Quick connect coupling

Abstract

A quick connect coupling including a tubular male connector member and a female connector assembly. The male connector member is tubular and defines a front pilot portion and an external bead positioned rearwardly of the pilot portion. The female assembly comprises a tubular housing, a cap which is snap fit over the front end of the housing, a seal which seats in a seal bore defined by the housing, and a seal retainer which is positioned against the front end of the housing and acts to maintain the seal in position within the seal bore. The cap is fit into position on the front end of the housing by the snapping coaction of a plurality of circumferentially spaced cap fingers with an external flange on the front end of the housing and the cap further defines a plurality of latching fingers which extend rearwardly and radially inwardly from the front end of the cap for latching coaction with the rear annular face of the bead as the front annular face of the bead seats against the front annular face of the seal retainer. The seal comprises a single piece member including a tubular main body portion, a series of internal annular axially spaced rib portions on the interior of the main body portion for sealing coaction with the pilot portion, and a series of external annular axially spaced rib portions defined on the exterior of the main body portion for coaction with the seal bore.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.