WO2008071859A2

WO2008071859A2 - Coupling for fluids, including a flow regulator

Info

Publication number: WO2008071859A2
Application number: PCT/FR2007/001891
Authority: WO
Inventors: Nicolas Le Bars
Original assignee: Legris Sa
Priority date: 2006-11-27
Filing date: 2007-11-19
Publication date: 2008-06-19
Also published as: WO2008071859A3; FR2909156B1; FR2909156A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a coupling for fluid channels, including means for regulating the flow of fluid passing therethrough, comprising a body (20) provided with means (22, 24) for connecting same to the channels and having means for operating the regulating means. The invention is characterised in that the body (20) comprises two parts (21, 23), namely: a first part (21) bearing the regulating means (26 and 27) and a second part (23) rotatably mounted to the first part (21) and forming the means for controlling the regulating means (26, 27).

Description

Fluid connector incorporating a flow regulator.

The present invention relates to a connection for fluid channels including means for acting on the passage section of the fluid passing therethrough.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The flow control function in a fitting is well known.

There are practically two forms for this device. The first form represented in FIG. 1 consists of an elbow fitting whose body 1 has means 2 for connecting the connector to a functional member, for example a jack, and means 3 for connecting, for example, a notched tube of the body 1 The body 1 thus defines an inner channel of bent fluid 4. On this inner channel a flow regulator 5 comprises a valve 5a and a seat 5b. The valve 5a is integral with a set screw 6 which allows to move it away from or closer to the seat 5b and thus to adjust the passage section and the flow rate to a determined value.

The main disadvantages of this type of device reside in its fragility: the adjusting screw 6 projects out of the body and is exposed to many shocks may distort or break. In addition, the adjustment does not remain constant in most cases especially if the connection is subjected to vibrations.

In order to reduce the size of such an apparatus, the state of the art reveals (see FIG. 2) a kind of union-union formed by two bodies 7 and 8 united in a junction zone 9, the body in two parts 7 and 8 being equipped at each of its ends means 10 and 11 connection including quick connection for tubes. The adjustment of the flow takes place in the same manner as before by adjusting, by means of a threaded ring 12, the position of a valve 13 with respect to a seat 14 situated on the path of the fluid between the two means of connection. The valve 13 constitutes the screw of a screw-nut system whose ring 12 forms the nut, the valve 13 being of course stopped in rotation so that a rotation of the ring 12 is translated by its translation. The disadvantages associated with this type of product lie in the large number of parts that it implements, as well as in the fragility, in particular flexing of the body into two parts 7 and 8 of the device.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

By the present invention, there is provided a connector whose design overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks. Indeed, this connection is either bent but without protrusion constituting a place of fragility or longitudinal type connection-union, but with a stiffness, including bending, improved. In addition, the number of parts used in this device is reduced, which makes it possible to have a simplified assembly and assembly procedure that is therefore less expensive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is therefore a connection for fluid channels incorporating means for regulating the flow rate of the fluid passing therethrough, comprising a body provided with means for connecting it to the aforesaid channels and carrying means for operating the regulating means, wherein the body is in two parts, the first of the parts carrying the regulating means while the second of the parts is rotatably mounted on the first and constitutes said means for maneuvering these adjuster means. The body has of course at each of these free ends connecting means is a functional member (a hollow screw capable of cooperating with a threaded orifice), or with a tube (means of instant connection). The body can be either elongated in the form of a union or bent.

In a preferred embodiment, the second part carries axial retention means of a tube, which belong to are held by said instantaneous connection means while the first part comprises means for locking in rotation of this tube in the connection. This arrangement advantageously eliminates the risk of rotation of the second part relative to the first part under the effect of twisting of the tube connected to the second part. This inadvertent rotation in fact, would lead to an adjustment of the desired restriction value, twisting of the tube may precisely the consequence of the adjustment of this restriction value due to the rotation of the second part.

Advantageously, the rotation of the second portion on the first is indexed on a plurality of angular values corresponding to a plurality of adjustment positions of the flow control means.

The invention applies to a bidirectional flow control valve or to a unidirectional flow control valve, in the latter case the internal channels of the connector having a bypass across the flow control means equipped with a unidirectional valve.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the flow regulating means comprise a valve seat secured to the first part and a flap guided to slide relative to the seat along the axis of rotation of the second part. on the first part of the body of the connection, the valve having lateral arms whose end cooperates with helical grooves formed in the second part to transform its rotation in a translation of the seat relative to the valve. This is a screw-nut system in which the thread of the screw is constituted by the ends of two diametral arms while the threads of the nut are helical grooves which support these ends and guide them in sliding when rotating the second part relative to the first. To do this, the second part is in the form of a sleeve latched on the first part. The end of this first part is provided with rotational locking means of the tube and is in the form of flexible detent teeth.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description given below of some exemplary embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will be made to the appended drawings, among which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 already described are illustrations of the state of the art,

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 illustrate, by two partial orthogonal cuts, the functional elements of a flow regulator according to a first embodiment of the invention,

- Figures 5 and 6 are two external views of a valve implemented in a flow regulator according to the invention,

FIGS. 7 and 8 are two partial orthogonal sectional views of a flow regulator according to a second embodiment,

FIG. 9 is a section along plane IX-IX of FIG. 7 and

FIG. 10 is a view in X-X cross-section of FIG.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4, the body 20 of the flow regulator according to the invention comprises a first portion 21 provided with means 22 for connection by screwing, in a not shown functional body. It also comprises a second part 23 whose general shape is that of a sleeve which caps a free end of the portion 21 of the body 20 and which comprises door connection means 24, for example instantaneous connection, to a tube not shown.

The first portion 21 of the body delimits a channel 25 bent with a first section coaxial with the connecting means 22 along an axis X and a second section perpendicular to this axis along an axis Y. This channel opens in the center of a valve seat 26 while a valve 27 is adjustable in position relative to the seat 26.

The structure of the valve 27 is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. This valve comprises two short arms 28a and 28b which form slides of the valve against the inner wall of a recess of the portion 21 of the body 20 extending beyond seat 26, the duct 25. It also comprises two long arms 29a and 29b which, as shown in Figure 4, through the portion 21 of the body 20 in slots 30a, 30b of this part 21 to cooperate with the second part 23 of the body 20.

It will be noted that the first portion 21 of the body, at the sliding recess of the valve, further comprises two slots 31a and 31b which are, like the slots 30a and 30b, diametrically opposed and offset by 90 ° relative thereto. These slots, however, are shorter than slots 30a and 30b because they are not useful for the passage of part of the valve. Thus cut by four slots, the free end of the portion 21 of the coupling body is formed in four arms 32 which have at their end teeth 32a, these arms having a certain radial elasticity. Finally, with regard to the portion 21 of the body of the coupling, it will be noted that the recess made between the arms comprises a shoulder 33 which constitutes an abutment to the depression of a tube in the quick connection means 24 carried by the second part 23 of the body 20.

As regards this second part, it will be noted that it is in the form of a cylindrical sleeve that caps the end of the first part 21 of the body until abutting on a shoulder 35 of the latter with a seal between the two parts made at this level by an O-ring J, while, right arm 32, this sleeve has a shoulder 34 behind which the teeth 32a are housed elastically.

During the snap fit of the sleeve 23 on the first portion 21 of the body 20, it is ensured to place the ends of the arms 29a and 29b of the valve 27 in helical grooves 37. It will be understood that in this way the valve 27 and the sleeve 23 constitutes a screw-nut system by which a rotation of the sleeve 23 around the Y axis of the first portion 21 of the body results in an axial displacement away from or near the valve 27 relative to the seat 26.

The sleeve 23 has at its free end fast connection means known in themselves but which will not be described further with respect to these figures. It should be noted that the inner flange of the sleeve 23 which defines the shoulder 34 has a notched cylinder surface 36 facing the outer surface of each of the arms 32.

In the variant embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the two parts of the body 40 are respectively referenced 41 for the bent part with connection means to a tube of the genus fir-teeth 42 and 43 for the sleeve part with means of quick connection 44 similar to the means 24 of Figures 3 and 4 and known in themselves. The valve 45 is of the same structure as that 27 already described but placed in the other direction for sliding by means of sliding shoes 46a 46b in an internal chamber of the body 41 while the tabs 47a and 47b pass through slots similar to those 30a 30b, the body 41 to reach helical grooves 48 formed in the sleeve 43 forming the second part of the body 40.

In the case of these figures, the seat 49 is a reported seat by gluing, heat-melting or any other means of fixing in the internal recess of the portion 41 of the body 40. This seat 49 has two diametrically opposed extensions 49a and 49b which are housed in the grooves hosting the drive lugs 47a and 47b of the valve 45. The slots which is provided with the first part 41 of the body 40 bear the same references as in FIGS. 3 and 4, ie 30a and 30b for those which receive the tabs 47a and 47b and 31a 31b for those which only define a longitudinal limit at arm 32 of the body 41. As previously these arms are terminated by a tooth 32a which snaps behind a shoulder 34 and there is found the inner corrugated surface 36 of the collar bearing this shoulder 34.

The flow regulator shown in these figures is unidirectional because it comprises in derivation of the valve seat 49 a channel with a unidirectional shutter 50 shown here in the form of a lip seal. It is understood that when the fluid flows from the means 42 to the means 44, it can not bypass the valve seat 49 because this fluid, which can flow through the slots 30a 30b around the tabs 47a 47b of the valve, is blocked by the lip seal 50. The fluid flowing in this direction is therefore controlled flow. On the other hand in the other direction, the fluid reaches the lip seal 50 through the slots 30a and 30b, pushes radially inwards the lip of the seal 50 and can bypass the valve seat 49. The return can therefore be done at uncontrolled flow, particularly at full flow if the cross sections are calculated for this purpose.

Note that the inner surface of the arms 32 located beyond the shoulder 33 towards the connection means 44 has ridges 51. These grooves are such that when a tube is placed in the connection means 44 to the stop against the shoulder 33, they come to bite on the outer surface of this tube and constitute means that prevents it from turning on it. even. Therefore, a rotation of the sleeve 43 is not transmitted to the tube by the quick connection means 44 which comprise a well-known tooth washer, so that the adjustment of the flow does not cause a twisting of the tube which, once the regulated flow could by elasticity modify its value. In addition, a twisting of the tube having another origin does not result in a modification of the relative angular position of the sleeve 43 with respect to the first portion 41 of the body 40. For this purpose, moreover, the various relative positions that the sleeve can take 43 and the portion 41 are indexed by means of the notch 36 already described and at least one tooth 52 carried by the outer surface of the arms 32 of the portion 41 of the body 40. A visualization of this indexing is materializable outside the body. For example, the portion 21, 41 of the fitting body may carry an index while the left end of the sleeve 23, 43 will include a scale which, cooperating with the index finger, will indicate the degree of the section restriction achieved ( in% of the full passage for example).

The connection shown in the figures is a bent connection. The invention also covers a straight union type connection. Note that the presence of a tube housed in the fast connection means 44 to the stop 33 provides stiffening to the connection by reinforcing the connection of the portion of the sleeve 43 which is cantilevered with respect to the first part 41 of the connection from the shoulder 43 to the output of the quick connection means.

Claims

1. Fitting for fluid channels incorporating means for regulating the flow rate of the fluid passing therethrough, comprising a body (20) provided with means (22 24) for connecting it to said channels and carrying means for operating the setting means, in which the body (20) is in two parts (21 23) each provided with means for connection to one of the channels, characterized in that the first (21) of the parts carrying the adjusting means (26 and 27) while the second (23) ) parts is rotatably mounted on the first (21) and is said means for maneuvering the adjusting means (26 27).

2. A coupling according to claim 1 characterized in that the second portion (43) of the body (40) carries means (44) of axial retention of a tube while the first portion (41) of the body (40) comprises means (51) for locking this tube in rotation in the connection.

3. A coupling according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the rotation of the second portion (23 43) on the first (21 41) is indexed on a plurality of angular values corresponding to a plurality of positions of the adjusting means (27). 45).

4. Connection according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the flow control means are unidirectional.

5. Fitting according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the flow control means comprise a valve seat (26 49) secured to the first portion (21 41) and a valve (27 45) slidably guided relative to the seated along the axis of rotation Y of the second part (23 43) on the first part (21 41), the valve (27 45) having lateral arms (29a 29b 47a 47b) driving, of which end cooperates with helical grooves (37 48) formed in the second part (23 43) to transform its rotation into a translation of the valve (27 45) relative to the seat (26 49).

6. Connection according to one of claims 2 to 5 characterized in that the second portion (23 43) is in the form of a sleeve latched on the first portion (21 41) whose end provided with locking means (51) in rotation of the tube is in the form of flexible ratchet teeth (32 32a).