing plate 212. good. Furthermore, the static friction force between the locking protrusion 322 and the bearing plate 212 in the absence of the lamp 213 is moderately weak, and the force pressing the first opening 210 and the opening 511 of the pipe 510 together is excessive. If the retainer 300 can be rotated sufficiently smoothly without being strengthened, the ramp 213 may not be provided on the bearing plate 212.

(10) In the seal ring 400, the main ring 410 and the lip seal 420 are integrated by two-color molding. Therefore, the gap between the opening 511 of the pipe 510 and the narrowed part 219 of the first opening 210 of the main body 200 does not require sealing parts such as O-rings or auxiliary parts such as spacers and backup rings, so the number of parts is reduced. The manufacturing cost and the effort required for connection work can be reduced. However, this is not essential to the invention, and the main ring 410 and lip seal 420 may be separate bodies. Furthermore, instead of the lip seal 420, a sealing component such as an O-ring may be used, if necessary, along with auxiliary components such as a spacer or a backup ring.

100 quick connector 200 main body 210 first opening 211 bearing plate 212 shaft hole 213 lamp 214 locking recess 215 temporary fixing recess 216 locking auxiliary recess 217 end face of first opening 218 fixing recess 219 narrowed part 220 second opening Part 300 Retainer 310 Rotating shaft 311 Both ends of rotating shaft 320 Arm 321 Locking convex 322 Temporary fixing convex 323 Base end of arm 330 Claw 331 Tip of claw 400 Seal ring 410 Main ring 411 Fixing convex Part 420 Lip seal 421 Outer lip 422 Inner lip 510 Pipe 511 Pipe opening 515 Pipe flange 520 Hose

Claims (2)

A quick connector that is connected to a pipe that includes a flange extending toward the outer circumference on the outer circumferential surface,
a main body that is a cylindrical member with an inner diameter larger than an outer diameter of the opening of the pipe, and includes a locking recess on the inner peripheral surface;
a retainer fixed to the main body so as to be rotatable around an axis intersecting the axial direction of the main body,
The retainer is
an arm that is pushed by a flange of the piping when the piping is placed in the internal space of the main body;
a locking protrusion protruding from the arm toward the outer circumference;
When the piping is arranged in the internal space of the main body, the arm portion is pushed by the flange of the piping and the retainer rotates, so that it is caught on the flange and prevents the piping from separating from the main body. including a claw part,
When the flange of the piping is separated from the arm, the locking convex portion is located closer to the open end of the main body than the locking recess,
The quick connector is characterized in that when the arm portion is pushed by the flange and the retainer rotates, the locking protrusion fits into the locking recess and fixing the retainer to the main body. The inner circumferential surface of the main body includes a temporary fixing recess closer to the open end of the main body than the locking recess,
The arm portion of the retainer includes a temporary fixing convex portion protruding from the outer circumferential surface in the outer circumferential direction,
The temporary fixing convex portion is
When the flange of the piping is separated from the arm, it fits into the temporary fixing recess,
When the arm portion is pushed by the flange, it comes off from the temporary fixing recess;
The quick connector according to claim 1.

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