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US 9,791,087 B2Granted
Inline connect breakaway hose coupler
AssigneeParker-Hannifin Corporation
InventorsBrian Boothe, Calvin Banks
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A coupling including female and male couplers configured to be connected together. The female coupler includes a valve body and a detent carrier surrounding the valve body and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings extending through a wall of the detent carrier for receiving detents to connect the female coupler to the male coupler. When the female and male couplers are connected together, the detent carrier is axially movable relative to the valve body by externally applied loads acting on the male and female couplers to cause the male and female couplers to separate. A pressure-balancing chamber is provided to prevent premature separation of the couplers. Once separated, the detent carrier axially moves back and the female and male couplers may be reconnected.
Claims17
A coupling including female and male couplers configured to be connected together,
- the female coupler including:
- a female coupler valve body having axially inner and axially outer ends and an axially extending cavity extending therebetween;
- a detent carrier surrounding the female coupler valve body and having at least one detent opening extending through a wall of the detent carrier, the detent carrier being axially movable relative to the female coupler valve body by externally applied loads acting to cause the male and female couplers to separate;
- a release sleeve surrounding the detent carrier at the at least one detent opening and being movable between first and second positions relative to the detent carrier;
- at least one detent received in the at least one detent opening, each detent being held in a lock position by the release sleeve when the release sleeve is in the first position and being movable radially outwardly to an unlock position when the release sleeve is in the second position;
- and
- a female coupler valve disposed in the axially extending cavity of the female coupler valve body, the valve allowing for fluid flow through the cavity when the couplers are connected together and preventing fluid flow through the cavity when the couplers are disconnected;
- and
- the male coupler including:
- a male coupler valve body having an axially inner end configured to be received in the female coupler, an axially outer end, and an axially extending cavity;
- a detent recess on an outer surface of the male coupler valve body or a detent sleeve surrounding the male coupler valve body into which the at least one detent of the female coupler moves radially inwardly into to connect the female and male couplers;
- and
- a male coupler valve disposed in the axially extending cavity, the valve allowing for fluid flow through the cavity when the couplers are connected together and preventing fluid flow through the cavity when the couplers are disconnected;
- and
- wherein the female coupler valve body has at least one flow passage extending through a wall of the female coupler valve body through which fluid flows into a chamber axially defined between the female coupler valve body and the detent carrier, whereby fluid flows through the at least one flow passage in the female coupler valve body into the chamber to act against the female coupler valve body and detent carrier to resist separation of the male and female couplers.
12 more elements
A coupling including female and male couplers configured to be connected together,
- the female coupler including:
- a female coupler valve body having axially inner and axially outer ends and an axially extending cavity extending therebetween;
- a detent carrier surrounding the female coupler valve body and having at least one detent opening extending through a wall of the detent carrier, the detent carrier being axially movable relative to the female coupler valve body by externally applied loads acting to cause the male and female couplers to separate;
- a release sleeve surrounding the detent carrier at the at least one detent opening and being movable between first and second positions relative to the detent carrier;
- at least one detent received in the at least one detent opening, each detent being held in a lock position by the release sleeve when the release sleeve is in the first position and being movable radially outwardly to an unlock position when the release sleeve is in the second position;
- and
- a female coupler valve disposed in the axially extending cavity of the female coupler valve body, the female coupler valve allowing for fluid flow through the cavity when the couplers are connected together and preventing fluid flow through the cavity when the couplers are disconnected;
- and
- the male coupler including:
- a male coupler valve body having an axially inner end configured to be received in the female coupler, an axially outer end, and an axially extending cavity;
- a detent recess on an outer surface of the male coupler valve body or a detent sleeve surrounding the male coupler valve body into which the at least one detent of the female coupler moves radially inwardly into to connect the female and male couplers;
- and
- a male coupler valve disposed in the axially extending cavity, the male coupler valve allowing for fluid flow through the cavity when the couplers are connected together and preventing fluid flow through the cavity when the couplers are disconnected;
- and
- wherein the female coupler further includes a resilient member surrounding the female coupler valve body and being seated at a first end by a support abutting an outer surface of the female coupler valve body and at a second end by a spring retainer coupled to the detent carrier, and wherein the detent carrier and retainer are movable relative to the female coupler valve body by externally applied loads acting on the male and female couplers that are greater than a force of the resilient member to compress the resilient member.
12 more elements
A coupling including female and male couplers configured to be connected together,
- the female coupler including:
- a female coupler valve body having axially inner and axially outer ends and an axially extending cavity extending therebetween;
- a detent carrier surrounding the female coupler valve body and having at least one detent opening extending through a wall of the detent carrier, the detent carrier being axially movable relative to the female coupler valve body by externally applied loads acting to cause the male and female couplers to separate;
- a release sleeve surrounding the detent carrier at the at least one detent opening and being movable between first and second positions relative to the detent carrier;
- at least one detent received in the at least one detent opening, each detent being held in a lock position by the release sleeve when the release sleeve is in the first position and being movable radially outwardly to an unlock position when the release sleeve is in the second position;
- and
- a female coupler valve disposed in the axially extending cavity of the female coupler valve body, the female coupler valve allowing for fluid flow through the cavity when the couplers are connected together and preventing fluid flow through the cavity when the couplers are disconnected;
- and
- the male coupler including:
- a male coupler valve body having an axially inner end configured to be received in the female coupler, an axially outer end, and an axially extending cavity;
- a detent recess on an outer surface of the male coupler valve body or a detent sleeve surrounding the male coupler valve body into which the at least one detent of the female coupler moves radially inwardly into to connect the female and male couplers;
- and
- a male coupler valve disposed in the axially extending cavity, the male coupler valve allowing for fluid flow through the cavity when the couplers are connected together and preventing fluid flow through the cavity when the couplers are disconnected;
- and
- wherein the female coupler further includes a detent locking ring disposed interiorly of the detent carrier at the at least one detent opening and resiliently biased in a first position for holding the at least one detent in the unlock position, wherein the detent locking ring is movable to a second position away from the at least one detent opening to allow the at least one detent to be held in the lock position, and further including a resilient member having one end seated on a ledge of the valve body that projects radially outwardly and another end seated on an end of the detent locking ring, and a retainer received in a groove in an outer surface of the valve body, wherein the detent locking ring is held interiorly of the detent carrier by the retainer.
12 more elements
A coupling including female and male couplers configured to be connected together,
- the female coupler including:
- a female coupler valve body having axially inner and axially outer ends and an axially extending cavity extending therebetween;
- a detent carrier surrounding the female coupler valve body and having at least one detent opening extending through a wall of the detent carrier, the detent carrier being axially movable relative to the female coupler valve body by externally applied loads acting to cause the male and female couplers to separate;
- a release sleeve surrounding the detent carrier at the at least one detent opening and being movable between first and second positions relative to the detent carrier;
- at least one detent received in the at least one detent opening, each detent being held in a lock position by the release sleeve when the release sleeve is in the first position and being movable radially outwardly to an unlock position when the release sleeve is in the second position;
- and
- a female coupler valve disposed in the axially extending cavity of the female coupler valve body, the female coupler valve allowing for fluid flow through the cavity when the couplers are connected together and preventing fluid flow through the cavity when the couplers are disconnected;
- and
- the male coupler including:
- a male coupler valve body having an axially inner end configured to be received in the female coupler, an axially outer end, and an axially extending cavity;
- a detent sleeve surrounding the male coupler valve body and having a detent recess on an outer surface thereof into which the at least one detent of the female coupler moves radially inwardly into to connect the female and male couplers;
- and
- a male coupler valve disposed in the axially extending cavity, the male coupler valve allowing for fluid flow through the cavity when the couplers are connected together and preventing fluid flow through the cavity when the couplers are disconnected;
- and
- wherein the male coupler further includes a valve sleeve surrounding the male coupler valve body, the valve sleeve being resiliently biased against the male coupler valve to prevent fluid flow through the cavity of the male coupler valve body, and wherein the valve sleeve is movable relative to the male coupler valve from a first position preventing fluid flow through the cavity to a second position allowing fluid flow through the cavity, wherein the valve sleeve is sealed to the male coupler valve by a seal when in the first position, and wherein the valve sleeve is sealed to the male coupler valve body by a seal.
12 more elements
A breakaway female coupler coupleable to a male coupler, the female coupler including:
- a valve body having axially inner and axially outer ends and an axially extending cavity extending therebetween;
- a detent carrier surrounding the valve body and having at least one detent opening extending through a wall of the detent carrier, the detent carrier being axially movable relative to the valve body from a connecting position to a disconnecting position by breakaway loads acting on the male and female couplers when the couplers are coupled together;
- a resilient member for biasing the detent carrier towards the connecting position;
- and
- a valve disposed in the axially extending cavity of the valve body, the valve being biased in a first position to prevent fluid flow through the cavity when the couplers are disconnected and movable to a second position to allow fluid flow through the cavity,
- wherein the valve body has at least one flow passage extending through a wall of the valve body through which fluid flows into a chamber axially defined between the valve body and the detent carrier for applying a fluid force on the detent carrier resisting movement of the detent carrier toward its disconnecting position.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.