Abstract:
A quick connect multi-hose connector includes a first carrier assembly characterized by a male housing which carries a plurality of quick connects that are trapped thereon and which are preferably free to rotate with respect thereto, and further includes a second carrier assembly characterized by a female housing which integrally carries a plurality of male configured connectors. The male housing is couplably matable with respect to female housing, wherein the male and female housings have an asymmetrical feature which allows mating to occur only in one predetermined relative orientation therebetween. A coupling feature holds the male and female housings in the mated state until a user elects to release the coupling feature.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to connectors for multiple fluid hoses, as well as connectors for individual fluid hoses, referred to as “quick connects.” Still more particularly, the present invention is a multi-hose connector which incorporates a plurality of quick connects.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Fluid systems include hoses for directing fluids from one location to another, an example of which being an automotive fuel system which may include a fuel delivery hose, a pressure relief hose, and a fuel return hose. Generally, fluid systems utilize vessels and the hoses from one vessel to another vessel frequently requires hose connection interfaces therebetween.  
           [0003]    Multi-hose connectors for the simultaneous connection of a plurality of hoses have been developed, as for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,208. These multi-hose connectors tend to be bulky, complex and expensive.  
           [0004]    Individual hose-to-hose connections are most easily effected by use of a class of individual hose connectors referred to as “quick connects.” FIG. 1 depicts a quick connect  10  available through ITT Industries as exemplary of this class of connectors, which are also available through a variety of sources. The quick connect  10  is a female configured connector having an internal cavity  12  which is partially defined by an elastomeric seal  14 . A nipple  16  is interfaced to a fluid hose (not shown in FIG. 1), as for example by use of a crimp (also not shown in FIG. 1). A connection annulus  18  is provided opposite the nipple  16 . A male configured connector  20  has a tubular extension  22  and an annular rib  24 . Typically, a hose (not shown at FIG. 1) is connected to the male configured connector  20 , as for example by the aforementioned nipple, which would be located opposite the tubular extension. In operation, the tubular extension  22  is pressably received into the internal cavity  12 , wherein the tubular extension sealingly interfaces with the seal  14  and the rib  24  sealingly abuts an exposed end of the seal  14  via pressure exerted on the rib by a resilient member  26  of the connection annulus  18 .  
           [0005]    What remains needed in the art is to somehow combine the simplicity, ease and affordability of quick connects with multi-hose connectors.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The quick connect multi-hose connector according to the present invention includes a first carrier assembly characterized by a male housing which carries a plurality of quick connects that are trapped thereon and preferably free to rotate with respect thereto. The quick connect multi-hose connector further includes a second carrier assembly characterized by a female housing which integrally carries a plurality of male configured connectors. The male housing is couplably matable with respect to female housing, wherein the male and female housings have an asymmetrical feature which allows mating to occur only in one predetermined relative orientation therebetween. A coupling feature holds the male and female housings in the mated state until a user elects to release the coupling feature.  
           [0007]    In an example of an environment of use, each quick connect is interfaced with a respective hose, and each male configured connector is interfaced with a fluid vessel. In operation, a user aligns the male and female housings and then presses them matingly together. Upon the coupling feature engaging, each male configured connector is simultaneously sealingly seated in its respective quick connect.  
           [0008]    Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-hose connector having quick connects incorporated therein.  
           [0009]    This and additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following specification of a preferred embodiment.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a partly sectional side view of a prior art quick connect interfaced with a prior art male configured connector.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a quick connect multi-hose connector according to the present invention, shown interfaced with a plurality of fluid hoses and a fluid vessel component.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second carrier assembly according to the present invention, shown interfaced with a fluid vessel component.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a sectional view seen along line  4 - 4  of FIG. 3.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a first carrier assembly according to the present invention, shown interfaced with a plurality of fluid hoses.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 is a sectional view seen along line  6 - 6  of FIG. 5.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 7 is a sectional view seen along line  7 - 7  in FIG. 6.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 8 is a sectional view as in FIG. 7, shown operationally with respect to a male connector of the second carrier assembly of FIGS. 3 and 4. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0018]    Referring now to the Drawing, FIGS. 2 through 8 depict various aspects of a preferred embodiment of a quick connect multi-hose connector  100  according to the present invention. As shown at FIG. 2, the quick connect multi-hose connector  100  includes a first carrier assembly  102  and a second carrier assembly  104 . The first carrier assembly  102  includes a male housing  106  and the second carrier assembly  104  includes a female housing  108 , wherein the male housing is shown matingly received into the female housing. The mating relationship between the male and female housings  106 ,  108  is retained by a coupling feature  110 . A preferred coupling feature  110  is a pair of resilient barbs  112  located on opposing sides of the male housing  106  which interferingly interlock with barb receptacles  114  located on opposing sides of the female housing  108 . The barbs  112  are provided with an entry ramp  116  (see FIG. 5) to facilitate entry into the barb receptacles  114 . Once seated in the barb receptacles  114 , the barbs retain the male and female housings  106 ,  108  mutually mated. Thereafter, a user may select to unmate the male and female housings by applying a mutually inward squeeze onto the barbs  112  which allows the barbs to uninterferingly pass out of the barb receptacles.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 depicts an example of an environment of operation of the quick connect multi-hose connector  100 . The male housing  106  is interfaced with a plurality of hoses  118  via a plurality of quick connects  120  (see FIGS. 6 and 7) which are separate from, and trapped on, the male housing. The female housing  108  is integrally connected with a plurality of male configured connectors  122  (see FIGS. 3 and 4) which are sealingly interfaced with the quick connects, and wherein the second housing  104  is integrally formed with a fluid vessel component  124  of a fluid vessel (not shown), as for example a port cover of a gas tank.  
         [0020]    Turning attention additionally now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the second carrier assembly  104  will be detailed.  
         [0021]    The female housing  108  is preferably composed of plastic and includes a base  126  and a shroud  128  integrally connected thereto. At opposing sides of the shroud  128  are the aforementioned barb receptacles  114  of the coupling feature  110 , discussed hereinabove. Within the shroud  128  is a plurality of male configured connectors  122 ,  122 ′ integrally formed with the base  126  and projecting freely from a rear wall  135  of the base, both with respect to each other and with respect to the shroud. Each of the male configured connectors  122 ,  122 ′ is in the form of a tube  132  which integrally connects with the rear wall  135  of the base  126 . Each male configured connector  122 ,  122 ′ has a passage  134  which communicates with a respective passageway  136  of the base  126  (which, in turn for example, respectively communicates with a respectively appropriate conduit of the vessel component  124 ).  
         [0022]    Turning attention now to FIGS. 5 through 7, the first carrier assembly  102  will be detailed.  
         [0023]    The male housing  106  is preferably composed of plastic and includes a plurality of through bores  140 ,  140 ′ into each of which is received a respective quick connect  120 ,  120 ′. The shape of the external surfaces of the male housing are predetermined to snuggly be received into the shroud  128  of the female housing  108 , and each of the through bores  140 ,  140 ′ are located such as to be aligned with respect to the passages  134  of the male configured connectors  122 ,  122 ′ when so received.  
         [0024]    The preferred quick connects  120 ,  120 ′ are any commercially available quick connect which is suitable for the particular fluid transfer application. A general description of a quick connect is described hereinabove with respect to FIG. 1, wherein an internal cavity  142  is partly defined by an elastomeric seal  144 , wherein a nipple  146  is sealingly received into a respective hose  118 . However, for purposes of the present invention there is no connection annulus. The reason for obviation of the connection annulus is the operative interrelationship of the male and female housings and the connection feature  110  which substitute therefor. It will be noted that the open end  148  of the quick connect  120  has an annular flange  150  which interferingly abuts a forward end  152  of the male housing  106 . Either the hoses  118  and/or a hose crimp  154  respectively located on the hoses interferingly abuts the rear end  156  of the male housing  106 . Accordingly, each quick connect  120 ,  120 ′ is trapped in its respective through bore  140 ,  140 ′, yet is freely able to rotate relative thereto.  
         [0025]    An asymmetrical feature of the second carrier assembly  104  with respect to its mating with the first carrier assembly  102  is provided to allow only mating when there is a predetermined proper orientation therebetween. This asymmetrical feature ensures that as multiple fluid connections made during the mating of the male and female housings, each fluid connector is correctly and assuredly aligned with its correct counterpart. Any asymmetrical feature will suffice, as for example a boss-and-slot interrelationship between the male and female housings. In the example depicted herein, the asymmetrical feature is in the form of an asymmetrical contour of the male housing  106  with respect to the shroud  128 . The shroud  128  has a cross-section at a first outboard male configured connector  122 ′ (see the right side of the shroud in FIG. 3) which is larger than the cross-section at the other outboard male configured connector  120  (see the left side of the shroud in FIG. 3). The male housing  106  has a cross-section at a first outboard quick connect  120 ′ (see the left side of FIG. 6) that is larger than the cross-section at the other outboard quick connect  120  (see the right side of FIG. 6). Consequently, the male housing  106  can only be received into the shroud  128  when the first male configured connector  122 ′ is aligned with the first quick connect  120 ′.  
         [0026]    In operation, a user aligns the male and female housings  106 ,  108  and then presses them matingly together. Upon the coupling feature  110  engaging, each male configured connector  122 ,  122 ′ is simultaneously sealingly seated in its respective quick connect  120 ,  120 ′. In this regard, FIG. 8 depicts a view as in FIG. 7 now including a male configured connector  122 , wherein the male and female housings  106 ,  108  are mutually mated. It is to be noted that the coupling feature  110  maintains a pressing force of the respective local area  130  of the rear wall  135  against the seals  134  of their corresponding quick connects.  
         [0027]    It is to be understood that the quick connect multi-hose connector  100  simultaneously connects fluid hoses which may carry either a liquid or a gas. Benefits of the present invention, include: reduction of manufacturing/assembly time; reduction of fluid system complexity; increase of fluid system reliability and safety (fewer locales of hose connections), and increases fluid system quality (elimination of incorrect hose connections). The asymmetrical feature assures prevention of incorrect connection, and the self alignment of the connectors internal to the male and female housings compensates for individual tolerances. The short connection engagement distance reduces part length and fluid system complexity.  
         [0028]    The latching of the coupling feature  110  assures accidental disconnection cannot happen, and further serves as a visual/audible indicator of a fully mated state between the male and female connectors  106 ,  108 . Optionally, a secondary connection assurance device may supplement the coupling feature  110 . For example a hole may be formed in each of the shroud of the female housing and male housing (as for example somewhere in the space between the through bores), which holes align upon actuation of the coupling feature, and through each of which a retaining pin is (for example snappingly) placed.  
         [0029]    To those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, the above described preferred embodiment may be subject to change or modification. Such change or modification can be carried out without departing from the scope of the invention, which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.