Johnston coupling with additional vacuum enclosure

Abstract

A plug-in coupling for connecting a first to a second double-walled, vacuum-insulated cryogenic line is proposed. The plug-in coupling comprises a coupling plug and a coupling socket. The coupling plug has an inner and an outer pipe piece and a first connecting flange and is connected to the first cryogenic line. The coupling socket has an inner and an outer pipe piece and a second connecting flange and is connected to the second cryogenic line. In an assembled state of the plug-in coupling, the coupling plug has been plugged into an open annular gap in the coupling socket. The annular gap is surrounded both at its inner circumference and at its outer circumference by an insulating vacuum, whereby the thermal insulation of the plug-in coupling is improved. This construction makes possible a shorter design of the plug-in coupling, which, while achieving good thermal insulation, is space-saving and easy to handle.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.