HK1189399A - Quick connector - Google Patents

Description

Quick coupling

Cross reference to prior application

This PCT patent application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application No.61/442,057 entitled "quick connector" filed on 11.2.2011, the entire disclosure of which is to be considered part of the disclosure of this application and is incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to quick connector assemblies, and more particularly to quick connector assemblies that receive and lock male end form features.

Background

In many different applications, quick connector assemblies are used to make a quick connection between a male end form and a hose or another pipe and establish fluid communication. It is important that the male end form be quickly engageable with the quick connector assembly to minimize assembly time and labor on, for example, an assembly line. At the same time, the quick connector assembly must be very reliable and must establish a fluid tight seal with the male end form that does not leak or disengage from the male end form. In the automotive industry, quick connector assemblies are often used for fuel lines, and failure of a quick connector assembly can pose a serious safety risk. To reduce this risk, manufacturers have developed assemblies that cannot be locked until the male end form is fully inserted into the quick connector.

One known quick connector assembly includes a housing having a female receiving portion for receiving a male end form and a stem portion for receiving a hose. The locker is movable between a non-engaged position for allowing insertion or withdrawal of the male end form and an engaged position for engaging the bead to retain the male end form in the housing. The locker includes a ring that prevents the locker from moving to the engaged position until the male end form is inserted into the housing by a predetermined distance, and the ring is broken when the male end form is inserted into the housing by the predetermined distance so that the male end form can be completely inserted into the housing. Once the male end form is fully inserted into the housing and the bead passes the locker, the locker can be moved downwardly into the engaged position to engage the bead and retain the male end form in the housing in the locked position. The locker can then be moved back to the non-engaged position to allow the male end form to be extracted. However, once the male end form is removed from the quick connector assembly, there is no structure to prevent the locker from moving back to the engaged position even when the male end form is not seated in the housing because the ring is broken. Thus, such a quick connector assembly only prevents the locker from moving to the engaged position prior to the quick connector assembly first receiving the male end form. Thereafter, even when the male end form is not inserted into the housing of the quick connector assembly, there is no safety mechanism to prevent the locker from moving to the engaged position. The user may inadvertently move the locker to the engaged position without properly locking the male end form in the housing.

There remains a significant and continuing need for improved quick connector assemblies that are both reliable and reusable.

Disclosure of Invention

One aspect of the present invention provides a quick connector assembly including a plunger slidably disposed in a housing and biased in a first direction by a spring. The locker is restrained to the non-engaged position until the male end form is inserted into the housing a predetermined distance, the male end form being inserted into the housing to move the plunger in a second direction opposite the first direction. Once the male end form is inserted a sufficient distance into the housing, the locker can be moved to the engaged position, thereby locking the male end form with the quick connector assembly. This aspect of the invention is advantageous because the male end form can only be properly locked and sealed into the quick connector assembly and the male end form can be removed and reinstalled into the quick connector assembly without losing the functionality of the quick connector assembly. Thus, movement of the locker into the engaged position provides a visual indication that the male end form is properly locked and sealed by the quick connector assembly. This aspect of the invention is also advantageous because when the male end form is locked by the quick connector assembly, the plunger remains biased against the bead of the male end form, thereby restricting movement of the male end form relative to the housing even if the quick connector assembly is rocked, for example, as a vehicle travels along a bumpy road. Still further, this aspect of the invention is advantageous because it allows the quick connector assembly to mate with a low profile male end form, i.e., the male end form has a short distance between the bead and a tangent to a curved portion or surface that deviates from the outer tube diameter of the male end form.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the locker includes a pair of inboard legs that extend through a lower slot in the housing and provide an additional visual indication that the male end form is properly locked by the quick connector assembly. This is another safety feature of the quick connector assembly.

According to another aspect of the invention, the locker includes a pair of outer legs each having a first curved portion for contacting the housing when the locker is in the engaged position and a second curved portion for contacting the housing when the locker is not in the engaged position. This is another safety feature of the quick connector assembly because the outboard leg only allows the locker to move between these two positions, i.e., it cannot be located in the partially engaged position, and the outboard leg also ensures that the locker can be moved from the engaged position to the disengaged position only by a deliberate action by the user.

Drawings

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood, as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a quick connector assembly with a latching device in an unused position;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of the quick connector assembly with the locker in the engaged position;

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the quick connector assembly with the latching device in the unused position;

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the quick connector assembly with the locker in the engaged position;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method of connecting a male end form to a quick connector assembly.

Detailed Description

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown generally in FIGS. 1-4 a quick connector assembly 20 for establishing fluid communication between a male end form 22 and another hose or tube (not shown). The male end form is preferably metallic, has a substantially tubular shape, and extends to the end of the tube. The male end form 22 also includes a bead 24 or annular ridge that is a predetermined distance from the end of the tube.

The quick connector assembly 20 includes a housing 26, generally indicated, presenting a female receiving portion 28 for receiving the male end form 22 and a stem portion 30 for receiving and establishing fluid communication with a hose or any other pipe (not shown). In the exemplary embodiment, housing 26 is formed from metal and is formed by a deep drawing process. However, it should be understood that any other formable material may be used in place of metal (including, for example, polymeric materials or ceramics), and that housing 26 may be formed by any desired forming process.

The housing 26 defines an aperture 32 extending between the female receiving portion 28 and the wand portion 30 for conveying fluid between the male end form 22 and a hose (not shown). The notch receiving portion 28 extends along the axis and presents an entry aperture 34 for receiving the male end form 22. The bore 32 of the female receiving portion 28 is double-reamed to assume a first shoulder 36 opening up to a first portion 38 and a second shoulder 40 opening up to a larger second portion 42. Thus, the first portion 38 extends between the first shoulder 36 and the second shoulder 40 and has a first diameter, while the second portion 42 extends between the second shoulder 40 and the access bore 34 and has a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter.

A pair of sealing rings 44 are disposed in the first portion 38 of the bore 32, with one of the sealing rings 44 abutting the first shoulder 36, and with a spacer 46 sandwiched between the sealing rings 44 in the first portion 38. The sealing ring 44 is preferably an O-ring, which may be made of a variety of materials depending on the fluid and temperature requirements of the quick connector assembly 20. The spacer 46 of the exemplary embodiment is a thermoplastic material and is manufactured by an injection molding process. However, the spacer 46 may be of any other material and may be manufactured using any desired forming method. It should also be understood that the first portion 38 may alternatively include any number (including zero) of sealing rings 44.

The quick connector assembly 20 of the exemplary embodiment further includes a substantially cylindrical sleeve 48 disposed in the second portion 42 of the bore 32 and extending between the second shoulder 40 and the access bore 34. The sleeve 48 also extends radially inwardly along the second shoulder 40 of the housing 26 to present a first spring seat 50 (discussed in further detail below) and axially into the first portion 38 to abut the first seal ring 44 for retaining the first and second seal rings 44 and the spacer 46 in the first portion 38 of the bore 32. The sleeve 48 of the exemplary embodiment is a thermoplastic material and is manufactured by an injection molding process. However, the sleeve 48 may alternatively be of any other material and may be manufactured using any desired forming process.

The quick connector assembly 20 further includes a plunger 52, the plunger 52 having a substantially annular shape, slidably disposed within the sleeve 48 in the second portion 42 of the bore 32. The plunger 52 has a front portion 51 and a rear portion 55, the front portion 51 having a larger diameter to receive the bead of the male end form 22 and the rear portion 55 having a smaller diameter to receive the portion of the male end form 22 forward of the bead 24. The plunger 52 also includes a radially extending portion 57 that is sized similar to the opening of the sleeve 48 to guide the movement of the plunger 52 within the sleeve 48.

The plunger 52 also presents a second spring seat 53, the second spring seat 53 facing the first spring seat 50 of the sleeve 48 already discussed above. A spring 54 is disposed in the second portion 42 of the bore 32 and extends between the first spring seat 50 of the sleeve 48 and the second spring seat 53 of the plunger 52 to bias the plunger in a first axial direction toward the access bore 34 and into a rest position, which is shown in fig. 1 and will be described in further detail below. The spring 54 of the exemplary embodiment is a wave spring 54 formed from a stainless steel blank, although it should be understood that any other type of compression spring 54 may alternatively be used. The exemplary plunger 52 is a thermoplastic material and is manufactured by an injection molding process. However, the plunger 52 may be of any other material and may be manufactured using any desired forming method.

The quick connector assembly 20 further includes a locker 56, the locker 56 being movable between an engaged position (fig. 2 and 4) for retaining the male end form 22 in the housing 26 and an unengaged position (fig. 1 and 3) for allowing the male end form 22 to be inserted into or withdrawn from the housing 26. The locker 56 includes a base 58 and a pair of inboard legs 60, the inboard legs 60 extending downwardly through the recess receiving portion 28 of the housing 26 and at least one upper slot 59 in the sleeve 48 into the aperture 32. Each medial leg 60 has an upper portion 62 and a different lower portion 64. The upper portions 62 are spaced apart from one another slightly larger than the diameter of the male end form 22, and the lower portions 64 are spaced apart from one another slightly larger than the diameter of the bead 24 of the male end form 22 but smaller than the diameter of the plunger 52. Thus, when the locker 56 is in the non-engaged position of fig. 1 and 3, the spring 54 biases the plunger 52 towards the lower portion 64 of the inside leg 60, which position is hereinafter referred to as the "rest position". Because of the greater spacing between the lower portions 64 of the inboard legs 60, the male end form 22, including the bead 24, can be inserted into the housing 26 past the inboard legs 60 of the locker 56 to the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 when the locker 56 is in the non-engaged position. Once collar 24 passes inside leg 60, locker 56 may be moved downward into the engaged position, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. With the locker 56 in the engaged position, the bead 24 of the male end form 22 is trapped between the upper portion 62 of the inner leg 60 and the radially extending portion 57 of the plunger 52. The male end form 22 is then successfully locked and sealed by the quick connector assembly 20. In addition, the plunger 52 is biased toward the bead 24 of the male end form 22, and therefore movement of the male end form 22 relative to the housing is limited even if the quick connector assembly 20 vibrates, for example, as the vehicle travels along a bumpy road. The collar 48 may also have a flange 61 extending toward the plunger 52 to contact the plunger 52 when the male end form 22 is locked in the quick connector assembly 20.

The sleeve 48 also includes a pair of circumferentially spaced shelves 66, and each inboard leg 60 of the locker 56 presents an outwardly extending lip 67 corresponding to one of the shelves 66 and an angled portion 68 leading to the lip 67. When the locker 56 is initially mounted to the housing 26, the angled portion 68 of the inboard leg 60 engages the sleeve 48 to flex the inboard leg 60 inwardly. Once lip 67 passes shelf 66, inboard leg 60 flexes laterally back to its unstressed position. If a user attempts to remove an installed locker 56 from the housing 26, the lip 67 on the inside leg 60 will engage the shelf 66 of the sleeve 48 to prevent removal of the locker 56 from the housing 26. Preferably, the lip 67 and shelf 66 are strong enough to withstand up to ninety (90) newtons of force.

When the locker 56 is in the engaged position, the lower portion 64 of the inside leg 60 extends downwardly through the sleeve 48 and the lower slot 69 of the housing 26 to provide evidence that the locker 56 is in the engaged position. This is advantageous because it provides a visual indication to a person that the locker 56 has reached the engaged position and that the male end form 22 is properly locked and sealed by the quick connector assembly 20.

The locker 56 further includes a pair of outer legs 70, the outer legs 70 extending downwardly from the base 58 for engaging the outer surface of the recess receiving portion 28 of the housing 26. The outer legs 70 are spaced apart from one another and each has a first arcuate portion 72, a second arcuate portion 74 and a flared portion 76, the first arcuate portion 72 having the same curvature as the outer surface of the outer shell 26, the second arcuate portion 74 also having the same curvature as the outer surface of the outer shell 26, the flared portion 76 being flared outwardly from the second arcuate portion 74. The flared portions 76 of the outboard legs 70 help guide the outboard legs 70 onto the housing 26 when the locker 56 is mounted to the notch receiving portion 28 of the housing 26 during assembly of the quick connector assembly 20. The locker 56 is then pushed downward to flex the outboard leg 70 outward until the second arcuate section 74 engages the housing 26. At this point, the locker 56 is in the non-engaged position shown in fig. 1 and 3. To move the locker 56 downwardly to the engaged position shown in fig. 2 and 4, a downward force must be applied to the base 58 to deflect the outer legs 70 outwardly until the first arcuate portion 72 engages the housing 26. The shape of the outboard leg 70 only allows the locker 56 to remain in the non-engaged or engaged position, and thus, the locker 56 of the exemplary embodiment cannot be moved to the partially engaged position. This is also another important safety feature of the quick connector assembly 20.

As best shown in fig. 4, when the exemplary embodiment latch 56 is in the engaged position, the base 58 is raised relative to the housing 26 and the inboard legs 60 extend downwardly from both sides of the base 58. This arrangement presents an opening between the base 58 and the housing 26 to receive a conventional screwdriver or similar tool that can be inserted into this opening and used to pry the locker 56 upwardly to the unused position. Alternatively, the flared portion 76 of the outboard leg 70 of the locker 56 may be pulled outwardly and upwardly to move the locker 56 from the engaged position to the disengaged position. Thus, only a deliberate action by the user can move the locker 56 to the non-engaged position. This is also another safety feature of the quick connector assembly 20.

In the drawings of the exemplary embodiment, the wand portion 30 extends at a right angle and is shaped to mate with a hose (not shown). It should be understood, however, that the wand portion 30 may take many different shapes depending on the desired application, in order to fit a wide variety of pipes and hoses.

In operation, the quick connector assembly 20 begins with the locker 56 in the unused position and the plunger 52 in the rest position. As discussed above, in this position, the plunger 52 is biased forward by the wave spring 54 against the lower portion 64 of the inboard leg 60 of the locker 56. This contact between the inside leg 60 and the plunger 52 prevents the locker 56 from moving downward to the engaged position and prevents the plunger 52 from disengaging the housing 26. The male end form 22 is then pushed in an axial direction through the receiving inlet 34 into the bore 32 of the housing 26, sealing the forward end of the male end form 22 with the sealing ring 44 to prevent fluid from exiting the quick connector assembly 20. Once the male end form 22 is inserted far enough into the bore 32, the bead 24 of the male end form 22 will engage the plunger 52. Further insertion of the male end form 22 will overcome the biasing force from the wave spring 54 to move the plunger 52 rearwardly. Once the bead 24 passes the inboard leg 60, the locker 56 may be pushed downwardly into the engaged position to trap the bead 24 of the male end form 22 between the plunger 52 and the upper portion 62 of the inboard leg 60 of the locker 56. It should be noted that the locker 56 may only be moved into the engaged position after the male end form 22 is inserted far enough into the bore 32 of the housing 26 that the bead 24 passes the inboard leg 60. This feature, when combined with the visual cue that the locker 56 was successfully moved to the in use position, ensures that the male end form 22 can only be properly locked and sealed by the quick connector assembly 20.

To remove the male end form 22 from the quick connector assembly 20, a person may pry the base 58 of the locker 56 upwardly using a conventional screwdriver, or a person may push the outboard leg 70 of the locker 56 outwardly and push the locker 56 upwardly. Once the locker 56 reaches the unused position, the wave spring 54 and plunger 52 automatically eject the male end form 22 from the bore 32 of the housing 26. The locker 56 cannot be completely removed from the housing 26 due to the lip 67 of the inside leg 60 and the shelf 66 of the sleeve 48.

Referring now to the flow chart of FIG. 5 and the structure shown in FIGS. 1-4 and discussed above, another aspect of the present invention provides a method of connecting a male end form 22 having a bead 24 to a quick connector assembly 20. The method includes the step 100 of biasing the plunger 52 in a first direction to a rest position, wherein at the rest position the plunger 52 restrains the locker 56 to an unused position. The method continues with the step 102 of inserting the male end form 22 into the housing 26 of the quick connector assembly 20 such that the bead 24 of the male end form 22 contacts the plunger 52. The method then continues with step 104 of pushing the male end form 22 in a second direction opposite the first direction to move the plunger 52 out of the rest position and out of the locker 56. The method then proceeds with the step 106 of moving the locker 56 from the unused position to the active position wherein the bead 24 of the male end form 22 is trapped between the plunger 52 and the locker 56. The method may also include the steps of moving 108 the locker 56 back to the non-engaged position and pushing 110 the male end form 22 out of the housing 26 with the biased plunger 52.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings, and may be practiced otherwise than as described while still being within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (15)

1. A quick connector assembly for mating with a male end form factor, the quick connector assembly comprising:

a housing having a notch receiving portion and a stem portion;

the housing has an aperture;

a plunger slidably disposed in the bore of the housing;

a spring disposed in the bore of the housing and engaged with the plunger to bias the plunger in a first direction toward a rest position; and

a locker moveable from an unused position to an used position only in response to the male end form being inserted into the bore of the housing and sliding the plunger away from the rest position.

2. The quick connector assembly of claim 1, wherein said latching mechanism includes a pair of inner legs, each of said inner legs having an upper portion and a lower portion.

3. The quick connector assembly according to claim 2 wherein said upper portions of said inboard legs are spaced from each other by a diameter greater than said male end form and less than a diameter of the bead for restraining said male end form in said housing when said latching means is in said in-use position.

4. The quick connector assembly of claim 3, wherein said lower portions of said inboard legs are spaced from one another by a distance greater than a diameter of said bead of said male end form to permit said bead to pass between said lower portions when said locker is in said non-engaged position.

5. The quick connector assembly of claim 4, wherein said housing includes at least one upper slot, wherein said inner leg of said locker extends through said at least one upper slot.

6. The quick connector assembly of claim 5, further comprising a sleeve disposed in said housing, wherein said sleeve comprises at least one shelf, and wherein each said inboard leg comprises at least one lip for mating with said shelf to prevent said locker from being removed from said housing.

7. The quick connector assembly of claim 5, wherein said housing includes a pair of lower slots, and wherein said inboard leg extends through said lower slots and out of said housing when said latching mechanism is in said engaged position.

8. The quick connector assembly of claim 1, wherein said spring is a wave spring.

9. The quick connector assembly of claim 1, further comprising a sleeve disposed in said housing and presenting a first spring seat, wherein said plunger presents a second spring seat, and wherein said spring extends between said first spring seat and said second spring seat to bias said plunger in said rest position.

10. The quick connector assembly of claim 1, wherein said housing further comprises a lever portion.

11. The quick connector assembly of claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a first portion and a larger second portion, said first portion including at least one seal for establishing a sealing relationship with said male end form, said second portion housing said plunger and said spring.

12. The quick connector assembly of claim 1, wherein said locker includes a pair of outer legs for engaging the exterior of said housing and for guiding said locker between said engaged position and said disengaged position.

13. The quick connector assembly according to claim 12, wherein said outboard leg has a first arcuate portion having the same curvature as the outer surface of said housing and a second arcuate portion having the same curvature as the outer surface of said housing.

14. A method of connecting a male end form having a bead to a quick connector assembly, the method comprising the steps of:

biasing a plunger in a first direction to a rest position, wherein in the rest position the plunger constrains a locker to an unused position;

inserting the male end form into the housing of the quick connector assembly such that the bead of the male end form contacts the plunger;

pushing the male end form in a second direction opposite the first direction to move the plunger out of the rest position and out of the locker; and

moving the locker from the non-engaged position to an engaged position wherein the bead of the male end form is trapped between the plunger and the locker.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of moving said locker from said engaged position back to said disengaged position and pushing said male end form out of said housing with said plunger biased.