Quick-disconnect coupler
OwnerTrent Packhaminventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A quick-dis/connect coupler including two coupler modules, male and female. Each includes a housing. At least one includes a stopcock valve. The housing bodies are configured such that, as they are engaged/disengaged, each automatically opens/closes the other's stopcock valve. The complete coupler may include seven or fewer components, with five or fewer skus among them. The coupler provides a straight-through, laminar fluid flow path with no dead zones and essentially zero occlusion, and has no springs or other such components inside the fluid flow. The coupler uses inexpensive injection molding and snap-fit components which are dual-latched. The valve-closing springs also provide positive eject force upon disengagement of the coupler.
Claims15
A quick-coupler comprising:
- (1) a first coupler module including,
- (a) a housing having a body including,
- (i) a tube connector,
- (ii) a coupler connector,
- (iii) a flow channel through the tube connector and the coupler connector, and
- (iv) a stopcock valve receiver bore,
- (b) a stopcock valve disposed within the stopcock valve receiver bore and having a body including,
- (i) a valve channel through the body, and
- (ii) a cam lever, and
- (c) a spring engaged with the housing and the stopcock valve;
- and
- (2) a second coupler module including,
- (a) a housing having a body including,
- (i) a tube connector,
- (ii) a coupler connector,
- (iii) a flow channel through the housing, and
- (iv) a cam actuator;
- wherein the earn actuator is disposed at a location on the second coupler's housing, and the cam lever is disposed at a location on the stopcock valve, such that when the first and second couplers are engaged, the cam actuator activates the cam lever, thereby opening the stopcock valve by rotating the valve channel into fluid flow communication with the flow channels.
A quick-disconnect coupler for connecting two tubes, the quick-coupler comprising:
- a pair of coupler modules each including,
- (a) a stopcock valve having a cam lever and a valve channel,
- (b) a housing body having a tube connector for connecting to a respective one of the tubes, a coupler connector for connecting to the coupler connector of the other coupler module, a flow channel extending through the tube connector, a flow channel extending through the coupler connector, a stopcock receiver bore, a cam and means for releasably mechanically engaging the other coupler module, and
- (c) a spring coupled to the stopcock valve and to the housing body so as to hold the stopcock valve in a closed configuration when the coupler module is not engaged with the other coupler module;
- wherein each coupler module's earn actuator is configured to activate the other coupler module's stopcock valve's cam lever when the coupler modules are engaged, thereby rotating the other coupler module's stopcock valve such that its valve channel connects the flow channels of its housing body, and wherein the coupler connectors of the coupler modules are configured to connect when the coupler modules are engaged.
A coupler for releasably connecting two tubes into flow communication, the coupler comprising less than ten distinct components, the distinct components including at least:
- a first housing having a substantially cylindrical stopcock valve bore;
- a first substantially cylindrical stopcock valve disposed within the stopcock valve bore of the first housing and governing fluid flow through the first housing;
- a first spring coupled to the first housing and the first stopcock valve so as to hold the first stopcock valve in a closed configuration when the apparatus is decoupled;
- a second housing a substantially cylindrical stopcock valve bore;
- a second substantially cylindrical stopcock valve disposed within the stopcock valve bore of the second housing and governing fluid flow through the second housing;
- a second spring coupled to the second housing and the second stopcock valve so as to hold the second stopcock valve in a closed configuration when the apparatus is decoupled;
- an o-ring substantially sealing a connection between the first and second housings when the apparatus is coupled;
- wherein the first and second housings are configured to releasably engage each other;
- and
- wherein each housing is configured to open the other housing's stopcock valve as the first and second housings are engaged.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.