Abstract:
This invention relates to a female element of a rapid connection for removably joining two pipes through which a fluid passes, said element comprising a body defining a housing for receiving a part of a male endpiece and means for locking said endpiece in fitted configuration in said female element. The locking means are controlled by a press-button which bears controlled means, such as a cylinder controlling a bolt, for selectively blocking the locking means in configuration of hold of said part of the endpiece in the housing and/or in a configuration opposing the introduction of a part of an endpiece in said housing.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a female element of a quick connection and to a quick connection incorporating such an element.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    In the domain of the removable join of pipes through which a fluid passes, it is known to use a female connecting element which comprises controlled means for locking a male endpiece in a configuration fitted in the female element, i.e. with the pipes in connected configuration. The locking means may, in certain cases, be controlled by a sleeve mobile in a direction parallel to the axis of the female element. The locking elements may also be controlled by a press-button mobile in a direction substantially perpendicular to that axis, the user depressing the button when it is necessary to clear the passage for the male connection when it is to be extracted from the female element.  
           [0003]    The present invention is applicable to this second particular type of female connecting elements, starting from the observation that it is sometimes necessary to prevent connection or disconnection of the male and female elements of a connection. This is particularly the case when safety imperatives, associated with the nature of the fluid transiting through the connection, impose a limitation of the risks of false manoeuvre. It is sometimes necessary to provide that only authorized staff can proceed with the connection or disconnection of the male and female elements of a connection, for example in the medical domain or when dangerous fluids are to be manipulated. In certain applications, the connectors may also have to be secured against the risks of theft of the fluid that they allow to circulate.  
           [0004]    Up to the present time, it is not possible to secure such a connection efficiently.  
           [0005]    It is a more particular object of the present invention to overcome these drawbacks.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    To that end, the present invention relates to a female connecting element of the afore-mentioned type, i.e. comprising a press-button for controlling means for locking a male endpiece, which is characterized in that the button bears controlled means for selectively blocking the locking means in a configuration where a part of an endpiece is retained and/or in a configuration opposing the introduction of a part of an endpiece.  
           [0007]    Thanks to the invention, it is possible to immobilize the button, with respect to the normal location of the endpiece in the female element, in a position where it blocks, thanks to the locking means, passage for the male endpiece, which avoids untimely connections and disconnections, while the overall dimensions of the connection are not increased to a substantial degree. The additional safety obtained by the blockage of the button is operational both when the connection is closed, in which case this blockage prevents the connection from opening, and when the connection is open, in which case such blockage prevents closure of the connection.  
           [0008]    According to advantageous aspects, a female connecting element according to the invention incorporates one or more of the following characteristics:  
           [0009]    The button defines a volume for receiving a part of an endpiece, this button being provided with at least one inner element in relief adapted to cooperate with at least one outer element in relief of the endpiece in order to lock it in fitted configuration, while the button is adapted to control a movement of relative moving apart of these relief elements and the blocking means may immobilize the endpiece in the housing, with the result that it is impossible to move apart these inner and outer relief elements. Thanks to this aspect of the invention, a displacement of the button does not make it possible to release the male endpiece. In a variant, the blocking means may be provided to be able to immobilize the button in a position where it is impossible to move apart the afore-mentioned relief elements. In that case, the button, blocked in its afore-mentioned position, prevents the outer relief element of the endpiece from moving apart from the inner relief element of the button, with the result that the endpiece is immobilized with respect to the button. Whatever the variant, means for elastically loading the button towards a position of engagement of its inner relief element with the outer relief element of an endpiece, may be provided.  
           [0010]    The button is equipped with a bolt controlled by a lock.  
           [0011]    In a first embodiment of the invention, this bolt is mobile in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of displacement of the button with respect to the body, this bolt being adapted to exert on a male endpiece an effort of hold of the endpiece in position of engagement of an outer relief element of the endpiece with an inner relief element of the female element. In that case, the button advantageously defines a housing in which an endpiece may be introduced, with the possibility of transverse movements with respect to a longitudinal axis of the female element, this bolt being adapted to prevent the transverse movements of an endpiece in this housing.  
           [0012]    In another advantageous embodiment, the bolt is mobile in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of displacement of the button with respect to the body, between a first position where it does not interfere with the body, and a second position where it projects radially with respect to the button and may come into abutment against the body, limiting a displacement of the button in a radial direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the female element.  
           [0013]    Whatever the embodiment of the invention, the lock may be a cylinder lock completely integrated in the button and provided with means for obturating by default the hole in which a key is introduced in the lock. In this way, the overall dimensions of the button are not substantially modified with respect to the button of the connections of the prior art, with the result that the overall dimensions of the connection remain virtually unchanged.  
           [0014]    The invention also relates to a quick connection for removably joining two pipes, which comprises a male endpiece and a female element as described hereinbefore. Such a connection is more secure than the prior art connections, while it remains easy to use for staff authorized to manipulate the means for blocking the button. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]    The invention will be more readily understood on reading the following description of two forms of embodiment of a quick connection in accordance with its principle, given solely by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 schematically shows a quick connection according to the invention before its male and female elements have been joined, the female element being shown in section, while the male endpiece is shown in outside view.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 while the male and female elements are coupled.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 when the male endpiece is extracted from the female element.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 when the male endpiece cannot be extracted from the female element, and  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 for a device according to a second form of embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]    Referring now to the drawings, a quick connection shown in the Figures comprises a female element A and a male endpiece B provided to fit in each other. The rear part of the female element A is connected fluidically to a pipe C 1 . Similarly, the rear part of the endpiece B is connected to a second pipe C 2 . By way of example, it may be considered that pipe C 1  is fixed while pipe C 2  is fast with an apparatus or a system forming part of a series of apparatus or systems that may be successively connected on pipe C 1 . In that case, the female element A is intended to cooperate successively with different male endpieces B.  
         [0022]    The geometry of the endpiece B is conventional. This endpiece comprises a first tubular part  11  on which the pipe C 2  is connected, this first part extending in a second part  12 , of smaller diameter, comprising a flange  13  and joined to part  11  by a section of transition  14 .  
         [0023]    [0023] 15  denotes the front end of the endpiece B, i.e. the end of part  12  opposite the section  14 .  
         [0024]    The flange  13  is defined between an annular surface  13   a  substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X B  of the endpiece B and a truncated surface  13   b  which converges in the direction of end  15 . A cylindrical radial surface  13   c  joins the surfaces  13   a  and  13   b  of the flange  13 .  
         [0025]    The female element A comprises a substantially tubular principal body  21  on which the pipe C 1  is connected. X A  denotes the longitudinal axis of the element A. The body  21  is hollow and defines a housing  22  for receiving the endpiece B and for circulation of fluid, which makes it possible to join pipes C, and C 2 . The body  21  is provided with an opening  23  of circular cross-section centred on the axis X A . The body  21  also defines a bearing surface  24  for a ring  25  equipped with O-rings (not shown) to ensure seal, on the one hand, with endpiece B and, on the other hand, with the bearing surface  24 .  
         [0026]    A device for retaining the endpiece B in the element A is provided and comprises a press-button  26  disposed in a part of the housing  22  and forming a housing  27  for receiving the part  12 . The button  26  is disposed in a bore  29  made in the body  21 , in the direction of an axis Y A  perpendicular to axis X A , i.e. radial with respect thereto. The respective dimensions of the bore  29  and of the button  26  are such that this button can slide along axis Y A  with respect to the body  21 . A spring  30  is arranged in a housing  31  provided in the bottom  32  of the bore  29  and exerts on the button  26  an elastic effort F, tending to push it upwardly in FIG. 1, i.e. to drive it from the bore  29 . The button  26  comprises an extension  26   a  which comes into abutment against the ring  25  under the effect of the effort F 1 , in order to limit the movement of extraction of the button  26  with respect to the bore  29 .  
         [0027]    When the endpiece B is introduced in the housing  22 , its part  12  traverses the housing  27  and the flange  13  is disposed between the ring  25  and an inner flange  26   b  of the button  26 . In practice, the flange  26   b  extends only over the lower part of the inner periphery of the housing  27 . The configuration is in that case that of FIG. 2 where the endpiece B is retained in position in the element A by the cooperation of the flanges  13  and  26   b.    
         [0028]    More precisely, the flange  26   b  is defined between an annular surface  26   c,  substantially perpendicular to a central axis X 27  of the housing  27 , and a truncated surface  26   d  converging in the direction of the ring  25 . A cylindrical surface  26   e  joins the surfaces  26   c  and  26   d.    
         [0029]    The surface bearing of the surfaces  26   c  and  13   a  allows an efficient locking of the endpiece B in the female element A.  
         [0030]    When the endpiece B is to be released, it suffices to exert on the button  26  an effort, represented by arrow F 2  in FIG. 3, this effort having the effect of displacing the button  26  against the effort F, exerted by the spring  30 . This disengages the flange  26   b  from the path of the flange  13  during extraction of the endpiece B which is represented by arrow F 3  in FIG. 3.  
         [0031]    According to the invention, a cylinder lock  50  is integrated in the button  26  and controls a bolt  51  which may or may not project towards the bottom  32  of the bore  29  depending on the state of the lock included in the cylinder  50 , this lock being controlled with the aid of a key  52 .  
         [0032]    When the bolt  51  does not project out of the cylinder  50 , the configuration is that of FIGS.  1  to  3  where the male endpiece B can be introduced into the female element A or extracted therefrom.  
         [0033]    When the connection formed by elements A and B is to be locked in configuration of connection of the pipes C 1  and C 2 , the key  52  is introduced in the cylinder  50  to manoeuvre the bolt  51  which then reaches the position of FIG. 4 where it prevents an offset of axes X B  and X 27  which in that case substantially merge. In effect, an effort F 2  exerted on the button  26  in the configuration of FIG. 4 has the effect of displacing the button  26  against the effort F 1 , exerted by the spring  30  but the flange  26   b  cannot be offset with respect to the flange  13  as the bolt  51  prevents the transverse movements of the button  26  in the bore  29  in direction Y A . In other words, the bolt  51  ensures that the flanges  13  and  26   b  remain in abutment against each other, which prevents any untimely extraction of the endpiece B with respect to the female element A.  
         [0034]    The bolt  51  also makes it possible to prevent an untimely connection of elements A and B insofar as, if the cylinder  50  is manoeuvred in the configuration of FIG. 1 to cause the bolt  51  to project towards the bottom  32  of the bore  29 , the bolt  51  opposes the passage of the flange  13  at the level of flange  26   b.  In this way, when it is attempted to introduce the part  12  in the housings  27  and  22 , the button cannot be shifted in the bore  29  towards the bottom  32 , as is the case when the bolt is retracted in the cylinder  50 .  
         [0035]    In the second form of embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 5, elements similar to those of the first embodiment bear identical references. This embodiment differs from the preceding one in that the bolt  51  here is controlled by the cylinder  50  to project, or not project, radially with respect to the button  26 , i.e. in a direction X′ A  substantially perpendicular to direction Y A  of slide of the button  26  in the bore  29 .  
         [0036]    The direction X′ A  may or may not be parallel to direction X A .  
         [0037]    When the bolt  51  projects, as shown in FIG. 5, it prevents an effort F 2  exerted on the button  26  from allowing it to be displaced towards the bottom  32  of the bore  29 , with the result that the part  12  of the male endpiece B remains immobilized in the female element A.  
         [0038]    This mode of blocking the button  26  also prevents an untimely connection of elements A and B.  
         [0039]    As shown in the accompanying Figures, the integration of a cylinder  50  in a button  26  of a connection according to the invention does not substantially modify the dimensions of this button, which is particularly advantageous from the standpoint of manoeuvrability of the connections according to the invention.  
         [0040]    Taking into account the environment in which a connection according to the invention is likely to be used, the cylinder  50  is advantageously protected from outside pollution by means obturating the hole in which the key  52  is introduced. Such means may comprise a sliding or pivoting member which moves aside from the hole in question when the key is introduced.  
         [0041]    The invention has been shown with a button  26  in one piece. However, it is applicable with a button formed by a plurality of assembled pieces.  
         [0042]    The invention is not limited to a device comprising a lock controlled by a key. It is also applicable to a lock with remote-control or with a system of combinations.