Improved quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling

Abstract

The invention relates to a quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling (1) comprising a female fluid connector (2) and a male fluid connector (3). The female fluid connector (2) and the male fluid connector (3) are arranged along an axial direction (7). The male fluid connector comprises a housing (15) and a contact pressure surface (16) arranged at an angle (beta) with respect to the axial direction (7). The female fluid connector (2) comprises a housing (4) with an axially arranged inner recess (5), a locking pin (13) and a guide groove (12) provided in the housing (4) for guiding the locking pin (13) during movement of the locking pin (13), the guide groove (13) being arranged at an angle (alpha) with respect to the axial direction (7). The male fluid connector (3) can be reversibly secured within the female fluid connector (2) in a locked position (Figure 2). In the locked position, the locking pin (13) of the female fluid connector (2) contacts the contact pressure surface (16) of the male fluid connector (3). The angle (alpha) of the guide groove (12) differs from the angle (beta) of the contact pressure surface (16) by at least 1 DEG, preferably by at least 2 DEG.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention further relates to a quick connect and disconnect fluid coupling. Background Art

[0002] Fluid connections are necessary in numerous technical applications. Tubes and hoses are needed whenever fluids need to be transported between different devices or device components. They are used at the interface between the respective device and the corresponding tube / hose.

[0003] Depending on the application in question, certain requirements need to be met. According to these requirements, various designs have been developed in the prior art.

[0004] To name a few: the fluid in question may be gaseous or liquid (where a wide range of viscosities may be encountered). Furthermore, the temperature and pressure levels in question may vary significantly between applications.

[0005] Depending on the application, the device and the tube / hose may need to be connected and disconnected more or less frequently. For example, if the fluid connection needs to be made and opened only rarely, a threaded connection using a threaded nut that is screwed onto a threaded flange to attach the tube / hose to the device is typically the preferred choice. However, if the fluid connection must be made and opened more frequently, or if available space is very limited, quick-connect / disconnect connectors are often preferred, despite their higher cost compared to threaded nut connections.

[0006] Furthermore, for many applications, it is preferred that the fluid connector automatically shuts off the flow of fluid through the connector (fluid shutoff system) so that if the connector is disconnected, no fluid spillage can occur. Thus, no additional manual operation is required when connecting or disconnecting the fluid connector to avoid fluid spillage.

[0007] In the case of quick-connect / disconnect fluid couplings, various aspects must also be taken into consideration. In particular, the forces and pressures that a quick-connect / disconnect fluid coupling can handle are of course the main parameters. Furthermore, for ease of use of a quick-connect / disconnect fluid coupling, the forces required to plug the quick-connect / disconnect couplings together and the forces required to pull them apart are parameters to consider. While the required forces should not be too low to avoid accidental disconnection of the coupling and to allow for a reasonable pressure level for the fluid within the coupling, excessive forces should also be avoided to enable quick and comfortable connection and disconnection of the coupling. In this regard, it must be noted that during maintenance procedures, a large number of fluid connections often need to be established or disconnected. If the connection / disconnection forces are too high, the repetitive nature of the task will lead to significant fatigue for the mechanic and even result in health risks.

[0008] To give just one example from a wide range of different possibilities: Power electronics and electronic components in data centers do generate a lot of waste heat, which must be removed from the system to avoid overheating. Therefore, at the same time, fluid cooling using water or similar coolants is used for such systems. Typical pressures occurring are around 2 or 3 bar. Therefore, a design pressure of 5 bar is usually achieved. For typical quick-connect and disconnect fluid couplings known in the prior art (e.g., Danfoss Hansen in the UQD series (in particular the UQD02, UQD04, UQD06 and UQD08 series) as of the filing date of the priority application, ® Quick disconnect couplings) do require a disconnect force of approximately 50 N. It is easy to understand that repeatedly disconnecting hundreds of connectors with a force of 50 Newtons would be very annoying and tiring for a mechanic when disconnecting an entire computer rack for maintenance or upgrades.

[0009] Therefore, there is a need for quick connect and disconnect fluid couplings that require low forces for connection and / or disconnection while not introducing (significant) disadvantages. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The object of the present invention is to propose a quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling which is improved over the quick-connect and disconnect fluid couplings known from the prior art.

[0011] This object is achieved by a quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling according to claim 1 .

[0012] A quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling is proposed, comprising a female fluid connector and a male fluid connector, wherein the female fluid connector and the male fluid connector are arranged in an axial direction (particularly in a coupled state of the quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling).

[0013] Male fluid connectors include:

[0014] a housing having at least an axially arranged section;

[0015] A contact pressure surface is arranged at an angle relative to an axial direction of an axially arranged section of the housing of the male fluid connector.

[0016] Female fluid connectors include:

[0017] a housing having an axially arranged inner recess for accommodating an axially arranged section of the male connector,

[0018] Lock pin, and

[0019] A guide groove is provided in the housing for guiding the locking pin during movement of the locking pin, wherein the guide groove is arranged at an angle relative to the axial direction.

[0020] The male fluid connector may be reversibly secured within the female fluid connector in a locked position, wherein in the locked position, a locking pin of the female fluid connector contacts a contact pressure surface of the male fluid connector.

[0021] The angle of the guide groove and the angle of the contact pressure surface differ by at least 1°, preferably by at least 2°.

[0022] The male fluid connector is intended to be connected to a corresponding female fluid connector, completing the coupled state of the quick-connect / disconnect fluid coupling. This is achieved by a pushing motion between the female and male fluid connectors. A certain force may need to be overcome to reach this coupled position. In the coupled position, (at least) portions of the male fluid connector's housing are located within the female fluid connector's recessed portion (located within the recessed portion of the female fluid connector's housing). In the coupled position, the female fluid connector's locking pin exerts a force on the male fluid connector's contact pressure surface. To achieve this coupled position, during the closing motion of the quick-connect / disconnect fluid coupling, the locking pin is typically pushed aside by a portion of the male fluid connector's housing that is located in front of the contact pressure surface when viewed in the axial direction (particularly by an inclined surface of a protruding portion of the male fluid connector, as explained in more detail below). Then, at a certain point, a locking member snaps into place in the locked position, contacting the contact pressure surface to hold the male and female fluid connectors of the quick-connect / disconnect fluid coupling together. Movement into the snap-fit ​​position can be achieved by a mechanical biasing of the locking member. Additionally or alternatively, the movement can be achieved by mechanical contact with a guide member, in particular by (one of the side surfaces of) the guide groove (to be described in more detail later). Furthermore, when the male and female fluid connectors are to be disconnected, the locking pin will typically be moved away / out of the way by the contact pressure surface of the male fluid connector. Although some means can be provided to assist in moving the locking pin out of the way, it is possible and may even be preferred if the movement is essentially due only to the inclined surface of the contact pressure surface. That is, independently of this design detail, the connection of the quick connect and disconnect fluid coupling will be achieved partly by a force-fit connection and partly by a form-fit connection, wherein these two connection principles can advantageously work together.

[0023] Of course, the dimensions of the various components of the quick-connect / disconnect fluid coupling, particularly the dimensions of the female fluid connector's recess, and the dimensions of the components of the male fluid connector (particularly the male fluid connector's protruding portion) that will be contained within the female fluid connector's recess when the quick-connect / disconnect fluid coupling is connected (in the coupled state), must be appropriately arranged and dimensioned. Of course, one or more sealing members (e.g., O-rings, etc., where rubber or silicone can be selected as a material) can be provided to prevent fluid leakage from the coupled quick-connect / disconnect fluid coupling. How to achieve this is well known to those skilled in the art.

[0024] When the male and female fluid connectors of a quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling must be separated, a simple pulling-apart force (i.e., a force / reaction force that can be applied to the female fluid connector / male fluid connector / quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling) can be applied. This is particularly the case when the pulling force is applied to the cover member of the female fluid connector. Under the influence of the disconnection force, the retaining force of the locking member will eventually be overcome and the locking member will move in a way to clear the passage of the various parts of the male fluid connector, in particular the passage of the contact pressure surface of the male fluid connector. However, it is also possible to achieve the separation of the female and male fluid connectors by first pushing the male and female fluid connectors together (e.g., by applying a pushing force on the female fluid connector to push the female fluid connector onto the (fixedly mounted) male fluid connector) and then, by applying a pulling force (second step), pulling the female and male fluid connectors apart (e.g., by applying a pulling force to the cover member of the female fluid connector). In this way, a guide groove (as described in more detail below) can be provided in the female fluid connector to help mechanically move the locking member so that the decoupling movement of the female fluid connector and the male fluid connector becomes easier (in particular, less pulling force is required to achieve separation between the female fluid connector and the male fluid connector).

[0025] The movement of at least one locking pin towards a position that will allow the female and male fluid connectors to be coupled and / or disconnected (a position where the path for the respective parts is clear; a widened position of the locking pin; a radially outward position of the locking pin) can preferably be affected essentially only by mechanical contact with a corresponding (inclined) surface of the corresponding connector part (in particular the corresponding male fluid connector part). This may be associated with a contact pressure surface. Additionally or alternatively, it may be associated with oppositely arranged inclined surfaces of a raised portion of the corresponding fluid connector part (when viewed in the axial direction). This design may be particularly advantageous in that there is no need to grasp a special part of the respective coupling member in order to affect the opening and / or closing movement of the coupling. In other words, the respective coupling part can be grasped at essentially any location. This can prove to be very valuable when the fluid coupling is used in a very confined environment.

[0026] However, a design can also be provided in which the opening movement of at least one locking pin is influenced, assisted or promoted by a movable member, for example by a sleeve-like part that can be moved in the axial direction of the female fluid connector, and which exhibits a protrusion that is in mechanical contact with (possibly only some) of the locking pins.

[0027] The locking pins can be provided in the form of devices having different extents in the longitudinal direction. For example, a rod or a very stiff wire can be used for this. However, it is also possible to use different designs for one, more or all of the locking pins used.

[0028] As previously mentioned, the locking pin must be movable in such a way that the male fluid connector can be inserted into or removed from the female fluid connector. In principle, the locking pin can be in a first, inward position in both the fully connected and fully disconnected states, while in a second, outward position during the connection / disconnection process of a quick-connect / disconnect fluid coupling (of course, transient positions may also exist). The locking pin's first, inward position may be the same for both the fully connected and fully disconnected positions; however, the inward positions of a quick-connect / disconnect fluid coupling may differ between the fully connected and fully disconnected positions. In the first internally locked position (particularly when the male fluid connector is fully inserted into the female fluid connector, in other words, if the quick-connect / disconnect fluid coupling is fully closed / coupled, typically the locking pin(s) will contact the contact pressure surface with a certain contact pressure; but additionally and / or alternatively, also in the fully disconnected position of the quick-connect / disconnect fluid coupling), the locking pin is typically positioned such that (approximately / substantially) half of its height (thickness / diameter) protrudes into the recess of the female fluid connector housing, while (approximately / substantially) half of its height is located within the female fluid connector housing (line of sight). To this end, a movement-limiting device for the locking pin can be provided. Typically, a mechanical end stop can be used. This can be achieved by appropriately sizing the guide groove.

[0029] The direction of movement of the locking pin is not free, but is guided by the guide groove. The guide groove will guide the locking pin along a defined longitudinal direction, thereby allowing longitudinal movement along a specific path (straight line). The size (width) of the guide groove is usually selected to be slightly larger than the size (diameter) of the locking pin. In this way, a good guiding effect can be provided while there is a certain gap, thereby allowing manufacturing variations and / or reducing friction between the locking pin and the side walls of the guide groove. In addition, in the case of using a "push-pull motion" to disconnect the male and female fluid connectors, the guide groove can also help to move the locking member in a way that makes it easier to separate the female and male fluid connectors (particularly through a first pushing motion, in which the mechanical contact of one side of the guide groove with the locking member can guide the locking member in a direction directed outward in a radial direction). In addition, as previously mentioned, the guide groove can move or help move the locking pin to its locked position.

[0030] As is known in the prior art, the contact pressure surface of a male fluid connector is arranged at an angle to the axial direction of the male fluid connector / quick-connect / disconnect fluid coupling / female fluid connector. To date, a 45° angle has been chosen based on general physics considerations. From this perspective, according to the most advanced paradigm, rapid connection and disconnection can be achieved by simply applying a reasonable push / pull force, while still ensuring sufficient resilience to prevent accidental disconnection.

[0031] In the prior art, the angle of the guide groove of the female fluid connector has also been modified. Specifically, the guide groove of the known female fluid connector is arranged at an angle relative to the axial direction of the male fluid connector / quick-connect / disconnect fluid coupling / female fluid connector. To date, a 45° angle has been chosen, again based on general physics considerations. From this perspective, according to the most advanced paradigm, a quick connect / disconnect effect can be achieved by simply applying a reasonable push / pull force, while still ensuring sufficient resilience to prevent unintentional disconnection.

[0032] Since the guide groove and the contact pressure surface converge at an angle of 45°, it is absolutely standard practice to choose the angle of the contact pressure surface and the angle of the guide groove to be the same. In addition, it should be mentioned that it feels very natural to provide a smooth sliding surface for the locking pin to avoid any mechanical jamming, which will significantly increase the force required to connect the female and male fluid connectors to form a connected position / disconnect the female and male fluid connectors from the disconnected position.

[0033] However, a proposal now exists to depart from these paradigms. Specifically, it is proposed to provide a kink in the movement path of the locking pin of a quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling. In particular, it is proposed to design and arrange the quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling so that the angle of the guide groove and the angle of the contact pressure surface differ by at least 1°, preferably by at least 2°.

[0034] To both skilled and unskilled users, this slight mismatch in angles seems to be ineffective. Furthermore, the resulting kink in the guide path of the locking pin appears to cause the locking pin to mechanically jam / stick at the apex of the adjacent wing (at least to a certain degree, which may not be too large or too small). Consequently, both skilled and unskilled users would expect that the connection and / or disconnection forces would increase due to this design.

[0035] However, the inventors have surprisingly discovered that, according to first experiments, the force required to pull apart the female and male fluid connectors of a quick-connect and disconnect coupling can be significantly reduced, typically by at least 25%, and in typical settings even typically by around 35% to 40% (pull force in the case of a "pull-only motion"; push and / or pull force in the case of a "push-pull motion"). This is a completely surprising and more intuitive result. Furthermore, the reduction in the required pulling force is of an order of magnitude that was absolutely unexpected. At the same time, first measurements have shown that the resilience of the quick-connect and disconnect coupling against unintentional disconnection due to vibrations is essentially unaffected (although in the first experiment described above, a reduction in resilience of the order of less than 5% was found).

[0036] For the sake of completeness, it should be noted that for different angular differences, the resulting quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling can also achieve very good mechanical properties. In particular, the angular difference (lower limit) can also be selected to be 1.5°, 2.5°, 3°, 3.5°, 4°, 4.5° or 5°.

[0037] In particular, it is recommended that the angle of the guide groove be greater than the angle of the contact pressure surface. Initial experiments have shown that this improves the performance of quick-connect and disconnect fluid couplings. However, it is also possible to deviate from this recommendation, in particular by designing the quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling so that the angle of the guide groove is smaller than the angle of the contact pressure surface.

[0038] Furthermore, it is recommended to design quick-connect / disconnect fluid couplings so that the angle of the guide groove and the angle of the contact pressure surface do not differ by more than 10°, and preferably by no more than 5°. Initial experiments have shown that excessively large angle differences can lead to unstable connections in quick-connect / disconnect fluid couplings. In particular, vibrations can cause unintended disconnection of the quick-connect / disconnect fluid coupling, which is undesirable. Using (one of) these upper limits can avoid this while still significantly reducing the force required to disconnect the female and male fluid connectors of the quick-connect / disconnect fluid coupling. Of course, different angle difference limits (upper limits) can also be selected, such as 1.5°, 2°, 2.5°, 3°, 3.5°, 4°, 4.5°, 6°, 7°, 8°, or 9°. For the sake of completeness, it should be noted that some combinations of the upper and lower limits are not feasible, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. This may also apply to other ranges presented in this disclosure. Additionally or alternatively to the aforementioned angle differences, it should be noted that the angle of the guide groove for the locking pin should preferably be generally greater than the angle of the contact pressure surface. However, for certain designs, the opposite may actually be true.

[0039] It is further proposed to design a quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling in such a way that the angle of the guide groove of the female fluid connector is greater than 45.5°, preferably greater than 46°. Additionally or alternatively, it is proposed to design a quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling in such a way that the angle of the guide groove of the female fluid connector is less than 55°, preferably less than 50°. Similarly, different (lower) angles may be selected, such as 46.5°, 47°, 47.5°, 48°, 49°, 50°, 51°, 52°, 53°, 54°, or 55°, while additionally or alternatively, upper angles such as 60°, 59°, 58°, 57°, 56°, 54°, 53°, 52°, 51°, 49°, 48°, 47.7°, or 46.5° may also be selected. According to first experiments, such angles appear to advantageously reduce the required pulling force, while the likelihood of accidental disconnection of the quick-connect and disconnect coupling remains low, even under the influence of vibration or other forces that may occur during standard operating requirements.

[0040] Similarly, it is recommended to design a quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling in such a way that the angle of the contact pressure surface of the male fluid connector is less than 44.5°, preferably less than 44°. Additionally or alternatively, it is recommended to design a quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling in such a way that the angle of the contact pressure surface of the male fluid connector is greater than 35°, preferably greater than 40°. Similar to the above, different (upper) angles may also be selected, such as 43.5°, 43°, 42.5°, 42°, 41°, 40°, 39°, 38°, 37°, 36°, or 35°. Similarly, in addition or alternatively, different (lower) angles may also be used, such as 30°, 31°, 32°, 33°, 34°, 36°, 37°, 38°, 39°, 41°, 42°, 42.5°, or 43.5°. Likewise, according to first experiments, such an angle appears to advantageously reduce the required pulling force, while at the same time the probability of accidental disconnection of the quick connect and disconnect coupling remains low even under the influence of vibrations or other forces that may occur during standard operating requirements.

[0041] For the sake of completeness, it should be noted that standard female and / or standard male fluid connectors may also be employed. When discussing standard female / male fluid connectors, this can generally be interpreted as meaning a female / male fluid connector known in the prior art that is not designed according to currently disclosed proposals and / or is not particularly adapted for use with currently proposed male / female fluid connector types. More specifically, this can refer to a female / male fluid connector that includes a 45° angle. Furthermore, the "standard" in "standard female fluid connector" / "standard male fluid connector" can even be omitted.

[0042] Another possible embodiment of a quick-connect and quick-disconnect fluid coupling (particularly the female fluid connector portion thereof) can be achieved if the locking pin of the female fluid connector is mechanically biased toward a locked position. This can be achieved using a resilient member, such as a mechanical spring, a rubber material, or the like. In particular, the locking pin can be designed as a U-shaped member, wherein the arms of the U-shaped member are urged together by the resilient properties of the so-called base portion of the U-shaped member of the locking pin. This provides the locking performance of the locking pin in a simple, inexpensive, and efficient manner.

[0043] Preferably, the quick connect and disconnect fluid connector is designed and arranged in such a way that the female fluid connector and / or the male fluid connector includes a fluid shut-off system. Preferably, both the female fluid connector and the male fluid connector include a fluid shut-off system. In this way, even when the components of the male fluid connector / female fluid connector / quick connect and disconnect fluid connector are in the (completely) disconnected position, the loss / overflow of fluid is advantageously prevented / suppressed. This is not only advantageous because there is no fluid loss. On the contrary, overflowing liquid may cause a short circuit or other damage to the surrounding environment, which of course should be avoided. The design principles for achieving this function are well known to those skilled in the art. In particular, so-called "planar connectors", "planar plugs" and the like are well known in the prior art.

[0044] The female fluid connector may include at least two locking pins and / or guide slots and / or may include symmetrically arranged locking pins and / or guide slots. This advantageously avoids significant tangential or radial forces in the primary direction (particularly in the tangential or radial direction) of the quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling. For example, this can prevent significant differences in the tangential or radial forces that could cause the quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling to disconnect (due to vibration or bending forces generated by the hose connected to the fluid coupling). This is generally a beneficial feature of such quick-connect and disconnect fluid couplings.

[0045] Furthermore, the quick-connect and disconnect coupling can be designed and arranged in such a way that the female fluid connector can include at least one cover member that covers at least the area including the guide groove and / or the locking pin (thus "indirectly" covering the contact pressure surface / protrusion of the male fluid connector). This protects the guide groove / locking pin from external influences, thereby improving the reliability of the device. Furthermore, external influences on the locking pin that could affect the contact pressure of the locking pin on the contact pressure surface, and thus the holding force holding the male and female fluid connectors together, can be advantageously reduced. The cover member can be provided in the form of a sleeve-like member. Furthermore, some grip-enhancing surfaces can be provided to facilitate manual handling of the corresponding parts (simply using the fingers).

[0046] The cover member can be designed and arranged in such a way that it cannot move in the axial direction relative to the main housing of the female fluid connector. However, radial / circumferential movement is possible. However, it is typically preferred if the cover member is fixedly attached to the main housing of the female fluid connector. In this way, wear and / or degradation of the female fluid connector over time can be reduced. It should be noted that with this design, the cover member is generally not able to assist the opening movement of at least one locking pin (basically a paradigm design consideration for fluid couplings according to the prior art). The opening movement of the locking pin is then (basically) only affected by the inclined surface of the corresponding fluid connector. In particular, the inclined surface (more particularly the (inclined) contact pressure surface of the corresponding male fluid connector) can be considered.

[0047] Furthermore, the quick connect / disconnect coupling can be designed and arranged in such a way that the male fluid connector is provided with a raised portion of the housing. Furthermore, the raised portion can also include an inclined surface facing away from the contact pressure surface. The raised portion can be provided in any suitable manner. For example, the raised portion can be formed by deforming the housing of the male fluid connector. This typically creates a corresponding recess on the inner side of the housing wall of the male fluid connector. Essentially, all known material deformation processes can be used for this purpose. Furthermore, material removal techniques can be used, such as starting with a solid piece of material or a thick-walled tube and applying turning techniques to remove material. However, the raised portion can also be provided by additional material. Thus, the raised portion can be provided as a solid piece of material. Such a housing can also be produced using additive processing techniques. For example, the additional material can be applied by welding some additional material to the exterior of the male fluid connector housing. The raised portion can include not only the contact pressure surface (on one side thereof, as viewed in the axial direction). Instead, the raised portion can also include an inclined surface, particularly on the side opposite the side providing the contact pressure surface. It should be noted that the angle of the inclined surface may be different, even significantly different, than the angle of the contact pressure surface. This is because for the inclined surface, no retaining force is required to hold the quick connect and disconnect fluid coupler together. On the contrary, it is generally desirable to use an angle that is smaller than the contact pressure surface (for example, the angle may be between 20°, 25° or 30° and 30°, 35° or 40°). In this way, the force required to couple the female and male fluid connectors together can be advantageously reduced. Furthermore, a so-called flat circumferential surface (i.e., a surface parallel to the axial direction) can be provided, in particular between the contact pressure surface and the inclined surface. In this way, the corresponding part of the male fluid connector is generally less susceptible to damage due to external influences.

[0048] Furthermore, it is recommended to design the quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling in such a way that the male fluid connector includes symmetrically arranged contact pressure surfaces and / or includes symmetrically arranged inclined surfaces, preferably in such a way that the quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling includes a single circumferentially arranged contact pressure surface and / or includes a single circumferentially arranged inclined surface. This makes it possible to connect the male and female fluid connectors together regardless of their relative angular position. Furthermore, the design of the male fluid connector can be made relatively simple. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] Other advantages, features and objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which show:

[0050] Figure 1 : Schematic cross section of a possible embodiment of a quick connect and disconnect fluid coupling, comprising a female fluid connector and a male fluid connector in a fully disconnected state;

[0051] Figure 2 :according to Figure 1 Schematic cross-section of a possible embodiment of a quick connect and disconnect fluid coupling in a fully connected state;

[0052] Figure 3 :according to Figure 1 and Figure 2 Schematic top view of a housing component of a quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] Figure 1 A schematic cross-section of a quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling 1 according to the present disclosure is shown in a fully disconnected position. The quick-connect and disconnect coupling 1 comprises a female fluid connector 2 and a male fluid connector 3. The male fluid connector 2 comprises a housing 4 (base housing) having an inner recess 5 into which a protruding portion 6 of the male fluid connector 3 can be inserted (connection / coupling position, see Figure 2 ). More details on the design of the housing 4 can also be found in Figure 3 expansion, including Figure 3 The housing 4 is shown without any additional parts, and Figure 3 A schematic top view (with Figure 1 and Figure 2 on the contrary, Figure 1 and 2 Additional parts are shown mounted to the male fluid connector 2 and a schematic cross section is depicted).

[0054] As can be seen from the figure, the quick-connect and disconnect coupling 1 and its corresponding subassembly parts (at least most of them) are designed to be substantially rotationally symmetrical about the axial direction 7, as indicated by the double-headed arrows in the figure. Most of the parts also show a significant longitudinal extent in the axial direction 7, which is a normal condition for the quick-connect and disconnect coupling 1.

[0055] As can be seen from the figure, the quick connect and disconnect coupler 1 is designed as a fluid shut-off system. Therefore, in the disconnected state, the fluid flow through the end faces 8a, 8b of the female and male fluid connectors 2, 3 is inhibited by mechanically biased valve members 9a, 9b, as is known in the prior art. The valve members 9a, 9b are mechanically biased in their sealing position by respective mechanical springs 10a, 10b, as is known in the prior art. In the connected position of the quick connect and disconnect coupler 1 (see FIG. 1 ), the fluid flow through the end faces 8a, 8b of the female and male fluid connectors 2, 3 is inhibited by mechanically biased valve members 9a, 9b, as is known in the prior art. Figure 2 ), the valve members 9a, 9b are moved out of their fluid blocking positions, the fluid completely flows through the end faces 8a, 8b of the female fluid connector 2 and the male fluid connector 3, and is thus allowed to pass through the quick-connect and disconnect coupler 1. In this way, simple operation of the quick-connect and disconnect coupler 1 is possible while avoiding fluid spillage in the disconnected state of the quick-connect and disconnect coupler 1.

[0056] For the sake of completeness only, it should be noted that in the presently illustrated embodiment of the quick connect and disconnect coupling 1, a plurality of O-rings 11 are provided to achieve a fluid-tight seal. The O-rings can be made of any suitable material, such as rubber or silicone. The details are well known and apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0057] The housing of the female fluid connector 2 currently also includes two locations along the outer circumference of the substantially cylindrical housing 4, in which guide grooves 12 are provided. A corresponding locking pin 13 is arranged in the guide groove 12. The locking pin 13 can move along the longitudinal extent of the groove 12, that is, along a straight path. In the direction toward the interior of the housing 4, that is, toward the recess 5 of the housing 4, the movability of the locking pin 13 is limited by the corresponding end faces 14 of the guide groove 12. These end faces 14 serve as mechanical limiters for the movement of the locking pin 13. The dimensions (width / thickness / diameter) of the locking pin 13 and the guide groove 12 are selected to correspond to each other. In particular, a slight gap can be seen to reduce friction; however, the permitted movement of the locking pin 13 is essentially limited to movement in the direction of the guide groove 13 (in other words: essentially no lateral movement is allowed).

[0058] The end face 14 is positioned in such a way that, in the innermost position of the locking pin 13, approximately half of the height (thickness / diameter) of the locking pin 13 is located within the recess 5 of the housing 4, while the other half is located on the inner side of the wall of the housing 4 as seen from the viewer. For the sake of completeness, the locking pin 13 is usually mechanically biased to move to the innermost position (contact is established between the end face 14 of the guide groove 12 and the locking pin 13), as shown in FIG. Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown.

[0059] In this embodiment, the angle α about the axial direction 7 and the direction of the guide groove 12 is selected to be 45.5°. This is slightly larger than the convergence angle α of 45° used for quick-connect and disconnect couplings 1 / female fluid connectors 2, as they are known and widely used in the prior art.

[0060] To establish a fluid connection between the female and male fluid connectors 2, 3, it is sufficient to push the corresponding components 2, 3 together. Consequently, the protruding portion 6 of the male fluid connector 3 will enter the recess 5 of the female fluid connector 2. At a certain point, the locking pin 13 will come into contact with the inclined surface 19, which is arranged along the outer circumference of the housing 15 of the male fluid connector 3 along the raised portion 17. It should be noted that the rotational symmetry of the arrangement can (and usually is) disrupted by the locking pin 13 and / or the guide groove 13. In contrast, the inclined surface 19, the flat annular surface 20, the contact pressure surface 16, and / or the raised portion 17 can be designed to be rotationally symmetrical, for example in the form of two (and oppositely directed) partial cones / partial truncated cones.

[0061] During the coupling movement, after initial contact is established between the locking pins 13 and the inclined surfaces 19, further movement of pushing the female and male fluid connectors 2, 3 together will cause the locking pins 13 to move outward within their respective guide slots 12, making way for corresponding raised portions 17 of the housing 15 of the male fluid connector 3. The locking pins 13 will then reach a position furthest from the central axis as they slide along the flat annular surface 20 of the raised portion 17 of the housing 15 of the male fluid connector 3.

[0062] Finally, the locking pin 13 will eventually have to pass through the furthest protruding portion (i.e., the annular surface 20) of the raised portion 17 of the housing 15. The mechanical bias of the locking pin 13 will now cause the locking pin 13 to move inwardly along the (rearward) contact pressure surface 16 of the raised portion 17 of the housing 15. Additionally or alternatively, (one side surface) of the guide groove 12 may (help) push the locking pin 13 toward its locked position. Finally, the (fully) connected position of the quick connect and disconnect coupling 1 is reached, as shown in FIG. Figure 2Here, the female fluid connector 2 and the male fluid connector 3 are held together in a locked state, which is achieved by the locking pin 13 pressing on the contact pressure surface 16. To some extent, it can be said that according to Figure 2 This locked position is partly a force-fit connection and partly a positive-locking connection.

[0063] The angle β between the contact pressure surface 16 and the axial direction 7 of the male fluid connector 3 / quick-connect and disconnect coupling 1 is currently selected to be 44.5°. This is slightly smaller than the current convergence angle β of 45° used in quick-connect and disconnect couplings 1 / male fluid connectors 3 known and widely used in the prior art. In particular, in this embodiment, the angle α is greater than the angle β, although the exact angle selection is generally irrelevant.

[0064] Taken together, while the slight increase in the value of angle α from 45° to 45.5° and the slight decrease in the value of angle β from 45° to 44.5° might seem insignificant, the opposite is actually true. In fact, a mere 1° difference in the two angles α and β has a significant effect in reducing the force required to disconnect the female and male fluid connectors 2 and 3. This is quantitatively illustrated in Table 1, which shows the forces required to disconnect the two parts 2 and 3 of the quick-connect and disconnect couplings 1 for different angle differences |α-β|. However, the quick-connect and disconnect couplings 1 still exhibit sufficient resilience to prevent accidental disconnection, etc. This will be further elucidated below. For the sake of completeness, it should be noted that different pairings of angles α and β are possible (even with a constant angle difference of |α-β| = 1°), such as α = 46° and β = 45°, or α = 45° and β = 44°. Of course, other combinations with the same angle difference (|α-β| = 1°) or different angle differences are also possible. (In particular, these statements may also apply to the different mechanical settings of the quick-connect and disconnect fluid couplings of the present disclosure.)

[0065] This locking mechanism of the quick connect and disconnect coupling 1 provides a sufficiently large locking force such that an unnecessary disconnection of the two connector parts 2 , 3 is substantially avoided.

[0066] To achieve the (desired) disconnection of the connector parts 2, 3 of the quick connect and disconnect coupling 1, the female fluid connector 2 and the male fluid connector 3 only need to be pulled apart with an appropriate force, especially when the "pull-only disconnect method" is used. The angle β of the contact pressure surface 16 will then engage with the guide groove 12 of the housing 4 of the female fluid connector 2, causing the locking pin 13 to move in the outward direction (at Figure 2 , the upper locking pin 13 moves partially to the left and partially upward, and the lower locking pin 13 moves partially to the left and partially downward), again making way for the raised portion 17 of the housing 15 of the male fluid connector 3.

[0067] However, disconnection of the two connector parts 2, 3 of the quick connect and disconnect coupling 1 can also be achieved by pushing the female fluid connector 2 toward the male fluid connector 3 in a first step and then pulling the female fluid connector 2 away from the male fluid connector 3 in a second step (a "push-pull disconnection method"). Here, (a side surface of) the guide groove 12 can help initially move the locking pin 13 in the radially outward direction by a certain, possibly relatively small, distance, thereby reducing the pulling force required to further move the locking pin 13 in the radially outward direction (to clear the way for the protrusion 17 to pass through the final opening of the locking pin 13).

[0068] For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned that in the embodiment shown so far, the opening movement of the locking pin 13 is essentially influenced only by the inclined surfaces. In particular, this concerns the inclined surface 19 of the raised portion 17 during the coupling movement of the two connector parts 2, 3. In addition, this concerns the inclined contact pressure surface 16 of the raised portion 17 during the disconnection movement of the two connector parts 2, 3.

[0069] In order to protect the movable parts of the female fluid connector 2, in particular the locking pin 13 within the guide groove 12, a protective sleeve 18 is provided for the female fluid connector 2. In the embodiment shown so far, the protective sleeve 18 is shown as a portion having a corrugated surface, so that it is easy to grasp with bare fingers. In addition, the protective sleeve 18 is fixedly attached to the main housing 4 of the female fluid connector 2. This can be accomplished by bonding, welding, welding, or any other suitable fixing technique known in the art.

[0070] Because the closing and / or opening motions in industrial applications using the currently proposed quick-connect and disconnect coupling 1 occur not just once but often hundreds of times, the force required to connect and / or disconnect the coupling 1 is a significant consideration. For example, if a technician in a data center with liquid-cooled computing components must disconnect all fluid connections in a single computer rack, they typically must perform a hundred or more fluid connection / disconnection activities required for a single computer rack. Therefore, due to the repetitive nature of the fluid connection / disconnection actions, the required disconnection force is a significant factor in workplace safety.

[0071] According to prior art quick connect and disconnect fluid couplings, the required disconnection force is generally around 45 to 50N.

[0072] When using the currently suggested angles, surprisingly, only a small change in (some) angles (angle differences) can lead to a surprisingly large reduction in the required disconnection force (using the "pull-only disconnection method"). Even a single degree of offset can reduce the disconnection force by approximately 35%. This was confirmed by measurements using experimental test samples of the disclosed device. However, the resulting quick-connect and disconnect coupling 1 still has a high degree of resilience, preventing accidental disconnection of the female and male fluid connectors 2 and 3.

[0073] The experimental results at different angles are shown in Table 1.

[0074]

[0075] Table 1

[0076] It should be noted that single or multiple features of one, several or all detailed embodiments of the present disclosure may be used in combination with the general description of the present disclosure.

[0077] Additional information was disclosed in two applications filed by the same applicant on the same day under applicant's reference numbers DAN2401INDEEP (PA18153EP01) and DAN2402INDEEP (PA18160EP01), wherein DAN2401INDEEP (PA18153EP01) claims priority to Indian patent application IN202411018475 filed on March 14, 2024, and German patent application DE 10 2024 111 733.8 filed on April 25, 2024, and DAN2402INDEEP (PA18160EP01) claims priority to Indian patent application IN202411018473 filed on March 14, 2024, and German patent application DE 10 2024 111 735.4 filed on April 25, 2024. The disclosures of such applications are deemed to be fully incorporated into the present application file.

[0078] Reference Signs List

[0079] 1 Quick connect and disconnect fluid couplings

[0080] 2 female fluid connectors

[0081] 3 Male fluid connectors

[0082] 4 Housing

[0083] 5 Recess of female fluid connector

[0084] 6 Male fluid connector protrusion

[0085] 7 Axial direction

[0086] 8 End face

[0087] 9 Valve component

[0088] 10 Mechanical Spring

[0089] 11 O-ring

[0090] 12 guide slots

[0091] 13 Locking pin

[0092] 14 End face

[0093] 15 Male fluid connector housing

[0094] 16 Contact pressure surface

[0095] 17 Raised portion of the male fluid connector housing

[0096] 18 protective sleeve

[0097] 19 Inclined Surface

[0098] 20 annular segments.

Claims

1. A quick connect and disconnect fluid coupling (1), comprising a female fluid connector (2) and a male fluid connector (3), wherein the female fluid connector (2) and the male fluid connector (3) are arranged in an axial direction (7); The male fluid connector (3) comprises: a housing (15) having at least an axially arranged section (6); a contact pressure surface (16) arranged at an angle (β) relative to an axial direction (7) of an axially arranged section of the housing (15) of the male fluid connector (3); The female fluid connector (2) comprises: a housing (4) having an axially arranged inner recess (5) for accommodating an axially arranged section (6) of the male connector (3), Lock pin (13), and a guide groove (12) provided in the housing (4) for guiding the locking pin (13) during movement of the locking pin (13), wherein the guide groove (12) is arranged at an angle (α) relative to the axial direction (7); wherein the male fluid connector (3) is reversibly fixable in the female fluid connector (2) in a locked position ( FIG. 2 ), wherein in the locked position ( FIG. 2 ), the locking pin ( 13 ) of the female fluid connector ( 2 ) contacts the contact pressure surface ( 16 ) of the male fluid connector ( 3 ), It is characterized in that the angle (α) of the guide groove (12) differs from the angle (β) of the contact pressure surface (16) by at least 1°, preferably by at least 2°.

2. The quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that The angle (α) of the guide groove (12) is greater than the angle (β) of the contact pressure surface (16).

3. A quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The angle (α) of the guide groove (12) and the angle (β) of the contact pressure surface (16) differ by no more than 10°, preferably no more than 5°.

4. A quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The angle (α) of the guide groove (12) of the female fluid connector (2) is greater than 45.5°, preferably greater than 46°, and / or is characterized in that The angle (α) of the guide groove (12) of the female fluid connector (2) is smaller than 55°, preferably smaller than 50°.

5. Quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The angle (β) of the contact pressure surface (16) of the male fluid connector (3) is smaller than 44.5°, preferably smaller than 44°, and / or is characterized in that The angle (β) of the contact pressure surface (16) of the male fluid connector (3) is greater than 35°, preferably greater than 40°.

6. Quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The locking pin (13) of the female fluid connector (2) is mechanically biased in the direction towards the locked position (Figure 2).

7. Quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The female fluid connector (2) and / or the male fluid connector (3), preferably both, comprise a fluid shut-off system (9a).

8. Quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The female fluid connector (2) comprises at least two locking pins (13) and / or guide slots (12), and / or is characterized in that the female fluid connector (2) comprises symmetrically arranged locking pins (13) and / or guide slots (12).

9. Quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The female fluid connector comprises at least one cover member (18), which covers at least a region including the guide groove (13) and / or the locking pin (12).

10. Quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The contact pressure surface (16) of the male fluid connector (3) is provided by a raised portion (17) of the housing (15), wherein preferably, the raised portion (17) further comprises an inclined surface (19) facing away from the contact pressure surface (16).

11. Quick-connect and disconnect fluid coupling (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The symmetrically arranged contact pressure surfaces (16) and / or the symmetrically arranged inclined surfaces (19), preferably a single circumferentially arranged contact pressure surface and / or a single circumferentially arranged inclined surface (19).

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