Back to results
US 4,949,745 AGranted
Clean air connector
AssigneeAir-Lock, Incorporated
InventorJohn J. McKeon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeAir-Lock, Incorporated
InventorJohn J. McKeon
Estimating the term…
A connector (10) for use in a contaminated environment is provided. The connector includes first and second couplers (13, 14) which are coupled together to produce a fluid path (148) through the connector. The outer boundaries of the fluid path define a fluid path envelope. The surfaces (126, 128) which could be contaminated and which lie within the fluid path envelope are mated against one another and then captured between a pair of O-rings (46, 122). Parts of these surfaces, as well as other surfaces (130, 132) lying outside the fluid path envelope, are flushed with fluid (142, 144) as the connector is coupled to further reduce contamination. O-rings are also used to clean contamination from parts of some of the surfaces. As a result of these contamination control procedures, the connector can be assembled in a contaminated environment without introducing contamination into the fluid stream passing through the connector.
A method for coupling the end of a first conduit to the end of a second conduit comprising the steps of:
A connector for carrying a fluid comprising a first subassembly and a second subassembly, said connector having an uncoupled state in which the subassemblies are disconnected from one another and a coupled state in which the subassemblies are connected to one another so as to form (a) an internal volume which is sealed from the surrounding environment and (b) a fluid path through the connector, said fluid path having an outer envelope, said first and second subassemblies each including at least one contaminable surface which (a) is exposed to the surrounding environment when the connector is in its uncoupled state and (b) lies within both the internal volume of the connector and the outer envelope of the fluid path when the connector is in its coupled state, said connector including means for isolating all of said contaminable surfaces from the fluid path when the connector is in its coupled state.
A connector for carrying a flowing fluid comprising a first coupler and a second coupler, said connector having an uncoupled state in which the couplers are disconnected from one another and a coupled state in which the couplers are connected to one another;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.