Parker-hannifin Corporation

Leonard J Nick

Timothy Tyler Marquis

Jason Richard Koller

Andrew J Holst

Dennis C Zeiber

Paul Lemay

Shawn David Ellis

Jason T Mikulski

A coupling member for a blind mate fluid coupling including a housing and a fluid connector configured to connect to a fluid conduit, the fluid connector being fixed in position relative to the housing. The coupling member further includes a valve body at least partially extending in the housing. The valve body can have an internal fluid passage that is fluidly connected to the fluid connector, wherein the valve body further has a spherical interface that interfaces with at least one of the housing or another coupling member for enabling angular misalignment between the coupling member and the another coupling member.

Blind mate fluid coupling with misalignment compensation

A coupling member for a blind mate fluid coupling includes a housing and a fluid connector fixed in position relative to the housing for connecting to a fluid conduit of the system. A valve body movable relative to the housing includes a fluid passage that is fluidly connected to the connector. A carrier is at least partially disposed in the housing and is radially movable relative to the housing. The carrier is configured to cooperate with the valve body to facilitate alignment of the valve body when coupling to another coupling member. The carrier may form a portion of the fluid passage between the connector and valve body, and includes a sealing arrangement that permits radial and/or angular misalignment compensation of the design. Varying diameters of the insertion part or receiving part of the coupling member may be provided for further enhancing misalignment compensation of the design.

An enhanced quick coupling configuration has a push-to-connect locking mechanism in which holding the outer sleeve does not affect the ability to connect the coupling, and the outer sleeve otherwise does not need to be restrained by additional components. The coupling includes a single sleeve spring in the locking mechanism, and the use of smaller restriction slots to house axially offset locking balls in a manner that axially constrains movement of the locking balls. When a male component is inserted into the female component during a connection operation, a shoulder on the male component sequentially contacts the axially offset rows of locking balls, which drive the inner sleeve axially in an inward direction. In the fully connected state, the inner sleeve is biased axially outward so as to push back against the inward locking balls, thereby preventing further movement of the inward locking balls.

Quick-coupling with automatic locking mechanism

A quick coupling assembly includes a first coupling element () and a second coupling element () that is inserted into the first coupling element. The first coupling element has a coupling body () and a valve (), which define a volume displacement passage. When the second coupling element () is inserted, the second coupling element mechanically acts on the valve () to expel contaminants from the quick coupling assembly via the volume displacement passage. The valve includes a poppet () and a biasing spring (), and the volume displacement passage includes a leak path () defined between the coupling body and the poppet. The poppet has an inward contour () that is spaced apart from the coupling body to define the leak path. The poppet has a widened portion () that provides a sealing surface when the assembly is fully coupled. The second coupling element () mechanically acts on the poppet () during insertion to expel the contaminants via the volume displacement passage.

Quick coupling with volume displacement passage

A coupler assembly () for a sub-sea connector including a coupler () having an abutment () radially outwardly from the coupler body (), and a radially inwardly extending groove () in the coupler body that is longitudinally spaced apart from the abutment. The abutment () is configured to engage the rear side of the plate when the coupler is inserted through a rearward opening in the plate. The groove () may be longitudinally spaced apart from the abutment such that, when the abutment is engaged with the rear of the plate, the groove is positioned forwardly of the front side of the plate sufficiently to allow a portion of a mounting ring () to be inserted into the groove with a portion of the mounting ring protruding radially outwardly from the body to engage an abutment surface at the front side of the plate, thereby restricting axial movement of the body relative to the plate.

Sub-sea connector

A connector () such as a multi-coupler stabplate for coupling to or decoupling from another connector (). The connector may have a secondary release mechanism () that allows a seized drive to be rotated to an unlocked position independent of the connector housing moving relative to a multi-coupler plate. Integrated stop features may be provided during such secondary release. The secondary release mechanism may be mounted to the housing () and retained with shear pins. Orientation pin(s) () may be provided that cooperate with a guide slot(s) () for oblique and axial movement of a locking mechanism () during coupling/decoupling. A housing shroud () may be provided for cooperating with the orientation pin(s) and indicating locked/unlocked states. A stop collar () and push-off flange () may be provided for facilitating coupling/decoupling. Guide bushings () may be provided for facilitating alignment during coupling. One or more additional features may be provided that improve the securing/releasing function(s) of the connector.

Multi-coupler connector

A multi-coupling includes a fixed plate and a free plate, and a primary locking mechanism for locking the free plate to the fixed plate aligned to form multiple fluid passages through the multi-coupling. The primary locking mechanism may include a drive screw secured to the fixed plate engaged with a drive nut secured to the free plate, and a clam shell securing mechanism that secures the drive screw to the fixed plate. The clam shell halves are moveable to release the drive screw from the fixed plate independently of releasing drive screw from the drive nut. The multi-coupling further may include satellite locking mechanisms in combination with the primary locking mechanism. The satellite locking mechanisms may include satellite securing mechanisms that are moveable to release the satellite locking mechanism from the fixed plate. The locking mechanisms are removable while retaining the fixed plate fixed to base equipment.

Multi-coupling with serviceable locking mechanism

A threaded coupling wherein external threads of the male body of the male coupling half are in mating engagement with internal threads of the female sleeve of the female coupling half. The female sleeve includes an interior hook and the male body includes a locking lever receptacle recessed therein. The locking lever pivotally resides in the receptacle and interlocks circumferentially spaced recesses in the generally cylindrically-shaped hook of the female sleeve uniting the male and female. A tensioning O-ring secures the locking lever to the male body. A locking sleeve extends circumferentially about the male body and prohibits the release of the hook of the female sleeve from a recess in the locking lever unless a window is aligned with the locking lever. A process for locking the threaded coupling is also disclosed.

Coupling lock mechanism

A threaded coupling wherein external threads of the male body of the male coupling half are in mating engagement with internal threads of the female sleeve of the female coupling half. The female sleeve includes an interior hook and the male body includes a locking lever receptacle recessed therein as well as first and second slots for receiving first and second pins of the locking lever. The locking lever pivotally resides in the receptacle and interlocks with the hook of the female sleeve uniting the male and female. A tensioning O-ring secures the locking lever to the male body. A locking sleeve extends circumferentially about the male body and prohibits the release of the hook of the female sleeve from a recess in the locking lever unless a window is aligned with the locking lever. A process for locking the threaded coupling is also disclosed.

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Lucinda, PA, United States of America

Leonard J Nick