Patent ID: 6341803
Filing Date: 2002-01-29
Classification: F16L

Abstract:
A coupling device for connecting a plurality of first fluid conduits to a corresponding plurality of second fluid conduits and for disconnecting them from each other including:plurality of male couplers, each of said plurality of male couplers communicating with one of the plurality of first fluid conduits; a plurality of female couplers equal in number to the number of said plurality of male couplers, each of said plurality of female couplers communicating with one of the plurality of second fluid conduits; each of said plurality of female couplers having a locking sleeve slidably mounted thereon for relative axial movement between said locking sleeve and said female coupler on which said locking sleeve is slidably mounted when each of said plurality of female couplers is to be disconnected from said connected male coupler; first support means for supporting said plurality of male couplers in substantially parallel axial relation to each other; second support means for supporting said plurality of female couplers in substantially parallel axial relation to each other; said second support means supporting each of said plurality of female couplers for enabling only relative axial movement between said second support means and each of said plurality of female couplers in either axial direction and for enabling relative axial movement between said second support means and each of said plurality of locking sleeves only in the same axial direction as said female coupler on which said locking sleeve is slidably mounted; causing means for causing simultaneous relative movement between said second support means and each of said plurality of female couplers so that each of said plurality of female couplers moves only in one axial direction when one of said first support means and said second support means is moved relative to the other to cause engagement between each of said plurality of female couplers and said male coupler axially aligned therewith to connect them together and for causing simultaneous relative movement between said second support means and each of said plurality of female couplers only in the opposite axial direction when said movable one of said first support means and said second support means is moved relative to the other to cause relative axial movement between each of said plurality of female couplers and said locking sleeve slidably mounted thereon to disconnect each of said plurality of female couplers and said connected male coupler; and each of said locking sleeves being movable only in the one axial direction when each of said plurality of female couplers is to be connected to said male coupler axially aligned therewith and only in the opposite axial direction when each of said plurality of female couplers is to be disconnected from said male coupler axially aligned therewith.