Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7390029?dq=6,243,373
Timestamp: 2015-05-05 03:40:32
Document Index: 351503232

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 25', 'art 25', 'art 25', 'art 25', 'art 25', 'art 25', 'art 25']

Patent US7390029 - Quick connector - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA quick connector has a housing, a retainer for locking a tube at a correct position for complete connection in the housing and a restraining ring for restraining the retainer from being pressed into the housing to its locking position unless the tube is inserted in the housing and placed at the correct...http://www.google.com/patents/US7390029?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7390029 - Quick connectorAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7390029 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 10/544,941PCT numberPCT/JP2004/009558Publication dateJun 24, 2008Filing dateJul 6, 2004Priority dateJul 10, 2003Fee statusPaidAlso published asUS20060170211, WO2005005875A1Publication number10544941, 544941, PCT/2004/9558, PCT/JP/2004/009558, PCT/JP/2004/09558, PCT/JP/4/009558, PCT/JP/4/09558, PCT/JP2004/009558, PCT/JP2004/09558, PCT/JP2004009558, PCT/JP200409558, PCT/JP4/009558, PCT/JP4/09558, PCT/JP4009558, PCT/JP409558, US 7390029 B2, US 7390029B2, US-B2-7390029, US7390029 B2, US7390029B2InventorsSatoshi MatsubaraOriginal AssigneeSanoh Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (11), Referenced by (4), Classifications (11), Legal Events (2) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetQuick connector
US 7390029 B2Abstract
8. The quick connector according to claim 7 characterized in that the elastic parts have a shape resembling a plate spring. Description
A circumferential upper slot 22 is formed in an upper part of the housing 12. The retainer 16 is inserted in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the housing 12 through the upper slot 22 in the housing 12. A circumferential lower slot 24 is formed in a lower part of the housing 12. The upper slot 22 and the lower slot 24 are separated by opposite side walls 23 a and 23 b. The housing 12 has a first cylindrical part 25 a, a second cylindrical part 25 b extending from the first cylindrical part 25 a and having an outside diameter smaller than that of the first cylindrical part 25 a, and the tube connector 18 extending from the second cylindrical part 25 b. As shown in FIG. 3, O rings 27 a and 27 b are fitted in the first cylindrical part 25 a of the housing 12 and a spacer 26 is interposed between the O rings 27 a and 27 b. A stop ring 28 prevents the O rings 27 a and 27 b from coming off the first cylindrical part 25 a. Referring to FIG. 1, the tube 14 is formed of a metal and is provided with an annular ridge 30 at a predetermined distance from its tip. The retainer 16 engages with the annular ridge 30 to restrain the tube 14 from falling off the housing 12 when the retainer 16 is inserted through the upper slot 22 in the housing 12.
Then, the retainer 16 is pressed into the housing from the temporary position to a working position, so that the locking hooks 34 a and 34 b formed in the lower end of the legs 31 a and 31 b engage with the lower edges of the side walls 23 a and 23 b of the housing 12, respectively. In this state, the inner end edge of the rib 32 of the retainer 16 is in engagement with the outer side of the annular ridge 30 to retain the end part of the tube 14 in the housing 12. Thus the tube 14 and the housing 12 of the quick connector 10 are locked firmly together by the retainer 16. When the tube 14 and the housing 12 of the quick connector 10 are thus locked together, gaps between the housing 12 and the tube 14 are sealed effectively by the O rings 24 a and 24 b. If the end part of the tube 14 is inserted insufficiently deep in the housing 12, the shear fins 43 a and 42 b are not torn off, the locking bars 42 a and 42 b remain engaged in the grooves 41 a and 41 b or the locking bars 42 a and 42 b remain partly engaged in the grooves 41 a and 41 b even if the shear fins 43 a and 43 b are torn off. Consequently, the restraining ring 40 stays at the restraining position and the retainer 16 cannot be moved from the temporary position to the working position because the locking bars 42 a and 42 b of the restraining ring 40 are engaged in the grooves 41 a and 41 b. When the tube 14 is incompletely connected to the quick connector 10, the end part of the tube 14 extends through the O rings 27 a and 27 b and the sealing effect of the O rings 27 a and 27 b is effective. However, the incomplete connection of the tube 14 and the quick connector 10 can be known quite obviously from the visual observation of the retainer 16 staying at the temporary position as well as from a feel. Therefore, the tube 14 and the quick connector 10 are never left incompletely connected.
Whereas the thin retainer mentioned in Patent document 3 is provided with the ring to be torn off, the retainer 16 of the present invention is provided with the restraining ring 40 provided with the locking bars 42 a and 42 b, and the locking bars 42 a and 42 b are shifted accurately by a distance for which the locking bars 42 a and 42 b are moved by the annular ridge 30. Thus, a distance by which the annular ridge 30 must be pressed into the housing 12 to enable the retainer 16 to be pressed into the housing can be accurately determined by properly determining the size of the locking bars 42 a and 42 b. Second Embodiment
Patent CitationsCited PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS4946205 *Feb 27, 1989Aug 7, 1990Usui Kokusai Sangyo Kaisha Ltd.Connector for connecting small diameter pipeUS5542716 *Nov 4, 1994Aug 6, 1996Itt CorporationQuick connector with snap-on retainerUS5586792 *Feb 21, 1995Dec 24, 1996Bundy CorporationQuick connector with integral release mechanismUS5855398 *Apr 14, 1997Jan 5, 1999Tampas Click Para Veiculos Industria E Comercio Ltda.Method and assembly for connecting a fuel or fluid lineUS5863077Dec 20, 1996Jan 26, 1999Itt Automotive, Inc.Quick connector with snap-on frangible retainerUS5951063 *Apr 23, 1997Sep 14, 1999Itt Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.Quick connector with snap-on retainer having enhanced engagementUS20020079696 *Dec 27, 2000Jun 27, 2002George SzaboQuick connector release toolUS20020158465 *Apr 22, 2002Oct 31, 2002Sanoh Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaBreaking-type checking device for preventing false engagementEP1351007A1Jan 9, 2002Oct 8, 2003Sanoh Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaPipe jointJP2001507109A Title not availableJP2002206683A Title not available* Cited by examinerReferenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS7497477 *May 25, 2006Mar 3, 2009Ti Group Automotive Systems, LlcPull tab verifier assembly for quick connectorsUS7566077 *Nov 9, 2004Jul 28, 2009Sanoh Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaQuick-connect couplingUS8003181 *Jun 29, 2005Aug 23, 2011Tabuchi Co., Ltd.Anticorrosion sleeveUS8662540Nov 2, 2011Mar 4, 2014Philip C. WhitenerQuick tube connector* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification285/321, 285/3, 285/921, 285/23International ClassificationF16L39/00, F16L37/084, F16L37/12Cooperative ClassificationF16L2201/10, Y10S285/921, F16L37/144European ClassificationF16L37/14B1Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionNov 14, 2011FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4Aug 8, 2005ASAssignmentOwner name: SANOH KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, JAPANFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:MATSUBARA, SATOSHI;REEL/FRAME:017834/0647Effective date: 20050520RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services