Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US6869110?dq=5,884,272
Timestamp: 2015-01-29 21:05:06
Document Index: 26087621

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 13', 'art 13', 'art 18', 'art 18', 'art 18', 'art 18', 'art 18', 'art 21', 'art 18', 'art 18', 'art 21', 'art 21', 'art 21', 'art 18']

Patent US6869110 - Pipe joint - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA pipe connector having excellent pressure tightness and including a female connector (52), a male connector (54) and a retainer (56) is constructed so that the incomplete connection of the female connector (52) and the male connector (54) can be clearly perceived when the retainer is falsely locked....http://www.google.com/patents/US6869110?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US6869110 - Pipe jointAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS6869110 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 10/451,090PCT numberPCT/JP2002/000042Publication dateMar 22, 2005Filing dateJan 9, 2002Priority dateJan 9, 2001Fee statusPaidAlso published asCA2434078A1, CA2434078C, CN1318792C, CN1484742A, DE60214335D1, DE60214335T2, DE60214335T8, EP1351007A1, EP1351007A4, EP1351007B1, US20040061330, WO2002055919A1Publication number10451090, 451090, PCT/2002/42, PCT/JP/2/000042, PCT/JP/2/00042, PCT/JP/2002/000042, PCT/JP/2002/00042, PCT/JP2/000042, PCT/JP2/00042, PCT/JP2000042, PCT/JP200042, PCT/JP2002/000042, PCT/JP2002/00042, PCT/JP2002000042, PCT/JP200200042, US 6869110 B2, US 6869110B2, US-B2-6869110, US6869110 B2, US6869110B2InventorsHiroyuki Okada, Masaki AkagiOriginal AssigneeSanoh Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (16), Non-Patent Citations (1), Referenced by (8), Classifications (6), Legal Events (3) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetPipe jointUS 6869110 B2Abstract A pipe connector having excellent pressure tightness and including a female connector (52), a male connector (54) and a retainer (56) is constructed so that the incomplete connection of the female connector (52) and the male connector (54) can be clearly perceived when the retainer is falsely locked. The retainer (56) has side walls (23 a , 23 b), first retaining lugs (58 a , 58 b) formed on the inner side of the side walls (23 a , 23 b), respectively, each having a first end edge (60 a) that engages an annular ridge (20) formed on the male connector (54) to restrain the male connector (54) from axial backward movement when the retainer (56) is pushed into the female connector (52) with the male connector (54) completely inserted in the female connector (52), and a second end edge (60 b) opposite to the first end edge (60 a), and second retaining lugs (62 a , 62 b) formed on the inner side of the side walls (23 a , 23 b) and spaced at least a distance corresponding to the width of the annular ridge (20) apart from the first end edges (60 a) of the first retaining lugs (58 a , 58 b), respectively. The second retaining lugs (62 a , 62 b) are in contact with a retaining member (32) fitted in a bore formed in the female connector (52) to prevent O rings (31 a , 31 b) fitted in the bore of the female connector (52) from coming off the bore of the female connector (52) to restrain the retaining member (32) from axial movement.
a male connector provided with an annular ridge; a female connector having a housing provided with an opening; and a U-shaped retainer having a body, and opposite side walls to be inserted through the opening in the housing in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction to lock together the male and the female connector; wherein a false connection preventing structure is formed to make the retainer unable to be pushed through the opening into the housing to lock together the male and the female connector when the male connector is inserted incompletely in the female connector; the retainer is provided with first retaining lugs formed on the inner side of the side walls, each having a first end edge that engages the annular ridge when the male connector is inserted completely in the female connector and the retainer is inserted in the housing of the female connector to restrain the male connector from axial backward movement, and a second end edge opposite to the first end edge, and second retaining lugs spaced at least a distance corresponding to the width of the annular ridge apart from the first end edges of the first retaining lugs, respectively; and the second retaining lugs are in contact with a retaining member fitted in a bore formed in the female connector to prevent O rings fitted in the bore of the female connector from coming off the bore of the female connector to restrain the retaining member from axial movement; wherein each of the side walls of the retainer has an anchoring part provided with a retaining ridge capable of engaging the female connector to lock the retainer in place; wherein the retaining ridge of each anchoring part is formed at positions at two different levels. 2. The pipe connector according to claim 1, wherein the second end edges of the first retaining lugs engage the annular ridge of the male connector to obstruct the further insertion of the male connector in the female connector and to prevent a front end part of the male connector from reaching the O ring when a front part of the male connector is inserted in the female connector after the retainer has been locked in place on the female connector.
a male connector provided with an annular ridge; a female connector having a housing provided with an opening; and a U-shaped retainer having a body, and opposite side walls to be inserted through the opening in the housing in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction to lock together the male and the female connector; wherein a false connection preventing structure is formed to make the retainer unable to be pushed through the opening into the housing to lock together the male and the female connector when the male connector is inserted incompletely in the female connector; the retainer is provided with first retaining lugs formed on the inner side of the side walls, each having a first end edge that engages the annular ridge when the male connector is inserted completely in the female connector and the retainer is inserted in the housing of the female connector to restrain the male connector from axial backward movement, and a second end edge opposite to the first end edge, and second retaining lugs spaced at least a distance corresponding to the width of the annular ridge apart from the first end edges of the first retaining lugs, respectively; and the second retaining lugs are in contact with a retaining member fitted in a bore formed in the female connector to prevent O rings fitted in the bore of the female connector from coming off the bore of the female connector to restrain the retaining member from axial movement; said pipe connector further comprising a false assembly preventing means for preventing the retainer from being inserted into the opening in the female connector and from being held on the opening and for preventing the false assembly of the retainer and the female connector from being inserted in a longitudinally reverse position. 5. The pipe connector according to claim 4, wherein the false assembly preventing means includes:
recesses formed in rear end edges of the side walls so that rear end parts having the second end edges of the first retaining lugs project from a plane including the rear end edges of the side walls; and square projections having dimensions corresponding to those of the recesses, and protruding into the opening from corners of the opening. 6. The pipe connector according to claim 4, wherein the false assembly preventing structure includes a longitudinal bar formed so as to extend in a middle part of a second opening opposite to the opening to prevent the insertion of the retainer through the second opening in the female connector.
TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a pipe connector and more particularly, to a quick-connect pipe connector for connecting pipes of a fluid circuit included in a machine.
BACKGROUND ART A pipe connecter called a quick connector is used prevalently for, for example, connecting fuel pipes of automotive fuel supply systems.
Referring to FIGS. 9 and 11, the female connector 12 has a connecting part 13 to be pressed in a pipe, not shown, and a cylindrical housing 15 formed integrally with the connecting part 13. The female connector 12 is provided internally with a stepped, axial bore 17. The housing 15 has a connecting part 18 in which the male connector 14 is inserted. The connecting part 18 is provided with an opening 19 through which the retainer is inserted in the connecting part 18. An opening 19 a similar to the opening 19 is formed opposite to the opening 19 in the connecting part 18. The housing 15 has the connecting part 18, a first cylindrical part 21 a extending from the connecting part 18 and having a diameter smaller than that of the connecting part 18, and a second cylindrical part 21 b extending from the first cylindrical part 21 a and having a diameter smaller than that of the first cylindrical part 21 a. The male connector 14 is provided on its outer circumference with an annular ridge 20 at a predetermined distance from one end thereof. The annular ridge 20 engages in a groove formed in the retainer 16 when the retainer 16 is inserted in the connecting part 18 to restrain the male connector 14 from axial movement.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is a first object of the present invention to solve the foregoing problems in the prior art and to provide a pipe connector including a female connector, a male connector and a retainer, having structure that enables clear recognition of incomplete connection of the female connector and the male connector when the retainer locks together the female and the male connector falsely, and excellent in pressure-proof strength.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a pipe connector in a first embodiment according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line III�III in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line IV�IV in FIG. 3;
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Pipe connectors in preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings;
FIGS. 16(a) and 16(b) show examples of false assembly of the conventional quick-connection pipe connector 10 shown in FIG. 9; the front end part of the male connector 14 is falsely extended through the opening 19 a through which the retainer 16 is not inserted in the female connector 12 in FIG. 16(a), and the male connector 14 is biased toward the opening 19 a in a state where the retainer 16 is falsely locked in FIG. 16(b). These false states can be prevented by the bar 76 extended in the opening 19 a. As apparent from the foregoing description, according to the present invention, the O ring retaining member is restrained from coming off the bore of the female connector to enhance the pressure tightness of the pipe connector considerably, the incomplete connection of the female and the male connector can be clearly perceived because the front end part of the male connector is unable to engage the O rings when the retainer is falsely locked, and the use of the pipe connector with the female and the male connector incompletely connected can be prevented.
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