Patent ID: 6511100
Filing Date: 2003-01-28
Classification: F16L,Y10T

Abstract:
A ball coupling having a longitudinal axis (1) and comprising a male tubular endpiece (2) provided with an outer annular collar (4), a female tubular endpiece (3) on which there is fixed coaxially one end (7) of a tubular sleeve (6) which extends beyond the female endpiece and which has first slots (10) for forming a ball-holding cage to hold locking balls (12) for locking the male endpiece in a coupled state inside the female endpiece, and a thimble (13) mounted coaxially around the sleeve (6) via guide means (15) enabling the thimble to be guided in rotation about the longitudinal axis of the coupling so as to enable it to turn through a turn angle (&agr;) between a first position and a second position, the thimble comprising, for each locking ball, a first recess (16) extending in register with the corresponding first slot for the first position of the thimble so as to form an abutment that holds the corresponding ball in a position in which it projects into the inside of the sleeve (6) so as to define a passage of section (s) that is smaller than the section (sâ€²) of the outer annular collar (4), and a second recess (17) connected to the first recess by a sloping wall (18) and offset relative to the first recess by an angle (&agr;) corresponding to the turn angle so as to receive the locking ball in a position in which it is retracted from its projecting position so as to define a passage of section not less than that of the outer annular collar, wherein the first slots (10) are elongate and extend parallel to the longitudinal axis (1) of the coupling, wherein each first recess (16) extends in register with a portion of the first slot (10) adjacent to the free end (9) of the sleeve, wherein the thimble has an additional annular recess (19) connected via a sloping wall (20) to the first recesses (16) so as to extend in register with the portions of the first slots (10) that extend adjacent to the fixed end (7) of the sleeve (6) so as to receive the locking balls (12) in the retracted position, and wherein a ring (21) is mounted in the additional recess (19) to slide between a disengaged position in which it disengages the additonal recess and an obstruction position in which it obstructs the additional recess, into which position the ring is urged resiliently so as to push the locking balls (12) into the first recesses.