Dana Corporation

Eaton Corporation

Alkon Corporation

Darwin C. Olson

Darwin C Olson

David S Densel

Philip C Van Riper

Steven D Haubert

Steven R Hoff

Loren H Uthoff, Jr

Wayne D Morroney

Edward Clay Lewis

Jerios Elchaer

John S Hyska

Phillip C Van Riper

A push to connect fitting which includes a body portion and a tubular collet at least partially disposed within the body portion, wherein a section of tubing is receivable within the collet. A thread is formed on an inner periphery of the collet, wherein each turn of the thread provides two points of engagement along the longitudinal dimension of the section of tubing.

Push to connect fitting with formed gripper teeth

A fitting is provided that includes a receptacle having an inner wall forming a female member. The inner wall includes a shoulder and a land. A male member is received in the female member with a gap therebetween. The male member includes an outwardly opening groove. An O-ring is seated between the outwardly opening groove in the male member and the shoulder and the land of the receptacle to prevent removal of the male member from the receptacle. The outwardly opening groove, the shoulder and the land are configured such that compression of the O-ring is sufficient to prevent removal of the male member from the female member.

Low pressure fitting

A quick-connect coupling having a tubular tube support, a sleeve and a collet. The tubular tube support includes a tube support portion and a mounting flange joined to the tube support portion. The sleeve includes an inner surface diameter greater than an outer surface diameter of the tube and an outer surface engaging an inner wall of a bore. The collet includes an outer surface engaging the inner surface of the sleeve and an inner surface diameter greater than an outer surface diameter of the tubular tube support and slightly less than the outer surface diameter of the tube. The tube is frictionally retained between the collet and the tubular tube support when the tube is inserted into the coupling.

Quick connect tube coupling

A quick-connect cartridge assembly includes a ring, a collar disposed within the ring, and an annular seal coaxially disposed with respect to the ring and the collar. A plug having a shank with an outer diameter substantially similar to the inner diameter of the collar is slidably received within the collar and is held within the collar by a friction fit. The plug is also received through the annular seal so as to establish a coaxial relationship with the ring, the collar and the annular seal. The plug includes one or more features for facilitating installation of the ring, the collar and the annular seal into a port and subsequent removal of the plug from the components after installation.

Quick connect cartridge assembly with plug

Fittings configured as quick-connect couplings or valve assemblies utilize an O-ring to lock a male member within a female member. The O-ring engages a shoulder to both effect a seal and to prevent axial motion of the male member with respect to the female member. In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, pressure within lines coupled by the quick-connect couplings is used to effect locking of the couplings and in accordance with another embodiment, pressure within a container with which the valve assembly is used effects locking of the coupling.

A spring retainer clip used with a quick-connect coupling for coupling a male connector having an outwardly extending protrusion in a bore of a female connector having an inwardly extending protrusion wherein the outwardly and inwardly extending protrusions are separated by an annular gap. The spring retainer clip comprises a ring having an axially extending collar for fitting around the male connector and a radially extending base unitary with the collar. A plurality of spring arms, unitary with and extending axially from the radially extending base, have transverse T-bars at free ends thereof adapted to extend through the gap between the protrusions and block movement of the protrusions past one another. Consequently, the male and female connectors cannot be separated if the width of the gap is substantially reduced. Tabs on the base between the spring arms extend axially to engage the bore in the female connector so as to stabilize the spring retainer clip within the bore when the T-bars are disposed in the gap and when the base and collar are disposed outside of the bore. In order to have an more robust configuration with a relatively thick collar and thick base, the spring retainer clip is molded of powdered steel.

Spring retainer clip for a quick-connect coupling

A quick-connect coupling for non-rotatably connecting a hose to a male stem member is made of plastic and in accordance with a first embodiment includes a plastic fitting body on which is mounted a plastic annular cap having depending lugs. The cap is welded or otherwise fixed to the end of the fitting body. A collet is slid into the annular cap. The collet has depending arms which nest between the lugs on the annular cap so that the collet does not rotate. Detents on the arms seat in a groove on the male stem member to retain the stem member within the fitting body. In accordance with a second embodiment, the fitting body is in the form of a unitary female member which utilizes a substantially C-shaped resilient detent inserted radially through a slot in the female member to retain the male stem member therein by seating in a circumferential groove in the male stem member. The male stem member is made from hex-bar stock and is received in a hexagonal socket portion in the female member to prevent relative rotation of the members.

Quick-connect hose end couplings

A quick-connect coupling for non-rotatably connecting a hose to a male stem member is made of plastic and includes a plastic fitting body on which is mounted a plastic annular cap having depending lugs. The cap is welded or otherwise fixed to the end of the fitting body. A plastic collet is slid into the annular cap. The collet has depending arms which nest between the lugs on the annular cap so that the collet does not rotate. Detents on the arms seat in a groove on the male stem member to retain the stem member within the fitting body.

In order to minimize opportunities for dirt, grime, moisture and adverse atmospheric conditions to enter a fitting for coupling a flexible plastic tubes in a quick connect-type coupling, a collet used within the coupling has a constant diameter boss at one end and slots splitting the collet into spring fingers, which slots do not extend into the boss. The collet is received within a bore in an annular body, wherein the bore includes a cylindrical surface that is substantially completely engaged by an outer cylindrical surface of the boss, with the end of the boss projecting from the body a substantial distance beyond the bore.

Contaminant resistant tube fitting

Tanks, such as air tanks and other compressed gas tanks as well as fuel tanks, have bushings formed by flowdrilling holes in the tanks after the tanks have been configured in substantially their final shape. The bushings are of the same material and unitary with the tank walls and have smooth bores which receive push-to-connect couplings. The push-to-connect couplings have at least two annular barbs which engage the walls of the bushings with an interference fit so as to prevent withdrawal of the push-to-connect couplings. The push-to-connect couplings are sealed with O-rings disposed between the barbs. The depth of insertion is determined by an annular flange on an outer collar of the push-to-connect coupling which engages the outside surface of an outer rim of the bushing.

Tanks with flow drill bushings for receiving couplings

A quick-connect coupling for articulating hose lines includes a coupling body having a bore therein which receives a stem attached to a hose to be coupled to the body. A spline is positioned within the bore which receives a spline on the stem so that the stem does not rotate with respect to the bore and coupling body. A collet is provided which has inwardly and outwardly projecting detents that simultaneously engage both a shoulder within the bore and a groove in the stem to prevent axial movement of the stem with respect to the bore. While the stem is thus retained within the bore, an O-ring seals with the surface of the stem. In order to disconnect the stem from the bore, a collet is pressed inwardly to disengage the detents and then the stem is pulled axially away from the coupling member. By providing a quick-connect coupling in which a stem does not rotate with respect to a coupling member, the collet which is used to lock or latch the stem and coupling member axially to one another is not worn and stressed by relative rotation between the stem and coupling member so as to threaten the integrity of the coupling.

Quick-connect coupling for articulating hose lines

Quick-connect couplings having a sleeve with a tubular tube support mounted therein, an internal O-ring, an external O-ring and a collet are configured to retain a tube on the tubular tube support by engaging the tube with the collet. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the tubular tube support is retained in the sleeve by engagement with a first internal annual shoulder in the sleeve. The interior O-ring positioned against a second annular shoulder within the sleeve to seal against the tube. The collet resiliently fits within the sleeve to retain the tubular tube support and internal O-ring in place prior to assembly. An external groove is provided in the sleeve for receiving an external O-ring to seal with the bore which receives the coupling. In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the tubular tube support is staked to a first end of the sleeve by a radially extending flange. The internal O-ring is disposed between the end of the collet and the radially extending flange. An annular trough is provided between the tube support portion of the tubular tube support and the radially extending flange thereof for receiving the tube which is connected by the coupling. Upon pressing the collet into the sleeve with the tube in place, the tube is locked to provide the quick-connect coupling. An external groove in the sleeve receives an external O-ring for sealing with the bore which receiving the quick-connect coupling. The bore may be located in a valve body or in a weld bushing welded to a tank such as an air tank. In accordance with a further embodiment, the sleeve has external threads for threading with a standard threaded port.

Quick connect tube couplings

An assembly includes a quick connect cartridge which is inserted into a port of a valve or manifold in a pneumatic system for coupling external fluid lines of the system to the valve or manifold. The components of the quick connect cartridge and the O-ring seal are mounted on the tubular shank of a plug. The plug is used as a shipping pin and is also used to install the components into a port of the valve or manifold. Normally, the plug is withdrawn from the port after the components are inserted in the port. If it is desired to keep the port closed after initial installation of the components, the plug may be retained in the port until it is time to connect the port. If it is desired to leave the port permanently closed, the plug remains in place. The plug can be an open plug allowing testing of the valve in which case a dust plug is provided for shipping puposes.

A quick connect tube coupling is configured for use with unstepped bores in conventional fittings, valves, manifolds and similar devices. The coupling includes a tubular tube support which has structure thereon for positively coupling with a brass sleeve which is utilized to retain the coupling in the bore. The tubular tube support further includes a stepped portion which locates a primary O-ring seal for sealing directly with a tube connected by the coupling and a secondary O-ring seal which seals with the wall of the bore. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the tube support is molded of plastic and is polygonal in cross-section.

Growing community of inventors

Franklin, TN, United States of America

Darwin C Olson