Patent ID: 6254303
Filing Date: 2001-07-03
Classification: B23B,Y10T

Abstract:
A quick-release connector comprising:a. a female member, with a receiving end, having an outer collar with an internal recess defined therein, and an inner sleeve fitted into said internal recess,said inner sleeve is movable axially relative to the outer collar and has an internal bore therethrough that is coaxial with the internal recess,said internal recess of the collar has a radially symmetrical keypath of a precalculated axial height disposed proximate to the receiving end with a maximum radial dimension and a minimum radial dimension, and a radial bore portion having a uniform radial bore dimension disposed adjacent to the keypath distally from the receiving end,said inner sleeve has an outer contour comprising a radially symmetrical first key of an axial depth that is less than the axial height of the keypath, having a radially defined shape corresponding to the keypath with corresponding radial dimensions that are less by a predetermined amount than the maximum radial dimension and the minimum radial dimension of the keypath to allow the first key to fit into the keypath, and being disposed proximate to the receiving end thereof, and further comprising a cylindrical sleeve portion disposed adjacent to the first key with a uniform radius that is less by a predetermined amount than the uniform radial bore dimension to allow the cylindrical sleeve portion to fit in the radial bore portion,said internal bore of the inner sleeve has a radially symmetrical keyway, with a major radial dimension and a minor radial dimension, commencing at the receiving end of the inner sleeve and extending axially away from the receiving end for a predetermined distance, a radial step adjacent to the keyway with a radial step dimension at least as great as the major radial dimension of the keyway, and a cylindrical bore portion is disposed adjacent to the radial step and distally from the receiving end with a radial dimension at least as great as the minor radial dimension of the keyway,said first key has a predominant radial dimension that lies in a first plane which passes through the axis of the inner sleeve and the major radial dimension of the keyway; andb. a male member with a leading end, that is reversibly and coaxially engageable to the female member, having a shaft extending from the leading end, a pair of nubs, and a second radially symmetrical key disposed at a spaced axial distance from the pair of nubs with a radially defined shape corresponding to the first key,said second key has a predominant radial dimension, which corresponds to the maximum radial dimension of the keypath, that lies in a second plane which passes through the axis of the shaft,said spaced axial distance being at least as great as the predetermined distance of the keyway,each nub protrudes radially from the side of the shaft in an opposite direction with a maximum radial nub dimension that is less than the major radial dimension by a predetermined amount to allow the pair of nubs to fit through the keyway and with the maximum radial nub dimension being greater than the minor radial dimension by a predetermined amount to allow the pair of nubs that have passed through the keyway axially and into a space bounded by the radial step to be rotated relative to the inner sleeve to misalign the keyway and the pair of nubs,the opposite direction of each of the nubs lie in a third plane which passes through the axis of the shaft, and a line normal to the second plane is transverse to a line normal to the third plane,whereby, the misalignment of the pair of nubs with the keyway inhibits axial movement between the male member and the inner sleeve of the female member, andwhereby, the rotation of the pair of nubs of the male member within the space bounded by the radial step transverse to the keyway may further align the second key with the keypath of the outer collar and the keypath may be moved into engagement with the second key to inhibit further rotational movement between the male member and the female member.