Quick connector with removable verifier

A quick connector for making a verifiable connection with a tube includes a connector housing having a socket portion and a pair of channels extending into the socket portion from the exterior of the connector housing. A verifier has a pair of resilient legs each including a releasing member extending through a respective channel into the interior of the socket portion. A retainer having claws is held by spring bridging portions within an opening of the socket portion. An upset formed on an exterior surface of the tube is installed into the opening of the socket portion and captured by the retainer claws to lock the tube to the connector housing and deform each resilient leg so as to move and position each releasing member in alignment with its respective channel allowing extraction of the verifier from the connector housing.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure is generally directed to quick connectors. More specifically, it relates to quick connector for locking a mating tube into a receptacle and that includes a removable verifier that confirms that the mating tube is installed in the receptacle.

BACKGROUND

In the automotive and other fields, quick connector fluid couplings are often utilized to provide a fluid connection between two components or conduits. Use of quick connectors is advantageous in that a sufficiently sealed and secured fluid line may be established with a minimum amount of time and expense. Known quick connector systems have a coaxial sheath on a female receptacle, which is pushed back manually to engage or to separate from a mating tube. The present invention provides a simplified operation of connecting and disconnecting the mating tube from the female receptacle using only one hand.

An improper connection between the mating tube and female receptacle of a quick connector coupling can have deleterious effects on the fluid line system. At the very least, a leak in the fluid system will occur at the site of the improper connection. More serious and potentially dangerous consequences can result if the fluid is pressurized, as is often the case in automotive fluid systems. Thus, a reliable and accurate means for verifying a proper connection between the mating tube and female receptacle is desirable.

SUMMARY

This disclosure relates to quick connector for locking a mating tube into a receptacle and that includes a removable verifier that confirms that the mating tube is installed in the receptacle.

In a first embodiment a quick connector for making a verifiable connection with a tube is disclosed that comprises a receptacle having a tubular connector housing including a socket portion on one end of the receptacle. The socket portion includes a pair of opening portions extending from the interior to the exterior of the socket portion and a pair of channels extending into the socket portion from a pair of wall members located on the exterior of the connector housing perpendicular to the opening portions. A verifier includes a pair of legs extending from a base portion of the verifier with each leg having a releasing member. Each leg extends through a respective channel into the interior of the socket portion with each releasing member engaging an interior surface of each wall member, preventing the extraction of the verifier from the connector housing. A retainer having inwardly directed engagement claws is connected by spring bridging portions to a pair of outwardly projecting buttons with each button held in a mating fit within a respective opening portion in a preloaded position. An upset is formed on an exterior surface of an insertion end of the tube. The insertion end and the upset are adapted to be installed into the socket portion of the connector housing to lock the tube to the connector housing by a snap-engagement of the engagement claws with the upset and to deform each verifier leg so as to move and position each releasing member in alignment with its respective channel allowing extraction of the verifier from the connector housing and verifying the connection with the tube.

In a second embodiment a process for making a verifiable connection between a tube and a receptacle is disclosed, the process comprising, providing a tubular connector housing including a socket portion on one end of the receptacle. The socket portion including a pair of opening portions extending from the interior to the exterior of the socket portion and a pair of channels extending into the connector housing from a pair of wall members located on the exterior of the connector housing perpendicular to the retainer openings. The process further comprises, installing a verifier having a pair of resilient legs and a releasing member on each leg through a respective socket portion channel into the interior of the socket portion with each releasing member engaging an interior surface of each wall member preventing extraction of the verifier from the connector housing and installing a retainer having inwardly directed engagement claws connected by spring bridging portions to a pair of outwardly projecting buttons. Each button configured to be held in a mating fit within a respective opening portion in a preloaded position. The process additionally comprises, forming an upset on an exterior surface of an insertion end of the tube and inserting the upset into the socket portion of the connector housing to lock the tube to the connector housing by a snap-engagement of the engagement claws with the upset that also deforms each verifier leg into a position wherein, each releasing member is in alignment with its respective channel allowing the extraction of the verifier from the connector housing verifying the connection between the tube and the receptacle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference numeral12inFIGS.1-5indicate a quick connector used for a quick connection device according to an embodiment of the disclosure. Reference numeral14indicates a mating tube, or a pipe that is to be connected via the quick connector12. The tube14is comprised of metal, however, it may also be comprised of a thermoplastic resin. The tube14includes an annular projecting upset16on an outer peripheral surface13at a position near an insertion end10. Reference numeral17indicates a tubular receptacle comprising a main body of the quick connector12made entirely of a thermoplastic resin material. Here, the receptacle17is shown as a linear form, however, it also may take the form of an elbow or other form extending at any convenient acute or oblique angle.

The receptacle17has a connection end18for connection to a linking tube (not shown) on one axial end thereof and a connector housing22on the other axial end. The connector housing22includes a socket portion20. A sealing assembly21is retained inside the connector housing22. The sealing assembly21comprising a pair of elastic O-rings24retained together with a resin spacer ring26. As shown inFIG.5, the sealing assembly21is located within the connector housing22having the first O-ring located against an annular face33of a front portion of a resin top-hat member28and a second O-ring against shoulder29.

The top-hat member28is shown in detail inFIGS.2A and2Band includes a cylindrical body35and a pair of arcuate flange members30extending from opposite portions of the cylindrical body35. Further, the top-hat member28includes a pair of wedge shaped projections31extending in opposition to the other from opposite portions of the cylindrical body35located 90 degrees from the arcuate flange members30. Each projections31is arranged to be accepted within a respective window32formed on opposite ends through connector housing22to serviceably latch the top-hat member28to connector housing22.

With reference toFIG.5, the top-hat member28is shown installed in connector housing22. The sealing assembly21is retained within the interior of connector housing22between the annular face33of the top-hat member28and the shoulder29. The sealing assembly21may be serviced and or replaced with other forms of sealing assemblies, by pushing each projection31through its respective window32and slidably removing the top-hat member28from the connector housing22through socket portion20. The removal of the top-hat member28allowing access to the sealing assembly21for maintenance its removal and replacement.

The connection end18of receptacle17is formed with a plurality of annular spines34of saw-edged cross-sections with acute angled ridges around an outer periphery as shown inFIGS.1,4and5. These annular spines34bite into an inner surface of the linking tube when the linking tube is press-fit onto connection end18, to provide retention and a fluid seal between the connection end18and the linking tube. A groove11is formed between the two of the spines34that accepts an O-ring19within the groove11, providing for further fluidic sealing between the inner surface of the linking tube and connection end18when the linking tube is installed. A flange portion36is formed for controlling the length of the press-fit connection between the connection end18and the linking tube.

The socket portion20of the connector housing22is arranged to accept and house within the socket portion20a resin retainer38, separate from the connector body that provides a lock for the tube14. The retainer38is held and securely fixed axially within the socket portion20. In the connector housing22, a verifier42is installed, axially behind the retainer38and used for verifying complete insertion of the tube14with the receptacle17. That is, a proper connection of the tube14in the receptacle17of the quick connector12is verified by the verifier42. The retainer38is made of resin of a unitary construction and takes a form of a diamond shape as a whole, as shown inFIGS.1and4and in detail inFIG.3.

Specifically, the retainer38has a pair of clamping members44opposed in a vertical direction perpendicular to the linear axis of the receptacle17and a pair of buttons46opposed to each other in a direction perpendicular to the linear axis of the receptacle17and located 90° apart from the clamping members44, respectively. Thin-plate like springs48bridge between the clamping members44and the buttons46, respectively. The pair of clamping members44are thick-walled and are provided with radially inwardly directed engaging claws50on inner peripheral sides thereof. The retainer38serves to lock the tube14by engaging the engaging claws50with the upset16in an axial direction as shown inFIGS.4and5.

Each clamping member44includes a cam surface52arranged as a downwardly projecting surface on a front face of the clamping member44from the engaging claw50. Cam surface52extends continuously from the engaging claw50, providing an entrance end for inserting the tube14. The cam surfaces52serve to guide the upset16when the tube14is being inserted in the connector housing22. The upset16causes the pair of the clamping members44to move in a mutually separating direction radially with the resilient deformation of the springs48as the upset16advances in the connector housing22. The buttons46are used to manually exert an operating force to disengage the engaging claws50from the upset16. A pushing force applied to a face47of each button46, causes each button46to move in a mutual direction towards each other, whereby, the pair of the engaging claws50are spread radially outward deforming the springs48to disengage the engaging claws50from the upset16and allowing the extraction of the tube14from the retainer38.

As best seen inFIGS.1and4, the connector housing22has a pair of opening portions40extending through socket portion20thereof from outside to the inside, of the socket portion20having shapes corresponding to the buttons46. The retainer38is set in the socket portion20so as to locate a button46in an opening portion40. Fitting of the buttons46in a respective opening portion40also serves to position the retainer38in the axial direction to the connector housing22, specifically, each button46extends through a respective opening portion40in a direction perpendicular to an axis with the pair of the clamping members44and set in a preloaded position. Additionally, each clamping member44is associated with a recess54. Each recess54extends through the socket20from the inside to the outside between a pair of wall members55located on opposite ends of the recess54. Each recess54having a shape corresponding to a respective clamping member44. When the tube14is inserted in the connector housing22a certain length, the upset16of the tube14abuts the cam surfaces52of the clamping members44of the retainer38. When the tube14is further inserted, the upset16further advances, whereby the pair of the clamping members44spread apart in a radial direction outward due to the camming function of surfaces52. The radial movement of each clamping member44causes each clamping member to enter a respective recess54allowing for the full outward motion of the clamping members44about the upset16.

As soon as the upset16passes through the engaging claws50of the retainer38, the clamping members44contract radially inward to their preloaded positions, and the engaging claws50lock with the upset16in the axial direction as shown inFIGS.4and5, locking the tube14within connector housing22. At the same time, the outer peripheral surface13of insertion end10fits into and through the top-hat28and the sealing assembly21, wherein the O-rings24seal against surface13forming a fluid-tight seal between the insertion end10of tube14and the receptacle17.

FIGS.1and6-10illustrate the verifier42of the present embodiment and used to confirm the proper connection of the tube14to the receptacle17. The verifier42shown in detail inFIG.6, is constructed as a single unitary structure from a resin material, and as a whole takes the form of a U-shape. The verifier42has a pair of resilient legs60extending parallel to each other from a base portion62that connects the source ends of the resilient legs60. The base portion62is provided with a handle64and a cover70extending from the base portion62between and perpendicular to the pair of resilient legs60. The handle64of the present embodiment is shown being shield shaped. It will be appreciated that other shapes may be used for the handle, such as for example, a ring, a T-handle, or a flag having a square or rectangular form.

The pair of the resilient legs60have inwardly directed fingers66each having a sloped face67on a front face of each finger66. The front face of each of the pair of the resilient legs60, further includes a releasing member81comprised of wedge shaped protrusion extending outward from an edge of each of the pair of the resilient legs60. A a shoulder surface82extends perpendicularly from each resilient leg60at from a top portion of each releasing member81. The front face of each finger66and its respective sloped face67as well as each releasing member81when installed in the socket portion20, faces the entrance end of the socket portion20that accepts the tube14therein.

As shown inFIG.7, the socket portion20of connector housing22is formed with a pair of channels74apertured through the socket portion20wall members55from outside to inside through each wall member55and sized to accept by insertion the resilient legs60of the verifier42therethrough. Channels44are located on either side and slightly behind a top clamping member44. Each resilient leg60of verifier42is installed in a respective channel74having the front face of each finger66and its respective sloped face67as well as each releasing member81facing the entrance end of the socket portion20. The legs60of the verifier are inserted into channels74until the base portion70rests on top of wall members55over recess54.

With reference toFIG.8, the verifier42is shown in an installed condition within socket portion20.FIG.8is shown without the retainer38to illustrate the installed condition more clearly. As shown, the verifier42is installed in the socket portion20in a manner such that the sloped face67as well as each releasing member81of the pair of the resilient legs60face the entrance end of the socket portion20and the insertion direction of the tube14. Each leg60is placed in a respective channel74and urged downward in direction A to place each leg60within the interior of socket portion20. When the resilient legs60are fully installed through channels74, base portion62locates each leg60and it associated releasing members81in a forward orientation, positioning shoulder surface82under an inner surface57of each wall member55. Each shoulder surface82is arranged to engage the inner surface57of a respective wall member55. In the installed condition, a force applied to the verifier64in a direction opposite of direction A in order, for example, to extract the verifier42would be prevented by shoulder surface82engaging against inner surface57, thereby resisting the extraction of the verifier in the installed condition.

The verifier42may only be extracted upon the insertion of the tube14. As is shown inFIG.9, when the tube14is inserted into the socket portion20, the upset16first abuts the cam surfaces52of the retainer38. Further insertion of mating tube14moves the upset16between the directing claws50while spreading apart the cam surfaces52. When the upset16moves beyond the engaging claws50the clamping members return to their preloaded positions locking upset16with the engaging claws50in the axial direction. When the upset16becomes engaged with engaging claws50, the upset16also contacts each of the verifier's resilient legs60. The upset16engages the inwardly slopped face67of each resilient leg60deflecting each resilient leg60away from the upset16, in direction B, placing the verifier42into an extraction condition. In the extraction condition the releasing members81are also moved rearward in direction B placing shoulders82of each releasing member81in alignment with each channel74and away from the inner surfaces57. At that time, the handle64can be grasped and the verifier42pulled in direction C, namely in an upward direction as shown inFIG.10. Each resilient leg60and releasing members81are pulled out of the channels74removing the verifier42from the socket portion20of connector housing22, thereby confirming a proper installation of the tube14to the receptacle17.

The cover70of verifier42may include a machine scannable code on either a top or bottom surface of the cover70that may be read by a hand held optical scanner to record that a proper installation of the quick connector12was made.