The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 28, 2000
Filed:
Nov. 13, 1998
Toru Kouda, Tokyo, JP;
Nitto Kohki Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
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.