Low-spill coupling assembly

A female coupling device configured to releasably receive a male coupling device, wherein the female coupling device comprises:

• a female body comprising:
• a front face at a front-most end of the female body;
• a circular opening in the front face;
• a first interior bore having a first interior bore diameter, wherein the first interior bore is positioned rearwardly of the circular opening and has a first interior longitudinal length, and wherein the first interior bore diameter is a minimum diameter of a cylindrical interior fluid passageway defined by the first interior bore;
• a first interior transition surface at a rearward end of the first interior bore which defines a rearward end of the first interior longitudinal length;
• a second interior bore having a second interior bore diameter, wherein the second interior bore extends rearwardly from the first interior transition surface for a second interior longitudinal length, wherein the second interior bore diameter is a minimum diameter of a cylindrical interior fluid passageway defined by the second interior bore, and wherein the second interior bore diameter is smaller than the first interior bore diameter;
• a second interior transition surface at a rearward end of the second interior bore which defines a rearward end of the second interior longitudinal length;
• a third interior bore having a third interior bore diameter, wherein the third interior bore diameter is a minimum diameter of a cylindrical interior fluid passageway defined by the third interior bore, and wherein the third interior bore diameter is greater than the second interior bore diameter;
• first and second interior bore seal grooves, wherein the first interior bore seal groove is disposed between the first interior transition surface and the second interior bore seal groove, and wherein the second interior bore seal groove is disposed between the second interior transition surface and the first interior bore seal groove;
• an aperture disposed in a portion of the female body, wherein the aperture is rearward of the front-most end of the female body and forward of the first interior bore seal groove, and wherein the aperture provides a passageway between an exterior of the female body and the first interior bore;
• a first bore seal seated in the first interior bore seal groove;
• a second bore seal seated in the second interior bore seal groove;
• a stem comprising:
• a stem head having a stem front face and a stem seal groove located rearward of the stem front face, wherein the stem head is configured to remain stationary relative to the front-most end of the female body, wherein the second interior bore seal groove and the stem seal groove open toward one another and at least partly overlap in a longitudinal direction, wherein the stem front face is positioned within the second interior bore, wherein the stem front face is positioned at a same or greater longitudinal distance from the front face as the first bore seal, and at a lesser longitudinal distance than the second interior transition surface, and wherein the stem front face is disposed to face toward the circular opening of the front-most end of the female body and to be perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the second interior bore, the longitudinal axis of the second interior bore being located at a center of the second interior bore;
• and
• a stem seal seated in the stem seal groove;
• and
• a movable sleeve having a sleeve front face disposed to face toward the circular opening of the front-most end of the female body and configured to slide in a rearward direction relative to the stem head such that the stem seal is releasably engageable with an interior circumferential sleeve surface of the movable sleeve and the second bore seal is releasably engageable with an exterior circumferential sleeve surface of the movable sleeve, wherein the movable sleeve is spring biased toward a closed position in which the sleeve front face is aligned with the stem front face and in which the movable sleeve is configured to abut with the second interior transition surface of the female body and to engage with both the second bore seal and the stem seal, and wherein the movable sleeve is configured to slide in the rearward direction such that, as the female coupling device releasably receives the male coupling device into a fully-coupled position, the movable sleeve is configured to disengage from both the stem seal and the second bore seal.

A coupling system comprising:

• a female coupling device comprising:
• a female body comprising:
• a front face at a front-most end of the female body;
• a circular opening in the front face;
• a first interior bore having a first interior bore diameter, wherein the first interior bore is positioned rearwardly of the circular opening and has a first interior longitudinal length, and wherein the first interior bore diameter is a minimum diameter of a cylindrical interior fluid passageway defined by the first interior bore;
• a first interior transition surface at a rearward end of the first interior bore which defines a rearward end of the first interior longitudinal length;
• a second interior bore having a second interior bore diameter, wherein the second interior bore extends rearwardly from the first interior transition surface for a second interior longitudinal length, wherein the second interior bore diameter is a minimum diameter of a cylindrical interior fluid passageway defined by the second interior bore, and wherein the second interior bore diameter is smaller than the first interior bore diameter;
• a second interior transition surface at a rearward end of the second interior bore which defines a rearward end of the second interior longitudinal length;
• a third interior bore having a third interior bore diameter, wherein the third interior bore diameter is a minimum diameter of a cylindrical interior fluid passageway defined by the third interior bore, and wherein the third interior bore diameter is greater than the second interior bore diameter;
• first and second interior bore seal grooves, wherein the first interior bore seal groove is disposed between the first interior transition surface and the second interior bore seal groove, and wherein the second interior bore seal groove is disposed between the second interior transition surface and the first interior bore seal groove;
• an aperture disposed in a portion of the female body, wherein the aperture is rearward of the front-most end of the female body and forward of the first interior bore seal groove, and wherein the aperture provides a passageway between an exterior of the female body and the first interior bore;
• a first bore seal seated in the first interior bore seal groove;
• a second bore seal seated in the second interior bore seal groove;
• a stem comprising:
• a stem head having a stem front face and a stem seal groove located rearward of the stem front face, wherein the stem head is configured to remain stationary relative to the front-most end of the female body, wherein the second interior bore seal groove and the stem seal groove open toward one another and at least partly overlap in a longitudinal direction, wherein the stem front face is positioned within the second interior bore, wherein the stem front face is positioned at a same or greater longitudinal distance from the front face as the first bore seal, and at a lesser longitudinal distance than the second interior transition surface, and wherein the stem front face is disposed to face toward the circular opening of the front-most end of the female body and to be perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the second interior bore, the longitudinal axis of the second interior bore being located at a center of the second interior bore;
• and
• a stem seal seated in the stem seal groove;
• a movable sleeve having a sleeve front face disposed to face toward the circular opening of the front-most end of the female body and configured to slide in a rearward direction relative to the stem head such that the stem seal is releasably engageable with an interior circumferential sleeve surface of the movable sleeve and the second bore seal is releasably engageable with an exterior circumferential sleeve surface of the movable sleeve, wherein the movable sleeve is spring biased toward a closed position in which the sleeve front face is aligned with the stem front face and in which the movable sleeve is configured to abut with the second interior transition surface of the female body and to engage with both the second bore seal and the stem seal, and wherein the movable sleeve is configured to slide in the rearward direction such that, as the female coupling device releasably receives a male coupling device into a fully-coupled position, the movable sleeve is configured to disengage from both the stem seal and the second bore seal;
• and
• the male coupling device comprising:
• a male body comprising:
• a front face at a front-most end of the male body;
• a front opening in the front face of the male body;
• an exterior circumferential surface extending rearward from the front face of the male body toward an outwardly ramped surface of an exterior circumferential shoulder such that the exterior circumferential shoulder is positioned rearward of the front face of the male body by a first axial length;
• an exterior circumferential groove positioned rearwardly of the outwardly ramped surface of the exterior circumferential shoulder such that the exterior circumferential groove is at least partially defined by a first radial surface, a circumferential groove surface extending rearwardly from the first radial surface, and a rear transition surface extending rearwardly and outwardly from the circumferential groove surface;
• a second radial surface positioned rearward of the exterior circumferential groove extending radially outward toward an outermost exterior surface of the male body;
• and
• an interior fluid passageway which has a first bore diameter extending rearward to an interior shoulder transitioning to a larger second bore diameter that extends rearward for a majority of an overall axial length of the male body;
• a rear exterior connection end portion positioned rearwardly of the outermost exterior surface of the male body and extending rearwardly from a rear-facing radial surface such that the rear exterior connection end portion is configured to remain external to the female coupling device and couple with a fluid line;
• and
• a valve that is longitudinally slidable within the interior fluid passageway of the male body and configured to abut the interior shoulder so that a portion of the valve releasably seals the interior fluid passageway of the male body, the valve having a front-most valve face with a diameter greater than half a diameter of the exterior circumferential surface of male body, wherein the valve is biased by a valve spring to urge the valve toward a forward position in which the front-most valve face is aligned with the front face of the male body and the valve is entirely forward of the outwardly ramped surface of the exterior circumferential shoulder, wherein the valve is longitudinally slidable from the forward position to a rearward position in which the valve is located radially inward of the outwardly ramped surface of the exterior circumferential shoulder and the valve spring is positioned entirely rearward of the outwardly ramped surface of the exterior circumferential shoulder,
• wherein the exterior circumferential shoulder of the male body is positioned rearward of the front opening by the first axial length such that the valve of the male coupling device is configured to engage against the stem in the female coupling device while a maximum outer diameter of the exterior circumferential shoulder of the male body remains external to the female coupling device.