Patent Application
20070246108
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to quick-disconnects and more specifically to a quick-disconnect having a spring-loaded sleeve that allows pressure relief and a pressure activating locking piston in a small envelope for high-pressure systems.
2. Background Art
Fluid flow quick-disconnects are well-known devices commonly used to interconnect one flexible pipe or hose to another flexible pipe or hose for transferring fluids. Virtually all quick-disconnects consist of a mating pair of male and female annular connectors referred to as a nipple and a coupler. Quick-disconnects allow expedient connection and disconnection of such hoses or pipes by a simple mechanical release mechanism. When the quick-disconnect is separated, each component provides a sealing feature designed to allow little or no leakage of the fluid.
Each member of the quick-disconnect is designed to connect with the corresponding pipe or hose carrying the fluid and to mate with each other so the respective pipes or hoses can be interconnected. Typically the nipple portion comprises a spring-loaded poppet and the coupler a stationary stem. When the nipple and coupler are mated, the coupler stem engages the nipple poppet, causing the poppet to push open and allow flow around the poppet. In addition, the nipple slides into the coupler body depressing a spring-loaded coupler poppet which allows flow through the coupler. Once the quick-disconnect is engaged, there are a number of ways to secure the nipple and coupler to one another so inadvertent separation and interruption of flow will not occur. The present invention uses a locking mechanism comprised of a novel pressure activated lock piston. In high pressure applications disconnecting the quick-disconnect while under pressure may be hazardous. By using the system pressure to activate the lock, disconnecting while under pressure is virtually impossible.
When a nipple and coupler are connected and attached to pipes or hoses with system pressure from a source such as a pump, after removing power to the pressure source and thus removing pressure from the system, it is likely that residual pressure may reside in the system. In high-pressure systems that residual pressure may have enough energy to cause damage if the quick-disconnect is disengaged. The lock will prevent the disengagement, but there is a need to remove the residual pressure. The present design uses a novel pressure relief in the form of a spring-loaded sleeve and seals.
There is a need for a quick-disconnect for use in limited space applications and with a high-pressure system. The present invention connects small sized pipes or hoses with internal pressures that call for a 20,000 PSI burst test. The present invention incorporates components that are small in size but configured to withstand the high pressure.
The most relevant prior art in regard to quick disconnects for operation with high pressure and pressure relief and which is known to the applicant is disclosed in issued U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,222. This patent discloses a quick disconnect apparatus in which the male coupling element in its uncoupled state will automatically react to excess fluid pressure by increasing its internal volume and, if necessary, permitting some fluid leakage to relieve pressure. However, this connector does not provide for pressure relief in the coupled state and does not provide any locking mechanism to prevent de-coupling under a high-pressure condition.
The present invention uses a locking mechanism comprised of a novel pressure activated lock piston. In high pressure applications disconnecting the quick-disconnect while under pressure may be hazardous. By using the system pressure to activate the lock, disconnecting while under pressure is virtually impossible. The lock will prevent the disengagement, but there is a need to remove the residual pressure. The present design uses a novel pressure relief in the form of a spring-loaded sleeve and seals. The present invention connects pipes or hoses with internal pressures that call for a 20,000 PSI burst test. The present invention incorporates components that are small in size but configured to withstand the high pressure.
The present invention comprises a push to connect quick-disconnect having a spring-loaded pressure relief valve for relieving residual pressure in the system and a pressure activated piston lock which prevents the quick-disconnect from being disconnected while under pressure. The result is an improved coupler and nipple design.
The quick-disconnect of the present invention has the novel feature of withstanding up to 20,000 pounds per square inch of burst pressure in a package that is in an envelope that is ideal for small volumes, such as an aerospace application. The body design for both the nipple and coupler unitize design parameters that will withstand the high pressure. O-ring grooves have been designed with added material in the correct proportions to disallow deflections that would force the o-rings and backup rings out of the grooves, which would cause excessive leakage. The grooves in the nipple body and holes in the coupler that house moveable balls used to hold the coupler and nipple in the connected position, have been designed to withstand the bearing stresses associated with high pressure.
It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide a novel push to connect quick-disconnect that allows locking of the quick-disconnect to prevent unsafe disconnection in a high-pressure condition.
It is an additional object of the present invention to allow relief of any residual pressure that would prevent the locked piston from unlocking. The relief in the nipple portion of the quick-disconnect allows the bleeding of residual pressure.
It is still an additional object of the present invention to meet the need for a high-pressure quick-disconnect in a package that is usable in a small volume.
The aforementioned objects and advantages of the present invention, as well as additional objects and advantages will be fully understood hereinafter as a result of a preferred embodiment of the invention when taken in conjunction with the following drawing in which:
Referring to the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that the quick-disconnect of the preferred embodiment comprises a nipple 5 and a coupler 10 which are designed to mate together as shown in
Referring to
Of particular novelty herein within coupler 10 is a lock piston 31 having a cap 29 and a bias wave spring 41. Lock piston 31 responds to pressure in the quick-disconnect to extend into radial groove 7 to prevent movement of slide 15 and thereby prevent disconnection of the coupler 10 from the nipple 5 as will be explained further hereinafter.
The nipple sleeve 12 is pulled to the open position allowing the residual pressure to escape through orifice 9 which bypasses the internal sealing rings, the bias wave spring 17 which will return the slide to the closed position and internal sealing rings which seal the escape orifice 9 when the slide 12 is closed. The rings also allow low friction movement of the slide. More specifically, the internal relief passage 12 is opened by pulling the sleeve, by hand, compressing the wave spring until the sleeve contacts the body 11 of the nipple 5. The sleeve 12 contains a drilled hole 8 which when closed is outside the ring, therefore sealing it from four holes drilled through the body of the nipple connecting the internal cavity of the nipple with an area outside the body but sealed on either side with the rings. When the sleeve is pulled open, the hole in the sleeve is moved over one of the rings and into the area between the rings and therefore in the area with which the four holes in the body make contact as shown in
The coupler lock piston 31 is pushed open when the system is under pressure as shown in
Thus unlike prior art quick-disconnects, the quick-disconnect of the present invention provides a nipple having a unique pressure relief slide that opens an orifice to release pressure and a coupler which provides a radially directed lock piston which prevents de-coupling of the nipple and coupler until pressure is relieved within the quick-disconnect.
It will now be understood that while a preferred embodiment has been disclosed herein, various modifications and additions may be readily made to the illustrated version of the invention. By way of example, the precise level of pressure at which the piston lock no longer locks the connectors together may be selected by changing the resistance of the bias wave spring. Accordingly, the scope hereof shall be limited only by the appended claims and their equivalents.
