The present invention relates, in general, to fluid quick connectors which couple fluid components.
Snap-fit or quick connectors are employed in a wide range of applications, particularly, for joining fluid carrying conduits in automotive and industrial application. Such quick connectors utilize retainers or locking elements for securing a male connector component, such as a tubular conduit, within a complimentary bore of a female connector component or housing. Such retainers are typically of either the axially-displaceable or radially-displaceable type. The terms xe2x80x9caxially-displaceablexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cradially-displaceablexe2x80x9d are taken relative to the axial bore through the female component.
In a typical quick connector with an axially displaceable, retainer, the retainer is mounted within a bore in a housing of the female connector component of housing. The retainer has a plurality of radially and angularly extending legs which extend inwardly toward the axial center line of the bore in the housing. A tube or male component to be sealingly mounted in the bore in the female component includes a radially upset portion or flange which abuts an inner peripheral surface of the retainer legs. Seal and spacer members as well as a bearing or top hat are typically mounted in the bore ahead of the retainer to form a seal between the housing and the male fitting when the male fitting is lockingly engaged with the retainer legs in the housing.
Radially displaceable retainers are also known in which the retainer is radially displaceable through aligned bores or apertures formed transversely to the main throughbore in the female component housing. The radially displaceable retainer is typically provided with a pair of depending legs which are sized and positioned to slip behind the radially upset portion or flange on the male conduit only when the male connector or conduit is fully seated in the bore in the female component. This ensures a positive locking engagement of the conduit with the female component as well as providing an indication that the conduit is fully seated since the radially displaceable retainer can be fully inserted into the female component only when the conduit has been fully inserted into the bore in the female component.
Regardless of the type of retainer, the female housing or component portion of a fluid connector typically includes an elongated stem having one or more annular barbs spaced from a first end. The barbs provide secure engagement with a hose or conduit which is forced over the barbs to connect the female housing with one end of the conduit.
Check valves have also been employed in quick connectors to block fluid flow when the male and female connector portions are disconnected. In such quick connectors, a check valve or ball is disposed within one bore of the connector and movable between two positions, one blocking fluid flow from one of the connector portions and another allowing fluid flow between the connector portions.
However, the housing of quick connector is separate from the fluid charged use device which is typically connected by a conduit or tube to the quick connector housing. This complicates the assembly of the fluid system and adds additional cost due to the increased number of separate components which must be manufactured and assembled together.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a quick connect style cartridge with an internal check valve which can be mounted in a fluid charged use device without intervening conduits. It would also be desirable to provide such a quick connect with check valve cartridge which can be easily mountable in the fluid use device without tools or excessive modification of the use device to accommodate the quick connector. It would also be desirable to provide a quick connector with an internal check valve in a cartridge form which still provides quick connections to an external conduit or endform.
The present invention is a fluid quick connector and a quick connector and fluid charge use device combination with includes a movable shutoff valve to automatically shutoff fluid flow from the use device when an endform is not fully inserted into the quick connector.
In one aspect, the present invention is a fluid quick connector for connecting a pressurized fluid use device having a bore opening to a fluid flow outlet in the fluid use device and an endform. A quick connector includes a cartridge adapted to be mountable in the fluid use device in fluid flow communication with the outlet of the fluid use device. A retainer in mountable in the cartridge for latching an endform to the cartridge. A shutoff valve is mounted in the cartridge and moveable between a first position blocking fluid flow though the cartridge, and a second position opening the cartridge to fluid communication with the outlet of the fluid use device and the endform.
Means are provided for fixedly mounting a cartridge in a bore in the fluid use device. The mounting means includes at least one latch member carried on the cartridge which is adapted to be engagable with a mating recess formed in the fluid use device.
At least one seal member is carried externally on the quick connector cartridge for sealingly coupling the cartridge to the fluid use device.
A reduced diameter orifice is formed in a through bore in the quick connector cartridge. The shutoff valve is movable through the orifice between the first and second positions in response to engagement with the shutoff valve.
In one aspect, the shutoff valve includes a stem having a first end and an opposed second end. A biasing means is seated in the housing and acts on the second end of the stem to normally bias the stem to the first position.
In another aspect, the invention is a fluid quick connector and fluid pressurized use device combination. The combination includes a through bore formed in the use device in fluid communication with a fluid flow outlet of the use device. The cartridge having a through bore extending between opposed ends. At least one seal member carried in the bore in the cartridge for sealing an endform insertable into the cartridge to the cartridge.
The present fluid quick connector and fluid connector and pressurized fluid use device combination provides a convenient arrangement for mounting an internal check or shutoff valve directly in a fluid use device and connecting an endform on another fluid carrying member to the fluid use device without the intervention of additional conduits.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds