Multi coupling for coupling lines with an alignment aid

A multi-coupling comprising:

• coupling lines;
• an alignment aid being associated with a first coupling part and a second coupling part and compensating for offset tolerances during threading of the first coupling part into the second coupling part during coupling of media couplings;
• wherein the coupling parts each have a coupling carrier, one of said coupling carriers being supported for movement transversely to a coupling direction;
• wherein the alignment aid has, on one of the coupling parts, a central pre-centering journal projecting from the coupling carrier thereof in the coupling direction and at least one precision centering guide, arranged outward of a pre-centering journal axis of the central pre-centering journal;
• and
• wherein the alignment aid has, on the other of said coupling parts, a central catching jaw and at least one precision centering journal that projects from the coupling carrier of said other of said coupling parts in the coupling direction and is arranged radially outward of the catching jaw and is configured to coact with the at least one precision centering guide;
• wherein a head of the at least one precision centering journal projects less far beyond the coupling carrier thereof than a head of the pre-centering journal from the other coupling carrier thereof;
• and
• wherein the central catching jaw merges in the coupling direction into a pre-centering guide;
• and
• wherein said one of said coupling carriers is supported for movement with respect to a carrier base transversely to the coupling direction;
• and
• wherein at least one spring is arranged between the coupling carrier and the carrier base, and said spring is pretensioned between said one of said coupling carriers and the carrier base by a tensioning structure acting at one end thereof on said one of said coupling carriers and at an opposing end thereof on the carrier base, said tensioning structure and the spring causing said one of said coupling carriers to remain in an approximately axially parallel relationship to the carrier base during said movement transverse to the coupling direction.

A coupling plug configured for use in a multi-coupling, said coupling plug comprising:

• a central pre-centering journal projecting in a coupling direction from a coupling carrier;
• and
• three precision centering journals arranged radially around a pre-centering journal axis and projecting from the coupling carrier in the coupling direction;
• wherein the precision centering journal heads are set back relative to the pre-centering journal head in the coupling direction, and
• wherein a plurality of media couplings are arranged in a star shape around the pre-centering journal axis;
• and
• wherein the coupling carrier is supported on a carrier base for movement transverse to the coupling direction;
• and
• wherein at least one spring is arranged between the coupling carrier and the carrier base, and said spring is pretensioned between the coupling carrier and the carrier base by a tensioning structure acting at one end thereof on the coupling carrier and at an opposing end thereof on the carrier base, said tensioning structure causing the coupling carrier to remain in an axially parallel relationship to the carrier base during said movement transverse to the coupling direction.

A coupling socket configured for use in a multi-coupling, said coupling socket comprising:

• a central catching jaw in a coupling carrier, said central catching jaw merging into a pre-centering guide in a coupling direction;
• three precision centering guides arranged on the coupling carrier in a star shape around a pre-centering guide axis;
• and
• the plurality of media couplings being arranged in a star shape around the pre-centering guide axis;
• and
• wherein the coupling carrier is supported on a carrier base for movement transverse to the coupling direction;
• and
• wherein at least one spring is arranged between the coupling carrier and the carrier base, and said spring is pretensioned between the coupling carrier and the carrier base by a tensioning structure acting at one end thereof on the coupling carrier and at an opposing end thereof on the carrier base, said tensioning structure causing the coupling carrier to remain in an axially parallel relationship to the carrier base during said movement transverse to the coupling direction.