US 4,900,065 AGranted

Quick-connect fluid coupling

AssigneeDLH Industries, Inc.

InventorDouglas L. Houck

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Abstract

A quick-connect fluid coupling for fluid conduits includes first and second identical inter-fitting bodies (10, 10'). Each of said bodies includes barrel portions (14) and sleeve portions (16). The sleeve portions include barrel accepting recesses (34). Each body portion also has a forward projection (48) including an angled ramp (50) and a step (52) and an opposed U-shaped latch (54). The body also has tubing accepting bores (26, 42) which accept ends of fluid conduit tubes. First and second fluid passages (30,46) extend through the body to the barrel portion and barrel accepting recess respectively. When the bodies are joined in opposed inter-fitting relations, the barrel portions on the first body are accepted into the barrel accepting recesses on the second body and vice versa. The step on the forward projection on the first body catches in the U-shaped latch on the second body and vice versa to hold the bodies together. The bodies forming the coupling are readily separable by depressing the forward projections and pulling the bodies apart.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A coupling for simultaneously joining a plurality of fluid conduits including:

(a) first and second identical bodies, each of said bodies being an integral one-piece member having a base and at least two parallel hollow barrel portions extending outwardly in a first direction from a first side of said first base and at least two hollow sleeve portions formed on said base and having barrel accepting recesses on said first side of the base whereby on joining of the first and second bodies each of the barrel portions of said first body are accepted by a slip-fit engagement into a respective barrel accepting recess of said second body and each of said barrel portions of said second body are accepted into a respective barrel accepting recess of said first body by a slip-fit engagement for individually placing each of a first plurality of fluid conduits adapted to be connected to the base of the first body, in fluid connection through said coupling to individual fluid conduits of a second plurality of fluid conduits adapted to be connected to the base of the second body;
(b) a plurality of individual conduit accepting means formed on a second side of each of he bases of the first and second bodies, each of which is formed with an individual bore communicating with the respective barrel portion and sleeve portion on said base, to provide individual fluid paths through said bodies for each of the conduits;
(c) latching means formed integrally with the first and second bodies for holding the bodies together in interfitting relationship;
and
(d) separate sealing means for sealing the barrel portions in their respective barrel accepting recesses in a fluid type relationship.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.