WO2003095884A1

WO2003095884A1 - Quick connect with poppet valve

Info

Publication number: WO2003095884A1
Application number: PCT/US2003/014192
Authority: WO
Inventors: Matthew David Lutzke
Original assignee: Cooper Technology Services, Llc.
Priority date: 2002-05-07
Filing date: 2003-05-07
Publication date: 2003-11-20
Also published as: AU2003267130A1

Abstract

A quick connect assembly is provided including a body defining (12) defining a passageway (18) having a first inner wall (28) with a first diameter and a second inner wall (30) with a second diameter greater than the first diameter. A tapered wall extends between the first and second walls. A quick connect assembly is arranged within the passageway and may include a retainer (24), pilot (20), and seal (22) that retain the tubing inserted into the quick connect assembly in sealing engagement. A plug (34) is arranged within the passageway with the portion of the plug (34) disposed within the second wall (30). A seal (42) of the plug engages the tapered wall with the portion of the plug in a closed position. A biasing assembly such as a spring (36) coacts with the plug to urge the plug to the closed position. The plug (34) may include a tapered end having an apex extending into the second wall in the closed position. The tube engages the apex of the plug during assembly and compresses the spring to fluidly connect the tubing with the second wall of the passageway, which is connected to a fluid passage of an engine or transmission.

Description

QUICK CONNECT WITH POPPET VALVE

This application claims priority to United States Provisional Application Serial No. 60/378,325 filed May 7, 2002.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a quick connect plug suitable for a vehicle engine or transmission, and more particularly, the invention relates to a quick connect plug design providing improved sealing and manufacturability. Quick comiect plugs are used in engines and transmissions for quickly receiving a conduit during assembly of the fluid system. For example, a conduit typically includes a bead which is received and retained by the quick connect assembly using a retainer, as is well known in the art. It may be desirable to fill the engine or transmission with fluid prior to inserting the conduit into the quick connect assembly. As a result it is necessary to retain the fluid within the engine or transmission prior to connection of the conduit. Many quick connects with valve plugs h ave b een p roposed i n t he p rior a rt t o r etain t he fluid w ithin t he engine o r transmission prior to inserting the conduit. However, the quick connect arrangements with plugs are rather complex and may be rather expensive or difficult to manufacture.

One prior art quick comiect incorporates a plug having a rather long cylindrical wall that is in engagement with a portion of the quick connect housing. The large surface area created between the plug and the housing makes it more difficult to move the plug between the open and closed positions and also may inhibit desired sealing between the plug and the housing. Moreover, prior art quick connect arrangements incorporate a large conical retainer for retaining the tubing within the quick connect housing. The large conical retainer of the prior art further adds to the length of the quick connect housing, which is undesirable.

Therefore, what is needed is an improved quick connect assembly with valve that is easy to manufacture, compact, and inexpensive. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES

The present invention provides a quick. connect assembly including a body defining a passageway having a first wall with a first diameter and a second wall with a second diameter smaller than the first diameter. A tapered wall extends between the first and second walls. The first and second walls are generally cylindrical in shape. A quick connect assembly is arranged within the passageway and m ay i nclude a r etainer, p ilot, a nd s eal t hat r etain t he t ubing i nserted i nto t he quick connect assembly in sealing engagement. A plug is arranged within the passageway with the portion of the plug disposed within the second wall. A seal of the plug engages the tapered wall with the portion of the plug in a closed position. A biasing assembly such as a spring coacts with the plug to urge the plug to the closed position. The biasing assembly is arranged within the second wall of the passageway. A rubber seal may be carried by the plug. The plug may include a tapered end having an apex extending into the second wall in the closed position. The tube engages the apex of the plug during assembly and compresses the spring to fluidly connect the tubing with the second wall of the passageway, which is connected to a fluid passage of an engine or transmission.

Accordingly, the above invention provides an improved quick connect valve assembly that is easy to manufacture, compact, and inexpensive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other advantages of the present invention can be understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the present invention quick connect valve assembly;

Figure 2 is a side-elevational view of the quick connect valve assembly in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a end view of the quick connect valve assembly shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the quick connect valve assembly shown in Figure 2 taken along line A- A; Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the quick connect valve assembly shown in Figure 3 taken a long line B-B; and

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the quick connect valve assembly shown in Figure 5 with the plug in an open position and the tubing retained within the quick connect valve assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention quick connect valve assembly 10 is shown in Figures. The quick connect valve assembly 10 includes a body 12 having a threaded portion 14 adapted to be received in a threaded aperture in an engine or transmission 11. The body 12 also includes a face 16 adapted to receive a quick connect conduit. A passageway 18 extends from the face 16 to the opposite end to fluidly connect the conduit to the cavity within the engine or transmission 11, best shown in Figure 4. A pilot 20 is arranged within a portion of the passageway 18 with a seal 22 arranged between the pilot 20 and a shoulder 23. A retainer 24 is arranged between the pilot 20 and an end 25 of the face 16 that is deformed inward during manufacture to retain the quick connect assembly which includes the pilot 20, seal 22 and retainer 24 within the assembly 10.

As shown in Figure 5, a tube end form 26 having a bead 27 is inserted into the assembly 10. The C-shaped retainer 24 expands to receive the bead 27. The pilot 20 guides the end form 26 into the passageway 18 and the seal 22 seals about the outer surface of the end form. The bead 27 is retained between the retainer 24 and the pilot 20 to secure the end form 26 to the assembly 1 0, as b est s hown i n Figure 6. The quick connect assembly enable a more compact quick connect to be used.

A plug 34 is used to retain the fluid within the engine or transmission 1 1 until the conduit is inserted into the assembly 10. The passageway 18 may include a first cylinder inner wall 28 having a diameter and a second cylindrical inner wall 30 having a diameter that is greater than the first inner wall 28 diameter. A tapered wall 34 preferably transitions from the second inner wall 30 to the first inner wall 28. A portion of the plug 34 is located within the first 28 and second 30 inner walls when the plug 34 is in the closed position, shown in Figures 4 and 5. The plug 34 includes a skirt 44 having a first portion 46 and a second portion 48 that is smaller in diameter than the first portion 46. A spring 36 is arranged within the second inner wall 30 and is received and located by the first and second portions 46 and 48. An end 40 of the threaded portion 14 is deformed inward during manufacture about a washer 38 to retain the spring 36 within the passageway 18. The spring 36 urges the plug 34 to the closed position.

The plug 34 includes an annular groove that receives a seal 42 that engages the tapered wall 32 when the plug 34 is in the closed position. This arrangement creates a circular contact between the plug 34 and body 12 that reduces the friction and improves sealing therebetween. Moreover, the plug 34 moves more easily between the closed and open positions. The seal 42 may be an O-ring or integrated into the plug 34 as an annular protrusion. The plug 34 includes a tapered end 50 that terminates in an apex 52. Contact between the tubing end and apex 52 is limited to two points, which improves the opening, closing and scaling of the plug. The tapered end 50 and skirt 44 are slidingly received by the first inner wall 28 and second w all 30. W hen the c onduit i s i nserted i nto t he p assageway 1 8 ( shown i n Figure 6), the end of the conduit engages the apex 52 and overcomes the spring 36 to move the plug seal 42 out of engagement with the tapered wall 32 to permit fluid flow from the engine or transmission to the tube. The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology that has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

Claims

1. A quick connect valve assembly comprising: a body defining a passageway including a first wall having a first diameter and a second wall having a second diameter smaller than said first diameter, and a tapered wall extending between said first and second walls; a quick connect assembly disposed within said passageway; a p lug d isposed w ithin t he p assageway w ith a p ortion o f s aid p lug disposed within said second wall and a seal of said plug engaging said tapered wall with said portion of said plug in a closed position; and a biasing assembly coacting with said plug and urging said plug to said closed position with said biasing assembly arranged within said second wall of said passageway.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said seal is a rubber seal supported by said plug and moveable with said plug between said closed position and an open position.

3. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said plug includes a tapered end disposed within said second wall and said closed position for coacting with a tube from said closed position to an open position.

4. The assembly according to claim 3, wherein said tapered end includes an apex for coacting with said tube from said closed position to said open position.

5. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said biasing assembly is a spring.

6. The assembly according to claim 5, wherein said plug includes a skirt receiving said spring.

7. The assembly according to claim 5, wherein said body is threaded radially exteriorly of said first wall.

8. The assembly according to claim 5, wherein said body includes an end extending radially inwardly retaining said spring within said second wall.

9. The assembly according to claim 8, wherein a washer is arranged axially between said spring and said end with said spring supported on said washer.

10. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said first wall extends radially outwardly to define an annular shoulder, and said body includes a face extending radially inwardly to form an opening for receiving a tube.

11. The assembly according to claim 10, wherein a retainer is arranged adjacent to said face and a pilot is arranged between said retainer and said shoulder.

12. The assembly according to claim 11, wherein a second seal is arranged between said pilot and said shoulder.

13. The assembly according to claim 11, wherein said retainer is a flexible C-shaped member.

14. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein said tube includes a bead arranged between said retainer and said pilot in with said plug in an open position.

15. The assembly according to claim 14, wherein an end of said tube engages an apex of a tapered end of said plug.