Quick disconnect coupling

A female coupler, comprising:

• a housing having an internal bore with an open forward end adapted to receive a male coupler, and a flow port for supplying pressurized fluid to the internal bore;
• a tubular spacer inserted in the housing bore and forming therewith an outer flow passage isolated from an internal bore in the spacer, the spacer having an open forward end and a rear end wall closing the rear end of the spacer;
• a valve body axially slidable in the spacer bore, the valve body including a main cavity opening to the forward end of the housing bore and a peripheral inlet passage through the valve body communicating the outer flow passage with the main cavity, the valve body and the rear end wall of the spacer defining therebetween a vent cavity;
• and
• wherein the spacer has an annular land press-fitted in the housing bore and located axially between the outer flow passage and a vent chamber within the housing bore, which vent chamber communicates with the vent cavity via a passage in the spacer, and the annular land has an annular groove retaining an annular seal for sealing against the side wall of the housing bore to prevent leakage flow from the outer flow passage to the vent chamber.

A female coupler, comprising:

• a housing having an internal bore with an open forward end adapted to receive a male coupler, and a flow port for supplying pressurized fluid to the internal bore;
• a valve body disposed in the bore and axially moveable in the housing, the valve body including a main cavity opening to the forward end of the housing bore, a peripheral inlet passage through the valve body communicating with the main cavity, and an interior valve seat forwardly of the inlet passage;
• a piston axially movable in the valve body and including a central bore;
• a poppet valve slidably guided in the central bore of the piston, the poppet including a valve portion disposed in the main cavity of the valve body, a forward projection adapted to engage a check valve in the male coupler when the male coupler is received in the housing, and a rearward tubular portion radially stepped to form a annular shoulder portion joining a front wall section to a rear wall section;
• and
• at least one coil spring for forwardly biasing the poppet valve against the valve seat to normally prevent fluid flow through the valve body, a forward portion of the coil spring being radially constrained by a radially inner surface of the front wall section of the rearward portion of the poppet valve, the rear wall section having a radially inner surface spaced radially outwardly from the coil spring to form interiorly of the poppet valve a flow path for pressurized fluid passing form the main cavity to a back side of the piston, and the annular shoulder portion including one or more orifices for connecting the main cavity to the flow path without any interference of the coil spring.

A female coupler comprising:

• a housing having an internal bore with an open forward end adapted to receive a male coupler, a flow port for supplying pressurized fluid to the internal bore, and a locking collar chamber at the open forward end;
• a valve body disposed in the bore and axially moveable in the housing, the valve body including a main cavity opening to the forward end of the housing bore, and a peripheral inlet passage through the valve body communicating with the main cavity, and a tubular front end socket portion including at least one radial bore which retains a locking element for radially inward and outward movement;
• a locking collar axially movable in the collar chamber between locking and release positions, the collar in its locking position being operative to hold the locking element at a locking position such that it protrudes radially inwardly of a radially inner surface of the socket portion for engaging a locking groove in the male coupler, and the collar in its release position enabling radial outward movement of the locking element for disengagement from the locking groove in the male coupler;
• a coil spring circumscribing the locking collar for biasing the locking collar against a stop;
• a retainer at the front end of the locking collar chamber;
• and
• an annular protection shield interposed between a front end of the coil spring and the retainer to hold the coil spring in the collar chamber, and the protection shield having a radially inner edge adjacent and surrounding the socket portion of the valve body, thereby to prevent debris from entering the locking collar chamber.