# US 5,707,085 A · Fluid coupling

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- Number: US 5,707,085 A
- Document ID: US5707085A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/713,972
- Filed: 1996-09-12
- Granted: 1998-01-13
- Earliest claimed: 1996-09-12
- Assignees: General Motors Corporation
- Inventors: David Michael Kubiak
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5707085A

## CPC

- F16L 37/088: by means of a split elastic ring
- F16L 37/0987: {the flexible hook being progressively compressed by axial tensile loads acting on the coupling}
- F16L: PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL

## Abstract

A fluid coupling including a tube and a socket defined by a cylindrical counterbore in a housing. The cylindrical counterbore terminates at an annular seat and is interrupted by an annular first groove defining a first shoulder facing the annular seat and by an annular second groove defining a second shoulder facing the annular seat. The tube has an annular bead at one end which bears flush against the annular seat when the tube is plugged into the socket. A flexible retaining ring is mounted on the tube behind the bead. A plastic sleeve on the tube behind the flexible retaining ring has a cam at one end which radially expands the retaining ring to wedge the latter between the bead and the first shoulder. The retaining ring prevents dislodgment of the tube from the socket by reacting forces urging dislodgment substantially directly from the bead on the tube to the shoulder on the housing. A plurality of resilient barbs on the plastic sleeve lodge behind the second shoulder on the housing in the locking position of the sleeve to retain the sleeve in its locking position.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fluid coupling comprising:
a housing having a passage therein and a cylindrical counterbore around said passage terminating at an annular seat around said passage in a plane perpendicular to a common longitudinal centerline of said passage and said counterbore,
an annular first groove in said cylindrical counterbore defining an annular first shoulder facing said annular seat,
a cylindrical tube having a distal end in said passage in said housing,
an annular bead on said tube bearing flush against said annular seat,
a C-shaped retaining ring fabricated from round metal wire around said tube on the opposite side of said annular bead from said annular seat,
a longitudinally split molded plastic sleeve around said tube on the opposite side of said retaining ring from said bead,
a frustoconical chamfer on an end of said sleeve operative in a locking position of said sleeve on said tube to expand said retaining ring to a position wedged between said annular bead and said annular first shoulder to prevent dislodgment of said tube from said counterbore,
an annular second groove in said counterbore defining an annular second shoulder on said housing facing said annular seat on the opposite side of said annular first groove from said annular seat, and
a plurality of resilient barbs on said sleeve flaring outward therefrom into said annular second groove in said locking position of said sleeve on said tube and lodged against said annular second shoulder to retain said sleeve in said locking position thereof.