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US 9,157,560 B2Granted
Coupling assembly
AssigneeLinkTech Quick Couplings Incorporated
InventorsRandall J. Rehder, Dodge H. Juhan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A male coupling for attaching to a female coupling in which rotation of the male coupling with respect to the female coupling is limited. In one embodiment, the male coupling has one or more tabs extending from a flange, the tabs limiting rotation when the male coupling is mated to a female coupling assembly for fluid conductors
Claims20
A combination comprising:
- a female coupling assembly comprising:
- a female coupling body, a flange, an extension, a latch plate and a latch pin, said female coupling body defining a female coupling fluid pathway, said extension forming a pair of female coupling assembly faces and a slot, a female coupling contact surface present on each of said female coupling assembly faces,
- said latch plate reciprocating within said slot and biased in a locked position, and
- said latch pin inserted into a latch pin bore and securing said latch plate in said slot;
- and
- a male coupling assembly defining a male coupling fluid pathway and comprising:
- a male coupling connector,
- a flange in mechanical communication with said male coupling connector, a male coupler extending from said flange and defining an abutting surface,
- said male coupler accommodated by said female coupling body, and
- a non-rotational feature extending from an upper portion of said abutting surface and disposed above said male coupler, a pair of male coupling contact surfaces present on said non-rotational feature,
- said male coupling assembly mating to said female coupling assembly such that said female coupling fluid pathway is generally continuous with said male coupling fluid pathway, wherein said female coupling body accommodates said male coupler, wherein said non-rotational feature is disposed between said female coupling assembly faces such that an upper portion of each said female coupling contact surface is proximate one of said male coupling contact surfaces to thereby define an arc separating said female coupling contact surface and said male coupling contact surface and such that said male coupling assembly is rotationally limited with respect to said female coupling assembly.
8 more elements
A method of mating a male coupling to a female coupling,
- said male coupling defining a male coupling fluid pathway and a tab extending from a flange and disposed above a male coupler,
- said female coupling defining a female coupling fluid pathway and comprising a pair of radially opposed faces extending from a female coupling body and a latch mechanism to secure said male coupling to said female coupling when said male coupling and said female coupling are mated, said latch mechanism comprising a latch plate biased in a locked position and secured in said female coupling by a latch pin, said latch plate reciprocating in a slot disposed in said female coupling,
- said method comprising mating said male coupling and said female coupling such that said male coupling fluid pathway aligns with said female coupling fluid pathway and such that said tab is disposed between said radially opposed faces to limit rotation of said male coupling with respect to said female coupling and such that said latch plate is reciprocated to said locked position, thereby securing said male coupling to said female coupling.
A method of manufacturing a combination, comprising
- forming a female coupling assembly having a female coupling body, a flange, an extension, a latch plate and a latch pin, said female coupling body defining a female coupling fluid pathway, said extension forming a pair of female coupling assembly faces and a slot, a female coupling contact surface present on each of said female coupling assembly faces, said latch plate reciprocating within said slot and biased in a locked position, and said latch pin inserted into a latch pin bore and securing said latch plate in said slot;
- and
- forming a male coupling assembly having a male coupling connector, a flange in mechanical communication with said male coupling connector, a male coupler extending from said flange and defining an abutting surface, said male coupler accommodated by said female coupling body, and a non-rotational feature extending from an upper portion of said abutting surface and disposed above said male coupler, a pair of male coupling contact surfaces present on said non-rotational feature,
- such that said male coupling assembly mates to said female coupling assembly such that said female coupling fluid pathway is generally continuous with said male coupling fluid pathway, wherein said female coupling body accommodates said male coupler, wherein said non-rotational feature is disposed between said female coupling assembly faces such that an upper portion of each said female coupling contact surface is proximate one of said male coupling contact surfaces to thereby define an arc separating said female coupling contact surface and said male coupling contact surface and such that said male coupling assembly is rotationally limited with respect to said female coupling assembly.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.