WO2000004316A1

WO2000004316A1 - Quick-acting coupling for fluid transporting pipes

Info

Publication number: WO2000004316A1
Application number: PCT/IB1999/001284
Authority: WO
Inventors: Noel Ian Currin
Original assignee: Noel Ian Currin
Priority date: 1998-07-17
Filing date: 1999-07-14
Publication date: 2000-01-27
Also published as: AU4640399A

Abstract

The invention provides a fluid coupler (10) comprising a nozzle (12) and a receiver (14) adapted to couple releasably with one another to conduct fluid along a fluid path from an upstream (16) to a downstream (18) location. The nozzle (12) comprises a nozzle body (20), an inlet (24) and an outlet (32) disposed along the fluid path. A plurality of annular engagement sliders (26 and 28) are located with the nozzle body (20) and are movable relative thereto. The receiver (14) comprises a receiver body (66), an inlet (76) and an outlet (74) disposed along the fluid path. At least one coupling formation (94) is provided to engage with one of the engagement sliders (26 or 28) in the nozzle (12) on insertion of the receiver (14) within the nozzle (12), to open at least one of the inlets (24 or 76) or outlets (32 or 74) disposed along the fluid path of the coupler (10).

Description

QUICK-ACTING COUPLING FOR FLUID TRANSPORTING PIPES

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a fluid coupler and, more particularly, to a nozzle therefore.

About thirty years ago, a US company "Wiggins" developed a range of fluid couplers for use on large vehicles. The couplers were similar to hydraulic couplers and their purpose was to ensure that lubricants were drained, refilled or topped up in a clean manner and that inadvertent mixing was avoided. These objectives were sought to be achieved by fitting a fluid receiver to each fluid system on the vehicle, typically the crank case, hydraulic, transmission and coolant systems. The coupling receivers for each circuit were provided respectively in different shapes and sizes for each particular application so that their mating halves could only be connected to them and not others. In this way, the risk of contamination or mixing of the different fluids was minimised.

A receiver's mating half is conventionally termed a "nozzle", and these would typically be fitted to a supply system comprising a hose reel, which in turn would be fed from a pump and storage tank to deliver the required fluid to the vehicle being serviced.

When connected together, the two halves of such conventional couplers would mate closely together and be sealed by means of O-rings. In a coupled condition therefore, dirt would be substantially unable to enter the system and fluid spillage was to a large extent eliminated. A major problem experienced by a user of a "Wiggins" type nozzle is that it is "open-fronted", in other words there is a hollow recess in its front, mating end. This allows dirt to pack into this area when the mating halves are disconnected. Furthermore, when two halves are coupled together, the dirt trapped in the recess is pumped into the vehicle's fluid compartment. These are clearly serious disadvantages.

Furthermore, if the engagement formation on the fluid receiver (typically a tubular extension, or inlet spigot, which is adapted to be inserted in some manner within the nozzle) does not have a uniform outer diameter, it is impossible to use a coupling nozzle which comprises only one engagement slide. This is another drawback of the conventional type of nozzle.

It is with a view to addressing all of these problems that the present invention has been devised.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention there is provided a fluid coupler comprising :- a nozzle and a receiver adapted to couple releasably with one another to conduct fluid along a fluid path from an upstream to a downstream location; the nozzle comprising a nozzle body, an inlet and an outlet disposed along the fluid path, and a plurality of annular engagement sliders located within the nozzle body and being movable relative thereto; the receiver comprising a receiver body, an inlet and an outlet disposed along the fluid path, and at least one coupling formation engageable with one of the engagement sliders in the nozzle on insertion of the receiver within the nozzle, to open at least one of the inlets or outlets disposed along the fluid path of the coupler.

Preferably, two engagement sliders are provided, one housed axially slidably within the other, within the body of the nozzle. More preferably, the two sliders define a flush or flat face for the nozzle.

The nozzle may comprise a movable valving pin operable in use to open the outlet of the nozzle. The pin preferably comprises a stem and a head sized to close the outlet of the nozzle on location therein.

The invention also provides a nozzle for a fluid coupler of the type summarised above.

RRTEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in more detail by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :

Figure 1 shows a pictorial view of a nozzle for a coupler according to the invention;

Figure 2 shows a sectional view of the nozzle depicted in Figure 1 , and a receiver for the fluid coupler according to the invention in an uncoupled configuration; and

Figure 3 shows a sectional view of the nozzle and receiver of Figure 2 in a coupled configuration. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

A fluid coupler 10 according to the invention comprises a nozzle 12 and a receiver 14. The nozzle 12 and receiver 14 are adapted to couple releasably together, as shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings to conduct fluid from an upstream location, shown generally by the numeral 16, to a downstream location, shown generally by the numeral 18 along a fluid path which extends through the interior of the coupled nozzle 12 and receiver 14.

The nozzle 12 has a generally tubular body 20 and a nozzle base 22 which defines an inlet 24 which can be attached to a fluid supply line (not shown) in a conventional manner. Located within the housing 20 is a first inner engagement slide 26 slidably located within an outer engagement slide 28, which is itself slidably movable within the housing. The engagement slides 26 and 28 are annular in shape and have a substantially tubular configuration. An outer face 30 of the inner slide 26 has formed in it a central port 32 which defines an outlet for the nozzle 12. A valving pin 34 is located along the longitudinal axis of the nozzle 12 and comprises a stem 36 and a head 38 which serves to close the outlet 32 of the nozzle in the uncoupled configuration of the coupler. The outer faces 40, 30 and 42, respectively, of the valving pin 34, inner slide 30 and outer slide 42 define a flat "flush face" for the nozzle 12 of the invention, as shown more clearly in Figures 1 and 2.

The valving pin 34 has stop rings 44 and 46 located along its length and the function of these formations will be described in more detail below. The inner end of the valving pin 34, adjacent to stop ring 46, is supported in a collar 48 around which a series of radial fins 50 extend to meet an inner surface of the nozzle base 22. Typically the fins 50 will be formed integrally with the nozzle base 22. O-rings are typically provided for sealing purposes in annular shaped grooves, depicted by numerals 51 (in the nozzle base 22), 52 (in the inner slide 26), 54 (in an inner surface of the outer slide 28), and 56 (in an outer surface of the outer slide 28).

Disposed around the outer periphery of the body 20 of the nozzle 12 is a coupling release slide 58 which controls coupling balls 60 and is held forward by a spring 62 and kept in position by a circlip 64. The coupling release slide 58 is urged in use toward the flush face side of the nozzle 12. Similarly, the inner engagement slide 26 is urged towards the flush face of the nozzle 12 by a spring 64, the cores of which can be seen in cross sectional detail in Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

Reference is now made to the receiver 14. This comprises a receiver body 66 which defines an outer engagement groove 68 adjacent an engagement formation in the form of a circular lip 70. The lip 70 has a forward face 72 which has a function which will be described in more detail below. The body 66 of the receiver 14 has an outlet 74 and an inlet 76 defined by an aperture in the forward face of the receiver body 66. The inlet 76 is closed in an uncoupled configuration of the receiver 14 by the head 78 of a receiver valve 80 which has a stem 82 and, at an inner end, a stop ring 84. Typically, the stop rings 44, 46 (of the nozzle valve) and 84 (of the receiver valve) will be in the form of hexagonal nuts screwed down on thread formations provided on the central stems 36 and 82, respectively, of the nozzle and receiver valves.

The receiver valve 80 is axiably movable along the longitudinal axis of the receiver and is located within guide fins 86 and 88 (similar to those at 50), between which a compression coil spring 90 is provided. The guide fins 88 are held in place by means of a circlip 92. The body 66 of the receiver defines at least one coupling formation in the form of an inlet spigot, shown generally by the numeral 94. As can be seen, the spigot 94 has two unequal diameters as shown by the arrows numbered A and B. As explained in more detail below, the "dual slide" arrangement of the nozzle 12 caters for this configuration of the inlet spigot of the receiver 14. The body 66 of the receiver also defines a collar which assists in mounting the receiver to the wall of a fluid compartment of a vehicle, for example.

The manner in which the respective components of the nozzle 12 and receiver 14 operate to couple these parts together will now be described.

When the receiver 14 is required to be coupled to the nozzle 12, the coupling release side 58 is drawn back against its spring 62, the coupling balls 60 are released to allow them to move outwardly sufficient to provide (in due course) a clearance for the engagement lip 70 on the receiver 14. A slight chamfer 98 is provided on the lip 70 to assist in displacing the coupling ball 60 outwardly as the receiver 14 is inserted into the nozzle 12.

As the inlet spigot 94 is inserted within the nozzle 12, it bears upon the outer face 30 of the inner engagement slide 26 which is urged backwards against the spring 64. At the same time, the outer face of the head 78 of the receiver valve pushes on the outer face 40 of the nozzle valve 34. The nozzle valve 34 is accordingly pushed back until its stop ring 44 ultimately abuts the guide fins 50 described previously in the position shown substantially in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings. This movement opens the outlet 32 of the nozzle.

During the insertion process, the forward face 72 of the engagement lip 70 on the receiver 14 is brought into contact with the outer face 42 of the outer engagement slide 28. Further entry has the nozzle body 20 (moving within the coupling release slide 58), the inner slide 26 and the outer slide 28 moving together (to the left in Figures 2 and 3) until the receiver coupling groove 68 aligns with the coupling ball 60, which then moves radially inward under the action of the coupling release slide 58 (which is released by the user once insertion is complete) so that the coupling ball 60 is urged towards its inner limit of travel where it locks the receiver body 66 in place within the nozzle 12.

While the described components of the nozzle 12 move in this way, the receiver valve 80 at the same time is pushed (to the right in the Figure 3) against the compression spring 90. This movement is obtained by the resistance imparted to the nozzle valve 34 by the receiver valve 80 as it is compressed towards its stopped position (described above) and thereafter by the receiver valve itself once brought to rest in this position. The inlet of the receiver is thus opened in this way as it is cleared of the head of the receiver valve 80.

Once coupling is complete, fluid flows through the annular passage defined in the body of the nozzle through inlet 16 and out outlet 32 through the guide fins 50, and thereafter into the receiver via receiver inlet 76, through the guide fins 86 and 88 and out through the outlet 74 of the receiver 14 to the downstream location at 18. The fluid path is illustrated by the flow arrows shown in Figure 3.

The flush face of the nozzle thus provides a clean, dirt free surface against which the receiver 14 can be brought to be inserted into the nozzle and the dual nature of the engagement slides 26 and 28 within the nozzle 12 serves to accommodate the different diameters A and B on the inlet spigot of the receiver 14. In this way, the nozzle of the illustrated coupler can be "retrofitted", as it were, to any split diameter receiver already existing on a machine in the field.

Claims

1. A fluid coupler comprising :- a nozzle and a receiver adapted to couple releasably with one another to conduct fluid along a fluid path from an upstream to a downstream location; the nozzle comprising a nozzle body, an inlet and an outlet disposed along the fluid path, and a plurality of annular engagement sliders located within the nozzle body and being movable relative thereto; the receiver comprising a receiver body, an inlet and an outlet disposed along the fluid path, and at least one coupling formation engageable with one of the engagement sliders in the nozzle on insertion of the receiver within the nozzle, to open at least one of the inlets or outlets disposed along the fluid path of the coupler.

2. A coupler according to claim 1, wherein two engagement sliders are provided, one housed axially slidably within the other, within the body of the nozzle.

3. A coupler according to claim 3, wherein the two engagement sliders define a flush or flat face for the nozzle.

4. A coupler according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the nozzle comprises a movable valving pin operable in use to open the outlet of the nozzle.

5. A coupler according to claim 4, wherein the pin comprises a stem and a head sized to close the outlet of the nozzle on location therein. A nozzle for a fluid coupler according to any one of the preceding claims.