Claims
- 1. A quick connector for joining first and second conduits in fluid flow communication, the first conduit having an enlarged flange spaced from a first end, the quick connector comprising:
a first housing having a through bore with a first bore portion adapted for receiving a first end of a first conduit; a second housing rotatably and non-axially displaceably connected to the first housing, the second housing having a through bore axially alignable with the first bore portion of the first housing for receiving the first conduit therethrough, a second conduit adapted to be mounted on the second housing; and a retainer mountable in the second housing for lockingly coupling the first conduit to the first housing.
- 2. The quick connector of claim 1 further comprising:
mounting means cooperatively carried on the first and second housings for rotatably interconnecting the first and second housings.
- 3. The quick connector of claim 2 wherein the mounting means comprises:
a raised annular flange formed on the first housing; an annular shoulder at one end of the second housing; and the flange rotatably disposed with respect to the shoulder of the second housing, with the first housing axially extending through the one end of the second housing.
- 4. The quick connector of claim 3 wherein the mounting means further comprises:
a top hat fixedly mountable in the first housing and spaced from the flange on the first housing to rotatably maintain the first and second housings in a coupled arrangement.
- 5. The quick connector of claim 4 further comprising:
means for fixing the top hat in the second housing.
- 6. The quick connector of claim 5 wherein the fixing means comprises:
at least one aperture formed in the second housing proximate the one end of the second housing; and the top hat having at least one leg, a projection carried on the at least one leg latchingly engagable with the aperture in the second housing.
- 7. The quick connector of claim 5 wherein the fixing means comprises:
the top hat press fit in a fixed position within the second housing.
- 8. The quick connector of claim 3 further comprising:
the second housing having an opposed end to the one end; and the first housing insertable through the second housing from the opposed end to the one end.
- 9. The quick connector of claim 3 further comprising:
the first housing insertable into the second housing through the one end.
- 10. The quick connector of claim 9 further comprising:
a plurality of slots formed in the enlarged flange and the one end of the first housing, the slots allowing the first end to bend radially inward during insertion through the one end of the second housing until the enlarged flange on the one end of the first housing clears the shoulder in the one end of the second housing.
- 11. The quick connector of claim 1 further comprising:
indexing means cooperatingly arranged between the first and second housings for incremental locked rotational positioning of the first and second housings with respect to each other.
- 12. The quick connector of claim 11 wherein the indexing means comprises:
at least one radially extending projection formed on one of the first and second housings; and at least one aperture formed on the other of the first and second housings engagable with a projection.
- 13. The quick connector of claim 12 wherein:
the at least one aperture and the at least one projection are formed as a plurality of apertures and a plurality of projections, respectively.
- 14. The quick connector of claim 1 further comprising:
the second housing including a second bore formed by a pair of opposed apertures formed transversely to and intersecting the through bore in the second housing, the retainer mountable through the second bore; the retainer having opposed legs extending from a central end portion; projections on the legs engagable with edges of the second housing adjacent the opposed apertures to lockingly mount the retainer in the second housing; and a web extending axially through one of the opposed apertures, the web dividing the aperture into a pair of smaller apertures, each receiving an end portion of one leg of the retainer, the web limiting inward flexing of the legs of the retainer upon removal of the retainer from the second housing.
- 15. The quick connector of claim 1 further comprising:
the second housing including a second bore transverse to and intersecting the through bore; a seal member mounted in the first axial bore; a top hat mounted in the axial bore adjacent to the seal member; an annular recess extending inward from one end of the top hat opening to the second bore in the second housing when the top hat is mounted in the second housing, the annular recess adapted to receiving the flange on the first conduit; and the retainer having a side edge disposable in the second bore adjacent to the flange on the first conduit to restrain axial disengagement of the first conduit from the first housing.
- 16. The quick connector of claim 1 further comprising:
cap means, mountable over a second end of the first housing for smoothly guiding the interior surface of the second conduit over the second end of the first housing during coupling of the second conduit to the first housing; and means for fixedly mounting the cap means on the second end of the first housing.
- 17. The quick connector of claim 16 wherein the cap means further comprises:
a second end of the first housing having one of a radially outward extending projection and a recess; a conical cap having smooth exterior surface and a through bore; and one of a recess and a projection formed in the interior of the cap snap engagable with one of the recess and the projection on the first housing to secure the cap to the first housing.
- 18. The quick connector of claim 17 further comprising:
the through bore in the cap having a diameter at least as large as the diameter of the bore extending through the second end of the first housing.
- 19. The quick connector of claim 18 wherein the through bore in the cap comprises:
a first bore portion extending from a first end of the cap; and a second bore portion extending from the second end of the cap, the second bore portion having a larger diameter than the diameter of the first bore portion.
- 20. The quick connector of claim 19 further comprising:
a shoulder formed at a juncture of the first and second bores in the cap, the shoulder engagable with the second end of the first housing for limiting the mounting distance of the cap over the second end of the first housing.
- 21. The quick connector of claim 16 further comprising:
a seal mounted on the second end of the first housing between the second end of the cap and a radial enlargement spaced from the second end of the first housing for sealingly engaging an inner surface of the second conduit when the second conduit is mounted over the second end of the first housing.
- 22. The quick connector of claim 1 further comprising:
the first housing having a second end opposing the first end; the second conduit adapted to be mountable over the second end of the first housing; and at least one axial, radially outward extending projection formed on the second end of the first housing and adapted to be engagable with the inner surface of the second conduit to non-rotatably secure the first housing to the second conduit.
- 23. The quick connector of claim 22 wherein the at least one projection comprises:
a plurality of circumferentially spaced, radially outward projections on the second end of the first housing.
- 24. A quick connector comprising:
a male component having an external flange proximate to a first end; a female component including a housing having a first axial bore extending between opposed first and second ends to receive the first end of the male component; a transverse bore formed in the housing intersecting the first axial bore; a retainer received within the transverse bore of the housing, the retainer having a pair of side legs separated by an end wall, a first surface on each side leg axially opposing the flange on the male component to prevent axial disengagement of the male component from the first bore in the female component; a seal member disposed in the first axial bore; a top hat disposed in the axial bore adjacent to the seal member; and an annular recess extending inward from one of the top hat opening to the second bore in the second housing when the top has is mounted in the second housing, the annular recess receiving the flange on the male component.
- 25. The quick connector of claim 24 wherein:
the axial length of the annular recess in the top hat is substantially equal to the axial length of the enlarged flange on the first conduit to substantially accommodate all of the enlarged flange on the first conduit in the annular recess in the top hat.
- 26. The quick connector of claim 24 further comprising:
projections on the side legs of engagable with edges of the second housing adjacent the transverse bore to lockingly mount the retainer in the second housing; and a web extending axially through one of the opposed apertures, the web dividing the aperture into a pair of smaller apertures, each receiving an end portion of one leg of the retainer, the web limiting the amount of inward flexing of the legs of the retainer upon separation of the retainer from the second housing.
- 27. The quick connector of claim 24 further comprising:
a plurality of axial, radially outward extending projections formed on the first end of the housing, the projections engagable with an inner surface of a flexible conduit forced over the first end of the housing to prevent rotation between the flexible conduit and the first end of the housing.
- 28. The quick connector of claim 24 further comprising:
one end of the first housing having a radially outward extending projection; a conical cap having a smooth exterior surface and a through bore; and a recess formed in the interior of the cap snap engagable with the flange on the first housing to secure the cap to the first housing.
- 29. The quick connector of claim 28 further comprising:
one end of the first housing having a radially outward extending flange; a conical cap having a smooth exterior surface and a through bore; an annular recess formed on one of the interior of the conical cap and the one end of the first housing; and one of a radially outward extending projection and a radially inward extending recess is formed on the one end of the first housing.
- 30. A quick connector comprising:
a male component having an external flange proximate to a first end; a female component including a housing having a first axial bore extending between opposed first and second ends to receive the first end of the male component; a retainer mountable in the bore of the housing to prevent axial displacement of the male component from first bore in the housing; and at least one axial, radially outward extending projection formed on the second end of the first housing and adapted to be engagable with the inner surface of the second conduit to non-rotatably secure the first housing to the second conduit.
- 31. The quick connector of claim 30 further comprising:
at least one annular barb formed on the first end of the housing; and the at least one projection extending angularly from the at least one barb.
- 32. A quick connector comprising:
a male component having an external flange proximate to a first end; a female component including a housing having a first axial bore extending between opposed first and second ends to receive the first end of the male component; a retainer mountable in the first axial bore of the housing to prevent axial displacement of the male component from first axial bore in the housing; one end of the housing having a radially outward extending projection; a conical cap having a smooth exterior surface and a through bore; and a recess formed in the interior of the cap snap engagable with the projection on the housing to secure the cap to the first housing.
- 33. A quick connector comprising:
a male component having an external flange proximate to a first end; a female component including a housing having a first axial bore extending between opposed first and second ends to receive the first end of the male component; a transverse bore formed in the housing by opposed apertures in the housing, the transverse bore intersecting the first bore; a retainer received within the transverse bore of the housing, the retainer having a pair of side legs separated by an end wall, a first surface on each side leg axially opposing the flange on the male component to prevent axial disengagement of the male component from the first bore in the female component; projections on the legs engagable with edges of the housing adjacent the opposed apertures to lockingly mount the retainer in the housing; and a web extending axially through one of the opposed apertures, the web dividing the one aperture into a pair of smaller apertures, each receiving an end portion of one leg of the retainer, the web limiting inward flexing of the legs of the retainer upon removal of the retainer from the housing.
CROSS REFERENCE TO CO-PENDING APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of the filing date of co-pending, U.S. Provisional Patent Application, Ser. No. 60/194,938, filed Apr. 6, 2000, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60194938 |
Apr 2000 |
US |