WO1985002672A1

WO1985002672A1 - Improved fluid coupling assembly

Info

Publication number: WO1985002672A1
Application number: PCT/US1984/001994
Authority: WO
Inventors: John T. Hoskins; Robert G. Zillig; Steven R. Zillig; James E. Caroll
Original assignee: Hoskins John; Zillig Robert G
Priority date: 1983-12-06
Filing date: 1984-12-05
Publication date: 1985-06-20
Also published as: DE3490571T; DE3490571C2; GB8517201D0; GB2159226A; GB2159226B

Abstract

An improved fluid coupling for connecting an oil line (400) to an oil cooler (26) disposed within a radiator header, defined in part by a header wall (70). In one embodiment the coupling includes a tubular fitting (404) which has a first portion brazed about a port (32) in the oil cooler (26) and a second portion which is brazed to a header wall (70). The tubular fitting is provided with a bore and the tubular connector end portion (402) of the oil line (400) may be telescoped within the bore to an assembled position. A seal (406) is mounted within the bore. Coupler means (408) are provided for holding the tubular fitting and the tubular connector end portion in their assembled position, the coupler means including a radially outwardly extending surface (446) on the tubular connector end portion (402) and a collet (450) snap fitted within the tubular fitting and which can engage the surface (446) to hold the parts in their assembled position.

Description

IMPROVED FLUID COUPLING ASSEMBLY

Field Of The Invention The present invention relates to a fluid coupling assembly for connecting an oil cooler disposed within the ^' header of an automobile radiator to the tubular connector end portion of an oil line. This invention finds utility in the automotive industry where a transmission oil cooler is frequently disposed within the header of a radiator for a water cooled engine.

Background A typical automobile radiator consists of spaced apart inlet and outlet headers which are interconnected by a plurality of tubes which extend through a number of parallel fins over which ambient air is drawn by a fan (or by the forward movement of the automobile) , the air serving to cool the engine coolant. If the automobile is provided with an automatic transmission, it may be necessary to provide a heat exchanger for cooling the transmission oil or fluid. An oil cooler may be provided over which air may pass in one form of transmission oil cooler. In another form, which is more typical of many automobiles, the transmission oil cooler is actually disposed within one of the headers of the automobile radiator, and therefore the transmission oil is cooled by the engine coolant as it passes over this heat exchanger. To this end, a radiator which utilizes this form of a transmission oil cooler is provided with a header having a pair of spaced apart apertures. The associated oil cooler is provided with fittings which extend through the apertures and to which oil lines may be secured directly.

In practice, a number of disadvantages have been found with this prior art construction. One disadvantage relates to the use of seal plugs. Thus, after the assembly of the fitting to the oil cooler, it is necessary to seal the oil cooler for testing and to prevent the introducation of foreign elements into the cooler. This is done by screw- ing threaded plugs into the oil cooler fittings . At the final assembly location, which may be many hundreds of miles away from the location where the oil cooler and radiator are fabricated, it is then necessary to remove these plugs. It has been found in practice that it is frequently difficult to remove these plugs which disassembly may take place many months after the plugs were installed. The labor costs associated with the removal of these seal plugs , and the subsequent waste of these plugs is considered to be excessive. Another disadvantage of the prior art construction relates to the labor costs associated with the time in¬ volved in assembling the oil line to the fitting and the subsequent testing which is required. If the securing nut which secures the oil line in place is not torqued sufficiently, and/or if the oil line (or flare seat) has not been properly flared, leakage will probably result. On the other hand, if the securing nut is torqued too much, there is a danger that the securing nut may shear, which will then require repairs.

A further disadvantage relates to the subsequent servicing of the vehicle. Once the transmission oil line has been secured to the existing fitting of the prior art, it has been found that during servicing of an automobile it is frequently necessary to cut the oil line in order to remove the radiator, as servicemen are reluctant to disconnect the end of the oil line from the radiator in view of a variety of problems . Also, it has been noted that the existing fittings of the prior art, which are made of a ferrous material, will frequently corrode and up to one half of the anti- rust ingredient of the initial coolant fill may be utilized in overcoming the rust attributible to the trans- mission oil line fittings.

Objects And Summary of the Present Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel fluid coupling assembly which will over¬ come the disadvantages of the prior art. More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fluid coupling assembly which will permit the inter¬ connection of o_^il lines to an oil cooler disposed within a radiator heading with a minimum of labor time.

It is a further object of the present design to provide a fitting for a fluid coupling assembly which does not require a threaded seal plug after testing.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a fluid coupling assembly which will facilitate disconnection of the ends of the oil line from the radiator to facilitate servicing of the radiator after final assembly. - 3a-

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel fluid coupling assembly of high reliability and relatively low cost.

The above objects and other objects and advantages of the present invention are accomplished in one design by providing a novel fluid coupling assembly which includes a female fitting, a male fitting, and a quick disconnect coupling. The female fitting can be secured directly to the surface of a side wall of an oil cooler about an aperture therein, the female fitting being provided with a threaded neck portion which extends at least partially through an aperture in said side wall. The male fitting has one end which can be threaded into the female fitting, a break-off end plug at the other end, a radially outwardly extending nut or washer-like element adjacent the threaded end portion, and a cylindrical portion extending between the outwardly extending element and the break-off end plug, which cylindrical portion is provided with a groove for the reception of a quick disconnect coupling. The quick disconnect coupling can be secured to one end of an oil line, the quick disconnect coupling also being capable of being secured to the male fitting after the break-off end plug has been broken off.

In other designs the above objects and other objects and advantages of the present invention are accomplished by providing a novel fluid coupling assembly having a tubular fitting provided with a stepped bore, a first portion of the tubular fitting being brazed to the oil cooler and another portion extending through an aperture in the header wall and being secured to the header wall in a fluid tight relationship about said aperture. The assembly further includes a tubular cylindrical elastomeric seal disposed within the bore with one end being adjacent said step. The coupling assembly also includes coupler means including 3b -

a radially outwardly extending surface on the tubular connector end portion of an oil line and a catch on the tubular fitting, the catch being a spring clip which is adapted to engage the radially outwardly extending surface to hold the tubular connector end portion telescoped within a portion of the tubular fitting, with the elastomeric seal compressed between the tubular fitting and the tubular connector end portion.

The preceding objects and other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent after a consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which two preferred forms of this invention are illustrated.

.4-

Brief Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1 is a rear view of an automotive radiator in which the principles of this invention may be embodied.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of a prior art radiator header in which an oil cooler is installed prior to final assembly.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating a novel fitting assembly of this invention.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but illustrating only the female fitting shown in Fig. 3, the female fitting being associated with a temporary closure device.

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the fluid coupling assembly of this invention. Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the quick coupler shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the male fitting illustrated in Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the male fitting shown in Fig/7.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the female fitting shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the fitting shown in Fig. ^' Fig. 11 illustrates a quick disconnect coupling of the type which may be utilized in this invention, the quick disconnect coupling being adapted to receive an oil line extending at right angles to the axis of the quick disconnect coupling. Fig. 12 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. 3 but illustrating a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 12 but illustrating a third embodiment oF the present invention, which embodiment is illustrated with the radiator header having a metallic wall.

Fig. 16 is a view illustrating a sub-assembly of the fluid coupling shown in Fig. 15.

Fig. 17 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 17-17 in Fig. 6.

Figs. 18 and 19 are enlarged cross-sectional views illustrating a portion of a modified version of the third embodiment shown in Fig. 15 and Fig. 18 showing various parts prior to final assembly, and Fig. 19 showing various parts after final assembly.

Fig. 20 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. 3, but showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 21 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along line 21-21 in Fig. 20.

•6 -

etailed Description of Figs. 1 and 2

Referring first to Fig. 1 an automotive radiator is illustrated, this radiator being suitable for use with the present invention. The automotive radiator, which is indicated generally at 10, includes spaced apart left and right hand headers 12,14, respectively. The heat exchanger element 16 of the radiator 10 extends between the headers 12 and 14 and consists of a plurality of parallel tubes and transverse fins, which fins are parallel to the headers 12 and 14. The headers are provided with cylindrical extensions to which radiator hoses 18 and 20 may be secured. The radiator is also provided with a fill port 22 which is closed by a radiator cap 24. While a transverse flow radiator has been illustrated, it should be appreciated that many radiators have vertically spaced apart headers interconnected by vertically extending tubes and the present invention is suitable for use with such radiators as well as the form shown in Fig. 1. As illustrated in Fig. 1 one of the headers may be provided with an oil cooler for cooling transmission oil, the oil cooler being indicated at 26. In Fig. 1 only one oil cooler 26 is illustrated, this oil cooler customarily being utilized for cooling transmission oil. However, it should be appreciated that the oil cooler 26 could be utilized for cooling other fluids, such as for example, engine oil for a diesel engine. In addition, it should also be appreciated that the radiator may be provided with more than one oil cooler, and thus, an oil cooler 26 may be provided in each header. -7-

Each header has opposed walls, and each header which is to receive an oil cooler has a pair of spaced apart apertures in one of its opposed walls.

One end of a prior art oil cooler is illustrated in greater detail in Fig. 2. It can be seen that the prior art oil cooler consists of a plurality of spaced apart plate-like elements 28 which are interconnected at opposed ends by fluid passageway forming elements 30. On the top plate is a locating flange 32 which is disposed about a port in the top wall of the top plate 28.

With further reference to Fig. 2 a portion of a prior art coupling device is illustrated. In this regard, it should be noted that the oil cooler 26 is provided with two coupling devices, one for an inlet oil line and one for an outlet oil line. The prior art fitting, which is indicated generally at 34, includes a generally cylindrical portion 36 provided with a flat bottom surface and a lower recess 40 which was adapted to locate the cylindrical portion 36 relative to the locating flange 32 prior to brazing the fitting 34 to the top plate 28 of the heat exchanger 26. The prior art fitting 34 is also provided with a neck portion 42 provided with external and internal threads 44,46, respectively. Disposed adjacent the internal threads 46 is an inverted flared portion 48 about which the flared end of an oil line is adapted to be secured. A bore 50 extends from the recess 40 through the inverted flared portion. The neck portion is adapted to be passed through a suitable aperture in a wall 54 of the header. To this end it should be noted that the spaced apart ports in the oil cooler are alignable with the spaced apart apertures 52 in the associated wall 54. The neck portion is also provided with a cylindrical portion

56 which is disposed between the cylindrical portion 36 and the external threads 44 for properly locating the fitting 34 within the aperture 52. - 8-

The prior art fittings 34 are preferably made of steel and after a pair of fittings 34 are placed on the top plate 28 of the oil cooler 26 and properly located, they are suitably brazed thereto by brazing material 56. After two fittings 34 have been brazed to the oil cooler 26 it is then necessary to pressure test the assembly for leaks. To this end a threaded plug 58 is inserted into one of the fittings 34 and suitable test apparatus is inserted into the other fitting 34 on the oil cooler. Fluid under pressure is then introduced into the oil cooler 26 to test for leaks. If no leaks are present the oil cooler is considered to have passed this inspection and the test apparatus is removed and another plug 58 is positioned within an associated fitting. As can be seen, the cylindrical portion 36 is provided with a surface 60 opposite that of the bottom brazed surface 38, the surface 60 being provided with a pair of concentric inwardly spaced^* grooves 62. Prior to the assembly a compressible washer 64 is placed over the grooves 62. The oil cooler is then positioned with the header of the radiator. It should be appreciated that in order to assemble the oil cooler with the fitting 34 into the header it is first necessary to position the oil cooler with the plate 28 further away from the fitting 34 closely adjacent the wall 66 of the header, the wall 66 being opposite wall 54, in order to provide suitable clearance. Thus, the distance from the top surface 68 of the fitting to the bottom surface 70 of the lowermost plate is only slightly less than the distance between the inner surface of one wall 54 and the corresponding inner surface of the other header wall 66. Thus there must be a clearance between the bottom surface 70 and the adjacent surface of header wall 66 which is in excess of the height of the fitting 34 which extends through and above • 9 -

wall 54, this height being indicated by arrows a in Fig.

2. After the oil cooler 26 and fitting 34 have been positioned in the header with the fittings 34 projecting through apertures 52, the oil cooler is secured in place by nuts 72 the nuts being screwed down to cause them to bear against one surface 74 of the wall 54 and to cause the washer 64 to bear tightly against the other surface 76 of wall 54. At this time the radiator assembly is suitable for installation in an automobile. However, as the radiators for a number of different assembly plants are made at a common plant, it is necessary to ship the radiator to a different location. It is then necessary to remove plugs 58 prior to final assembly. As it is possible that some time may be elapsed, and that the radiator may have been subject to abuse during that period of time between completion and assembly it is frequently difficult to remove the plugs 58. Thus, it has also been found in practice that frequently an excessive amount of labor time is in fact required to remove the plugs from the fittings prior to final assembly. These plugs, which are a machined part, are not returned to the radiator plant but are thrown away.

While this prior art design has performed in a generally satisfactory manner in the past, other difficulties have also been encountered. Thus, as the parts 34 and 58 are made of ferrous material, frequently corrosion of these parts takes place to such an extent up to one-half of the anti-rust inhibitors in the initial coolant fill are consumed combating this corrosion. Finally, servicemen who are required to repair the automobiles after use are reluctant to disconnect the end of the oil line from fittings 34 and customarily cut the line when it is necessary to remove the radiator for service. - 10-

It should be appreciated from the above that while the prior art design has performed in a generally satisfactory manner, it has numerous shortcomings. The major shortcomings are the limitation on the number of plates which the oil cooler can be provided with due to the overall height of the fitting 34, the excessive labor required to remove the plug 58 at the final assembly location, the attendant waste of machined parts after the plugs 58 have been removed, and the difficulties encountered in servicing the vehicle after use by the owner/operator of the vehicle. Detailed Description of Figs. 5 to 11

In order to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art construction, the novel fluid coupling assemblies of this invention has been developed. Referring now to Fig. 5 the fluid coupling assembly is indicated generally at 100 and consists of a quick disconnect coupling indicated generally at 102, a fitting assembly including a male fitting indicated generally at 104 and a female fitting indicated generally at 106, and a compressible washer 108 disposable between the male and female fittings of the fitting assembly. The compressible washer 108 is of the same construction as the compressible washer 64 illustrated in Fig. 2. The quick disconnect coupler 102 is of a generally conventional construction and is adapted to engage a cylindrical element provided with a circumferential groove. To this end the quick disconnect coupler includes a body 110 provided with a longitidnally extending bore 112 which is tapped or threaded at one end. The other end of the bore is of a greater diamter and receives a generally cylindrical seal 114 provided with a conical seating portion 116. The body is further provided with a plurality of recesses capable of receiving retaining balls 118. Typically, the body 110 will be provided with three or more ball receiving recesses. The balls are held in a 10a-

coupling position such as that indicated in Fig. 6, by a slidable sleeve 120, which is held in its normal operable position by a retaining ring 122, the sleeve 120 normally being spring biased

- 11 -

against the retaining ring 122 by a spring 124. It should be appreciated that if the sleeve 120 were moved in an upward direction as viewed in Fig. 6 against the action of the spring 124 that the balls could move radially outwardly into the enlarged cylindrical portion 126 of sleeve 120 to facilitate the installation or removal of the quick disconnect coupler. It should be appreciated that the threaded end 128 of an oil line 130 can be screwed into the tapped bore 112 in a fluid tight relationship.

To this end the threads may be provided with a curable pipe sealant which is capable of operating in the environment of the parts. Such a sealant could be Loctite brand PST pipe sealant which is a methyl acrylic ester provided with a teflon filler.

Referring now to Figs. 7 and 8, the novel male fitting of this invention is illustrated. The male fitting 104 Includes a generally cylindrical main body portion 132. The main body portion 132 has external threads 134 on one end thereof. The main body portion is provided with a further cylindrical end section 136 provided with a circumferentially extending groove 138 between the ends of the cylindrical end section 136, the cylindrical end section being provided with a conical end surface 140. The cylindrical end section and groove act as means which are capable of facilitating the interconnection of the oil line, through the quick coupler to the male fitting in a fluid tight relationship. Disposed between the externally threaded end 134 and the cylindrical end section 136 of the main body portion is a radially outwardly extending element 142. The element 142 is provided with two parallel surfaces 143 which extend generally perpendicularly to the axis 145 of the generally cylindrical main body portion 132. The surface 144 is adapted to bear against the outer surface 74 of one wall 54 of the radiator header. The element is provided with opposed parallel flats 146 which will facilitate_^ turning -12-

104 relation to the female fitting 106. It should be noted at this point when the male fitting is initially manufactured it is manu¬ factured with a break-off end plug 148 which is shown in Fig. 3. The break-off end plug is provided with a cylindrical section 150, the cylindrical section 150 having a slightly larger diameter than the cylindrical end section 136 which will prevent the inadvertent connection of a quick disconnect coupler 102 to a male fitting 104 prior to the breaking off of the plug 148. It can be seen from an inspection of Fig. 3 that the conical end surface 140 extends radially inwardly between the cylindrical end section 136 and the break-off end plug 148. A cut surface 152 extends generally perpendicularly to the bore 154 which extends through the full length of the main body portion 132 and it extends radially inwardly from the terminal ends of the conical end surface 140. The plug 148 is provided with a radially inwardly extending conical surface 156 which terminates closely adjacent the bore 154 where it intersects the cut surface 152. It should be appreciated that by utilizing this design , the end plug 148 can be broken off from the main body portion 132 with only minimal burrs. One way of breaking off the plug 148 is to simply insert a closely fitting cylindrical element about the cylindrical section 150 and then applying a force at right angles to the axis of the cylindrical section to simply break off the plug. The purpose of the break-off end plug will be described in greater detail below. It should be noted that the break-off end plug 148 is initially integral with the male fitting and it caps the bore 154 adjacent the end surface 140.

Referring now to Figs. 9 and 10, the female fitting 106 corresponds to a limited extent to the prior art fitting 34. Thus, the female fitting is provided with a radially outwardly extending cylindrical main body portion 158, the portion 158 having a flat surface 160 and another surface 162 parallel to the flat surface 160. As can be seen from a comparison of Figs. 2 and 9 the height of the cylindrical portion 158, that is to say the distance between the surfaces 160 and 162 is considerably less than the corresponding distances in the prior art fitting - 13-

illustrated in Fig. 2. Spaced inwardly of the surface 162 is a recessed portion portion provided with concentric grooves 164. The cylindrical portion 158 is provivded with a recess 166 having a diameter suitable to facilitate the alignment of the female fitting 106 about the locating flange 32 on the upper plate 28 of an oil cooler 26. The female fitting is further provided with a neck portion 168 which is suitably apertured, the aperture being provided with internal threads 170. As can be seen, the surfaces 160 and 162 extend generally perpendicularly to the threaded aperture 170, as does the surface 172 of the neck portion 168.

The fluid coupling assembly of this embodiment is coupled to an oil cooler in the following manner. Initially the oil cooler receives the female fittings 106 about the spaced apart locating flanges 32 which define two spaced apart ports in the oil cooler 26. The female fittings 106 are then suitably brazed to the top plate 28 of the oil cooler. After brazing, the Interior of the oil cooler may be blocked off by either screwing in complete male fittings into the female fittings, or by the insertion of plastic caps of the form illustrated in Fig. 4. To this end each plastic cap, which is indicated generally at 174, is provided with a conical deformable projection 176 which can be readily screwed into the threaded aperture 170 of the female fitting. It should be noted though that the plastic caps are not suitable for the pressure test sequence and thus, when this sequence is performed it is desirable that a male fitting 104 be screwed into one of the female fittings 106, the male fitting being provided with the break-off end plug 148. Thus, during the pressure test sequence of the oil cooler 26 one male fitting 104 is screwed into one of the female fittings 106, and the test apparatus is screwed into the other female fitting 106 during testing. After the completion of the test sequence it would normally be - 14-

desirable to remove the male fitting 104 and insert the plastic cap 174 until such time as the oil cooler 26 is to be assembled within the header of the radiator.

When the oil cooler 26 is to be assembled within the header it is first positioned into the header in the same manner as the prior art oil cooler 26. However, it should be noted that due to the reduced overall height of the fitting between the bottom surface 160 and the outermost surface 176 and the height of the neck portion, which is indicated by the arrows b, it is possible with the female fitting 106 of this invention to provide a five plate oil cooler 26 in the embodiments shown in Fig. 3 rather than the four plate oil cooler in the embodiment shown in Fig. 2. It should be noted though that prior to positioning the oil cooler 26 within the header that washers 108 are suitably located on the female fitting 106. After placement into the header the neck portion 168 of the female fittings 106 are positioned within the spaced apart apertures 52 of wall 54 and then the male fittings 105 are screwed into the female fitting causing the lowermost surface 144 of the element 142 to bear against the outer surface 74 of the wall 54 and similarly to cause the washer 108 to bear against the opposed surface 76 of the wall 54, the washer and threaded connection insuring a fluid tight connection. In this regard it should be appreciated that a suitable sealant such as Loctite brand PST pipe sealant may be applied to the threads 134 of the male fitting prior to that point where it is screwed into the threaded aperture in the female fitting. After the male fittings have been secured in place the radiation assembly can be shipped to the final assembly location. At the time of assembly it is then only necessary to break off the break-off end plugs 148, to screw the quick disconnect couplers onto the ends of the oil lines which are to be secured to the oil cooler, -15-

and then to secure the quick disconnect coupler to the cylindrical end section 136 of the male fitting. When this is done the seal 116 will bear against the conical surface 140 and provide a suitable fluid-tight seal. The seal may be made of a fluoroelastomer such as VITON which is made by E.I. duPont, this being a high temperature oil resistant elastomer.

Due to the high brazing heat it is desirable that the female fitting 106 be made of a high temperature resistant material such as ferrous metal. However, in order to reduce corrosion during that period of time after the oil cooler has been assembled within the radiator, the male fitting 104 may be of non-corrosive material such^' as brass. Detailed Description of Figs. 12 to 14

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13 a fluid coupling assembly is adapted to be associated with a header of the type illustrated in Fig. 3. Thus, the header is provided with a plastic wall 37 having an aperture 34 therein. While the header described is of plastic, it should be appreciated that the design illustrated in this figure, as well as the design illustrated in Fig. 3, can also be applied to headers having an aperture in a metallic wall, such as copper, where it is desired to form a fluid-tight seal by compressing a washer to one surface of the wall of the header about the aperture. The fluid coupling of the design illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13 will couple an oil line 200 provided with a tubular connector end portion 202 to an oil cooler 26 disposed within a radiator header having an apertured wall. The fluid coupling includes a tubular fitting, indicated generally at 204, an axially compressible tubular cylindrical elastomeric seal 206, and coupler means indicated generally at 208. The tubular fitting 204 is formed of separable first and second portions 210,212 - 16-

respectively. The first portion is provided with a generally flat first surface 214 which is adapted to be brazed, as at 216, to an exterior surface of the oil cooler 26 about the flange 32 which defines one of the ports in the oil cooler. The first portion is further provided with a neck portion 218 which is adapted to be received at least in part within the aperture 34, the neck portion having internal threads 220. The first portion further includes a radially outwardly extending portion provided with grooves 222 in that surface opposite the first surface 214, the grooves being adapted to cooperate with a compressible washer 224 to provide a seal about the aperture 34.

The second portion 212 of the tubular fitting is provided with a bore throughout its length, the bore being adapted to be disposed in concentric relationship with the locating flange 32 and the threaded aperture 220 of the first portion. The bore of the second portion includes first and second cylindrical interior surface portions 226,228, respectively, the diameter of the first cylindrica interior surface portion being greater than the diameter of the second cylindrical interior surface portion, and the two portions being separated from each other by a radially outwardly extending step 230. Thus, it can be seen that the bore of the second portion 212 differs from that of the design shown in Fig. 2 by the provision of the step 230. The exterior surface corresponds in some respects to that of the design shown in Fig. 2. Thus, the lower end portion is provided with threads 232 which may be screwed into the threads 220. In addition, there is an upper cylindrical portion 234. Disposed between the upper cylindrical portion 234 and the lower threaded end 230 is an outwardly extending flange portion 236 which may be provided with suitable flats to facilitate the turning -17-

of the second portion into the first portion. While the flange 236 could in theory bear directly against the header wall, in order to save materials, it bears against the surf ce of the washer 240, the washer in turn bearing against the header wall 37. The cylindrical exterior surface portion 234 is provided with an annular recess 242, the recess in turn being provided with cutouts 244 (Fig. 4) which extend into the bore 226.

As can be seen from Fig. 3, the axially compres- sible tubular cylindrical elastomeric seal 206 is mounted within the bore, one end of the seal abutting the step 230. The distance between the cutouts 240 and the step 230 is greater than the normal length (that is to say the uncompressed length) of the seal 206. The coupler means consists essentially of two differing elements. The first of these two elements is an outwardly extending surface 246 on the tubular connector end portion 202. The second of these two elements is catch means mounted on the tubular fitting, the catch means preferably being in the form of a C-shaped spring wire clip 248.

The outwardly extending surface 246 preferably extends at right angles to the axis 250 of the tubular connector end portion 202. In order to facilitate the insertion of the tubular connector end portion into the tubular fitting, a tapered leading surface or conical surface 252 is provided on the tubular end connector portion, the larger diameter of the conical surface intersecting the radially outwardly extending surface 246 at its periphery, and the smaller diameter of the conical surface bieng disposed at the terminal end of the end portion 202. -18-

As previously noted, the second portion 212 of the tubular fitting 204 is provided with an annular recess 242 provided with cutouts 244. The C-shaped spring wire clip 248 is installed in this groove by moving it from a disassembled position shown in Fig, 4 in the direction of the arrow 254 to the assembled position. As can be seen, the C-shaped spring clip is provided with circumferentially spaced apart radially inwardly extending engaging means 256 and these engaging means will be disposed within the cutouts 244, with the radially inner portion of the engaging means lying within the cylindrical bore defined by the first bore surface 226.

In the design of Figs. 3 and 4, the tubular connector end portion may be the end portion of the oil line, the conical surface 254 and the radially outwardly . extending surface 246 being provided by heading the end of the oil line. Alternatively, the terminal end portion can be a separate machined part which is brazed or other- wise secured to the end of the oil line. When the parts are in their assembled position as shown in Fig. 3, it can be seen that the elastomeric seal 206 bears against the step 230 of the second portion of the tubular fitting and also bears against the conical surface of the tubular connector end portion to provide a seal between the parts , thus insuring that the flow of fluid will be through the bore of the tubular connector end portion, the central aperture within the seal 206, and also through the bores within the tubular fitting. The tubular connector end portion can be removed from the tubular fitting by removing or spreading the C-shaped clip with a suitable tool. -19-

A seal plug may be utilized with the design shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the seal plug to a limited extent resembling the tubular connector end portion. Such a seal plug is shown in Fig. 4A. The seal plug, which is indicated generally at 258, consists of a generally solid cylindrical member 260 provided with a tapered leading surface 262 and an outwardly extending surface 264 adjacent the tapered leading surface. The outwardly extending surface is at an angle to the axis 266 of the cylindrical member which angle is somewhat less than 90°. The angle is preferably in the range of 75°-85°. In addition, the cylindrical member is provided with a knurled surface 268. When it is desired to connect the tubular connector end portion 202 of an oil line to the tubular fitting, it is possible to pull upon the knurled surface 268 to cause the outwardly extending angled surface 264 to bias the spring clip outwardly permitting the withdrawal of the plug 258. The plug can be made from a metallic machined part, or alternatively it can be made from a molded relatively rigid plastic part.

Detailed Description of Figs. 5-7 In Figs. -7 another embodiment of fluid coupling is illustrated. However, it should be noted that this design of fluid coupling is designed for use with a tubular fitting which can be brazed to the copper wall 70 of a header formed of copper, rather than plastic. When a fluid coupling is being assembled to an oil cooler plate and a header wall wherein the tubular fitting can be brazed to both the plate and the header wall it is desirable that the fitting be made of a single integral piece. Thus, with reference to Fig. 5, it can be seen that the tubular fitting of this embodiment, which is indicated generally at 304, is provided with integral first and second portions 310,312, respectively, the -20-

first portion 310 is provided with a generally flat first surface 314 which is adapted to be brazed, s at 316, to an exterior surface of the oil cooler 26 about locating flange 32, the second portion 312 being brazed to the heade wall 70. The fluid coupling illustrated in Fig. 5 further includes an axially compressible tubular cylindrical elasto meric seal 306, and coupler means indicated generally at 308, the various parts being utilized to connect the tubula connector end portion 302 of an oil line 300 to the oil cooler 26. The fitting 304 is provided with first and second concentric bore surfaces 326,328 separated by a radially extending step 330. A portion of the first bore surface 326 may be provided with threads 332, the threads being utilized for the reception of a steel seal plug. While the seal plug is not-shown, it resembles a flat headed screw and is utilized to prevent contamination of the oil cooler during brazing. Such a plug can be removed at the location where the brazing takes place, in which event transport seal plug may be used during shipping to the point of final assembly. Alternatively, the brazing, seal plug may be removed at the point of final assembly. The first bore surface is also provided with a first annular recess 342, the annular recess 342 being of greater diameter than the normal diameter of an associated C-shaped spring wire clip 348. It should also be noted that the end of the first bore surface 326 is provided with a flared portion 338.

The coupler means 308 include a radially outwardly extending surface 346 on the tubular connector end portion 302 and a C-shaped spring wire clip 238 of substantially the same form as that illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. Between the end 303 of the tubular connector end portion 302 and the radially outwardly extending surface 346 is a cylindrical section 370 and a tapered leading surface -21-

in the form of a cone or conical surface 352. The larger diameter of the conical surface 352 intersects the periphery of the radially outwardly extending surface 346, and the smaller diameter intersects the cylindrical section 370 away from the end 303. It should be noted that the external diameter of the cylindrical section 370 is almost as great as the internal diameter of the second bore surface 328.

In order to facilitate the assembly of the C-shaped spring wire clip 348 and the seal 306 within the first bore 326, a thin walled carrier housing 372 is provided, this carrier housing being best illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. As can be seen, the carrier is provided with a radially outwardly extending lip 374 at its upper end and a radially inwardly extending lip 376 at its lower end, and a generally cylindrical portion 378 between the two lips. Circumferentially spaced apart slots 380 are provided within the cylindrical wall 378, said slots being capable of receiving radially inwardly engaging means 356 formed on the C-shaped spring wire clip. The distance between the slots and the lowermost end of the carrier housing 372 is approximately the same distance as that distance between the lower surface of the first annular recess 342 and the step 330. As can best be seen from Fig. 6, the axial distance between the slots 380 and the upper surface of the inwardly extending lip 376 is less than the axial length of the associated seal 306.

To assemble the seal and C-shaped spring wire clip into the tubular fitting 304, it is necessary to first dispose the seal 306 in the carrier housing with one end of the seal bearing against the inwradly extending lip 376. The C-shaped spring wire clip is then installed about the carrier housing with the engaging means 356 extending into the slots 380. After the carrier housing sub-assembly, -22-

which is indicated generally at 382 and which includes the spring clip and the seal-, has been assembled together, it is only necessary to push the sub-assembly into the first bore 326. This can be done manually. As the parts are being assembled, the spring clip will be initially compressed as it engages the flared portion 338, however, as the carrier assumes its fully assembled position, the clip can initially expand into the first annular recess 342. When it is desired to assemble the tubular connector end portion 302 into the tubular fitting 304, the tubular connector end portion will simply be inserted into the tubular fitting and the sub-assembly 382 which includes the seal and spring wire clip. As the tubular connector end portion approaches its final assembled position, the conical surface 352 will bear against the inwardly extending engaging means 356 of the C-shaped spring wire clip 348, causing the spring clip to expand into the first annular recess 342 until the conical surface passes by the spring wire clip, at which point the spring wire clip can then assume its normal position illustrated in Fig. 5 to thereby hold the parts in their final assembled position. When the parts are in this position, it can be seen that the seal 306 will bear against the step 330 and the conical surface 352 to form an effective seal.

Detailed Description of Figs. 18 and 19 In Figs . 18 and 19 a species of the modification of Figs. 15-17 is illsutrated. This species resembles ^■the modification of Figs. 15-17 in all respects except that a second annular recess 384 is provided. This recess is disposed immediately above the first annular recess 342. The diameter of the second recess 384 is essentially the same as the unstressed diameter of the C-shaped spring wire clip 384. -23-

After the sub-assembly has been fully inserted into the tubular fitting 304, the parts will be in the position shown in Fig. 18. To assemble the tubular connector end portion into the tubular fitting, again the tubular connector end portion is assembled in the same manner as it is in the modification of Figs. 15, 16 and 17. However, due to the resilient nature of the seal 306, it will tend to bias the tubular connector end portion upwardly until the spring wire clip 348 is disposed within the second annular recess 384. The clip 348 will therefore stabilize the upper end of the tube at the clip's internal diameter, which is defined by the inner periphery of the engaging means 356, are substantially the same diameter as the external portion of the tubular connector end portion adjacent the radially outwardly extending surface 346. Also, the cylindrical section 370 will be stabilized by the second bore surface 328 therefore providing a relatively stable assembly which will prevent undue wear as the parts are vibrated during use of an automobile. It can also be seen that when the parts of this species are in their assembled position, the seal 306 will provide a sealing surface between the conical surface 352 and the step 330.

Detailed Description of Figs. 20. and 21 While the design illustrated in Fig. 15 is satisfactory, it does require, in addition to the seal 306, a spring wire clip, a carrier housing for inserting the spring wire clip into the fitting, and a conical surface 352 on the connector end portion 302 of the oil line 300. Figs. 20 and 21 illustrate another design which will accomplish essentially the same result as the design shown in Fig. 15, but will do it with fewer parts. In this design, the oil line is indicated at 400 and the tubular connector end portion of the oil line is indicated -24-

at 402, the portion 402 terminating at the end 403. The tubular fitting, which may be of a copper alloy, is indicated generally at 404 and the seal, which is an elastomeric material such as a silicone rubber, a fluoroelastomer such as the products sold under the trademark VITON by E.I. duPont de Nemours Co., or the like, is indicated at 406. Additionally, the coupler means is indicated generally at 408. The tubular fitting 404 is provided with first and second portions 410,412, respectively. The bottom of the first portion 410 is provided with an annular recess which receives the locating flange 32. The fitting 404 has a flat bottom surface 414 located outwardly of the recess which receives the locating flange 32 and which can be brazed to the top of a plate 28 as indicated at 416. The second portion 412 of the fitting 404 can be brazed to the header wall 70 as indicated at 417.

The interior of the tubular fitting is provided with spaced apart bores 426,428 which are separated by a radially extending step 430. Spaced above the first bore surface 426 is a threaded portion 438 which is adapted to receive a seal plug, which seal plug (not shown) is removed prior to final assembly. Spaced above the threaded portion 438 is a conical surface portion 440 which terminates in an undercut 441. Disposed above the undercut portion 441 is a further cylindrical bore surface 444.

The coupler means 408 consists essentially of two parts, the first of these parts being a radially outwardly extending surface 446 on the tubular connector end portion 402. This surface 446 is spaced away from the end 403 of the tubular connector end portion, there being a cylindrical portion 449 on the tube between the radially outwardly extending surface 446 and the end 403. The other part of the coupler means 408 is a collet indicated generally at -25-

450. The collet 450 is primarily a conical member formed of a spring steel and which can be considered to be a resilient or spring clip. With reference to Fig. 20, it can be seen that the collet is provided with an upper lip 451, a cylindrical portion 453, a lower portion of the cylindrical portion 453 being provided with a radially outwardly extending engaging portion 455 which is adapted to engage the undercut 441 when the collet is in its assembled position. Below the cylindrical portion 453 are first and second conical portions 457,459, the second portion 459 being disposed adjacent the cylindrical portion 453. The cylindrical portion 453 and the second conical portion 459 are provided with four circumferentially spaced apart slots or cutouts 461. As can be seen from Fig. 21, these cutouts are spaced 90° apart from each other. The first conical portion 457 is provided with another set of slots 463 which extend throughout the length of the first conical portion and halfway up the second conical portion, this second set of slots 463 also being spaced 90° away from each other and 45° away from the corresponding first set of slots 461.

The various parts are assembled to each other by first brazing the fittings to the top of the oil cooler, inserting the oil cooler with fittings into the header and then brazing the fittings 404 to the header wall 70 as indicated at 417. After the oil cooler has been assembled within the radiator, it is then necessary to test the various parts and a seal plug (not shown) is utilized for this purpose, the seal plug being threaded into the fitting. After the completion of the testing, seal plugs may be utilized to seal the oil cooler during shipping of the radiator from the location of manufacture of the radiator to the location of final assembly. Alternatively, the seal plugs may be removed at this point, and seal -26-

caps, which are shown in phantom at 471 in Fig. 20, may be utilized to seal the oil cooler, the seal caps being provided with an annular groove 473 which can engage a corresponding groove 469 on the fitting to maintain the seal caps in place. At the point of final assembly the seal cap (or seal plug) is removed.

The final assembly can be made by first inserting the seal 406 into the fitting 402 until it contacts the step 430. After the seal has been located, the collet 450 is then pressed into the fitting 404 of the second conical portion 459 will be compressed radially inwardly as the radially outwardly extending engaging portion 455 passes by the further cylindrical bore surface 444 until it can snap into an assembled position, as shown in Fig. 20, with the radially outwardly extending engaging portion 455 engaging the undercut 441, and the upper lip 451 lying on the top surface 465 of the fitting 404.

After the seal and resilient clip 450 have been assembled into the fitting in the manner described, it is then only necessary to insert the tube into the assembly. As the oil line is moved into the assembly, the radially outwardly extending surface 446 will initially contact the first conical portion and will spread it open, as permitted by the second set of slots 463 until the radially outwardly extending portion 446 passes the lowermost end of the first conical portion at which point the lower conical portion will snap to its normal unstressed position as indicated in Fig. 20 to securely lock the tube 400 within the fitting 404. The parts are so sized relative to each other that the seal will be suitably compressed between the radially outwardly extending portion 446 and the step to provide an adequate seal. -27-

To facilitate the insertion of the tube 400 within the fitting, the tube may be provided with a second radially outwardly extending surface 467 and the fitting 404 is also provided with an annular groove 469 disposed above the header 70. A tool, similar to a valve spring compressor, which is provided with a pair of spaced apart bifurcated engaging elements can be disposed about the tube 400 above the surface 467 and within the groove 469, the tool then being able to force the tube downwardly into its assembled position.

In another manner of assembly the seal 406 may initially be supported by the collet 450 is a plane parallel to the top surface of the collet, the collet then being inserted into the fitting 404 in the manner described, and then the tube being inserted into the collet, the portion of the tube which forms surface 446 engaging the seal and moving it downwardly into the fitting to its final assembled position as the tube is moved into its final assembled position. While a preferred structure in which the principles of the present invention have been incorporated is shown and descirbed above, it is to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to the particular details shown and described above, but that, in fact, widely differing means may be employed in the broader aspects of this invention.

Claims

-28-

Claims 1. A fluid coupling assembly for connecting an oil cooler disposed within a radiator header to an oil line which terminates outside the radiator, the header having at least one aperture in a wall thereof which receives a portion of said fluid coupling assembly, the oil cooler having a port aligned with said aperture, and said oil line terminating in a tubular connector end portion having a terminal end; said fluid coupling assembly comprising: a tubular fitting having a bore extending throughout its length, the tubular fitting being brazed to said oil cooler in fluid-tight relationship about said port and a second portion being secured to said header in fluid-tight relationship within said aperture, the tubular fitting and the tubular connector end portion being adapted to be tele¬ scoped one within the other from a disassembled position to an assembled position; an axially compressible tubular cylindrical elastomeric seal mounted within one of either the tubular fitting or the tubular connector end portion and capable of being axially compressed when the tubular connector end portion and the tubular fitting are in their assembled position to provide a fluid-tight seal between said oil line and said oil cooler; and coupler menas capable of holding the tubular fitting and the tubular connector end portion in their assembled position, said coupler means including an outwardly-extending surface mounted on one of either the tubular connector end portion or the tubular fitting, and said coupler means further including catch means mounted on the other one of either the tubular fitting or the tubular -29-

connector end portion, said catch means biased into locking engagement with said outwardly- extending surface when the tubular fitting and the tubular connector end portion are telescoped into their assembled position whereby the parts are held together in their assembled position.

2. The fluid coupling assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first portion of the tubular fitting is a female portion provided with a threaded aperture and the second portion is a male portion provided with a threaded portion at one end which is screwed into the threaded aperture to secure the first and second portions together.

3. The fluid coupling assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein the female portion is provided with a radially outwardly extending main body portion, and further characterized by the provision of a compressible washer disposed adjacent the radially outwardly extending main body portion of the female portion, the compressible washer being held against a surface of said header wall in a fluid tight relationship when the threaded end of the male portion is screwed into the female portion.

4. The fluid coupling assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein the female portion is made of a ferrous material and wherein the male portion is made of a copper alloy.

5. The fluid coupling assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first and second portions of the tubular fitting are integral with each other, said second portion being brazed to a surface of the header wall about said aperture.

6. The fluid coupling assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the tubular fitting includes a cylindrical end section disposed outside of said header, the cylindrical end section being provided with a circumferential groove on its exterior cylindrical surface; and wherein a quick -30-

disconnect coupling is mounted on the terminal end portion of said oil line, the quick disconnect coupling being provided with an oil passageway and means which engages the circumferential groove on the tubular fitting when the parts are in their assembled position to hold said quick disconnect coupling in fluid tight relationship with said tubular fitting.

7. The fluid coupling assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein a break-off end plug is initially integrally mounted on the end of the breakoff end plug being of larger diameter than the cylindrical end section, and said break-off end plug being broken off prior to securement with said quick disconnect coupling.

8. The fluid coupling assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the tubular connector end portion is telescoped within the bore of said tubular fitting, said seal being initially disposed within the bore of said tubular fitting and being contacted by the tubular connector end portion when the parts are assembled to provide a fluid-tight seal.

9. The fluid coupling assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said bore is provided with a step, said seal being in contact with said step when the parts are in their final assembled position.

10. The fluid coupling assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein the coupler means includes a radially outwardly extending surface on the tubular connector end portion, and said coupler means further includes catch means supported by the tubular fitting, said catch means being a resilient clip having circumferen ially spaced apart inwardly extending engaging means which can be moved outwardly against spring bias as the tubular fitting and the tubular connector end portion are -telescoped together into their assembled position, the inwardly extending -31-

engaging means engaging said radially outwardly extending surface when the tubular fitting and the tubular connector end portion are in their assembled position.

11. The fluid coupling assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein the coupler means further includes a conical surface mounted on the tubular connector end portion and having its larger diameter at the periphery of the radially outwardly extending surface and its smaller diameter at the terminal end of said tubular connector end portion.

12. The fluid coupling assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein the second portion of the tubular fitting has a cylindrical exterior surface portion, said surface portion having an annular recess formed therein, there being a plurality of spaced apart cutouts which extend from the annular recess to the bore of the tubular fitting, and wherein the resilient clip is a generally C-shaped spring wire clip which is received within the annular recess, the spaced apart inwardly extending engaging means being disposed in part within said cutouts and extending into the bore of said second portion.

13. The fluid coupling assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein the coupler means further includes a conical surface mounted on the tubular connector end portion and having its larger diameter at the periphery of the radially outwardly extending surface and its smaller diameter spaced away from the terminal end of the tubular connector end portion, the tubular connector end portion including a cylindrical section between the terminal end and the conical surface, the parts being so arranged and constructed that the conical surface bears against the tubular cylindrical seal when the parts have been telescoped together into their assembled position. -32-

14. The fluid coupling assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein said cylindrical section is approximately the same diameter as a portion of said bore, said cylindrical section bearing against said portion of the bore when the parts are in their assembled position to stabilize the tubular connector end portion.

15. The fluid coupling assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein the bore includes concentric first and second cylindrical interior surfaces, the first cylindrical interior surface further being provided with an annular recess, and wherein the resilient clip is a C-shaped spring wire clip which is received within the annular recess .

16. The fluid coupling assembly as set forth in claim 15 further characterized by the provision of a thin walled carrier housing, said carrier housing being provided with circumferentially spaced apart slots which receive the circumferentially spaced apart inwardly extending engaging means of the spring wire clip, said carrier housing being adapted to be disposed within the bore with the slots in alignment with said annular recess, the carrier housing further being provided with an inwardly extending lip at one end, said axially compressible tubular cylindrical seal being disposed within said housing between said lip and said circumferentially spaced apart slots.

17. The fluid coupling assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein the first cylindrical interior surface is further provided with a second annular recess immediately adjacent the first annular recess, the diameter of the second recess being substantially the same as the diameter of the C-shaped spring wire clip, the parts being so arranged and con¬ structed that the C-shaped spring clip will be confined between the tubular connector portion and the second -33-

annular recess when the parts have been telescoped together to their assembled position to provide support for said tubular connector end portion.

18. The fluid coupling assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein the inwardly extending engaging means of the resilient clip is a generally conical portion of the resilient clip, there being a plurality of slots within the generally conical portion to define said inwardly extending engaging means.

19. The fluid coupling assembly as set forth in claim 18 wherein the resilient clip further includes a second generally conical portion provided with a plurality of slots, said second portion being provided with a radially outwardly extending portion, and wherein the second portion of the tubular fitting is provided with an undercut portion engaged by said radially outwardly extending portion.