WO2000031453A1

WO2000031453A1 - Device for assisted simultaneous coupling and uncoupling of one or more flat-face type quick couplings

Info

Publication number: WO2000031453A1
Application number: PCT/IT1998/000370
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tomaso Giorgio Ferri
Original assignee: Tomaso Giorgio Ferri
Priority date: 1998-11-20
Filing date: 1998-12-18
Publication date: 2000-06-02
Also published as: IT1303844B1; ITMI982520A1; AU1783499A

Abstract

Device (10) for simultaneous assisted coupling and uncoupling of one or more quick couplings (8, 9) comprising one group of parts with a mobile plate (80) to support one or more female half couplings (20) connected to the user appliance, a second group of parts with a fixed plate (90) to support one or more male half couplings (60) connected by one or more connectors (92) to the power delivery of a servo-control (81) that reduces residual pressure to zero in the delivery chambers (91) of the male half couplings (60) in the stages of coupling and uncoupling with the female half couplings (20), discharging said residual pressure into a discharge port (99) through ducts (118, 119, 120) served by a check valve (121) and by a cut-off valve (110) opened by the servo-control (81) during the coupling and uncoupling stages.

Description

Device for assisted simultaneous coupling and uncoupling of one or more flat-face type quick couplings

The invention concerns quick couplings for connecting two branches of a fluid circuit.

Presently known quick couplings are those used to reactivate or cut off connection between two branches of a fluid circuit without any further operation being necessary. Quick couplings usually consist of two half couplings or connectors each containing a check valve.

During normal running both valves are open and the two together automatically assume a balanced position.

When the two connectors are separated the valves automatically close due to pressure applied by springs so that, while the device is working, losses are reduced to a minimum and no extraneous particles can enter. When the two connectors are joined, if there are no differences in pressure in the two isolated branches, or if any differences can be compensated by compression from a spring, both valves open and continuity is immediately established. A frequently occurring problem is that of difficulty over coupling and uncoupling due to the presence of residual pressure in the device. Purpose of the invented device is to facilitate simultanous coupling and uncoupling even in the event of there being several flat-face type quick couplings, by eliminating residual pressure in the male half couplings as will now be explained.

Subject of the invention is a device for simultaneous assisted coupling and uncoupling of one or more quick couplings comprising "flat-face" type female and male half couplings.

This type of quick coupling comprises two main groups of parts: one type having a mobile plate to support one or more female half couplings connected by one or more connectors to the user appliance; a second group having a fixed plate to support one or more male half couplings connected by one or more connectors to power delivery, and comprising a servo-control to eliminate residual pressure in the delivery chambers of the male half couplings during coupling and uncoupling of the female half couplings, discharging it through discharge ducts locked by a valve. The servo-control is fixed to the mobile plate in the first group and com- prises a cylindrical rod with a head of the same diameter, preceded by an area of a lesser diameter and of a certain length, parallel to the geometrical axes of symmetry of the female couplings. Said rod slides inside a cylindrical housing in the fixed plate of the second group through which housing passes the truncated-cone shaped tip of a front axial shank of the discharge valve. In view of the above:

- when the device is in its uncoupling position and the mobile plate has reached its upper dead point, the tip of the servo-control's rod lies above the truncated-cone shaped head of the valve shank and therefore, being free of said shank, allows the discharge valve to close;

- in the coupling stage, when the mobile plate of the first group starts its descent to fit the female half coupling into the male half coupling, as the end of the servo-control's rod comes in contact with said truncated-cone shaped tip of the valve shank, said shank moves backward and the valve is opened causing discharge of residual pressure from the delivery chamber of the male half coupling through the above discharge ducts ;

- on completion of coupling, which brings the rod's area of lesser diameter in line with the truncated-cone shaped head of the valve shank, said tip of the valve shank once more projects into the housing for the servo control's rod, so that the valve once more closes maintaining its function as a safety valve; - during uncoupling of the female half coupling from the male half coupling, upward movement of the mobile plate determines substitution in said rod of the area of lesser diameter by the lower area of greater diameter and therefore reopening of the discharge valve connecting the delivery chamber of the male half coupling with the discharge port, till the female half couplings are fully separated from the male half couplings. Inside a first cylindrical chamber communicating with the discharge duct, the discharge valve comprises a piston whose front truncated-cone shaped head of a larger diameter makes contact, pressed by an inner spring that surrounds the piston, between the base of said chamber and said truncated-cone shaped head, on the circular hole of communication between said first chamber and a second smaller cylindrical chamber which is crossed through, axially, by the front cylindrical shank with a truncated-cone shaped tip, and connected to a discharge port through a branch duct In the case of a single coupling, and therefore of a single pair of female and male half couplings, .the discharge duct, served by a discharge valve, connects the discharge port, created in the fixed plate of the second group, through a duct, with the delivery chamber of said male half coupling. If there are several couplings, and therefore several female half couplings supported by the mobile plate of the first group, and several male half couplings supported by the fixed plate of the second group, the discharge ducts of each delivery chamber in the male half couplings join up with the main discharge duct with its discharge valve. On the duct that joins the delivery chamber of each male half coupling to the discharge through the discharge valve, close to said chamber is a check valve that opens towards the discharge port overcoming resistance set up by the spring. The invention offers evident advantages. Even when residual pressure is present in the installation, all the grouped quick couplings can be simultaneously coupled and uncoupled with ease. The particularly heavy loads required for coupling and uncoupling, especially if several of these movements are made simultaneously, are reduced as they are no longer determined by residual pressure.

Although the effects produced are so great, the device is compact, easy to maintain, versatile and simple to use.

Coupling and uncoupling are facilitated, maximum effects being obtained with minimum effort, reducing wear on materials and stress on operators. Characteristics and purposes of the invention will be made still clearer by the following examples of its execution illustrated by diagrammatically drawn figures.

Fig. 1 Single quick coupling of the "flat face" type with a female half coupling supported by a mobile plate, connected to the user appliance, and a male half coupling supported by a fixed plate connected to power delivery, with servo-control to zero residual pressure, by means of a discharge valve, at the start of coupling when the valve is closed, longitudinal section. Fig. 2 Detail of the servo-control and of the valve, longitudinal section. Fig. 3 The coupling in Figure 1 when matching the male and female couplings, with the discharge valve open, longitudinal section. Fig. 4 The coupling in Figure 1 during coupling, with the discharge valve open, longitudinal section. Fig. 5 The coupling in Figure 1 when coupling is completed, with the discharge valve closed, longitudinal section.

Fig. 6 Multiple quick couplings in the position of the single one in Figure 1 , longitudinal section.

The quick coupling 8 for the two branches of a fluid circuit, comprises the female half coupling 20 supported by a mobile plate 80, and a device 10 connected to the user appliance by passage of fluid through the threaded connection 75, and comprises the servo-control 81 for discharging residual pressure in the delivery chamber 91 of the male half coupling 60. The female half coupling 20 comprises a liner 21 screwed by threading 24 into the housing 76 communicating with the connection 75 Said liner 21 has an internal cylindrical liner 22 so forming an annular channel 23.

Inside the liner 21 is a valve 30 with flat head 31 , packing 32, shank 35 and base 36 fixed to the bushing 40 inserted between the liner 21 and a seat 77 for it in the housing 76, by fixing means 41 and 42. In said bushing 40 are lateral channels 45 for passage of fluid. Placed between liner 21 and inner liner 22 is a tubular valve 50, whose external diameter corresponds to the internal diameter of inner liner 22, sliding between the flat head 31 of the valve 30 and said inner liner 22 served by packing 25 and comprising, towards its end, an outer ring 51 whose external diameter corresponds to the internal diameter of liner 21 . Between said ring and the channel 23, formed between the liner and inner liner, is a helical compression spring 52. The male half coupling 60 supported by the fixed plate 90 in line with the delivery connector 92, comprises a liner 61 screwed by threading 62 into the housing 91 of said fixed plate 90.

Inside the liner 61 is the head 65 to which the tapered valve 70 is fixed, said valve having a flat base 71 and packing 72. Between the head 65 and the base of housing 91 there is a helical compression spring 66.

Crosswise to coupling axis and inside chamber 94, the fixed plate 90 presents a valve 1 10 comprising a piston 1 1 1 with a truncated-cone shaped head 1 12 from which extends the cylindrical coaxial shank 1 13 whose head 1 14 is bevelled at 45°.

Said head 1 12 makes contact against the hole 98 through which the chamber 94 is connected to chamber 96, of a lesser diameter, in turn connected by a branch line 100, to discharge 99. Lower down said chamber 94 is connected by tubes 120 and 118 to the delivery chamber 91 of the male coupling.

In tube 118 there is a check valve 121 , said valve having a ball 122 pressed by a helical compression spring 123, its exit facing towards the discharge, The servo-control 81 , connected to the mobile plate 80, presents a drive rod 82, with head 83, preceded by an area 84 of lesser diameter. The head 114 of shank 113 to the valve 110 can freely penetrate inside the housing 93 of the fixed plate 90 for the drive rod 82 of servo-control 81 fixed to the mobile plate 80, said head crossing over with said plug 82. The operational sequence of the coupling is as follows. The mobile plate 80 approaches the fixed plate 90 until the two couplings 20 and 60, namely the flat head 31 of the valve 30 in the female coupling 20 and the flat base 71 of the valve 70 in the male coupling 60, match up (Figure 3).

During this stage the drive rod 82 on the servo-control 81 , fixed to the mobile plate 80, causes the piston 1 1 1 and valve 110 to move back due to the sliding movement on the 45° rounded head 114 of said piston's shank 113. As a result the truncated-cone shaped head 1 12 of the piston 1 11 of said valve 110 moves away from the hole 98 connecting the chamber 94 of valve 1 10 with the chamber 96 in turn connected, through a branch 100, to the discharge port 99 and therefore, through tube 120, communicating with the chamber 94, and the tube 118, residual pressure is reduced to zero through check valve 121 in the delivery chamber 91 of the male half coupling 60.

Said valve comprises a ball 122 facing towards the delivery chamber 91 of the male half coupling 60 and a helical spring 123 thus permitting outflow from chamber 91 but preventing a return of inflow. The mobile plate 80 continues its approach towards the fixed plate 90 (Figure 4).

The cylindrical extension 53 to the liner 61 of the male half coupling 60 matches with the ring 51 on the countervalve 50 in the female half coupling 20, while the cyclindrical head of its valve 30 causes the valve 70 in the male half coupling 60 to slide inwards overcoming resistance by the springs 66 that make contact between the base of housing 91 of the fixed plate 90 and the head 65 fixed to said valve 70. At this point connection begins between the female half coupling 20 and the male half coupling 60 with insertion of the upper extension 53 of the male coupling 60 inside the liner 21 of the female coupling 20, causing movement of the internal liner 54 inside the female half coupling 20, compression of the springs 52, and movement towards the inside of the counter valve 50 (Figure 5).

This movement frees the passage between the chamber 55 in the valve 30 in the female half coupling 20 and chamber 67 in the male half coupling 60 allowing fluid from the source of power through connection 92 on the fixed plate 90, passing through said chambers 67 and 55, to reach channels 45 from where it flows towards the connector 75 fitted to the user appliance.

When the head 1 14 of the axial shank 113 fixed to the piston 1 1 1 of valve 1 10 reaches the area 84 of lesser diameter on the drive rod 82 of the servo-control 81 fixed to the mobile plate 80, valve 1 10 closes and remains available as a safety valve.

If pressure is too high both the check valve 121 and the valve 1 10 in fact permit fluid to pass through channels 1 18 and 120 on to the chamber 94 of valve 110 and so on to the discharge port 99. During the uncoupling stage the servo-control 81 of the mobile plate 80, moving away the area of lesser diameter 84 on the drive rod 82 and replacing it with the area 83 of greater diameter, once more opens the valve 1 10 and keeps the delivery chamber 91 in the male half coupling 60 connected to the discharge port 99 until the two plates, one mobile 80 and one fixed 90, are fully separated, and then until uncoupling is completed.

Figure 6 shows another version of the device, namely a multiple coupling comprising couplings 8 and 9 supported by the mobile plate 80 and by the fixed plate 90 of the device 10, with the discharge valve 1 10 connected by tubes 1 18, 1 19, 120 with delivery chambers 91 in the male parts of said couplings 8, 9, similar to coupling 8 in the preceding figures. Operation is substantially the same as that given for a single coupling 8 since the servo-control 81 assists coupling and uncoupling of both couplings 8 and 9 and also of several similar couplings.

Claims

1 . Device (10) for assisted simultaneous coupling and uncoupling of one or more quick couplings (8, 9) comprising female half couplings (20) and male half couplings (60) of the "flat face" type, characterized in that the quick coupling (8) comprises two main groups of parts, one group having a mobile plate (80) to support one or more female half couplings (20) connected by one or more connectors (75) to the user appliances, a second group having a fixed plate (90) to support one or more male half couplings (60) connected by one or more connectors (92) to power delivery and comprising a servo-control (81) to assist reduction to zero of residual pressure in the delivery chambers (91 ) of the male half couplings (60) during the stages of coupling and uncoupling with the female half couplings (20), discharging said resitual pressure to a discharge port (99) through a valve (1 10) and through ducts (1 18 120).

2. Device (10) as in claim 1 , characterized in that the servo-control (81 ) is fixed to the mobile plate

(80) in the first group and comprises a cylindrical drive rod (82) with a tip (83) of the same diameter, preceded by an area (84) of lesser diameter and of a certain length, parallel to the geometrical axes of symmetry of the female couplings (20), which rod (82) slides inside a cylindrical housing (93) in the fixed plate (90) of the second group and passed through by the truncated-cone shaped tip (1 14) of a short axial front rod (1 13) on the discharge valve (1 10), so that: - when the device (10) is uncoupled and the mobile plate (80) lies at its upper dead point, the tip (83) of the drive rod (82) of the servo-control

(81) lies above the truncated-cone shaped head (1 14) of the shank (1 13) of the valve (110) and therefore, there being no interference with said shank (113), the discharge valve (1 10) can close; - in the coupling stage, when the mobile plate (80) in the first group starts its descent for penetration of the female half coupling (20) in the male half coupling (60), the end (83) of the drive rod (82) on the servo-control (81 ), on making contact with the truncated-cone shaped head (1 14) of the shank (1 13) of the valve (1 10), said shank is moved back and the valve (1 10) consequently opened so that residual pressure in the delivery chambers (91) of the male half couplings (60) is discharged through ducts (1 18, 120) to the discharge port (99) already mentioned; - on completion of coupling, at which point the position of the area (84) of lesser diameter on the drive rod (82) corresponds with that of the truncated cone shaped head (1 14) of the shank (1 13) of the valve (110), said head (1 14) on the shank (1 13) of the valve (1 10) once more projects into the housing (93) for the drive rod on the servro-control (81 ) on the fixed plate (90), so that said valve closes again maintaining its function as a safety valve.

- during uncoupling of the female half couplings (20) from the male half couplings (60), upward movement of the mobile plate (80) determines substitution, in said drive rod (82), of the area (84) of lesser diameter by the area of greater diameter and therefore reopening of the discharge valve (110) and connection of the delivery chamber (91) in the male half couplings (60) to the discharge port (99), until the female half couplings (20) are fully separated from the male half couplings (60).

3. Device (10) as in claim , characterized in that, inside a first cylindrical chamber (94) communicating with the discharge duct (120) connected to the delivery chambers of the male half couplings, the discharge valve comprises a piston (1 1 1 ) with a front truncated-cone shaped head (1 12) that, pressed by an internal spring (95) that surrounds said piston (111), makes contact between the bottom of said chamber and said truncated-cone shaped head (112), on the circular hole (98) of communication between said first chamber (94) and a second smaller cylindrical chamber (96), passed through axially by the front cylindrical shank (1 13) with a truncated-cone shaped head (114), connected to the discharge port (99) by a branch duct (180).

4. Device (10) as in clailm 1 , characterized in that, if there is only one coupling and therefore only one pair of half couplings, a female half (20) and a male half (60), the dis- charge duct (120) with its discharge valve (1 10) connects the discharge port (99), in the fixed plate (90) of the second group, through the duct (1 18), with the delivery chamber (91 ) in said male half coupling (60).

5. Device (10) as in claim 1 , characterized in that, if there are several couplings (8, 9) and therefore several female half couplings (20) supported by the mobile plate (80) in the first group, and several male half couplings (60) supported by the fixed plate (90) in the second group, the discharge ducts (1 18, 119) from each delivery chamber (91 ) in the male half couplings (60) connect up with the main discharge duct (120) controlled by the discharge valve (1 10), leading into the discharge port (99).

6. Devies (10) as in claim 1 , characterized in that, in the ducts (1 18, 1 19) connecting the delivery chamber (91) in each male half coupling (60) with the discharge port (99) through the discharge valve (1 10), close to said chamber (91) is a check valve (121 ) that opens towards the discharge after overcoming resistance from a spring (123).