Fluid quick connector with secure electrical contact
AssigneeITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.
InventorsJames E. Ostrander, Rick C. Kelley, George Szabo, Darrell Wilczynski, Kevin Kreiner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A quick connector includes a connector housing having a through bore adapted to mate with an endform. An electrical contact is mountable in the bore of the connector housing and includes contact members in the form of projections to provide a secure electrical connection between the endform and the connector housing when the male endform is mounted in the connector housing. In one aspect, the electrical contact is formed as the spacer or top hat in the quick connector housing.
Claims23
A fluid quick connector comprising:
- a connector housing configured to receive an endform;
- a retainer mounted in the connector housing to releasibly latch the endform in the connector housing;
- and
- an electrical contact mounted separately from the retainer in the connector housing between the housing and the endform for establishing electrical contact between an outer surface of endform and the connector housing the electrical contact including an electrically conductive annular body having an outer diameter disposing the body in contact with an inner diameter of the bore in the connector housing, and at least one radially inward extending projection carried on the body adapted to engage the male endform when the endform is mounted in the bore in the connector housing.
A fluid quick connector comprising:
- a connector housing configured to receive an endform;
- a retainer mounted in the connector housing to releasibly latch the endform in the connector housing;
- a spacer, the spacer mounted in a through bore of the connector housing between the male endform and the connector housing;
- and
- an electrical contact member carried on the spacer for establishing electrical contact between the endform and the connector housing, the contact member including the spacer formed of an electrically conductive material, and at least one radially inward projection carried on the spacer adapted to engage the endform where the endform is mounted in the bore in the connector housing.
A fluid quick connector comprising:
- an electrically conductive connector housing configured to receive an electrically conductive endform
- a retainer mounted in the connector housing to releasibly latch the endform in the connector housing;
- a top hat separate from the retainer, the top hat mountable in a bore of the connector housing for holding a seal element in the bore, the top bat receiving the endform therethrough, the top hat formed of an electrically conductive material;
- and
- an electrical contact member defining at least one radially inward extending projection carried on the top bat adapted to engage the endform when the endform is inserted into the bore in the connector housing.
A fluid quick connector comprising:
- a connector housing configured to receive an endform along a first axis;
- the connector housing and the endform being electrically conductive;
- a retainer mounted in the connector housing to releasibly latch the endform in the connector housing;
- a spacer and a top bat disposed in a through bore in the connector housing about the endform and separate from the retainer;
- and
- an electrical contact member carried on one of the sparer and the top hat for establishing electrical contact between the endform and the connector housing, the electrical contact member including at least one of the spacer and the top hat formed of electrically conductive material, and at least one radially inward projection carried on the spacer and the top hat adapted to engage the endform where the endform is mounted in the bore in the connector housing.
An electrical contact for a fluid quick connector having a connector housing configured to receive an endform latched in the housing by a retainer, the electrical contact comprising:
- an electrically conductive body adapted to be disposed in a bore of a connector housing axially separate from the retainer about an endform inserted into the housing to establish electrical contact between the endform and the connector housing, the electrically conductive body having an outer diameter disposing the body in contact with an inner diameter of the bore in the connector housing, and at least one radially extending contact projection carried on the body adapted to engage the endform where the endform is mounted in the bore in the connector housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.