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AssigneeDayco Products, Inc.
InventorsGary R. Long, Richard W. Moss, David R. C. Raines, Paul A. Tromans
Estimating the term…
A quick connect-disconnect fluid coupling assembly having cylindrical outer and inner coupling members, one of which is connected to a conduit and the other to a fluid conveying system. The assembly is accomplished by inserting a U-shaped locking member having a bight and two parallel legs into the outer member, which has a peripheral groove receiving the bight so that the curved portion thereof does not extend beyond the periphery. Slots in this member receive the legs, which are then locked around grooves in the inner member and the ends of the legs do not extend beyond the periphery of the outer member. The outer portion of the bight is thinner than the inner portion to permit easy insertion into, and withdrawal from, the groove of the outer member. The system may also be utilized in an assembly of three or more components, wherein two or more locking members are used.
A fluid coupling assembly comprising inner and outer coupling members and retaining means for interlocking said members;
A fluid coupling comprising a plurality of inner coupling members and an outer coupling member and retaining means for interlocking said outer coupling member to said inner coupling members;
A fluid coupling assembly comprising inner and outer coupling members and retaining means for interlocking said members;
A U-shaped unitary locking member for interlocking inner and outer members of a fluid coupling assembly, comprising a bight and two parallel legs having free ends extending therefrom, said bight and said legs having opposite faces, said bight and said legs having a thickness at right angles to said faces, said bight having inner and outer generally parallel arcuate surfaces defining a radial depth of said faces, said legs having a width in the plane of said faces, said radial depth of said bight having a greater depth than said width of said legs, a portion of said bight being thicker than the remaining portion of said bight, said thicker portion of said bight comprising opposite bearing faces beveled to the faces of said remaining portion.
In a method of forming a fluid coupling assembly comprising inner and outer coupling members and a U-shaped retaining means having a bight and parallel legs extending therefrom;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
Drawings are temporarily unavailable. Open the PDF at USPTO
Where the securing element is inserted tangentially: the securing element being U-shaped
Method of mechanical manufacture: assembling or joining
Pipes
Technical subjects covered by former us classification
Term ended 19 Nov 2017 (estimated)
USPTO file history isn’t available for this patent, so only indexed dates are shown.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a quick connect-disconnect coupling composed of at least two coupling members. One of the members is capable of being attached to a conduit for conveying fluid, and the other member to another part of the fluid conveying system.
2. Prior Art Statement
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the novel coupling assembly.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the coupling assembly in partial cross-section.
FIG. 3 is a view of the coupling assembly taken along lines 3--3 of FIG. 2, in cross-section.
Referring now to the drawings, the novel coupling assembly is designated by reference numeral 11, and consists of the inner coupling member 12, the outer coupling member 13, and a retaining member or pin 14. The coupling is connected into a fluid conveying system which is not shown, since this system forms no part of the present invention.
The inner coupling member 12 has a generally cylindrical configuration consisting of a main body portion 15 and a reduced diameter body portion 16, in axial alignment. A portion of the main body portion is formed with a series of flat surfaces 17 which may be gripped by a wrench or similar tool. A large peripheral groove 18 is located in the main body portion 15, this groove being rectangular in cross-section and formed by an inner surface 19 and lateral surfaces 20 and 21 which have been cut into the body portion. It should be understood that this groove shape is merely exemplary, and may if desired be circular, triangular, or any other shape. A wall 22 interconnects the main body portion 15 and reduced diameter body portion 16, which terminates at one end, designated by reference numeral 23. Two spaced peripheral grooves 24 and 25 are located in the portion 16, the groove 24 being located at the intersection of the wall 22 and the reduced diameter body portion 16, this groove being generally semi-circular in cross-section. The other groove 25 is located farther along the body portion 16 toward the end 23, and is rectangular in cross-section. A central opening 26 extends completely through the coupling member 12 from end 23 to the opposite end 27. In the exemplary construction shown, the opening is threaded with threads 28 at end 27 to receive a mating part of the conduit system.
The coupling member 13 also is generally cylindrical and has a principal body 38, although the external dimensions of the member are not critical and could be a parallelepiped or other convenient shape. The internal construction, as illustrated, has a principal cylindrical bore 29 having a diameter which is generally contiguous with the reduced diameter body portion 16, and an enlarged cylindrical bore 30 in the principal body 38, which is generally contiguous with the main body portion 15. The bore 29 has a reduced diameter portion 31 which has threads 32 therein. The bore is continuous from threaded end 33 to the other end 34. A wall 35 interconnects the bores 29 and 30 and is generally contiguous with the wall 22 of the coupling member 12. A shoulder 36 is formed by the intersection of wall 35 and bore 29, and has a bevel 37 as shown so that its greater diameter is adjacent the walls.