Patent Application
20120090701
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector, and more particularly to a depot connector for connecting a tank truck to an underground oil depot to provide an excellent sealing effect and to keep the connector disengaging unintentionally from a joint of a valve during the oil-draining process.
2. Description of Related Art
To drain oil from a tank truck to an underground oil depot, an oil pipe is used and has two ends connected respectively with a drain connector and a depot connector. The depot connector is connected to an oil drain valve on the underground oil depot to discharge oil in the tank truck into the oil depot via the connectors and the oil pipe. To prevent oil leakage and a fire from occurring, an excellent sealing conjunction between the connectors and the valves is an important issue. Additionally, a conventional connector does not have a locking mechanism to keep the connector from disengaging from the valve unintentionally, so the conventional connector may be detached from the valve due to an external force or carelessness of an operator.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide a connector to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.
The main objective of the invention is to provide a connector for connecting a tank truck to an underground oil depot to provide an excellent sealing effect and to keep the connector disengaging unintentionally from an oil drain valve during the oil-draining process.
The connector has a body, a handle, a transmission device and two locking arms. The body has two ends, a mounting tube, a connection tube and a sealing ring. The mounting tube is formed on one end of the body and is adapted to connect to an oil drain valve that is mounted on an underground oil depot. The connection tube is mounted on the other end of the body and is adapted to connect to an oil pipe. The sealing ring is mounted in the mounting tube. The handle is pivotally mounted on the body. The transmission device is pivotally connected to the handle and has a linking lever and two transmitting levers. The linking lever has a first end pivotally connected to the handle and a second end. The transmitting levers are pivotally and slidably connected to the second end of the linking lever. The locking arms are pivotally mounted on the mounting tube of the body, selectively extend into the mounting tube and are respectively connected securely to the transmitting levers. Each locking arm has a pushing protrusion mounted on the locking arm and is adapted to push against a joint on the oil drain valve.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
With reference to
The body 10 may be L-shaped and has two ends, a mounting tube 14, a connection tube 12 and a sealing ring 142. The mounting tube 14 is formed on one end of the body 10 and is connected to an oil drain valve that is mounted on an underground oil depot. The connection tube 12 is mounted on the other end of the body 10 and is connected to an oil pipe that is connected to a tank truck. The connection tube 12 may be integrally formed on the end of the body 10. Alternatively, the connection tube 12 may be a separate part from the body 10 and is connected with the body 10 with fasteners. With further reference to
The handle 20 is pivotally mounted on the body 10. Preferably, the handle 20 is pivotally mounted on the body 10 at a position adjacent to the connection tube 12 and has a shape in triangular, a top and a grip 22 formed on and protruding from the top of the handle 20. With the arrangement of the grip 22, a user can hold the grip 22 with one hand to pivot the handle 20 relative to the body 10.
The transmission device 30 is pivotally connected to the handle 20 and comprises a linking lever 32 and two transmitting levers 34. The linking lever 32 has a first end pivotally connected to the handle 20 and a second end. The transmitting levers 34 are pivotally and slidably connected to the second end of the linking lever 32. Preferably, each transmitting lever 34 has an elongated hole 342 defined through the transmitting lever 34. A sliding pin 36 is mounted slidably through the elongated holes 342 in the transmitting levers 34 and mounted through the second end of the linking lever 32 to slidably and pivotally connect the transmitting levers 34 with the linking lever 32.
The locking arms 40 are pivotally mounted on the mounting tube 14 of the body 10, selectively extend into the mounting tube 14 and are respectively connected securely to the transmitting levers 34. Preferably, the locking arms 40 are mounted respectively on two ends of a diameter of the mounting tube 12. In addition, the mounting tube 12 further has two pairs of pivotal ears 144 mounted respectively on the ends of the diameter of the mounting tube 12. Each pair of the pivotal ears 144 is separately formed on and protrudes from an outer surface of the mounting tube 12 and has two pivoting holes 145 defined respectively through the pair of the pivotal ears 144 and aligning with each other. Two pivotal rods 146 are respectively connected securely with the transmitting levers 34, are mounted respectively through the pivoting holes 145 in the pairs of the pivotal ears 144 and are respectively mounted securely through the locking aims 40. Accordingly, the locking arms 40 are mounted pivotally on the pivotal ears 144 and connected securely with the transmitting levers 34 with the pivotal rods 146. The notches 148 are defined through the outer surface of the mounting tube 14 respectively between the pairs of the pivotal ears 144 to allow the locking arms 40 extending into the mounting tube 14 via the notches 148.
Each locking arm 40 has a pushing protrusion 42 mounted on the locking arm 40 and is adapted to push against a joint 60 on the oil drain valve. Preferably, the pushing protrusion 42 may be integrally formed on the locking arm 40. Alternatively, the pushing protrusion 42 is pivotally mounted on the locking arm 40. To pivotally mount the pushing protrusion 42 on the locking auii 40, the locking arm 40 has a pivotal recess 402 defined in an edge of the locking arm 40, and the pivotal recess 402 has a bottom. The pushing protrusion 42 is pivotally mounted in the pivotal recess 402 in the locking arm 40 with a pivotal pin and has a bottom face and a gap defined between the bottom face of the pushing protrusion 42 and the bottom of the pivotal recess 402 as shown in
With reference to
With the pushing protrusions 42 being pivotally mounted on the locking arms 40, the pushing protrusions 42 will slightly pivot relative to the locking arms 40 when the pushing protrusions 42 abut against the joint 60. With the abutment between the bottom faces of the pushing protrusions 42 and the bottoms of the pivotal recesses 402 in the locking arms is 40, a leverage effect is provided to push the joint 60 with the pushing protrusions 42, and a labor-saving effect is provided.
With reference to
The torsion spring 26 is mounted around the pivoting pin 25 and has two ends abutting respectively with the handle 20 and the locking element 24. Preferably, one end of the torsion spring 24 abuts with the inner surface of the pivotal cavity 202 in the handle 20. Accordingly, the torsion spring 26 provides a force to the locking element 24 to keep the locking tab 242 on the bottom of the locking element 24 abutting with the engagement block 18 and the top of the locking element 24 away from the grip 22 of the handle 20.
With the abutment between the locking tab 242 of the locking element 24 with the engagement block 18 on the body 10, the handle 20 can be kept from being pivoted relative to the body 10. To pivot the handle 20 relative to the body 10, a user holds the grip 22 of the handle 20 with one hand to inherently push the top of the locking element 24 to abut the grip 22 of the handle 20 so as to pivot the locking element 24 relative to the handle 20. With the pivotal rotation of the locking element 24, the locking tab 242 of the locking element 24 can disengage from the engagement block 18, such that the handle 20 can be pivoted relative to the body 10. Because the engagement block 18 is separated from the body 10, the locking tab 242 may move over and disengage from the engagement block 18 even when the locking tab 242 is moved toward the body 10. After the user releases the grip 22 of the handle 20, the locking element 24 is pivoted relative to the handle 20 with the force provide by the torsion spring 26 to make the locking tab 242 engaging and abutting with one end of the engagement block 18 automatically. With the abutment between the locking tab 242 of the locking element 24 with the engagement block 18 on the body 10, the handle 20 can be kept from being pivoted relative to the body 10 and the connector can be prevented from detached from the oil drain valve to improve the safety of the oil-draining process.
Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the teems in which the appended claims are expressed.
