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US 2004/0000788 A1Published application
Quick-connecting coupler for hoses, pipes and faucets
OwnerGerald Cronleyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A coupler for coupling a male end of a hose to a female end of a faucet or another hose. In the first embodiment, the female end of the coupler is mechanically locked in sealing engagement with a male end by simply translation thereof by means of wedges and an outer retaining sleeve. In a second embodiment, hydraulic pressure provides the final seal, with the female end being a spring split-ring locked and compressed by means of an outer locking sleeve, which outer locking sleeve is released by squeezing it in order to deform it. A third embodiment combines the first and second embodiments.
Claims20
A coupler having a female-end for connection to a male-end of an element, comprising:
- a main frame;
- a collet means mounted for slidable movement by said main frame, said collet means comprising flexible engaging means for engaging a cooperating portion of a male-portion of an element;
- an outer retaining member mounted for sliding by said main frame, said outer retaining member being at least partially telescopingly movable about said collet means for preventing said flexible engaging means from disengaging with the male-portion of an element, and comprising first engaging means;
- an inner retaining means mounted by said main frame for relative sliding motion with respect to said outer retaining member, and comprising second cooperating means, said inner retaining means capable of retaining said outer retaining member in a retained position via said first and second cooperating means;
- means for translating said flexible engaging means of said collet means;
- said means for translating comprising third cooperating means in operative association with said collet means and said outer retaining member for alternatively moving said collet means in a first direction and in a second direction.
3 more elements
In a coupler having a female-end for connection to a male-end of an element, comprising:
- a main body portion;
- collet means mounted for slidable movement relative to said main body portion, said collet means comprising flexible engaging means for engaging a portion of a male-portion of an element;
- an outer retaining member mounted for sliding relative to said main frame, said outer retaining member being at least partially telescopingly movable about said collet for preventing said flexible engaging means from disengaging with the male-portion of an element, and comprising first engaging means;
- retaining means capable of holding said outer retaining member in a locking position;
- and
- means for moving said flexible engaging means of said collet means toward and away from said main body portion.
3 more elements
A method of coupling a male-end of an element, comprising:
- (a) inserting a male-end into a flexible, floating collet member having mating engaging means for the male-end;
- (b) said step (a) comprising pushing the male-end thereagainst to cause the engaging means of the collet member to initially engage with the male-end inserted therein and for moving the collet member a first lateral distance by contact of the collet means against a limit-stop;
- (c) after said step (b), allowing the collet member additional lateral movement;
- (d) said step (c) sealing the male-end against the sealing member;
- (e) said step (c) comprising moving the limit stop a distance that allows said additional lateral movement.
2 more elements
A coupler having a female-end for connection to a male-end of an element, comprising:
- a main frame having at least one cutout formed therein;
- a collet means mounted for slidable movement at least partially about said main frame;
- a compressible female-end member for engaging a threaded male-end of a hose or faucet and the like;
- said compressible female-end member comprising projecting means projecting into said at least one cutout of said main frame;
- sealing means in said main frame for providing an initial seal for a male-end of an element inserted in said compressible female-end member;
- said slidable collet means comprising locking means for locking said collet means in place in a first position when said compressible female-end member locks a male-end therein, said first position closing off said at least one cutout to prevent expansion of said compressible female-end member, and, when said locking means is released, allowing said slidable collet means to a second position exposing said at least one cutout to allow expansion of said compressible female-end member to thereby disengage with a male-end;
- said sealing means comprising a washer in contact with a male-end of a hose or faucet inserted in said compressible female-end member, a piston member, and biasing means for biasing said piston member toward said compressible female-end member frame for providing said initial seal, said piston member having a surface greater than the surface area of said washer.
4 more elements
A coupler having a female-end for connection to a male-end of an element, comprising:
- a main body portion having a first end and second end;
- outer retaining means mounted for slidable relative to said main body portion;
- sealing means operatively associated with said second end of said main body portion for providing a seal for a male-end of an element;
- a flexible female-portion for receiving and locking a male-end therein, said female-portion being operative associated with said sealing means at said second end;
- means mounting said flexible, resilient female-portion for movement toward and away from said sealing means comprising-wedge means operatively associated with said outer retaining means for urging said female-portion toward said sealing means when said outer retaining means is moved in a first direction
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.