Patent Application
20180216770
This disclosure relates to a quick connect fluid connector that can be used to, for example, connect a first fluid system with a second fluid system for transferring gases between the first and second fluid systems.
Due to sealing limitations, conventional quick connectors cannot be used in certain gas processing operations because conventional quick connectors permit leakage of the gas being processed through the quick connector into the ambient environment or permit the introduction of contaminants, such as ambient air or other contaminants, into the gas being processed through the quick connector.
For example, in high purity gas cylinder filling, the industry uses non-quick connectors which require greater effort, time, and labor to achieve connection and filling compared to quick connectors. Non-quick connectors are only used at the present time for high purity gas filling since all commercially available quick connectors allow some infiltration of non-desirable gases like ambient air into the high purity gas flowing through the quick connector which results in the spoilage of the high purity gas or the inability to achieve required vacuum in the gas cylinder before filling.
Similarly, if the gas being processed is a gas that should not be leaked to the ambient environment, such as an environmentally harmful gas, a conventional quick connector would allow some portion of the gas to leak past the seals due to the sealing limitations of the quick connector.
A quick connect fluid connector is described that acts as the temporary connection between first and second fluid systems, and a gas is processed through the quick connect fluid connector between the first and second fluid systems. The first fluid system can be, for example, a filling/evacuation line connected to the quick connect fluid connector, and the second fluid system can be, for example, a gas cylinder that stores the gas being processed. The quick connect fluid connector described herein can be used in gas cylinder filling and/or evacuation processes.
The quick connect fluid connector described herein supplies a gas or vacuum to one or more typical sealing zones of the fluid connector to create one or more pressure differential zones. In the case of a gas being supplied to the one or more typical sealing zones of the connector, the resulting pressure differential zone(s) has a pressure that is greater than ambient pressure so that unwanted impurities like air or other contaminants are preferentially and controllably blocked from entering a main flow of gas flowing through the quick connect fluid connector from ambient. The pressure differential zone(s) in this embodiment may be referred to as a positive pressure differential zone(s) since the pressure of the pressure differential zone is greater than ambient pressure. The gas used to create the one or more positive pressure differential zone(s) can be the same type of gas forming the main gas flow, or a gas that is a different type of gas forming the main gas flow, through the connector. With the positive pressure different zone(s), even if the seals of the quick connect fluid connector leak during filling or deep vacuum, infiltration of unwanted, ambient gases such as air isn't possible due to the pressure differential of the positive pressure differential zone(s) that is created in a typical sealing zone of the quick connect fluid connector.
In the case of a vacuum being supplied to the one or more typical sealing zones of the fluid connector via a secondary flow path, the resulting pressure differential zone(s) has a pressure that is less than ambient pressure. The pressure differential zone(s) in this embodiment may be referred to as a negative pressure differential zone(s) since the pressure of the pressure differential zone is lower than ambient pressure. With the negative pressure different zone(s), any leakage of gas past the seals from the primary flow path through the quick connect fluid connector during filling or vacuum is prevented from leaking to the ambient environment by the applied vacuum in the secondary flow path.
In one non-limiting embodiment, the gases being processed through the quick connect fluid connectors can be high purity gases. High purity gases described herein have magnitudes difference in purity levels versus standard gases of the same composition. Using oxygen as an example, high purity oxygen could be 99.99990% oxygen and 0.0001% trace gas versus standard oxygen at 99.97% oxygen and 0.03% trace gas. The term “high purity gas” used herein, unless indicated otherwise, refers to gases that have a purity level that is greater than the standard purity level of the same gas. In one embodiment, the purity level is greater than 99.97%. In another embodiment, the purity level can be 99.99990% or more. The high purity gases can include, but are not limited to, oxygen, argon, helium, hydrogen, nitrogen, neon, krypton, xenon and other gases for which a high purity is desired and where a fluid connector is used during filling and/or evacuation processing involving the high purity gas. In the case of high purity gases, the creation of one or more positive pressure differential zone(s) in the quick connect fluid connector may be the most suitable although the creation of one or more negative pressure differential zone(s) may also be used.
In another non-limiting embodiment, the gases being processed through the quick connect fluid connectors described herein can be gases that are considered harmful to the environment if leaked to the environment that should be reclaimed, or other non-environmentally harmful gases that one may otherwise wish to reclaim and prevent release to the ambient environment. Non-limiting examples of such gases include, but are not limited to, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, smog, nitrogen, and others. In the case of environmentally harmful gases, the creation of one or more negative pressure differential zone(s) in the quick connect fluid connector may be the most suitable although the creation of one or more positive pressure differential zone(s) may also be used.
The pressure differential zone(s) concepts described herein can be applied to any quick connect fluid connector having any particular design, allowing any quick connect fluid connector to be used in gas filling and/or evacuation processes.
In one embodiment, a method of gas processing through a quick connect fluid connector includes connecting the quick connect fluid connector to a fluid system to process a gas into or from the fluid system through the quick connect fluid connector. Once connected, a flow of the gas is directed through a primary flow path of the quick connect fluid connector into or from the fluid system. While the gas is flowing through the primary flow path, a first pressure differential zone is created within a sealing zone of the quick connect fluid connector by directing a flow of gas or vacuum to the sealing zone through a secondary flow path of the quick connect fluid connector, where the first pressure differential zone has a pressure that differs, either greater than or less than, from ambient pressure.
When the first pressure differential zone has a pressure that is greater than ambient pressure, the first pressure differential zone acts as a barrier to prevent ambient impurities, including but not limited to ambient gas such as air, from leaking into the gas flowing through the primary flow path. When the first pressure differential zone is created by the same type of gas that is flowing through the primary flow path, any leaking that does occur is of the gas from the first pressure differential zone, so that the gas leaking into the primary flow path does not contaminate the gas flowing therethrough.
When the first pressure differential zone has a pressure that is less than ambient pressure, created by applying a vacuum at the first pressure differential zone, the first pressure differential zone acts as a barrier to prevent the gas that is flowing through the primary flow path from leaking into the surrounding ambient environment.
In another embodiment, a quick connect fluid connector that is detachably connectable to a fluid system to process a gas into or from the fluid system through the quick connect fluid connector is provided. The quick connect fluid connector includes a connection mechanism having a connected position to detachably connect the quick connect fluid connector to the fluid system and disconnected position to disconnect the quick connect fluid connector from the fluid system. An actuator is connected to the connection mechanism to actuate the connection mechanism between the connected position and the disconnected position. A primary flow path is defined through the quick connect fluid connector for the gas to flow through while the gas is processed into or from the fluid system. In addition, a first seal is disposed along a first sealing zone of the quick connect fluid connector, where the first seal may be in fluid communication with ambient pressure via the first sealing zone. In addition, a secondary flow path extends to the first seal and is fluidly connectable to a source of gas or to vacuum to create a first pressure differential zone adjacent to the first seal, where the first pressure differential zone has a pressure that differs, either greater than or less than, from ambient pressure.
A quick connect fluid connector described herein acts as the temporary connection between a filling line and a gas cylinder where the quick connect fluid connector can be used in gas filling and/or evacuation processes. The quick connect fluid connectors described herein use a gas or vacuum to create one or more pressure differential zones in one or more typical sealing zones of the connector. The pressure differential zone(s) has a pressure that differs (either greater than or less than) from ambient pressure to act as a barrier to either the introduction of unwanted impurities like air or other contaminants from the ambient environment into the main gas flow through the connector, or to act as a barrier to prevent leakage of gas from the main gas flow through the connector into the ambient environment.
In one embodiment described below with respect to
In another embodiment described below with respect to
In one non-limiting embodiment, the gases being processed through the quick connect fluid connectors can be high purity gases. High purity gases described herein have magnitudes difference in purity levels versus standard gases of the same composition. Using oxygen as an example, high purity oxygen could be 99.99990% oxygen and 0.0001% trace gas versus standard oxygen at 99.97% oxygen and 0.03% trace gas. The term “high purity gas” used herein, unless indicated otherwise, refers to gases that have a purity level that is greater than the standard purity level of the same gas. In one embodiment, the purity level is greater than 99.97%. In another embodiment, the purity level can be 99.99990% or more. The high purity gases can include, but are not limited to, oxygen, argon, helium, hydrogen, nitrogen, neon, krypton, xenon and other gases for which a high purity is desired and where a fluid connector is used during filling and/or evacuation processing involving the high purity gas.
In the case of high purity gases, the creation of one or more positive pressure differential zone(s) in the quick connect fluid connector may be the most suitable although the creation of one or more negative pressure differential zone(s) may also be used. For example, in the specific case of high purity gases, the resulting pressure differential zone(s) can have a pressure that is greater than ambient so that unwanted impurities like air or other contaminants are preferentially and controllably blocked from entering a main flow of high purity gas flowing through the quick connect fluid connector. When the pressure differential zone(s) are created using the same high purity gas as the main gas flow through the connector, high purity gas from the pressure differential zone(s), instead of unwanted impurities like air or other contaminants, may be preferentially and controllably leaked into the primary flow of the same high purity gas through the quick connect fluid connector.
In another non-limiting embodiment, the gases being processed through the quick connect fluid connectors described herein can be gases that are considered harmful to the environment if leaked to the environment. Non-limiting examples of such gases include, but are not limited to, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, smog, and others. In the case of environmentally harmful gases, the creation of one or more negative pressure differential zone(s) in the quick connect fluid connector may be the most suitable although the creation of one or more positive pressure differential zone(s) may also be used.
The pressure differential zone concepts described herein can be applied to any quick connect fluid connector having any particular design, allowing any quick connect fluid connector to be used in gas filling and/or evacuation processes. For sake of convenience in explaining the concepts described herein, a specific example of a quick connect fluid connector is described and illustrated herein. However, the concepts described herein can be used on any other type of quick connect fluid connector that one may wish to use for gas processing (filling and/or evacuating).
Referring initially to
The cylinder valve 12 is conventional in construction and is attached to a gas cylinder (not shown) forming a fluid system that is to be filled with a gas and where the fluid connector 10 is used during filling and/or evacuation processing involving the gas. The valve 12 controls the ingress and egress of gas to and from the cylinder.
The fluid connector 10 has a suitable connection means 14 that can be actuated to achieve a temporary, sealed connection with a port 16 of the cylinder valve 12 through which the gas is introduced into or discharged from the gas cylinder. An interior (or exterior) surface of the port 16 is provided with threads or other conventional structure for engagement by the connection means 14 of the connector 10. Examples of suitable connection means 14 include, but are not limited to, externally threaded collets that are engageable with internal threads of the port 16 (as illustrated in the figures herein and described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,844,979), internally threaded collets that are engageable with external threads on the port 16 (as described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,844,979), unthreaded collets, connection means like those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,537, connection means like those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,798, and other types of connection means known in the art. A specific example of a connection means 14 in the form of externally threaded collets will be described in further detail below.
The connection means 14 is actuated by a suitable manual actuation means 18 known in the art to achieve connection and disconnection. In the example illustrated in
With reference to
The main body 22 is a cylindrical member and is disposed at least partially in and surrounded by the sleeve 20. A nipple 26 is fixed to the main body 22 that defines a fluid port and that projects beyond an exterior of the cylindrical sleeve 20. The main body 22 and the sleeve 20 are slideable relative to one another parallel to the longitudinal axis. The main body 22 defines a fluid passageway 28 that is in fluid communication with a fluid passageway 30 of the nipple 26 so that gas can flow between the nipple 26 and the fluid passageway 28.
The piston 24 is a cylindrical member that is disposed at least partially within the main body 22, and the piston 24 is slideable relative to the main body 22 parallel to the longitudinal axis. The piston 24 defines a fluid passageway 32 that extends therethrough from one end to the other and is in fluid communication with the fluid passageway 28 of the main body 22. The fluid passageways 28, 30, 32 define a primary flow path for the gas through the fluid connector 10. As described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,844,979, a spring (not shown) acts on the piston 24 to bias the piston 24 in a direction toward the right in
The connection mechanism 14 is illustrated as including a plurality of collets 40 that are mounted on the main body 22 and surround the end of the piston 24. The collets 40 are actuatable from a collapsed or disconnected position (shown in
The actuator 18 actuates the collets 40 from the collapsed or disconnected position in
Referring to
The pressure differential zones can be created adjacent to the seals 50, 52 in any suitable manner using any suitable flow path in the fluid connector 10. In the one non-limiting example illustrated in
Referring to
In one non-limiting example, the gas flowing through the fluid connector 10 can be a high purity gas, and the gas used to create the positive pressure differential zones can be the same high purity gas that is flowing through the primary flow path. Accordingly, any of the high purity gas from the positive pressure differential zones that leaks past the seals 50, 52 and into the primary flow path of the high purity gas through the fluid connector 10 does not contaminate the high purity gas in the primary flow path.
In one non-limiting example best seen in
Similarly, as best seen in
An alternative sealing embodiment is illustrated in
The fluid connector 100 differs from the fluid connector 10 in that the fluid connector 100 includes a single seal 112 forming a single sealing surface at the front end of the fluid connector 100, and a single seal 114 forming a single sealing surface between the main body 108 and the piston 110. In addition, the fluid connector 100 does not define secondary flow paths like the flow paths 60, 62 of the fluid connector 10. Therefore, when the fluid connector 100 is used for processing gas, contaminants may be able to flow past the seals 112, 114 and contaminate the gas flowing through the fluid connector 100 or the gas may be able to leak into the ambient environment.
In the embodiments illustrated in
In one embodiment, the port 64 could also be used for processing during a filling operation of the gas cylinder. This would eliminate the need to connect the nipple 26 to a source of gas.
The secondary flow paths 60, 62 need not be formed in the piston 24. Instead, the secondary flow paths 60, 62 could be formed by any structure that is suitable for directing the gas or vacuum to create the pressure differential zones.
The specific type of fluid connector 10 described herein is an example only. The creation of a pressure differential zone(s) in a flow path as described herein can be applied to any type of fluid connector, including quick connect fluid connector and non-quick connect fluid connectors, that may be used for processing a gas.
The examples disclosed in this application are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not limitative. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description; and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62452064 | Jan 2017 | US |
