A rapid coupling is disclosed in EP 0 467 381 A1. An engagement section is provided on the pipe nipple in the form of an annular bead or groove which cooperates with a resilient locking element disposed inside the sleeve in such a way that the pipe nipple is retained in the sleeve by engagement between the locking element and the engagement section.
When the pipe nipple is pushed into the sleeve, latching takes place between the locking element and the engagement which is as such audible and tangible. However, if mounting is done automatically or under unfavorable working conditions, audible or tangible latching as an indicator of a complete locking has to be ruled out. Also in a subsequent inspection, the locking state can only be checked by trying to pull the pipe nipple out of the sleeve, which is labor-intensive and is not readily possible in the case of fully assembled machines.
A general object of the invention is to overcome, at least in part, disadvantages as occur in comparable rapid couplings of the prior art. A more specific object of the invention may be seen in providing a rapid coupling in which the locking state between the pipe nipple and the sleeve can easily be ascertained.
This object is met by the present rapid coupling. The engagement section (groove or projection) is outside the sleeve and is thus visible when the pipe nipple and the sleeve are not properly coupled and thus not locked. Thus, the engagement section, in addition to its actual latching function with the locking element, assumes the additional task as an indicator of the locking state of the rapid coupling.
The compression spring again serves a double purpose, namely to bias the engagement between the locking element of the sleeve and the engagement section of the pipe nipple toward a defined position, on the one hand, and to ensure that the pipe nipple is pushed out of the sleeve in the unlocked state, so that the engagement section reliably fulfils the said indicator function, on the other hand.
The present locking mechanisms, which are uncomplicated in production, ensure reliable locking and yet allow simple uncoupling.
Embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing, in which:
The rapid coupling shown in
The pipe nipple 12 is of cylindrical shape over its length to be inserted into the sleeve 10 and, in the embodiment of
A helical compression spring 19 is disposed between the insertion end 16 of the pipe nipple 12 and an annular stop 18 formed in the interior of the throughhole 11 of the sleeve 10, the outer diameter of the compression spring 19, in the compressed state, being approximately equal to the inner diameter of the throughhole 11. In the embodiment shown, the stop 18 is located at the end of the sleeve 10 remote from the insertion end 13.
Furthermore, the sleeve 10, in the region where the cylindrical section 20 between the insertion end 16 and the groove 17 of the pipe nipple 12 is located in the coupled state, has an annular recess 21 into which a sealing O-ring 22 is inserted.
Serving to lock the pipe nipple 12 in the sleeve 10 in the coupling state shown in
The inner region 25 has an inner diameter which is slightly larger than the diameter of the pipe nipple 12 plus twice the radial thickness of the locking ring 23. The inner diameter of the center region 26 of the annular recess 24 corresponds to the outer diameter of the groove 17 provided in the pipe nipple 12 plus twice the radial thickness of the locking ring 23. The inner diameter of the outer region 27 of the annular recess 24 is smaller than that of the center region 26.
If the pipe nipple 12 with its end section 20 is pushed sufficiently far into the throughhole 11 of the sleeve 10, the groove 17 formed in the pipe nipple 12 passes into the region of the annular recess 24 provided in the sleeve 10, and the locking ring 23 enters the groove 17 in which it latches in place due to its bias.
When the pipe nipple 12 is released, the compression spring 19, which is compressed when said pipe nipple 12 is being pushed in, seeks to push the pipe nipple 12 outward, the locking ring 23 being urged into the center region 26 of the annular recess 24 until it abuts against the step between the center region 26 and the outer region 27 of the annular recess 24 in the position shown in
An unlocking tool consisting of two tubular halves, which may have the form shown in FIG. 12 of EP 0 467 381 A1 and is not shown here, may be used for releasing the coupling. The two tubular halves of this tool are so dimensioned that they can be passed through the gap between the outer region 27 of the annular recess 24 and the outside of the pipe nipple 12. If the pipe nipple 12 is then pushed inward against the force of the compression spring 19 until the locking ring 23 faces the wider, inner region 25 of the annular recess 24, the locking ring 23 can be lifted out of the groove 17 of the pipe nipple by means of the tool, whereupon the pipe nipple 12 can be pulled out of the throughhole 11 of the sleeve 10.
As shown in FIG. 1 of EP 0 467 381 A1, the unlocking tool may have the form of a sleeve movable on the pipe nipple and having a wall thickness corresponding to the gap between the outer region 27 of the annular recess 24 and the outside of the pipe nipple 12. In order not to damage the coupling, such a sleeve is preferably made of plastic.
In the state shown in
In the second embodiment shown in
When the end section 20 of the pipe nipple 12 is pushed in against the force of the compression spring 19, the locking ring 23, held in place by the inner end face of the annular-recess region 35, is lifted over the annular bead 28. When the pipe nipple 12 is released, the compression spring 19 causes the locking ring 23 to be pressed against the opposite end face of the annular-recess region 35 by the bead 28 and the locking is effected.
If the pipe nipple 12 is not inserted sufficiently far into the sleeve so that no locking is not achieved, the compression spring 19 pushes the pipe nipple 12 out of the bush 10 to such an extent that the annular bead 28 remains visible outside the bush.
Since the annular locking recess 24 or 34 in both embodiments is located in direct proximity to the insertion end 13 of the bush 10, the groove 17 or bead 28 is visible outside the sleeve 10 if no latching is effected. The groove 17 or bead 28 may be located, however, close to the insertion end 13 of the sleeve 10.
The compression spring 19, which defines the latched locking position shown in
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP03/12599 | 11/11/2003 | WO | 00 | 12/8/2006 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2005/052431 | 6/9/2005 | WO | A |
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Number | Date | Country |
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12 47 087 | Aug 1967 | DE |
195 43 567 | May 1996 | DE |
196 23 995 | Dec 1997 | DE |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20070176421 A1 | Aug 2007 | US |