Abstract:
A quick connector ( 10 ) has a pair of waist segments ( 76  and  81 ), a shoulder segment ( 163 ), a body segment ( 72 ) with an aperture ( 156 ) therein, and a leg segment ( 78 ). The leg segment ( 78 ) is defined by a pair of projecting elements (163) which are at least partially compressible toward one another thereby causing the pair of waist segments ( 76  and  81 ) to move toward one another. Thus, a swivellable connection is made which has the equivalent length and diameter of a convention non-swivellable threaded coupling. The quick connector ( 10 ) may be released by hand or a snap ring tool inserted into holes ( 410 ).

Description:
This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/648,103, filed May 14, 1996 now Pat. No. 5,794,984. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to conduit couplings through which fluid flows and specifically to a quick connector which retains a male conduit within a female receptacle. 
     In the automotive industry, as well as for many other industries, the need always exists for low cost, reliable and easy to assemble components. This need is especially apparent with respect to providing a connection between fluid conveying conduits, such as fuel, brake or refrigerant lines. Traditionally, such a connection is comprised of a male conduit being retained within a female receptacle through use of threaded fittings, flare fittings or through bolted on flanges. 
     More recently, a variety of snap together quick connect retainers have been used in place of the conventional methods. These quick connectors typically have a plurality of flexible legs which engage an annular bead attached to a male conduit and also engage an undercut groove formed within a female member. Two such examples are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,497 entitled “Swivelable Quick Connector Assembly” which issued on Jul. 22, 1986, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,203 entitled “Swivelable Quick Connector for High Temperature Connection” which issued on Oct. 18, 1988, both of which were invented by the inventor of the present invention and are incorporated by reference herewithin. Another quick connector is flat with pairs of annular arms extending therearound which are radially flexible. Other quick connectors which were invented by the inventor of the present invention are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,524,995 and 4,423,892, both of which are entitled “Swivelable Quick Connector Assembly” and which issued on Jun. 25, 1985 and Jan. 23, 1984, respectively, and are incorporated by reference herewithin. 
     While the aforementioned quick connectors present significant improvements in the art, each leg member of these devices must typically resist longitudinal pull out forces and must generate radial retention forces. Moreover, the legs are radially compressed during installation. Accordingly, in order to enhance the ability to either withstand forces in the longitudinal direction or generate radially directed forces, the part must often be compromised with regard to the other force perpendicular thereto. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a quick connector which can be easily installed and removed, is inexpensive to manufacture and which has separate segments for withstanding longitudinal pull out forces and generating radial retention forces, but which can be much shorter than conventional connectors by reducing the length inside the female portion of the connector to the length currently realized with threaded connectors. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, a preferred embodiment of a new and useful quick connector is used to couple a male conduit within a bore of a female receptacle. The quick connector has a pair of waist segments, a shoulder segment, a body segment with an aperture therein, and a leg segment. The leg segment is defined by a pair of projecting elements which urge the waist segments radially outward for engagement with the female receptacle. The projecting elements are also partially compressible toward one another thereby causing the pair of waist segments to move toward one another for installation and disassembly. The aperture within the body segment engagably surrounds a portion of the male conduit. 
     The quick connector of the present invention is advantageous over the prior art quick connectors in that the waist segments and shoulder segment are optimized to withstand radially compressive insertion and removal forces while transmitting radial retention forces in association with the female receptacle. Concurrently, the body segment is optimized to withstand longitudinal pull out forces between the attached male conduit and the adjacent waist segments. Furthermore, the present invention quick connector can be easily assembled and disassembled from within the mating female receptacle, thus, providing an inexpensive to assemble system. This is accomplished by at least partially compressing the projecting elements of the leg segment toward one another thereby engaging and disengaging the quick connector from the mating female receptacle. Additionally, the present invention can be inexpensively manufactured. Also, the quick connector is operable with most conventional swivelable male conduits and with many traditional female receptacles, so as to convert the rigidly fixed conduit of conventional threaded connectors to a swivelling type connection. These quick connectors of the present invention have separated the springing radial requirement from the requirement to longitudinally abut a wall in the female receptacle. The quick connector of the present invention maintains the male conduit in alignment within the female receptacle thereby providing proper registry of a seal. The present invention is also beneficial since it allows the male conduit and female receptacle to incorporate longitudinally smaller sealing and retaining areas than those associated with traditional couplings. Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first preferred embodiment of a quick connector of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a radial member of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention quick connector of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a body segment of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention quick connector of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view, taken along line  4 — 4  of FIG. 1, showing another embodiment of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention quick connector in relation to a male conduit and a female receptacle; 
     FIG. 4A is a sectional view, similar to that of FIG. 4, showing another embodiment of the female receptacle and another embodiment of a male conduit within which the first preferred embodiment of the present invention quick connector of FIG. 1 is employed; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view, opposite from that of FIG. 2, showing a radial member of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention quick connector of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a locking member used in combination with the second preferred embodiment of the present invention quick connector of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view, showing the locking member of FIG. 6 assembled to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention quick connector of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional view, similar to that of FIG. 4, showing the first preferred embodiment of the present invention quick connector of FIG. 1 used with a further embodiment of the male conduit; 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view, similar to that of FIG. 5, showing a third preferred embodiment of the radial member of the present invention quick connector of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 10 is a sectional view, similar to that of FIG. 4, showing the first preferred embodiment of the present invention quick connector of FIG. 1 in relation to another embodiment of a male conduit and a female receptacle; and 
     FIG. 11 is a sectional view, similar to that of FIG. 4, showing a dust cover used in combination with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention quick connector of FIG. 1 in relation to yet another embodiment male conduit. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In the automotive industry the need exists for coupling a male tubular member or conduit to a female receptacle. For example, coolant hoses and oil hoses must be connected to a radiator or an engine block. Furthermore, brake hoses often need to be coupled to one another. Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4, a preferred embodiment of a quick connector  10  is used to operably retain a swivelable male conduit  12  to a female receptacle  14 . A first preferred embodiment of male conduit  12  is a rigid metallic member having a connecting portion  20 , a bulged portion  22 , a coined recessed portion  24  and a flanged portion  26  proximate with a distal end  28  thereof. Male conduit  12  further has an annular bead or bushing  30  circumferentially attached therearound. A pair of O-ring seals  32  and an annular washer  34  are longitudinally juxtapositioned between bushing  30  and flanged portion  26  so as to circumferentially surround recessed portion  24 . In coordination therewith, female receptacle  14  has an outboard face  40 , a frusto-conical chamfered lead in section  42 , an annular ridge section  44 , a retaining formation or more specifically an undercut groove  46  within which there is an outboard abutting wall  48  and an inboard abutting wall  50 , an annular recessed section  52 , a frusto-conical median section  54 , a bore  56  defined by a cylindrical inside surface, and a passageway  58 . 
     Quick connector  10  is defined by a radial member  70  and a body segment  72 . As can best be observed in FIGS. 1,  2  and  4 , radial member  70  further has a pair of shoulder segments  74 , a plurality of waist segments  76 ,  77 ,  79  and  81 , and a pair of leg segments  78 . Each shoulder segment  74  has a pair of flanges  80  from which project three angled side walls  82  joined by a median wall  84 , all of which are bordered by a distal edge  86 . Moreover, each leg segment  78  has a pair of projecting elements  100  which project perpendicular from each adjacent waist segment  76 ,  77 ,  79  and  81 . Each projecting element  100  is connected at a distal end  102  thereof by a truss element  104 . Portions  100 ,  102  and  104  provide compressible outwardly springing action. Waist segments  76 ,  77 ,  79  and  81  define an opening  110  which has two partially cylindrical interior edges  112  and four corner areas  114 . Each shoulder segment  74 , the adjacent pair of waist segments  76  and  77 , and the adjacent pair of projecting elements  100  are separated from the symmetrically opposing shoulder segment  74 , waist segments  79  and  81 , and projecting elements  100 , by a pair of gaps  116 . Accordingly, projecting elements  100  can be radially compressed toward one another such that shoulder segments  74  are radially translatable toward each other. Leg segments  78  are also configured to urge shoulder segments  74  outward away from one another. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1,  3  and  4 , body segment  72  has a pair of substantially flat faces  150  and  152  bordered by an annular peripheral edge  154  and an internal aperture  156  defined by an inner edge. Four bendable tabs  158  also project from the inner edge surrounding aperture  156 . When body segment  72  is assembled to radial member  70 , face  150  is mounted adjacent to waist segments  76 ,  77 ,  79  and  81  opposite from leg segments  78 . Tabs  158  of body segment  72  are then aligned with corner areas  114  of radial member  70  and folded over upon a portion of each waist segment  76 ,  77 ,  79  and  81  proximate with leg segments  78 . Nevertheless, a space  160  is present between an edge  162  of each tab  158  and the abutting wall of corner area  114 . This allows waist segments  76  and  77 ,  79  and  81 , and shoulder segments  74  to be radially translatable toward one another between tabs  158  and face  150  of body segment  72 . Both radial portion  70  and body segment  72  are preferably stamped from a sheet of metallic material such as stainless steel. 
     Aperture  156  of body segment  72  circumferentially surrounds male conduit  12  and is longitudinally trapped between bulged portion  22  and bushing  30 . This is best shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. Furthermore, peripheral edge  154  of body segment  72  has a smaller diametral dimension than does annular ridge section  44  and annular recessed section  52  of female receptacle  14 . Accordingly, body segment  72  serves as a longitudinal and radial retention means between male conduit  12  and radial member  70 . During insertion of radial member  70  within female receptacle  14 , chamfered section  42  serves to radially compress shoulder segments  74  toward one another. Subsequently, leg segments  78  urge shoulder segments  74  radially outward to engage undercut groove  46 . Each shoulder segment  74  has an interface portion  163  which operably engages abutting walls  48  and  50  of female receptacle  14 . Thus, radial member  70  is designed to provide radially expansive retention forces to retain body segment  72  to female receptacle  14 . 
     An alternate embodiment of a female receptacle  300  is shown in FIG.  4 A. This female receptacle  300  has a slightly constricted diameter bore  302  and a nominal diameter bore  304 . In registry therewith, a flanged portion  306  of a male conduit  308  has a diameter corresponding to constricted diameter bore  302 . This provides for improved retention of a pair of O-ring seals  310  prior to installation of male conduit  308  into female receptacle  300 . 
     The male conduit assemblies of FIGS. 8 and 11 can alternatively be used in combination with the present invention quick connector  10 . In FIG. 8 a male conduit  164  has a flared distal end  166  against which is located a pair of washers  168  and  170 , and a pair of annular elastomeric seals  172  and  174 . Furthermore, a first bushing  176  serves to prevent longitudinal movement of seal  174  and quick connector  10 . Longitudinal movement of quick connector  10  may also be prevented by a second bushing  178 . Thus, bushings  176  and  178  are secured around male conduit  164  in order to longitudinally trap quick connector  10  therebetween. 
     Referring to FIG. 11, a polymeric or rubber male conduit  180  is illustrated as having a flanged ferrule  182  inserted into a distal end  184  thereof. A pair of elastomeric seals  186  and  188  and a washer  190  are juxtapositioned proximate with distal end  184 . Ferrule  182  serves to expand the diameter of male conduit  180  after installation of quick connector  10  thereon so as to cause the inner edge surrounding aperture  156  of the quick connector&#39;s body segment  72  to be compressibly attached therewith. A bushing  192  is also compressibly attached around male conduit  180  by employing ferrule  182  to expand conduit  180 . 
     Another preferred embodiment of leg segments  78  of radial member  70  is shown in FIGS. 5 through 7. Each projecting element  100  has a first outwardly offset formation  200 , an adjacent inwardly offset formation  202  and a second outwardly offset formation  204  proximate with a truss element  206 . This provides a receiving area for a finger  210  of an annular locking member  212 . Locking member  212  is first juxtapositioned in position  220  to allow compression of projecting elements  100  during installation. Locking member is then moved to position  222  after installation of quick connector  10  so as to prevent compression of projecting elements  100 . This prevents inadvertent disassembly of quick connector  10  and male conduit  12  (see FIG. 4) from female receptacle  14  (see FIG.  1 ). 
     The third preferred embodiment of a radial member  400  employed in the quick connector  10  (see FIG. 1) of the present invention is illustrated in FIG.  9 . Radial member has a single shoulder segment  402 , a first waist segment  404 , a second waist segment  405 , a third waist segment  406  and a pair of leg segments  408 . Leg segments  408  serve to radially urge shoulder segment  402  and the opposite waist segment  406  into interlocking engagement with female receptacle  14  (see FIG.  4 ). A peripheral section  414  of waist segment  406  and a peripheral section  416  of shoulder segment  402  serve as interface portions. A plurality of holes  410  are shown in waist segments  404 ,  405  and  406  so as to aid in use of an installation or disassembly tool (not shown). 
     A further embodiment of a female receptacle  450  and a male conduit  452  can be seen in FIG.  10 . Female receptacle  450  has a receiving bore  454  and a frusto-conical lead-in portion  456  with a distal edge  458  therearound. A collar  460  snugly surrounds lead-in portion  456 . Collar  460  has a turned section  462  and a return arm  464  with an abutting edge  466 . A localized foot  468  projects radially inward from collar  460  so as to prevent undesirable longitudinal translation of collar  460  along female receptacle  450 . The mating male conduit  452  has a nominal section  480  and a flanged portion  482  proximate with a distal end  484  thereof. A pair of bushings  486  and  488  are securely fastened around nominal section  480  of male conduit  452 . An O-ring seal  490  is longitudinally trapped between flanged portion  482  and bushing  486 . Also, the first preferred embodiment of quick connector  10  of the present invention is longitudinally trapped between bushings  486  and  488  such that an interface portion  496  is operably engaged between abutting edge  466  and distal edge  458  which act as a retaining formation or means. 
     Referring again to FIG. 11, a dust cover  250  is shown which prevents contaminating particles from entering bore  56  (see FIG. 4) of female receptacle  14  (see FIG. 4) when quick connector  10  and male conduit  180  are inserted therein. Cover  250  is comprised of an annular hub  252  which engagably surrounds male conduit  180 . Hub  252  also can be longitudinally slid therealong. A somewhat parabolic-shaped cup  254  projects outward from annular hub  252 . Furthermore, a circumferential outer wall  256  projects from an outermost portion of cup  254 . Outer wall  256  is open toward distal end  184  of male conduit  180  and has an inwardly turned lip  258  therein. This inwardly turned lip  258  is interlockably engagable with female receptacle  14  (see FIG. 4) so as to prevent contamination from entering therein. Cover  250  is preferably made from an elastomeric material such as thermoplastic rubber. 
     While the preferred embodiment of a quick connector has been disclosed, it will be appreciated that various modifications may be made without departing from the present invention. For example, the body segment and the radial member may be integrated as one part. Furthermore, the peripheral edge of the body segment may have a square shape thereto with tabs being inwardly bent therefrom. Alternatively, the shoulder segments and waist segments may slidably overlap each other rather than having a gap therebetween. Also, the sealing means between the male conduit and the female receptacle may be comprised of a single elastomeric O-ring, a pumpable sealant or various other fluid sealing devices as is known within the art. Moreover, a variety of alternative dust cover shapes may be used in combination with a quick connector, male conduit and female receptacle. While specific materials have been disclosed in an exemplary fashion, various other materials may of course be employed. It is intended by the following to cover these and any other departures from the disclosed embodiments which fall within the true spirit of this invention.