Patent ID: 8336919

Claim:
A snap-on coupling comprising: a sleeve mounted on one end of a pipe to be connected to a rigid tubular end fitting, which is intended to be inserted into the sleeve and has a peripheral connecting projection, a locking member intended to engage with this projection to retain the end fitting in the sleeve, and a visual indicator which is intended to engage with this projection to indicate that the end fitting is correctly connected in the sleeve and which is supported by the latter and positioned axially behind the locking member in the direction of insertion of the end fitting into the sleeve, the indicator being capable of occupying a plurality of fitted positions including an extended position in which it projects radially from the sleeve and a depressed position in which it is retracted in it, the locking member and the indicator each comprising a U or staple with a head and two elastically deformable side legs, each leg of the indicator having a retention arm which continues each leg radially inward and which engages with a lower side tooth and with a bottom stop, both of the latter being formed on the corresponding side of the sleeve, when the indicator occupies the depressed position and the extended position, respectively, the indicator being able to: be retained in the extended position before the connection is made by being prevented from occupying the depressed position by said retention arms which bear on said bottom stops and by resisting its complete extraction from the sleeve by locking means formed on the legs which bear on the underside of top stops of this sleeve, be released from this extended position by the making of this connection, which spreads the two retention arms away from each other on contact with the projection, enabling the indicator to occupy the depressed position, and then be moved from the extended position to the depressed position by radial pressure on its head and be kept in this position by the locking of the retention arms underneath said lower teeth, so that the indicator in the depressed position indicates correct connection, wherein said side legs of the indicator respectively comprise two middle parts which continue radially inwards by converging toward each other and by forming two lugs configured to retain the end fitting in the depressed position in addition to the locking member, to double-lock the connection.