Nitto Kohki Co., Ltd.

Toru Kouda

A pipe coupling member includes a coupling body defining a part of a fluid passage, and a support member disposed inside the coupling body. A valve accommodating space is defined inside the coupling body at a position forward of the support member, and a valve element is disposed in the valve accommodating space to open and close the fluid passage. The coupling body is formed from a thin-walled pipe material and has a deformed recess formed by plastically deforming radially inward a portion of the coupling body that covers an annular groove of the support member. The deformed recess has a locking element latching surface along a support surface of the annular groove. When the pipe coupling member is connected to an associated pipe coupling member, the locking element latching surface is latched by a locking element of the associated pipe coupling member.

Pipe coupling member

At least one coupling member () has a slide valve holder () that is pushed in by the other coupling member () when coupled to the coupling member (). The coupling member () further has a rotary valve () rotatably supported by the slide valve holder. The slide valve holder has a through-hole () constituting a flow path. A valve seat () is provided around the through-hole. The rotary valve () has an outer peripheral surface portion that slidingly engages the valve seat. One end of a fluid passage () extending through the rotary valve is open on the outer peripheral surface portion. The rotary valve is displaceable toward the valve seat and is urged toward the valve seat by a spring member (). Thus, the outer peripheral surface portion is pressed against the valve seat. When a fluid pressure acts in the coupling member () when the coupling members () are not coupled to each other, the fluid pressure presses the rotary valve toward the valve seat.

Pipe coupling

A pipe coupling member has a tubular body () and a valve unit () slidably set in the through-hole of the tubular body. The valve unit has a valve holder () and 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 valve holder comprises a valve seat portion (-) and a valve support portion (-) that are separately disposed in series in the axial direction or the direction of the axis of the though hole. The valve support portion rotatably supports the rotary valve member. When the valve holder moves axially in the through-hole, the rotary valve member is rotated by a cam mechanism () and displaced between a closed rotational position and an open rotational position while its spherical outer peripheral surface sliding relative to an annular valve seat of the valve seat portion. When in the closed rotational position, the rotary valve member sealingly engages all around the annular valve seat to close the fluid path. A spring member () urges the valve support portion to urge the valve holder toward the closed rotational position. When the coupling member is decoupled, the rotary valve member therein is surely placed in the closed rotational position.

A coupling has a socket and a plug that is inserted into and connected to the socket. The socket has a locking element and a sleeve actuating element that are radially displaceable to lock the plug as inserted into the socket. A sleeve is provided over the outer peripheral surface of the socket. The inner peripheral surface of the sleeve has a locking surface that presses the locking element from the radially outer side into a lock position. Further, the inner peripheral surface of the sleeve has an inclined surface extending in the circumferential direction thereof. As the plug is progressively inserted into the socket, the sleeve actuating element is pushed radially outward by the plug while engaging the inclined surface, causing the sleeve to be displaced in the circumferential direction. Thus, the inclined surface radially aligns with the locking element, and the locking element is pushed radially outward while engaging the inclined surface by the plug inserted progressively. When the plug has been inserted into the socket by a predetermined length, the locking element and the sleeve actuating element are received in a groove provided on the outer surface of the plug, resulting in disengagement from the inclined surface. Consequently, the sleeve is returned to the initial position to hold the locking element from the radially outer side, thereby locking the plug in the socket.

Coupling and socket thereof

The present invention provides a pipe coupling socket that enjoys improved safety when connected to a plug. This socket comprises a socket body containing a ball valve and having locking elements at its distal end portion, a valve control sleeve fitted on the outer peripheral surface of the socket body for axial movement and capable of actuating the ball valve, a plug connecting sleeve fitted on the outer peripheral surface of the socket body for axial movement and capable of locking and unlocking the plug with the aid of the locking elements, first lock means which prevents the advance of the plug connecting sleeve, second lock means which prevents the retreat of the plug connecting sleeve and the advance of the valve control sleeve, and third lock means which prevents the retreat of the plug connecting sleeve and the valve control sleeve.

Pipe coupling socket

A pipe coupling comprises a cylindrical plug having a peripheral groove formed in an outer peripheral surface, and a socket to be connected to the plug. The socket includes a main body having a receiving hole formed in an end portion thereof for receiving the plug, a sleeve having a front end portion axially slidably inserted in the receiving hole, a base portion located outside the receiving hole, an axial through hole for receiving the plug such that it can slide therein, and a plurality of radial through holes formed therein at circumferentially regular intervals and radially inwardly tapered, and a plurality of lock members received in the radial through holes, part of each of the lock members being able to project into the axial through hole. The main body has an escape groove opening to that inner peripheral surface of the body, which defines the receiving hole, the escape groove allowing the lock members to move between a position in which they project from the radial through holes of the sleeve into the axial through hole, and a position in which they are retreated within the radial through holes. The sleeve has a plurality of axially extending slits formed between each pair of adjacent ones of the radial through holes, and a plurality of flexible fingers provided between the slits.

Socket for pipe coupling

A pipe coupling improved in operational and functional characteristics is provided. As an outer sleeve 1 is moved backward, an inner sleeve 9 comes into engagement at its locking balls 62 with the outer sleeve 1 and retracts together with the outer sleeve 1. A slide holder 8 remains urged backward by the inner pressure until the inner pressure drops down to a specific level, thus holding the locking balls 61 in a socket 4 at their radial outward position. As the locking balls 61 interrupt the backward movement of the inner sleeve 9, the outer sleeve 1 is prevented from further moving backward. While the inner sleeve 9 is paused, it interrupts the radial movement of locking balls 63. This permits the locking balls 63 to partially project into the inner side of the socket 4 and come into engagement with an outer groove 200b provided in the outer surface of a plug 200 which is thus locked and not removed out.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Toru Kouda