Patent ID: 6869110

Claim:
A pipe connector comprising: 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.