Coupling
AssigneeInternational Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC
InventorKenneth R. Seymour, II
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A coupling assembly for coupling fluid components includes a female coupler having a receiver defined therein. A male coupler has an insert, the insert being receivable within the female coupler receiver in sealing engagement. And, a spacer is matable to both the female coupler and the male coupler when the female coupler and the male coupler are in sealing engagement, the spacer effecting positive engagement of the female and the male couplers. A method of coupling/uncoupling a coupling assembly is also included.
Claims27
A coupling assembly comprising:
- a female coupler having a receiver defined therein;
- a male coupler having an insert, the insert being receivable within the female coupler receiver in sealing engagement;
- and
- a spacer, matable to both the female coupler and the male coupler when the female coupler and the male coupler are in sealing engagement, the spacer effecting at least in part positive, locking engagement of the female and the male couplers, the spacer having a first set of fingers being spreadable to positively engage a groove defined in an outer margin of the insert, and the first set of fingers having a width dimension, the fingers width dimension being less than a width dimension of the groove for accommodating a certain amount of axial play between the female coupler and the male coupler.
A coupling assembly comprising:
- a female coupler having a receiver defined therein;
- a male coupler having an insert, the insert being receivable within the female coupler receiver in sealing engagement;
- snap ring being forcible into a disposition in an annular groove defined cooperatively between the receiver and the insert by inserting the insert into the receiver, the snap ring at least in part lockingly engaging the female coupler and the male coupler in such disposition;
- and
- a spacer, operably couplable to both the female coupler and the male coupler when the female coupler and the male coupler are in locking engagement, the spacer effecting a restraint on further insertion of the insert into the receiver, such further insertion acting to force the snap ring out of the annular groove, thereby unlocking the female and male couplers, and wherein the spacer has a first set of fingers and a second set of fingers, the first set of fingers for compressively engaging the male coupler and the second set of fingers for compressively engaging the female coupler.
In a coupling assembly, a method of coupling/uncoupling a female coupler and a male coupler comprising:
- initially inserting a male coupler insert into a female receiver;
- forcing a snap ring into an annular groove cooperatively defined by the insert and the receiver to lockingly engage the female coupler and the male coupler by the initial insertion;
- forcing the snap ring out of the annular groove cooperatively defined by the insert and the receiver to unlock the female coupler and the male coupler by further plunging insertion of the insert into the receiver;
- and
- selectively restraining further plunging insertion of the insert into the receiver by interposingly engaging a readily disengagable spacer between the female coupler and the male coupler
- expanding at least a first pair of spacer fingers by engaging the spacer between the female coupler and the male coupler and contracting the first pair of spacer fingers to engage the male coupler in a spacer receiver.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.