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US 12,007,055 B2Granted
Compact fluid couplings
AssigneeColder Products Company
InventorsAndres E. Abraham Carabano, Shaun J. Jacobsen, Erik A. M. Weigel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Some fluid coupling devices described herein are configured as non-spill fluid couplings. In addition, some embodiments described in this document relate to fluid coupling devices and fluid coupling systems that are constructed in a compact configuration.
Claims17
A fluid coupling device comprising:
- a housing defining an internal space and comprising:
- a first housing portion that defines a first internal space portion and a first end opening;
- a second housing portion that defines a second internal space portion and a second end opening;
- and
- a third housing portion that is formed separately from the first and second housing portions and then coupled to the first and second housing portions to define a third internal space portion there between;
- and
- a valve assembly coupled to the housing and comprising a valve stem and a valve sleeve, wherein the valve assembly is reconfigurable between:
- (i) a first arrangement in which a fluid flow path between the first and second end openings is open, and (ii) a second arrangement in which the valve assembly blocks the fluid flow path,
- wherein the third housing portion is disposed at a closed end of the fluid coupling device,
- wherein a first portion of the fluid flow path extends through the first internal space portion, wherein a second portion of the fluid flow path extends through the second internal space portion, wherein a third portion of the fluid flow path extends through the third internal space portion, and wherein the third portion of the fluid flow path interconnects the first and second portions of the fluid flow path, and
- wherein a cross-sectional area of the third internal space decreases along a direction from an end of the third housing portion that is coupled to the first housing portion to an end of the third housing portion that is coupled to the second housing portion.
8 more elements
A fluid coupling system comprising:
- (i) a first fluid coupling device and (ii) a second fluid coupling device that is releasably coupleable to the first fluid coupling device, wherein the first fluid coupling device comprises:
- a housing defining an internal space and comprising:
- a first housing portion that defines a first internal space portion and a first end opening;
- a second housing portion that defines a second internal space portion and a second end opening;
- and
- a third housing portion that is formed separately from the first and second housing portions and then coupled to the first and second housing portions to define a third internal space portion there between, wherein a cross-sectional area of the third internal space decreases along a direction from an end of the third housing portion that is coupled to the first housing portion to an end of the third housing portion that is coupled to the second housing portion;
- and
- a valve assembly within the internal space and comprising a valve stem and a valve sleeve that is spring-biased to a closed position, and
- wherein the second fluid coupling device comprises:
- a housing defining an internal space;
- and
- a valve assembly within the internal space and comprising a valve member that is spring-biased to a closed position,
- wherein the first and second fluid coupling devices are releasably coupleable in a coupled arrangement by inserting a portion of the housing of the second fluid coupling device into the first internal space portion via the first end opening to open the valve assemblies of the first and second fluid coupling devices and to create an open fluid flow path through the fluid coupling system, and
- wherein a first portion of the fluid flow path extends through the first internal space portion, wherein a second portion of the fluid flow path extends through the second internal space portion, wherein a third portion of the fluid flow path extends through the third internal space portion, and wherein the third portion of the fluid flow path interconnects the first and second portions of the fluid flow path.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.