Quick disconnect coupling

A quick disconnect coupling including a first hub, a shaft fixedly connected to the first hub, the shaft being non-round in cross-section, and a second hub having a non-round recess extending therethrough, the non-round recess being sized to closely receive the shaft such that the second hub is capable of sliding along the shaft and is prevented from rotating about the shaft, wherein rotation of the first hub results in corresponding rotation of the second hub.

BACKGROUND

The present application relates to coupling devices and, more particularly, to coupling devices capable of being quickly disconnected.

Coupling devices are typically used on various types of equipment to transfer power from a first rotating shaft to a second rotating shaft. It is often desirable to disconnect a coupling such that equipment embodying the coupling may be cleaned. However, often times, it may be quite time consuming to disconnect the couplings.

Accordingly, there is a need for coupling devices that may be quickly disconnected and reconnected.

SUMMARY

A first aspect of the quick disconnect coupling includes a first hub, a shaft fixedly connected to the first hub, the shaft being non-round in cross-section, and a second hub having a non-round recess extending therethrough, the non-round recess being sized to closely receive the shaft such that the second hub is capable of sliding along the shaft and is prevented from rotating about the shaft, wherein rotation of the first hub results in corresponding rotation of the second hub.

A second aspect of the quick disconnect coupling includes a male coupling member having at least two jaws thereon, a female coupling member having at least two recesses for receiving the jaws, and a spider having at least four wings extending therefrom, the spider being shaped to be received within the female coupling member such that each of the recesses includes at least two of the wings, wherein each jaw of the male coupling member is positioned between two wings of the spider when the male coupling member is engaged with the female coupling member.

A third aspect of the quick disconnect coupling includes a drive shaft, a motor, and a coupling device for transferring rotational power from the motor to the drive shaft, the coupling device including a first hub, a non-round shaft fixedly connected to the first hub, a second hub closely and slidably received over the non-round shaft, the second hub having a recess for receiving the drive shaft, and a spring for biasing the first hub away from the second hub, wherein the first hub is connected to the motor and the second hub is selectively connectable to the drive shaft.

Other aspects of the quick disconnect coupling will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As shown inFIGS. 1A and 1B, a first aspect of the quick disconnect coupling, generally designated10, includes a male hub12, a female hub14, a non-round shaft16, a spring17and a pin22.

The non-round shaft16may be attached to or integral with (i.e., shaft16is connected to) the male hub12and may include a slot18extending axially along the non-round shaft16and through a surface of the non-round shaft16. The non-round shaft16may have any shape in cross-sectional view (taken perpendicular to the axis of the shaft) other than circular, hence the designation as non-round. For example, in cross-sectional view, the non-round shaft16may be square, rectangular, triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal or elliptical.

The female hub14may include a first end24, a second end36and a non-round recess20extending axially through the length of the female hub14. The non-round recess20is non-round in shape, as described above, and has a shape corresponding to the shape of the non-round shaft16such that the non-round shaft16may be closely received within the non-round recess20. The female hub14may slide relative to the male hub12along the non-round shaft16and rotation of the male hub12(and corresponding rotation of the non-round shaft16) results in rotation of the female hub14due to the non-round shape of the shaft16and recess20.

The spring17may be a coil spring and may be position coaxially over the non-round shaft16and between the male hub12and female hub14to bias the female hub14away from the male hub12. The pin22may be inserted through an opening21in the first end24of the female hub14such that the pin22engages the slot18in the non-round shaft16, thereby restricting movement of the female hub14relative to the male hub12along the shaft16.

As shown inFIG. 2, the quick disconnect coupling10may be attached to a motor26for connecting the motor26to a drive shaft34of a piece of equipment28. The drive shaft34may include an end portion42and may be shaped to be received within the recess20of the female hub14(i.e., non-round in shape) such that rotation of the female hub14results in corresponding rotation of the drive shaft34when the drive shaft34is received within the recess20.

The motor26may be slideably mounted onto the piece of equipment28by sliding a pair of wings32of the piece of equipment28between the body of the motor26and flanges30.

The male hub12of the coupling10may be fixedly attached to the shaft (not shown) of the motor26. The female hub14may then be attached to the drive shaft34of the equipment28as follows: First, the female hub14is retracted against the bias of the spring17and toward the male hub12. Then, the motor26may be slid onto the equipment28as described above (i.e., via flanges30). When the female hub14is released, thereby allowing the spring17to bias the female hub14to its forward and engaged position, the drive shaft34of the equipment28is received within the recess20of the female hub14such that power from the motor26may be transferred to the drive shaft34by rotation of the male hub12which results in rotation of the non-round shaft16which results in rotation of the female hub14and corresponding rotation of the drive shaft34.

The quick disconnect coupling10may be disconnected from the drive shaft34as follows: The female hub14may be retracted against the bias of the spring17into close proximity with the male hub12such that the drive shaft34is no longer received within the recess20and the second end36of the female hub14is cleared from an end portion42of the drive shaft34. The motor26may then be slid off of the equipment28.

As shown inFIGS. 3,4A and4B, a second aspect of the quick disconnect coupling, generally designated50, includes a male coupling member52, a female coupling member54, a spider56and a connector such as a washer58and screw60assembly.

The male coupling member52may be generally cylindrical in shape and include a first end71and a second end73. Three jaws62may be spaced equidistantly about the periphery of the second end73and extend axially from the male coupling member52. Each jaw62may include a beveled surface63and be tapered to a point65. The first end71may include a recess70having a slot72therein. The recess70may receive a first shaft (not shown) having a notch (not shown) that engages the slot72for preventing rotation of the first shaft relative to the male coupling member52such that rotation of the first shaft results in corresponding rotation of the male coupling member52.

The female coupling member54may be generally cylindrical in shape and include a first end80and a second end82. Three recesses64may be spaced equidistantly about the periphery of the first end80for receiving the three jaws62of the male coupling member52. Each recess64may additionally include a secondary recess69for receiving the tapered point65of the jaw62. As shown inFIG. 4B, the second end82may include a recess84having a slot86therein. The recess84may receive a second shaft (not shown) having a notch (not shown) that engages the slot86for preventing rotation of the second shaft relative to the female coupling member54such that rotation of the second shaft results in corresponding rotation of the female coupling member54and rotation of the female coupling member54results in corresponding rotation of the second shaft.

As best shown inFIG. 3, the spider56includes six wings66equidistantly spaced and extending radially from the center of the spider56. The spider56is received within the first end80of the female coupling member54such that each recess64receives two wings66of the spider56. The spider56may be made of a soft or hard polymeric material such as urethane or any other suitable rigid material.

The spider56may be fixedly attached to the female coupling member54by any suitable connector, such as a washer58and screw60assembly such that the spider56is fixed onto the female coupling member54thereby preventing the spider56from easily falling away from the coupling assembly50when the coupling assembly50is disconnected.

Accordingly, the male coupling member52may be connected to a first shaft53and the female coupling member54may be connected to a second shaft55and the two shafts53,55may be coupled by engaging the male coupling member52with the female coupling member54, as shown inFIG. 4A. The spider56creates a tight fit between the jaws62and recesses64and allows for the transfer of rotational power between the male and female coupling members52,54even if the first and second shafts53,55are not perfectly aligned. The beveled surface63and tapered point65of each jaw62guide the jaws62into engagement with the recesses64such that each jaw62is positioned between two wings66in the recess64and the tapered point65engages the secondary recess69. Therefore, as the male coupling member52rotates due to the rotation of the first shaft53, the female coupling member54and second shaft55rotate accordingly.

The coupling assembly50may be disconnected by withdrawing the jaws62of the male coupling member52from the recesses64of the female coupling member54. When disconnected, the spider56remains connected to the female coupling member54by the washer58and screw60assembly, thereby simplifying the disassembly process.

Although the quick disconnect coupling is shown and described with respect to certain aspects, it is obvious that modifications will occur to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the specification. The quick disconnect coupling includes all such modifications and is limited only by the scope of the claims.