A COUPLING FOR INTERCONNECTING TWO ITEMS

A coupling including a female part attached to one of two items, and a male part attached to the other. The female part has a projection extending only on one side of a plane parallel to a first axis of rotation and away from the end of a circular cylindrical hole and forming a segment of an inner surface. The tap of the male part includes a circular cylindrical proximal end. A groove is arranged in one, and a flange is arranged on the other one of the circular cylindrical inner surface and the proximal end, and the flange and groove are adapted such that the flange can slide in the groove about the first axis of rotation, when the tap is rotated in the hole. The distal end of the tap, in the direction along a second axis of rotation, is longer on one side of the second axis of rotation than on the opposite side.

PRIOR ART

The present invention relates to releasable interconnecting items, and specifically to items with coupling parts adapted for being releasable interconnected, and where the coupling parts comprises a female part attached to one of the two items, and a male part attached to the other of the two items, and where he female part has a circular cylindrical hole defining a first axis of rotation and having an open end, and the male part comprises a tap with a distal end forming an outer circular cylindrical surface about a second axis of rotation and having a radius corresponding to the circular cylindrical hole where the female part further comprises a projection extending only on one side of a plane parallel to the first axis of rotation and away from the end of the circular cylindrical hole and forming a segment of a circular cylindrical inner surface extending, and the tap of the male part further comprises a circular cylindrical proximal end extending between the distal end and the other of the two items, and where the circular cylindrical proximal end has a radius about the second axis of rotation corresponding to the circular cylindrical inner surface, and where a groove is arranged in one, and a corresponding flange is arranged on the other one of the circular cylindrical inner surface and the circular cylindrical proximal end, and where the flange and the groove are adapted such that the flange can slide in the groove about the first axis of rotation, when the tap is rotated in the circular cylindrical hole.

Couplings of this type are most often used for interconnecting tubular sections and are known in many different embodiments such as disclosed in e.g. U.S. Pat. no. 3413021; U.S. Pat. no. 3162470 and U.S. Pat. application no 2020/0088335 disclosing an irrigation tube system with the above-mentioned features.

Such couplings, however, may also be useful for interconnecting other products or items than tubular sections.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

Based on this, it is the object of the present invention to provide a coupling of the type mentioned in the introduction being easy to produce and to connect and disconnect.

According to the present invention, this is achieved by a coupling as mentioned in the introduction and where the distal end of the tap, in the direction along the second axis of rotation, is longer on one side of the second axis of rotation than on the opposite side. Thereby the coupling allows the distal end of the tap to be inserted into the circular cylindrical hole, even if the first and the second axis of rotation of the female part and the male part are misaligned.

By having the projection extending primarily on one side of the first axis of rotation, then strict alignment between the male and female part having the first axis of rotation coinciding with the second axis of rotation, is not necessary in order to provide that the flange can be manipulated into engagement with the groove.

In a preferred embodiment, the groove is arranged in the circular cylindrical inner surface, and the flange is arranged on the circular cylindrical proximal end of the tap.

The radius of the circular cylindrical hole may preferably the same as the radius of the circular cylindrical inner surface.

The coupling is especially easy to assemble in an embodiment where the projection extends only on one side of a plane extending through the first axis of rotation.

In this relation, the flange may preferably extend half way or less than half way around the circular cylindrical proximal end of the tap.

The coupling according to the invention may also be provided for transmitting torque from between the male part and the female part when the groove or the flange has an end stop preventing the flange from sliding completely through the groove from one end of the groove to the other.

In another embodiment the flange may extend completely around the circular cylindrical proximal end of the tap

The tap may be solid, but especially in relation to the use of the coupling for interconnecting tubular sections, it may form a tube having a through hole extending along the second axis of rotation, so that the tap forms an end of the tubular section.

In this relation, the female part may also form the end of a tubular section having a circular cylindrical outer surface extending about the first axis of rotation.

DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

Embodiments of the present invention will be explained in principle in the following with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings illustrating the design and utility of such embodiments, in which similar elements are referred to by common reference numerals. The drawings depict only exemplary embodiments and are not therefore to be considered limiting in the scope of the claims. The drawings may or may not be drawn to scale. In addition, an illustrated embodiment needs not have all the aspects or advantages shown. An aspect or an advantage described in conjunction with a particular embodiment is not necessarily limited to that embodiment and can be practiced in any other examples even if not so illustrated, or if not so explicitly described.

FIG.1now shows two items3,15in the form of tubes. The one item3has a female part1of the coupling attached at the end and the other item15has a male part2of the coupling also attached at its end.

In this embodiment, the female part1has a circular cylindrical hole5extending around its axis of rotation6, and the male part2of the coupling has a tap with a distal end8having an outer circular cylindrical surface9. The radius of the outer circular cylindrical surface9corresponds to the radius of the circular cylindrical hole5, so that the distal end8of the tap may be inserted into the circular cylindrical hole5and rotate in it.

The female part1further has a projection11extending from the end7of the circular cylindrical hole5and the projection carries a part of a circular cylindrical inner surface13that extends only on one side of the axis of rotation6so that it form a circular cylindrical half pipe. The circular cylindrical surface9has a groove16extending, and the proximal end14of the tap has a complementary shaped flange17that can slide in the groove16when the distal end of the tap is rotated in the circular cylindrical hole5. The two items3,15can thereby be interconnected by first sliding the distal end8of the tap into the circular cylindrical hole5when the flange17is held at the opposite side of the circular cylindrical hole as the projection11. Thereafter, when the flange17is aligned with the groove16, the item15is rotated with respect to the item3so that the flange17slides into engagement in the groove16. This assembly process is also illustrated inFIG.4.

FIGS.2and3discloses an embodiment according to the present invention being almost identical to the one disclosed inFIG.1apart from the distal end8of the tap having a oblique cut off18section so that the distal end8. of the tap, in the direction along the second axis of rotation10, is longer on one side of the second axis of rotation10than on the opposite side. The embodiments shown inFIGS.1,2and3are thereby easy to insert the distal end8of the tap such as it is illustrated inFIG.4, and into the circular cylindrical hole5due to the fact that this does not require alignment of the two items3,15to have the first axis of rotation6coinciding with the second axis of rotation10.

FIG.3also shows that the flange17extends all the way around the tube15and forms a complete ring. This provides a safe connection between the two items3and15. However, the flange17may alternatively extend partly around the tube15and even halfway or less than halfway around it.

InFIG.3the groove16is arranged closer to the end7of the circular cylindrical hole5than the corresponding groove16inFIG.1. In practice this distance may be selected as a compromise between providing the easiest assembly on the one hand, and providing a tight closure between the female part1and the male part2. The closer the groove16is to the end7of the circular cylindrical hole5the tighter the fit is between the female part1and the male part2, but a longer distance provides an easier assembly.

FIG.5shows another embodiment of the present invention where a cube19has three female parts attached to neighboring sides of the cube19, The female parts may be interconnected with any of the male parts2inFIGS.1or3in the same manner as shown inFIG.4

FIG.6shows still another embodiment where a tubular section20has one female parts attached on each end. It is clear to the skilled person that any of the female parts shown inFIGS.5and6may be replaced with a male part depending on the selected functionality.

In all the above-mentioned figures, the flange17is possible to slide all the way through the groove16, so that these assemblies are free to be mutually rotated in any direction.FIG.7shows in this relation that the male part15can have an end stop21arranged next to the flange17, so that the end stop21engages with a socket22arranged next to the groove16on the female part3. Thereby further mutual rotation of the male part16and the female part is prohibited in one direction, so that the assembly can transfer torque between the female part and the male part.

Alternatively, as shown inFIG.8the end stop23may be provided by closing one end of the groove16, but it will be apparent to the skilled person that such an end stop may be provided in other ways than what is shown inFIGS.7and8.

Furthermore in any of the embodiments above the grooves16and flanges17extend in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation6and the second axis of rotation, but alternatively these grooves16and these flanges17, or at least parts of the grooves16and the flanges17such as one side face or one end of the grooves16and the flanges17may be shaped like a helix so that the grooves16and the flanges17forms a part of a screw thread. Thereby mutual rotation of the male part with respect to the female part, when the groove16is in engagement with the flange17, provides that the two parts be forcibly moved with respect to each other, along the axis of rotation.

FIGS.9and10shows an embodiment of such a coupling corresponding to the embodiment shown inFIGS.2and3, but where a side faces20and21of the groove16and flange17respectively are shaped to be helical so that when assembling the coupling the two parts the helical side faces20,21forces them to a secure engagement.

From the description above, it will be apparent to the skilled person that the present invention may be implemented in many different embodiments apart from the embodiment shown in the figures. Furthermore, the coupling is easy to produce in any material thanks to its simple design. It may therefore be made from any plastic, metal, ceramic or concrete material by e.g. molding, casting, machining, or additive manufacturing, and as such, it may be used for producing many different products, such as tent poles, water or sewer pipes, grid structures, drills or screwdriver bits. Although none of the drawings shows gaskets or seals then it will be apparent to the skilled person that such gasket or seals may be used at various positions of coupling depending on the use of the coupling.