Patent ID: 7866628

Claim:
A pipe coupling comprising a female coupling member and a male coupling member that are coupled to each other, wherein at least one of the female coupling member and the male coupling member includes: a tubular body having a through-hole extending from a forward end opening thereof through which the other of the female coupling member and the male coupling member is inserted; a valve unit set in the through-hole so as to be slidable in a direction of an axis of the through-hole, the valve unit having a valve holder that has a fluid path extending therethrough in the direction of the axis and that is movable in the through-hole between an open position and a closed position closer to the forward end opening than the open position, the valve unit further having a rotary valve member supported by the valve holder so as to be rotatable about a pivot axis perpendicular to the axis of the through-hole, the rotary valve member being rotatable between an open rotational position where the rotary valve member allows a fluid to flow through the fluid path when the valve holder is in the open position, and a closed rotational position where the rotary valve member blocks the fluid from flowing through the fluid path when the valve holder is in the closed position; a cam mechanism set between the valve unit and the tubular body to cause the rotary valve member to rotate between the closed rotational position and the open rotational position when the valve holder moves between the closed position and the open position; and urging means that urges the valve holder from the open position toward the closed position; the valve holder having a tubular valve seat portion and a tubular valve support portion that are disposed in series in the axis of the through-hole so as to be displaceable relative to each other in the direction of the axis, the valve support portion supporting the rotary valve member rotatably about the pivot axis, the valve seat portion having an annular valve seat formed around the fluid path, the rotary valve member having a seal surface on a part of an outer peripheral surface thereof, the seal surface sliding relative to the valve seat when the rotary valve member is rotated between the closed rotational position and the open rotational position such that when the rotary valve member is in the closed rotational position, the seal surface sealingly engages all around the valve seat to close the fluid path, whereas when the rotary valve member is in the open rotational position, sealing engagement of the seal surface all around the valve seat is free to open the fluid path; the urging means applying an urging force to the valve support portion to urge the valve holder from the open position toward the closed position, the valve holder being displaced from the closed position toward the open position against the urging means when the valve seat portion is engaged by the other of the female coupling member and the male coupling member inserted into the through-hole from the forward end opening.