Patent ID: 7552948

Claim:
A quick connector, comprising: a tubular connector housing provided with a tube connecting portion on one longitudinal end thereof and a pipe retainer portion on the other longitudinal end thereof, retainer means arranged in the pipe retainer portion, and adapted for snap-engaging with an annular engaging projection formed on an insertion end portion of a pipe that is inserted in the connector housing and thereby locking the pipe with respect to the connector housing, the retainer means having a pair of retainers disposed on diametrically opposite sides of a passageway of the annular engaging projection, and release arms provided on the retainers, respectively, the retainer means being formed so as to follow a plane perpendicular to an axis of the pipe retainer portion, each of the retainers having a fixing end portion integrally connected to and supported by the pipe retainer portion, and a free end provided with an engaging portion for snap-engaging with the annular engaging projection, the retainers being resiliently deformable in such manner that the free ends spread out with the fixing end portions as center of rotation by pressing the pair of release arms radially inwardly, the free ends of the retainers being adapted for engaging with an inner surface of the pipe retainer portion of the connector housing when being deformed in a direction of the other longitudinal end, so that the free ends are restrained from spreading radially outwardly when being pressed in the direction of the other longitudinal end, wherein: the release arms are parallel to each other and radially spaced apart from each other along a plane perpendicular to the axis of the pipe retainer portion, wherein; each of the release arms has a cross-sectional shape for exerting a pressure on the release arm in the direction of the other longitudinal end when being pressed radially inwardly from outside.