JPS5831514B2 - Fluid transfer pipe coupling device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a coupling device for fluid transfer tubes, and more particularly to a coupling device for fluid transfer tubes that can be quickly coupled and disconnected.

In particular, the present invention provides
It is effective when used in applications where it is necessary to instantly disconnect the transfer pipe in an emergency, such as when transferring pressurized fluid in the opposite direction, but it is limited to such applications. It's not something you can do.

A typical example of transferring pressurized fluid between an aircraft and a ground facility is to connect a fire engine on the ground with a helicopter hovering above the fire scene using a fire hose, and transfer pressurized water etc. from the fire engine. There are cases where fluid is transferred to a helicopter and water is sprayed from a fire extinguishing nozzle equipped on the helicopter to extinguish a fire in a high-rise building.

In this case, the helicopter must hoist a fire hose, one end of which is fixed to a fire truck parked on the ground, to a height of several tens of meters, and while moving in that position, extinguish the fire by spraying high-pressure fluid. Disturbances in the airflow over the fire scene or other sudden changes in the situation may require the helicopter to leave the fire scene in an emergency. This could lead to serious accidents such as falls.

Therefore, the fire hose connected to such a firefighting helicopter needs to be connected through a coupling device that can be instantly disconnected.

Moreover, it is desirable that this separation work be remotely controlled by the pilot of the helicopter.

Further, the coupling device must be capable of rotatably coupling the fire hose to prevent the hose from twisting due to changes in the nose direction of the helicopter during firefighting operations.

In addition, in addition to the weight of the hose and the fluid to be transferred, the pressure applied to the fluid to be transferred will act as a load on the coupling device, so the coupling device will still be able to hold the hose under the action of this load. It must be rotatable and securely connected, and must also be able to be instantly and reliably uncoupled in an emergency.

There is no known fluid transfer pipe coupling device that can meet the above requirements.

Of course, the known removable coupling devices customary for coupling ordinary fire hoses are simply unable to meet the above requirements.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a new coupling device that can completely satisfy each of the above-mentioned requirements.

That is, the fluid transfer pipe coupling device according to the present invention is composed of a male coupling member and a female coupling member each having a cylindrical portion that has a flow path therein and is fitted into each other, and the female coupling member includes: The cylindrical part is provided with a through hole for receiving the rolling element, and the male coupling member has a locking groove in the cylindrical part for receiving the rolling element. A holding member is disposed outside the female coupling member to hold the rolling element in an engaged state with the engagement groove of the male coupling member, and this holding member has an inclined retaining surface on the inner surface,
It is designed to move in the axial direction between a holding position and a release position, and in the holding position of the holding member, the transfer element, which is rotatable within the through hole of the female coupling member, locks the male coupling member. Since it is reliably engaged and held in the groove, it can sufficiently withstand the load applied to the joint during use.

Further, since the locking groove of the male type coupling member and the through hole of the female type coupling member are formed all around the cylindrical part, the transfer element can revolve along with the rotation, allowing mutual rotation of the coupling members. be able to.

Further, since a fluid actuation device is provided that applies the pressure of the fluid flowing through the internal flow path toward the holding position of the holding member, the force required to set the holding member at the holding position can be reduced.

In addition, since the holding surface of the holding member is inclined, quick separation is possible by simply moving the holding member to the release position, and means for remote control can also be easily adopted. can.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The coupling device 1 shown in FIG. wall 16
It has an inner cylinder part 4 and an outer cylinder part 7 which are integrally connected by.

A flow path 8 is formed within the inner cylindrical portion 4, and an enlarged diameter portion 5 is formed at one end thereof.

Means for connection to a hose or the like is provided at the other end of the internal cylinder 4, if necessary.

A flange 8 is provided at the lower end of the outer cylindrical portion 7, and the flange 8 is fixed to the body or other parts with bolts or the like.

A threaded portion 7a is formed on the inner periphery of the lower end of the outer cylinder portion 7, and the annular member 6 engages with this threaded portion 7a.

The annular member 6 has an inner surface 6a having the same radius as the inner surface 5a of the enlarged diameter section 5 at the lower end of the inner cylinder section 4, and its upper end surface a faces the lower end surface of the enlarged diameter section 5 and has a through hole therebetween. form.

This through hole is formed all around the circumference, and an appropriate number of spherical transfer elements 12 are arranged within this through hole.

The male coupling member 10 connects the inner surface 5a of the enlarged diameter portion 5 and the annular member 6.
The cylindrical part 11 is inserted into the cylindrical part formed by the inner surface 6a of Contact 4a and L.

The other end of the male coupling member 10 has suitable means for coupling to a hose or other member.

A locking groove 13 is provided on the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 11 at a position corresponding to the through hole between the lower end surface of the enlarged diameter portion 5 and the upper end surface a of the annular member 6.
is provided.

The locking groove 13 is formed over the entire circumference of the cylindrical portion 11 and has an L.
Ru.

In order to hold the rolling element 12 disposed in the through hole in an engaged state with the locking groove 13 of the male coupling member 10, the female coupling member 2
A holding member 14 is provided between the inner cylinder part 4 and the outer cylinder part 7.

The holding member 14 is movable in the axial direction, has a tapered holding surface 23 at its lower end, and holds the rolling element 12 in an engaged state with the locking groove 13 in a downwardly moved holding position.

A suitable number of actuating arms 15 are attached to the holding member 14 by pins 15.
a, etc., and this arc 15 extends upward through a hole 16a formed in the annular wall 16 of the female coupling member 2.

A retaining nut 19 is attached to the upper part of the inner cylinder part 4 of the female coupling member 2.
is fixed, and a cam member 21 is rotatably disposed between the holding nut 19 and the annular wall 16 via a ball 20.

The cam member 21 has a cam groove 22 inclined in the circumferential direction, and the cam driven roller 17 that engages with this cam groove 22 is connected to the arm 1.
It is supported by the upper end of 5 (・ru.

Therefore, by rotating the cam member 21, the holding member 14 can be moved up and down.

FIG. 2 shows the operating mechanism of the cam member 21. An operating ring 25 is fixed to the outside of the cam member 21 with a screw 25a, and a spring 27 is engaged with an ear member 26 provided on the operating ring 25. and always bias it clockwise.

A stopper 28 is fixed to the operating ring 25, and a solenoid 29 having an electromagnetic stopper 30 that engages with the stopper 28 to prevent rotation of the operating ring 25 is arranged at the fixed portion.

Therefore, when the stopper 30 is retracted by energizing the solenoid 29, the operating ring 25 and the cam 21 are rotated clockwise in FIG. 2 by the force of the spring 270, and the holding member 14 is moved upward to the release position. Moved.

Therefore, the rolling element 12 is connected to the locking groove 13 of the male coupling member 10.
It is possible to leave from.

Generally, this connection includes the weight of the hose and the connection member;
Since the weight and pressure of the fluid passing through the interior acts in the direction of separating the coupling, the coupling members 2 and 10 are separated as soon as the rolling element 12 can be removed from the locking groove 13.

The holding member 14 also has a tapered holding surface 2 at its lower end.
3, so during such a bond release operation,
The holding member does not slide on the rolling element surface, and therefore can be quickly moved to the release position without experiencing any frictional resistance.

Therefore, the coupling members 2 and 10 can be separated more quickly.

In the illustrated embodiment, the outer surface of the inner cylinder part 4 that extends into the space between the inner cylinder part 4 and the outer cylinder part 7 of the female coupling member 2 has a large diameter part 32b and a small diameter part 32b having a stepped part 32a therebetween. The inner surface of the holding member 14 is in slidable contact with the large diameter portion 32b and the small diameter portion 32c via the Q-IJ ring 34, and there is a space between the small diameter portion 32c and the inner surface of the holding member 14. 3
3 is formed, and the holding member 14 has a pressure receiving surface facing the stepped portion 32a of the female coupling member 20 in this space.

A flow path 36 connecting the flow path 3 and this space 33 is formed in the inner cylinder portion 4, so that fluid pressure is guided to this space 33 during operation.

The fluid pressure introduced into this space 33 acts to push the holding member 14 downward, that is, to the holding position, and the transfer element 1
2 to the holding member 14 in the opposite direction.

Therefore, by providing this arrangement, the cam member 2
The force required for operation 1 can be greatly reduced.

As described above, the present invention provides a coupling device that can securely maintain the coupling and can easily perform emergency disconnection.

Moreover, the coupling device of the present invention can rotatably couple pressure fluid transfer pipes to each other, and can set the operating force for separating the transfer pipes to a desired level regardless of the pipe diameter and fluid pressure. It is easy to do this, and it is also easy to perform separation work by remote control in an emergency, which provides excellent effects.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a coupling device showing an embodiment of the present invention;
The figure is a sectional view taken along the line ■-■. 2.--Female coupling member, 4.--Inner cylinder part,
10... Male coupling member, 12... Roller, 13... Engagement groove, 14... Holding member.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 Consists of a male coupling member and a female coupling member each having a cylindrical part that has a flow path inside and fits into each other, and the female coupling member has a through hole in the cylindrical part for receiving a transfer element. A locking groove for receiving the rotor is provided in the cylindrical portion of the male coupling member at a position corresponding to the through hole of the female coupling member. The outer side has a holding surface that is inclined on the inner surface to hold the rolling element in an engaged state with the engaging groove of the male coupling member, and is movable in the axial direction between a holding position and a release position. A holding member is disposed, the holding member has a pressure receiving surface that receives fluid pressure at an axial end located on the small diameter side of the inclination of the holding surface, and the female coupling member has a pressure receiving surface that receives fluid pressure. A flow path is formed to guide the pressure of the fluid to the pressure receiving surface, and the locking groove of the male coupling member and the through hole of the female coupling member are formed all around the cylindrical part, and 1. A coupling device for a fluid transfer pipe connecting an aircraft and a surface facility, characterized in that the coupling members can rotate relative to each other in a coupled state.