Cryogenic fluid coupling

A coupling adapted to convey a fluid at a sub-freezing temperature, comprising:

• a female coupling half having a tubular body terminating in a distal end, said female half body having an inner surface, an outer surface and an internal abutment surface;
• a male coupling half including an outer tubular sleeve having an inner surface and having an internal shoulder, and including an inner tubular body arranged concentrically within said sleeve for axial movement relative thereto, said male half inner tubular body having a distal end and having an outer surface arranged in spaced facing relation to said sleeve inner surface so as to form an annular recess therebetween which extends between said male half body distal end and said sleeve shoulder, the distal marginal end portion of said female half body being axially insertable into said male section recess until said female half body distal end abuts said male half sleeve shoulder to initially join and align said coupling halves;
• a holding mechanism for preventing unintended separation of said coupling halves;
• and
• a force-multiplying mechanism for selectively moving said male half body relative to said male half sleeve in a direction toward said female half abutment surface after said halves have been held in such initially-joined position.

In a fluid coupling adapted to convey fluid at a sub-freezing temperature, said coupling having a first member provided with a concave arcuate surface generated about an axis and having a second member provided with a coaxial convex arcuate surface arranged in spaced facing relation to said concave arcuate surface, said members being mounted for relative axial movement, the improvement which comprises:

• a protrusion extending from one of said arcuate surfaces toward the other of said arcuate surfaces, said protrusion having a first side surface facing in one axial direction and having a second side surface facing in the opposite axial direction, said protrusion also having a coaxial distal arcuate surface slidably engaging said other arcuate surface and joining the margins of said first and second side surfaces, said first side surface defining with said distal arcuate surface a first edge adapted to scrape ice adhering to said other arcuate surface when the protrusion-carrying member is moved in said one axial direction relative to the other member, and said second side surface defining with said distal arcuate surface a second edge adapted to scrape ice adhering to said other arcuate surface when the protrusion-carrying member is moved in said opposite axial direction, the radial height of said protrusion being sufficient to define a space between said concave and convex surfaces to receive scraped ice;
• whereby the area in sliding contact between said members may be reduced.

In a fluid coupling adapted to convey fluid at a sub-freezing temperature, said coupling having a first member provided with a concave arcuate surface generated about an axis and having a second member provided with a coaxial convex arcuate surface arranged in spaced facing relation to said concave arcuate surface, said members being mounted for relative axial movement, the improvement which comprises:

• a protrusion extending from one of said arcuate surfaces toward the other of said arcuate surfaces, said protrusion having a first side surface facing in one axial direction and having a second side surface facing in the opposite axial direction, said protrusion also having a coaxial distal arcuate surface slidably engaging said other arcuate surface and joining the margins of said first and second side surfaces, said first side surface defining with said distal arcuate surface a first edge adapted to scrape ice adhering to said other arcuate surface when the protrusion-carrying member is moved in said one axial direction relative to the other member, said second side surface defining with said distal arcuate surface a second edge adapted to scrape ice adhering to said other arcuate surface when the protrusion-carrying member is moved in said opposite axial direction, a tubular sleeve surrounding said first member in spaced relation thereto, said sleeve having a tapered inner surface adapted to envelop the distal marginal end portion of said second member, said sleeve having a plurality of internal arcuately-segmented protrusions terminating in arcuate distal end surfaces arranged in closely-spaced facing engagement to said first member outer surface, said protrusions having sharp edges adapted to remove ice adhering to said first member convex surface when said first member sleeve and body arc moved axially relative to one another, and wherein said sleeve has a plurality of slots to allow removed ice to pass therethrough;
• whereby the area in sliding contact between said members may be reduced.