KR20210002134U - Quick connector with verifier mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

A quick connector coupling is provided for forming a separable connection between a male member and a female member in a fluid line. The quick connector coupling includes a connector body, a retainer housing, a retainer and a verifier. The verifier is slidable between an initial configuration and a verify configuration, wherein the verify configuration exhibits positive retention of the male member relative to the coupling and female member. This coupling allows operation from only one side, improving the packaging and design of the fluid line.

Description

Quick connector with verifier mechanism

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to connectors for fluid lines, and more particularly to quick connector couplings for forming a separable connection between a male member and a female member in a fluid line.

In automotive and other applications, quick connector couplings (generally comprising a male member that are received and sealably held in a monolithic plastic or metal female connector body having a stem portion integrally formed with a retainer housing portion) are often used to provide a fluid connection between two parts or conduits, forming a fluid line between the two parts. The use of a quick connector coupling is advantageous in that a sealed and fixed fluid line can be made with a minimal amount of time and cost.

Many methods and mechanisms exist for securing together the male member of a quick connector coupling and the female connector body. Another type of retaining mechanism involves the use of retainers in the form of retaining clips that are inserted through slots formed on the exterior of the connector body. A beam extending through the slot is disposed between the male member upset and the rear surface defining the slot to prevent disengagement of the coupling. Because of the physical appearance of such retainers, retainers are referred to in the art as "horseshoe" retainers. An example of a retainer of this kind can be found in US Pat. No. 5,586,792 to Kalahasthy et al., which US patent is incorporated herein by reference. The "horsor" retainer disclosed in the '792 patent allows for easy release of the coupling without significantly increasing the complexity of the coupling.

Applicants believe that there may be packaging problems because the parts of a quick connector require access from several sides of the connector, such as from top and bottom, or from top and more than one side, to attach all the parts and connect the tubular members. found that it can. The quick connector couplings of the present disclosure provide the advantage of requiring access from only one side (eg, top, bottom, left or right) to actuate parts of the coupling and connect fluid lines. Moreover, since the quick connector couplings of the present disclosure can connect to male and female parts in any radial direction, the quick connectors can be oriented to provide the most convenient access for the operator.

The present invention may include any of the following aspects in various combinations, and may also include any other aspect described in the description below or in the appended claims.

In a first aspect, a quick connector coupling for forming a separable connection between a male member and a female member in a fluid line is provided. The male member has a protruding upset extending circumferentially around the outside of the male member. The quick connector coupling includes a connector body, a retainer housing, a retainer and a verifier. The connector body defines a first through bore extending from the male receiving end to the female receiving end along an axially longitudinal axis. The retainer housing is connected to the connector body and defines a second through bore in communication with the first through bore. The retainer also defines a passageway communicating with the second through bore. The retainer releasably secures the male member within the connector body and the first and second through bores of the retainer housing. The retainer is positioned within the passageway of the retainer housing and includes a first pair of legs and a second pair of legs. The verifier is slidably connected to the connector body and includes a first pair of arms and a second pair of arms. The second pair of arms has a latch that engages the retainer housing in an initial configuration of the quick connector coupling such that the verifier cannot slide relative to the connector body.

According to a further aspect, each of the first and second pairs of legs is sized and positioned to engage and move radially outwardly by an upset as the male member is inserted into the retainer housing. The legs of the second pair of retainers are configured such that when the legs of the second pair move outward, the arms of the second pair move radially outward to disengage the latch from the retainer housing and allow sliding of the verifier relative to the retainer housing; It has a size and position relative to the arms of the second pair of verifiers. In this way, the verifier can act as a spare or auxiliary latch, and also provides a visual indication that the male member is securely held in the quick connector coupling and that the fluid line is formed by the female member.

According to a more detailed aspect, the quick connector coupling has an intermediate configuration in which the male member is inserted into the second through bore such that the first pair of legs are on the male side of the upset, wherein the second pair of legs move radially outwardly. Thus, the upset is coupled with the second pair of legs. The quick connector coupling has a verification configuration in which the verifier has slid relative to the retainer housing such that the latch engages the retainer housing and the second pair of arms has moved radially inward. The arms of the first pair in the verification configuration are sized and positioned to limit outward movement of the legs of the first pair of retainers such that the male member cannot be removed from the quick connector coupling. The passageway of the retainer housing includes a radially slot opening, the latch extending into the slot in an initial configuration. At least a portion of the second pair of legs protrude into the slots. The verifier is axially slidable relative to the connector body and retainer housing, and the verifier is axially slidable between the initial configuration and the verify configuration.

According to a still further detailed aspect, the latch is defined by a projection on each of the arms of the second pair, the projection extending radially inward. The arms of the second pair of verifiers extend in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis, and the legs of the second pair of retainers extend in a direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The arms of the first pair of verifiers extend in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis. The second pair of legs has an L-shape defined by a first portion and a second portion extending transversely from the first portion. A second portion of the second pair of legs is positioned to engage a second arm of the verifier, and the L-shaped first portion extends generally parallel to the retainer legs of the first pair. The retainer is slidable within the passageway of the retainer housing for insertion and removal thereof.

In another aspect, a quick connector coupling is provided for forming a separable connection between a male member and a female member extending along a longitudinal axis in a fluid line, the male member having a projecting upset. The quick connector coupling includes a retainer housing, a retainer and a verifier. The retainer housing defines a through bore for receiving the male member and defines a passageway communicating with the through bore. The retainer releasably secures the male member within the through bore of the retainer housing. The retainer is positioned within the passageway of the retainer housing and includes a first pair of legs and a second pair of legs. The verifier is slidably connected to the retainer housing and includes a first pair of arms.

The quick connector coupling has an initial configuration, an intermediate configuration and a verification configuration. In an initial configuration, a pair of arms of the verifier engage the retainer housing such that the verifier cannot slide relative to the retainer housing. In the intermediate configuration, the male member is positioned in the through bore such that the upset engages the second pair of legs and the second pair of legs are radially moved outwardly to disengage the pair of arms from engagement with the retainer housing. It moves outward in the direction to engage the pair of arms. In the verification configuration, the verifier is slid relative to the retainer housing and the pair of arms moves back radially inwardly so that the pair of arms engage the retainer housing.

In another aspect, a method is provided for connecting a tubular male member to a tubular female member along a longitudinal axis using a quick connector coupling for forming a separable connection in a fluid line. This method is

attaching the quick connector coupling as described above to the female member;

a) the upset engages and moves beyond the first pair of legs - the first pair of legs expand and then retract as the upset moves between the first pair of legs - so that the male member moves over the first pair of legs movement in a second axial direction opposite the first axial direction is limited by the first pair of legs, and b) an upset engages the second pair of legs so that the second pair of legs radially outwardly inserting the male member in a first axial direction into the through bore of the retainer housing such that it moves to engage the pair of arms and thus move the pair of arms radially outwardly out of engagement with the retainer housing; and

sliding the verifier relative to the retainer housing such that a pair of arms moves back radially inwardly and engages the retainer housing to limit further axial movement of the verifier.

According to a more detailed aspect, the verifier includes a different pair of arms, and after sliding the verifier, the other pair of arms are arranged on the leg portion of the first pair of retainers such that the male member cannot be removed from the quick connector coupling. positioned to limit lateral movement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate various aspects of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
1 is an exploded view of a quick connector coupling in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the quick connector coupling shown in FIG. 1 ;
3 is a front view of a retainer forming part of the quick connector coupling of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the retainer shown in FIG. 3 ;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the retainer housing forming part of the quick connector coupling shown in FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 6 is a front view of a verifier forming part of the quick connector coupling shown in FIG. 1 ;
7 is a perspective view of the verifier of FIG. 6 .
8 to 13 are partially cut-away top views illustrating the operation of the quick connector assembly shown in FIG. 1 ;
14 is a partially cut-away front view showing an intermediate configuration of the quick connector coupling shown in FIG. 11 .
15 is a partially cut-away front view showing the verification configuration of the quick connector coupling shown in FIG. 13 .

All figures serve only as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. While the drawings have generally been drawn to scale, some feature features may not be to scale and serve to highlight specific details of various aspects of the present invention. In the figures, common parts between different embodiments have common reference numerals. It should be noted that, for the sake of clarity, the quick connector coupling 30 of the present disclosure is shown in its longitudinally extending position in a horizontal plane and the terms "top" and "bottom" are used to describe the connector body. However, in use, the quick connector coupling 30 may be positioned in any orientation with respect to a horizontal plane and a vertical plane, so "top," "bottom," "side," and "lateral" refer to the drawings and representations herein with respect to the drawings. used

The quick connector coupling 30 described herein provides access from only one side (eg, top, bottom, left or right) to actuate parts of the coupling (eg, retainers and verifiers) and connect fluid lines. You will find that it provides the advantage of needing Moreover, the quick connector couplings of the present disclosure can be connected to male and female parts in any radial direction, and the quick connectors can be oriented to provide the most convenient access for the operator. In this way, the packaging of the quick connector coupling is improved, the design of the fluid line is made more robust and is also flexible in a variety of different environments. The present couplings, pressurized or unpressurized, are used in many applications where a tight but releasable connection is required, such as in fluid delivery systems or fuel-filled pipe arrangements.

1 and 2 , a quick connector coupling 30 is used to form a separable connection between the male member 20 and the female member 22 in the fluid line. Male member 20 and female member 22 may be tubes, pipes, hoses or other fluid transfer elements as known in the art. The tubular configuration of male member 20 and female member 22 generally defines a longitudinal axis LA around which quick connector coupling 30 is disposed. Male member 20 also includes a protruding upset 24 extending circumferentially around the exterior of male member 20 . This upset 24 may be integrally formed with the male member 20 during manufacture of the male member 20 to form a unitary structure, or it may be a separate part coupled to the exterior of the male member 20 .

The quick connector coupling 30 generally includes a connector body 32 , a retainer housing 34 , a retainer 36 , and a verifier 38 . As best seen in FIG. 1 , the connector body 32 is a tubular member defining a stem 35 at the female end or female side of the connector body 32 . The stem 35 generally includes various ribs, ridges, and grooves for connecting to the female member 22 , but may take various configurations depending on the structure of the female member 22 . The male end 37 of the connector body 32 is structured to be connected to the retainer housing 34 by, for example, various slots, windows, or other known structures for interconnecting the two tubular elements. The female member 22 may be press fit to the stem 35 and additional clamps, adhesives, etc. may be used, but other methods or structures for joining the two tubular elements such as spin welding or laser welding or other known methods may be used. A welding technique such as a bonding process may be used. The connector body 32 defines a first through bore 42 extending generally from the stem 35 at the female end to the male end 37 and forms part of the fluid line.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 , 4 and 5 , a retainer housing 34 ( FIG. 5 ) and a corresponding retainer 36 ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ) are used to receive and hold the male member 20 . The retainer housing 34 generally defines a second through bore 44 in fluid communication with the first through bore 42 of the connector body 32 . The retainer housing 34 generally includes a passageway 46 extending from the exterior to the interior of the housing 34 . The passageway 46 is sized to receive the retainer 36 for engagement with the male member 20 . The passageway 46 thus generally includes two passageways extending vertically and facing each other laterally, the passageways comprising a first pair of legs 52 and a second pair of legs of the retainer 36 . for accommodating the portion 54 . The passageway 46 communicates with the through bore 44 so that the leg portion 52 of the retainer 36 can retain the male member 20 therein. The passageway 46 is also laterally open to define a slot 48 on the exterior of the retainer housing 34 .

The retainer 36 generally includes a crossbar 50 having a first pair of legs 52 and a second pair of legs 54 , both legs downwardly from the crossbar 50 . protruding out In particular, the first pair of legs 52 includes one leg projecting from one end of the crossbar 50 and the other leg projecting from the opposite end of the crossbar 50 , so that the leg portion (52) are laterally spaced apart from each other. Each of the first pair of legs 52 includes a catch or shoulder 53 formed at its downward free end, which engages a corresponding surface of the retainer housing 34 such that the retainer 36 is It prevents upward movement of the retainer when fully seated in the retainer housing 34 .

The first pair of legs 52 includes a chamfered surface 56 for receiving and engaging the upset 24 of the male member. This chamfered surface 56 is formed on the forward surfaces of the first pair of legs 52 and slopes radially inwardly and axially backwards from the forwarding surfaces of each leg. The inner edges of the first pair of legs 52 are spaced apart from each other by a distance generally corresponding to the outer diameter of the male member 20 , and the outer edges of the chamfered surface 56 are curved in shape, preferably semicircular. and are spaced apart from each other by a distance corresponding to the outer diameter of the upset 24 formed in the male member 20 . The retainer 36 is formed from a resilient material, preferably molded from a thermoplastic material, so that the first pair of legs 52 as the male member 20 is inserted into the quick connector coupling 30 . can be bent and deflected radially outward. That is, as the upset 24 slides along the chamfered surface 56, the upset 24 engages the chamfered surface 56 of the first pair of legs 52 and presses it laterally outward. . Further details regarding the formation of the first pair of legs 52 and retainer 36, including alternative designs, can be found in US Pat. It is hereby incorporated by reference.

Retainer 36 also includes a second pair of legs 54 , which are laterally spaced apart from each other and crossbar 50 , in a manner similar to the first pair of legs 52 . protruding downwards from The second pair of legs 54 is located directly behind the first pair of legs 52 , ie on the female side of the retainer 36 . The second pair of leg portions 54 are generally L-shaped, with a first portion 58 projecting downwardly from the crossbar 50 and a second portion protruding laterally outward ( 60). The second pair of legs may have other shapes. As can be seen in FIG. 3 , the second portion 60 of the second pair of legs 54 projects laterally outward beyond the outer surface of the first pair of legs 52 . The second pair of legs may have other shapes defining projections that extend laterally outward, ie radially away from the longitudinal axis, for engagement with the verifier as discussed further below. A portion of the inner surface of the second pair of legs 54 includes a chamfered area 61 , similar to the chamfered area 56 of the first pair of legs 52 , which is of the male member. Position sized to engage by upset 24 . The inner edges of the second pair of legs 54 correspond to the outer diameter of the male member 20 and are spaced apart from each other by a distance less than the outer diameter of the upset 24 so that the male member 20 axially passes therethrough. , the second pair of leg portions 54 are deflected outwardly away from the longitudinal axis LA.

Referring to FIG. 5 , retainer housing 34 is generally defined by an annular body 62 , which defines a through bore 44 and extends from male side 66 to female side 68 . has been The male side 66 is a generally flat surface, and the female end 68 is formed with a tab for connection to an opening in the male end 37 of the connector body 32 . The retainer housing 34 is thus attached to the connector body 32 to form an integral element. The retainer housing 34 and connector body 32 are preferably formed separately from each other so that the verifier 38 is disposed around the smooth cylindrical surface of the connector body 32 prior to interconnection of the retainer housing and connector body. However, the retainer housing 34 may be integrally formed with the connector body 32 as well. Likewise, other techniques for connecting the annular body 62 to the connector body 32 may be used, such as adhesives, glue, and welding techniques such as spin welding or laser welding. As previously mentioned, passage 46 communicates with outer lateral slot 48 formed in annular body 62 . In other words, the annular body 62 defines an annular rim 63 which is longitudinally spaced away from the other annular rim 65 such that a passageway 46 and a slot 48 are therebetween. .

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7 , the verifier 38 is defined by a generally annular body 70 defining a large aperture 71 which fits around the cylindrical outer surface of the connecting body 32 . It is sized as much as possible. Due to the annular shape of the body 70, it can be gripped from one side of the quick connector coupling 30 corresponding to the retainer 36, so that only the coupling 30 required is physically removed from one side of the device. is approached as At the same time, the annular body 70 can be held from either side of the coupling 30 as needed or desired. The verifier 38 is sized and structured to slide axially over the connecting body 32 , the connecting body having one or more stops 33 positioned to limit axial movement towards the female member 22 ( FIG. 1 ). see) are included. The verifier 38 includes a first pair of arms 72 and a second pair of arms 74 projecting axially from the annular body 70 . The first pair of arms 72 are sized and structured to be fairly rigid so that they do not flex significantly (eg, by more than 10% from their central axis), but may be structured to flex. The second pair of arms 74 are sized and structured such that they can flex laterally, ie radially with respect to the longitudinal axis LA. One of ordinary skill in the art will readily be able to ascertain the material and thickness of the first and second arms 72, 74 to provide these features.

The second pair of arms 74 generally include a latch 78 formed at an end thereof. The latches 78 generally extend radially inward from the plane of the second pair of arms 74 . As further described herein, the latch 74 is sized and structured to engage the retainer housing 34 and in particular the peripheral rims 63 , 65 . Referring to FIG. 5 , the peripheral rim 63 on the male side 66 of the retainer housing 34 is coupled with the latch 78 of the second pair of arms 74 of the verifier 38 for engagement therewith. and a latch surface 67 that is matched in size and position. The verifier 38 also includes a beam 76 formed at its bottom end, which beam is slidable in a slot 69 formed in the bottom surface of the annular member 62 of the retainer housing 34 . accepted (see FIGS. 5 and 7). The beam 76 cooperates with the slot 69 to guide the verifier 38 in axial sliding motion over the connecting body 32 and relative to the retainer housing 34 .

Referring again to FIG. 1 , assembly of the quick connector coupling 30 includes placing the verifier 38 over the outer cylindrical surface of the connecting body 32 and retaining the male end 37 of the connecting body 32 into the retainer housing. and connecting to the female end 68 of 34 . The retainer 36 slides transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis LA into the retainer housing 34 so that the first and second pairs of legs 52, 54 engage the passageway 46 and the slot. (48) is passed. The slots 48 are structured to allow the second pair of arms 54 to be exposed to the outside. As described below, the second pair of arms 74 of the verifier 38 are radially aligned with the second pair of legs 54 of the retainer 36 , so that the second pair of legs 54 projects through slots 48 to engage the second pair of arms 74 . The stem 35 of the connecting body 32 may be connected to the female member 22 in a generally permanent manner through methods known to those skilled in the art.

The operation of the quick connector coupling 30 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 15 . As shown in FIG. 8 , the connector body 32 , the retainer housing 34 , the retainer 36 and the verifier 38 are all connected together as described above. To complete the fluid line, the male member 22 is axially inserted into the quick connector coupling 30 , in particular the through bores 42 , 44 defined therein. As shown in FIG. 9 , as the male member passes through the through bore 44 and enters the second through bore 42 , the upset 24 is the first leg portion 52 of the retainer 36 . It engages the chamfered surface 56 . As can be seen in FIG. 10 , with further axial movement, the upset 24 causes the first pair of legs 52 to deflect radially laterally outwardly relative to the longitudinal axis, so that the upset 24 . is movable axially beyond the first pair of legs 52 .

11 , as the male member 20 continues to move in the axial direction, the upset 24 engages the chamfered surfaces 61 of the second pair of legs 54 . This causes the second pair of leg portions 54 to move laterally outward. The verifier 38 is initially positioned on the side of the female member 22 (ie, upward in the plane of FIG. 8 ), and a second pair of arms 74 extend axially to engage the retainer housing 34 . . In particular, the latches 78 of the second pair of arms 74 are circumscribed around the rim 65 defined by the annular body 62 of the retainer housing 34 and enter into the lateral slots 48 . The free end surface of the latch 78 and thus the second pair of arms 74 are retained in the slot 48 to prevent axial sliding movement of the verifier 38 .

The end surfaces of the latches 78 (and thus the second pair of arms 74 ) engage the outer surfaces of the second pair of legs 54 within the slots 48 . Outward movement of the second pair of leg portions 54 (by the upset 24 of the male member 20 ) causes the second pair of arms 74 and their latches 78 to correspondingly laterally outward. will move to The upset 24 , the relative size of the leg portions 54 of the second pair (and in particular the lateral width of the second portion 60 ) and the lateral width of the latches 78 of the second pair of arms 74 are , the latch 78 is set free from the lateral slot 48 and the peripheral rim 65 of the retainer housing 34 . This can also be seen in the front view of FIG. 14 , in which the upset 24 of the male member 20 presses the second pair of legs 54 laterally outward, and thus the second pair of arms ( 74 and its latch 78 move laterally outward beyond the lateral extension of the outer surface of the annular member 62 defining the retainer housing 34 .

11 , the rear wall of the annular body 62 adjacent the female end 68 and the peripheral rim 65 prevents the male member 20 from moving further axially towards the female member 22 . prevent. That is, when the male member 20 is fully inserted into the through bores 42 , 44 of the quick connector coupling 30 , the annular upset 24 engages the second pair of leg portions 54 and radially engages them. Keep it biased outward.

In this way, when the male member 20 is inserted into the steps shown in FIG. 11 , the verifier 38 will slide axially toward the male member 20 (from the ground down) as shown in FIG. 12 . can The latch 78 can thus slide along the outer surface of the retainer housing 34 until it reaches the axial surface of the annular member 62 on the male side 66 .

As can be seen in FIG. 13 , the arms 74 of the second pair are then biased naturally laterally inward (radially inward towards the longitudinal axis LA), so that the latch 78 has an annular body ( Wrapping around the male end surface 66 of 62 again prevents or limits axial sliding of the verifier 38 . FIG. 15 shows a front view of the second pair of arms 74 and their latches 78, again moved laterally inwardly to engage the retainer housing 34. As shown in FIG.

As can be seen in FIG. 13 , the first pair of arms 72 of the verifier 38 have reached a point of axial overlap with the first pair of legs 52 of the verifier 36 . In this way, the first pair of leg portions 52 are held on the male side (down from the ground) of the upset 24 so that the male member 20 is axially retracted or removed from the quick connector coupling 30 . to prevent The first pair of arms 72 are preferably rigidly formed, however, the annular body 62 of the retainer housing 34 engages and supports the first pair of arms 72 so that the first pair of arms 72 It prevents outward deflection of the leg portions 52 of the pair.

For disengagement, the second pair of arms 74 and their latches 78 are manually pressed laterally and radially outwardly to the latches 78 from the mating surfaces 67 in the retainer housing 34 . should be freed, so that the verifier 38 can be slid back again towards the female member 22 (up from the ground). Even then, the first pair of legs 52 of the retainer 36 will generally prevent withdrawal of the male member 20 until the verifier moves in the axial direction, so that the first pair of legs ( 52) must be manually pressed radially outward to free the male member. In this way, the verifier 38 also serves as a spare or auxiliary latch for the quick connector coupling 30 that forms a fluid line between the male member 20 and the female member 22 .

The foregoing description of various embodiments of the present invention has been given by way of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise embodiments disclosed. Many modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments discussed were chosen and described in order to provide the best explanation of the principles of the invention and its practical use to enable those skilled in the art to use the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. will be. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the present invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the extent to which they are fairly, legally and equitably received.

Claims (20)

A quick connector coupling for forming a separable connection between a male member and a female member in a fluid line, the male member having a protruding upset extending circumferentially around the exterior of the male member, the quick connector coupling is,
a connector body defining a first through bore extending from the male receiving end to the female receiving end along an axially longitudinal axis;
a retainer housing connected to the connector body and defining a second through bore communicating with the first through bore and defining a passageway communicating with the second through bore;
for releasably securing the male member within the first and second through bores of the connector body and retainer housing, positioned within the passageway of the retainer housing, the first pair of legs and the second pair a retainer including a leg portion of the; and
a verifier slidably connected to the connector body and including a first pair of arms and a second pair of arms;
the second pair of arms having a latch that engages the retainer housing in an initial configuration of the quick connector coupling such that the verifier cannot slide relative to the connector body;
each of the first and second pairs of legs is sized and positioned to engage and move radially outwardly by the upset as the male member is inserted into the retainer housing;
The legs of the second pair of retainers are configured such that when the legs of the second pair move outward, the arms of the second pair move radially outward to disengage the latch from the retainer housing and allow sliding of the verifier relative to the retainer housing. , a quick connector coupling having a size and position relative to the arms of the second pair of verifiers. The method of claim 1,
The quick connector coupling has an intermediate configuration in which the male member is inserted into the second through bore such that the first pair of legs are on the male side of the upset, wherein the upset is configured such that the second pair of legs move radially outwardly. A quick connector coupling that engages two pairs of legs. The method of claim 1,
wherein the quick connector coupling has a verify configuration wherein the verifier has slid relative to the retainer housing such that a latch engages the retainer housing and the second pair of arms have moved radially inward. The method of claim 1,
wherein the first pair of arms in the verification configuration is sized and positioned to restrict outward movement of the legs of the first pair of retainers such that the male member cannot be removed from the quick connector coupling. The method of claim 1,
wherein the passageway of the retainer housing includes a slot opening in a radial direction and the latch extends into the slot in the initial configuration. 6. The method of claim 5,
and at least a portion of the leg portions of the second pair protrude into the slot. The method of claim 1,
wherein the verifier is axially slidable relative to the connector body and retainer housing, and wherein the verifier is axially slidable between the initial configuration and the validation configuration. The method of claim 1,
wherein the latch is defined by a projection on each of the arms of the second pair, the projection extending radially inward. The method of claim 1,
wherein the arms of the second pair of verifiers extend in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis, and the legs of the second pair of retainers extend in a direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. . 10. The method of claim 9,
and the arms of the first pair of verifiers extend in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis. The method of claim 1,
wherein said second pair of legs have an L-shape defined by a first portion and a second portion extending transversely from the first portion. 12. The method of claim 11,
and a second portion of the second pair of legs is positioned to engage a second arm of a verifier. 12. The method of claim 11,
and the L-shaped first portion extends generally parallel to the first pair of retainer legs. The method of claim 1,
wherein the retainer is slidable within the passageway of the retainer housing. A quick connector coupling for forming a separable connection between a male member and a female member extending along a longitudinal axis in a fluid line, the male member having a projecting upset, the quick connector coupling comprising:
a retainer housing defining a through bore for receiving the male member and defining a passageway communicating with the through bore;
a retainer for releasably securing the male member within a through bore of the retainer housing, the retainer positioned within the passageway of the retainer housing, the retainer including a first pair of legs and a second pair of legs; and
a verifier slidably connected to the retainer housing and comprising a first pair of arms;
the quick connector coupling has an initial configuration in which a pair of arms of the verifier engage the retainer housing such that the verifier cannot slide relative to the retainer housing;
The quick connector coupling has an intermediate configuration, wherein the male member is positioned in the through bore such that the upset engages the second pair of legs and the pair of arms out of engagement with the retainer housing. The second pair of legs move radially outwardly to engage the pair of arms to move radially outwardly;
wherein the quick connector coupling has a verification configuration wherein the verifier is slid relative to the retainer housing and the pair of arms move radially inwardly back such that the pair of arms engage the retainer housing. 16. The method of claim 15,
The legs of the second pair of retainers are configured such that when the legs of the second pair move outward, the arms of the pair move radially outward to disengage the latch from the retainer housing and allow sliding of the verifier relative to the retainer housing; A quick connector coupling having a size and position relative to the arms of the pair of verifiers. 16. The method of claim 15,
The verifier includes two pairs of arms, the pair of arms engaged with the second pair of legs is a second pair of arms, and in the verification configuration, the first pair of arms, wherein the male member includes a quick connector coupling. A quick connector coupling sized and positioned to limit outward movement of the legs of the first pair of retainers such that they cannot be removed from the retainer. 16. The method of claim 15,
wherein the verifier is axially slidable relative to the retainer housing and the verifier is axially slidable between the initial configuration and the validation configuration. A method of connecting a tubular male member to a tubular female member along a longitudinal axis using a quick connector coupling to form a separable connection in a fluid line, the male member having a projecting upset, the method comprising:
attaching the quick connector coupling to the female member, the quick connector coupling comprising:
a retainer housing defining a through bore for receiving the male member and defining a passageway communicating with the through bore;
a retainer for releasably securing the male member within a through bore of the retainer housing, the retainer positioned within the passageway of the retainer housing, the retainer including a first pair of legs and a second pair of legs; and
and a verifier slidably connected to the retainer housing;
the verifier includes a pair of arms engaged with the retainer housing such that the verifier cannot slide relative to the retainer housing;
a) the upset engages and moves beyond the first pair of legs - the first pair of legs expands and then retracts as the upset moves between the first pair of legs - thus, the male member movement in a second axial direction opposite the first axial direction is limited by the first pair of legs, and b) the upset engages with the second pair of legs so that the second pair of legs is radially inserting the male member in a first axial direction into the through bore of the retainer housing such that it moves outwardly to engage the pair of arms and thus move the pair of arms radially outwardly out of engagement with the retainer housing. to do; and
and sliding the verifier relative to the retainer housing such that a pair of arms moves back radially inwardly and engages the retainer housing to limit further axial movement of the verifier. Way. 20. The method of claim 19,
The verifier includes another pair of arms, and after sliding the verifier, the other pair of arms are configured to restrict outward movement of the legs of the first pair of retainers such that the male member cannot be removed from the quick connector coupling. Positioned way.

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