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AssigneeAutomotive Products plc
InventorsDavid J. Compton, Richard A. Nix, Keith V. Leigh-Monstevens
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A hydraulic control apparatus, more particularly for operating a motor vehicle clutch release mechanism, comprising a master cylinder, a slave cylinder and a conduit connecting the master cylinder to the slave cylinder. The apparatus is in the form of separate modular units which are separately, but simultaneously, filled with hydraulic fluid after simultaneous evacuation of atmospheric air from the apparatus modular units and test of the integrity of the modular units, and the pre-tested and prefilled modular units are shipped unconnected to a user. Each modular unit is provided with a leakproof quick-connect connector member, through which filling of the modular unit may be effected, and which mates with a complementary leakproof quick-connect connector member of another modular unit, such that after installation on a utilization device, a motor vehicle for example, complementary connector members are reconnected, thus opening ports in each connector member placing each member in fluid communication with the other. Preferably, the two connector members are provided with a one-way locking arrangement preventing separation of the connector members after coupling.
A method of providing a prefilled hydraulic control apparatus to a user, said apparatus comprising a hydraulic master cylinder, a hydraulic slave cylinder, and conduit means for connecting said master cylinder to said slave cylinder, said method comprising:
A method of providing a prefilled hydraulic clutch actuator for incorporation into a motor vehicle during the assembly of the vehicle to provide a clutch actuator for the vehicle, said method comprising:
A method of providing a prefilled hydraulic clutch actuator for incorporation into a motor vehicle during the assembly of the vehicle to provide a clutch actuator for the vehicle, said actuator comprising a hydraulic master cylinder, a hydraulic slave cylinder and conduit means connecting said master cylinder to said slave cylinder;
A method of prefilling a hydraulic apparatus prior to shipment of said hydraulic apparatus to a user, said hydraulic apparatus comprising a master cylinder, a remote slave cylinder and a conduit connecting said master cylinder to said slave cylinder, said master cylinder, said slave cylinder and said conduit being supplied in the form of at least two separate modular units each capable of being coupled to the other by a leakproof connector having two interengageable complementary members having each a port providing fluid communication between said members when coupled together and means closing said ports when uncoupled, said method comprising filling with hydraulic fluid each modular unit of said hydraulic apparatus provided with one of said complementary members, providing said complementary members with interengaging means inhibiting disconnect of said members after said members have been coupled by the user, and further providing said complementary members with means for disabling said interengaging means to allow uncoupling of the members.
A method of providing a prefilled hydraulic clutch actuator for a motor vehicle comprising:
A method of prefilling a hydraulic control apparatus prior to installation of said apparatus on a vehicle or machine, said apparatus when installed comprising a hydraulic master cylinder, a remote hydraulic slave cylinder, and conduit means connecting the master cylinder to the slave cylinder, characterized by providing a connector in said conduit means including two interengageable complementary connector members through which hydraulic fluid can pass when the connector members are coupled, and filling the cylinders and conduit means with hydraulic fluid prior to installation on the vehicle or machine to provide separate modular units prefilled with hydraulic fluid for installation on the vehicle or machine with the complementary connector members uncoupled, whereby the installed modular units can subsequently be interconnected by coupling together the complementary connector members of the connector to form the hydraulic control apparatus.
A method of providing a prefilled hydraulic control apparatus to a user, said apparatus comprising a hydraulic master cylinder, a hydraulic slave cylinder, and conduit means for connecting said master cylinder to said slave cylinder, said method comprising:
A method of providing a prefilled hydraulic clutch actuator for incorporation into a motor vehicle during the assembly of the vehicle to provide a clutch actuator for the vehicle, said method comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.