The present invention relates to connector assemblies to join fluid lines together, and in particular, connector assemblies providing machine readable connection verification.
Quick connectors are commonly used to join fluid lines together in vehicle applications, including for example fuel lines, brake lines, and coolant lines. Tactile and audible confirmations have long been employed to ensure a reliable connection between quick connectors and fluid lines. More recently, quick connectors can provide a visual confirmation of a reliable connection. Examples include color markings and machine readable code that only become visible upon full engagement between the quick connector and a fluid line.
In some applications, a printed verification indicia is viewable through a window or a cutout portion of a quick connector. For example, a first component of a quick connector can include a verification indicia, and a second component of a quick connector can include a window for viewing the verification indicia, either manually or electro-optically. Obstruction-free viewing of the verification indicia requires proper alignment of the first component relative to the second component upon engagement with the fluid line, such that the verification indicia aligns with the window. However, in some applications, the verification indicia can become skewed relative to the window, making the verification indicia difficult or impossible to read.
Accordingly, there remains a continued need for an improved quick connector that overcomes these and other shortcomings, and in particular, a quick connector with a robust and substantially error-free verification indicia for use in automotive and other applications.
An improved quick connector with code verification is provided. The quick connector includes a connector body, a connector sleeve, and a sliding lock latch. The connector body includes a verification indicia on its outer surface, and the connector sleeve fits over the connector body and includes an indicator window that aligns with the verification indicia. The sliding lock latch is moveable from an unlatched position to a latched position through transverse openings in the connector sleeve and the connector body. The sliding lock latch includes first and second wing elements to prevent clockwise and counter-clockwise rotation of the connector sleeve relative to the connector body. The sliding lock latch also includes a locking tab on its outer surface to prevent retraction of the connector sleeve from the connector body.
In one embodiment, the connector body includes a fluid input end and a fluid output end. The fluid input end includes a transverse opening for receiving the sliding lock latch. The verification indicia is visible on an outer surface of the connector body proximate the fluid input end. The verification indicia can be a machine readable printed label, optionally as a Quick Response (QR) code or a bar code, while in other embodiments the verification indicia is not machine readable and instead includes a discernable color or pattern for example. The connector sleeve is movable axially over the connector body and includes a cylindrical sidewall defining a latch window in alignment with the transverse opening in the connector body.
In another embodiment, the sliding lock latch is moveable from an unlatched position to a latched position through the latch window in the connector sleeve and the transverse opening in the connector body. In the unlatched position, the connector sleeve is in a first axial position and the verification indicia is concealed from view. In the latched position, the connector sleeve can be moved to a second axial position in which the verification indicia is visible through an indicator window. When in the latched position, the wing elements prevent rotation of the connector sleeve relative to the connector body, and the locking tab prevents the connector sleeve from accidentally retracting from the connector body.
The improved quick connector of these and other embodiments can ensure proper alignment of a verification indicia through an indicator window to minimize leaks and installation failures. Instead of relying solely on the hoop strength of the connector sleeve to maintain the indicator window in alignment with the verification indicia, the improved quick connector includes a sliding lock latch having wing elements and a locking tab. The improved quick connector is coupled to a quick connect fitting in a three-step process as with earlier constructions, providing an intuitive new construction that can be used for a range of applications, including for example the connection of fuel lines, brake lines, and coolant lines.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention, when viewed in accordance with the accompanying drawings and appended claims.
Referring to
As shown in
As also shown in
The connector sleeve 14, like the connector body 12, includes a cylindrical sidewall 38. The cylindrical sidewall 38 defines an indicator window 24, a sliding lock latch window 40, and a locking tab window 42. The indicator window 24 includes a three-sided rectangular cut-out in in the illustrated embodiment, such that the indicator window 24 frames the verification indicia 22 on three sides thereof. In other embodiments the indicator window 24 is self-enclosed and frames the verification indicia 22 on four sides thereof. The sliding lock latch window 40 and the locking tab window 42 are entirely enclosed within the cylindrical sidewall 38, being separated by a latching arm 44. The latching arm 44 is a point of engagement for the locking tab 20 when the connector sleeve 14 is fully seated. The sliding lock latch window 40 and the locking tab window 42 are in axial alignment with each other, while the indicator window 24 is angularly offset from the sliding lock latch window 40 and the locking tab window 42 by between 60-degrees and 120-degrees, further optionally about 90-degrees. The sidewall 38 can include additional raised features, for example lateral ribs 46, to provide an additional friction point for manual movement of the connector sleeve 14.
The sliding lock latch 16 includes a base portion 50, first and second latching arms 52, 54 and first and second interference abutments 56, 58. The first and second latching arms 52, 54 extend from the base portion 50 and include a distal end portion having a blocker tab 60 and a retention hook 62. The blocker tabs 60 engage a lock washer 64 when the sliding lock latch 16 is in the unlocked position. To arrive at the locked position, the latching arms 52, 54 deflect axially rearward, extending past an interference portion 66 of the lock washer 64. When in the latched position, the retention hooks 62 prevent removal of the sliding lock latch 16 from the sliding lock latch window 36. The first and second interference abutments 56, 58 function to more securely engage a fluid line when held in position by the sliding lock latch 16 and prevent the insertion of the fluid line if the sliding lock latch 16 is moved into its locking position before the fluid line has been fully inserted in the fluid input end 26 of the connector body 12.
As additionally shown in
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Operation of the quick connector will now be described with reference to
Referring now to
To reiterate, the quick connector 10 of the above embodiments provide code verification in an intuitive, three-step process. First, the male end of a SAE J2044 quick connect fitting (or other fitting) is inserted into the fluid input end 26 of the connector body 12. Second, the sliding lock latch 16 is moved from its un-latched position to its latched position, being fully seated within the transverse opening in the connector body 12 to prevent accidental withdrawal of the quick connector 10. Third, the connector sleeve 14 is lowered onto the connector body 12 until the locking tab 20 of the sliding lock latch 16 engages the latching arm 44 of the connector sleeve 14 (preventing its withdrawal) and the annular rim 82 of the connector sleeve 14 rests against the upward facing surface 84 of the connector body 12. The verification indicia 22 is visible through the indicator window 24, providing visual confirmation of a secure coupling, in addition to tactile and audible confirmation associated with the sliding lock latch 16 engaging the quick connect fitting and the connector sleeve 14 engaging the sliding lock latch 16.
The above description is that of current embodiments of the invention. Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents. This disclosure is presented for illustrative purposes and should not be interpreted as an exhaustive description of all embodiments of the invention or to limit the scope of the claims to the specific elements illustrated or described in connection with these embodiments. For example, and without limitation, any individual element(s) of the described invention may be replaced by alternative elements that provide substantially similar functionality or otherwise provide adequate operation. This includes, for example, presently known alternative elements, such as those that might be currently known to one skilled in the art, and alternative elements that may be developed in the future, such as those that one skilled in the art might, upon development, recognize as an alternative. Further, the disclosed embodiments include a plurality of features that are described in concert and that might cooperatively provide a collection of benefits. The present invention is not limited to only those embodiments that include all of these features or that provide all of the stated benefits, except to the extent otherwise expressly set forth in the issued claims. Any reference to claim elements by ordinal terms, for example “first,” “second,” and “third,” are used for clarity, and are not to be construed as limiting the order in which the claim elements appear. Any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an,” “the” or “said,” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.
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102009043088 | Mar 2011 | DE |
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Entry |
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Machine assisted English translation of DE202020103903U1 obtained from https://patents.google.com/patent on Aug. 2, 2021, 8 pages. |
Machine assisted English translation of DE102009043088B3 obtained from https://worldwide.espacenet.com on Feb. 25, 2021, 11 pages. |
Machine assisted English translation of W02020099454A1 obtained from https://worldwide.espacenet.com on Feb. 25, 2021, 23 pages. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20220163153 A1 | May 2022 | US |