Floating plug and fluid connector assembly
By designing the radial clearance and return elastic structure of the floating plug in the fluid connector, the problem of large space occupied by the blind-plug fluid connector is solved, the miniaturization of the fluid connector and the improvement of the structural accuracy and aesthetics of the server are achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202422404402.X
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-09-30
- Publication Date
- 2025-09-16
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-09-30
AI Technical Summary
In order to take into account the larger radial floating tolerance and angular floating tolerance, the existing blind-mate fluid connector needs to add a floating module, which causes the entire floating plug to occupy a larger space and easily causes the server structure to deform, affecting the aesthetics and precision.
A floating plug is designed. By setting a radial gap and a return elastic structure between the transmission core tube and the plug shell, radial floating and angular deflection of the medium transmission channel are achieved, the medium transmission structure is simplified, the overall radial size is reduced, and the separation force between the plug and the socket is reduced by a stop structure and a return spring.
While ensuring a large floating tolerance, the overall space occupied by the floating plug is reduced, the structural accuracy and aesthetics of the server are improved, the requirements for the locking strength of the server are reduced, and structural deformation is avoided.
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Figure CN223344947U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of fluid connectors, in particular to a floating plug and a fluid connector assembly. Background Art
[0002] With the increasing demand for heat flux density, the heat dissipation requirements for high-power, high-heat flux density electronic equipment are also constantly improving. Traditional air cooling technology has gradually failed to meet the demand for rapid heat dissipation. Liquid cooling technology has become the first choice for heat dissipation of high-power, high-heat flux density electronic equipment and an inevitable trend in the data center field due to its high heat dissipation efficiency, strong heat dissipation capacity, low noise, compact structure, energy saving and consumption reduction.
[0003] Cold plate liquid-cooled servers are widely adopted due to their high technical maturity and low cost. These servers come in two types: manual-plug and blind-plug architectures. The blind-plug architecture eliminates the need to manually connect the cooling, power, and data transmission circuits. Instead, a blind-plug fluid connector is installed at a single node in the server, working in conjunction with the cabinet's manifold connector. Simply push the server node into place to automatically connect the cooling, power, and data transmission circuits. Cold plate servers with this blind-plug architecture offer convenient connection and flexible layout, promising applications with unmanned operation and maintenance. While the blind-plug architecture allows for one-time transmission, ensuring convenient transmission, this connection structure imposes high machining tolerances on the relative mounting position between the server node and the cabinet, and increases the difficulty of installing the connector assembly. Failure to meet these requirements can result in misalignment between the blind-plug fluid connector plug and receptacle. Forced insertion and removal at an angle can also cause mechanical damage and leakage, potentially damaging the fluid connector and causing server downtime.
[0004] Conventional blind-mate fluid connectors have a certain floating tolerance. For example, a fluid connector assembly disclosed in Chinese invention patent application publication number CN104565629B can accommodate misalignment caused by minor errors, but cannot accommodate angular errors. Data center servers are typically large in size and have low machining precision. The floating capacity of conventional blind-mate fluid connectors cannot accommodate the machining errors of liquid-cooled servers, nor can it solve the difficulty in mating caused by angular errors. Therefore, it is often necessary to use existing blind-mate fluid connectors in conjunction with floating modules. For example, a fluid connector socket and fluid connector assembly disclosed in Chinese invention patent application publication number CN117685439A achieves a larger floating tolerance and more degrees of freedom by placing the existing fluid connector in a floating module. However, the addition of a floating module inevitably increases manufacturing costs. Moreover, since the floating module needs to be installed inside a single server node, it encroaches on the internal space of the server node, making the arrangement space of electronic components in the server node tight. In addition, the server is usually a structural frame assembled by processing sheet metal, and its load-bearing capacity is limited. The existing blind-plug fluid connector needs to overcome the separation force generated between the plug and socket in order to maintain the plugged-in state after the plug and socket are inserted into place, which can easily cause deformation of the server's main structure and affect the structural accuracy and aesthetics of the server. Utility Model Content
[0005] The present invention aims to provide a floating plug to address the problem of existing blind-mate fluid connectors requiring a floating module to accommodate both large radial and angular floating tolerances, resulting in the larger space occupied by the entire floating plug. The present invention also provides a fluid connector assembly utilizing the floating plug to address the same issue.
[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the utility model provides a floating plug, including a plug housing, a mounting inner cavity extending forward and backward in the plug housing, a transmission core tube for transmitting a medium being installed in the mounting inner cavity, a front end of the transmission core tube extending out of the mounting inner cavity being sealed and connected to a plug tube, the plug tube being communicated with the inner cavity of the transmission core tube, a valve port being provided at the front end of the plug tube, a movable valve core cooperating with the valve port being provided in the plug tube, a valve core spring being provided on the rear side of the movable valve core, the valve core spring maintaining the movable valve core in a position sealingly cooperating with the valve port in a natural state, a radial gap being provided between the transmission core tube and the plug housing so that the transmission core tube can float and / or deflect radially in order to adapt to the insertion of the plug, a return-to-center elastic structure being provided between the transmission core tube and the plug housing to prompt the plug tube to return to the center after the plug is detached from the socket.
[0007] Furthermore, a stopping structure for stopping the transmission core tube in the forward direction is provided in the plug housing, and a return spring for providing elastic force to the transmission core tube forward is also provided in the plug housing to elastically press the transmission core tube against the stopping structure.
[0008] Furthermore, the installation inner cavity of the plug housing is a stepped inner cavity, including a large diameter section and a small diameter section. The stopping structure is a step structure formed at the transition between the large diameter section and the small diameter section. A conical convex ring is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the tube body of the transmission core tube, and the step structure cooperates with the conical surface of the conical convex ring for stopping.
[0009] Furthermore, the reset spring is a conical spring, with a large diameter end pressed against the plug housing and a small diameter end pressed against the rear side surface of the conical convex ring.
[0010] Furthermore, an annular groove for installing a return-to-center elastic structure is provided in the small-diameter section of the installation inner cavity. The return-to-center elastic structure is an annular spring installed in the annular groove. The transmission core tube passes through the inner hole of the annular spring, and the inner side of the annular spring elastically supports the transmission core tube.
[0011] Furthermore, the annular spring is formed by winding a metal spring wire in a triangular spiral along a circumference, the vertex of the triangle is located on the inner side of the circumference so that the annular spring has an inner support sharp angle, and the base of the triangle is located on the outer side of the circumference so that the annular spring has an outer mounting circumference, the annular spring is mounted in the annular groove through the outer mounting circumference, and the annular spring (10) elastically supports the transmission core tube through the inner support sharp angle.
[0012] Furthermore, the groove walls on both sides of the annular groove are inverted structures to constrain the annular spring to retract inward.
[0013] Furthermore, the centering elastic mechanism includes a hollow tube body, and at least two outward-extending punching spring arms are provided on the side wall of the tube body. The ends of the punching spring arms are tightly pressed against the bottom of the annular groove. The transmission core tube passes through the tube body and fits against the inner side surface of the tube body to elastically support the tube body.
[0014] Furthermore, the centering elastic mechanism includes a hollow tube body, and at least two inwardly extending punching spring arms are provided on the side wall of the tube body. The ends of the punching spring arms press against the outer tube wall of the transmission core tube, and the outer side surface of the tube body is installed in the annular groove.
[0015] The present invention provides a new floating plug, wherein a radial gap is provided between the transmission core tube and the plug housing so that the transmission core tube can radially float and deflect relative to the plug housing; a centering elastic structure is provided between the transmission core tube and the plug housing to prompt the plug tube to return to the center after the plug is detached from the socket, so that the floating plug itself can achieve large floating in the radial and angular directions; the pipe body docking structure such as the transmission core tube and the plug tube is used as a medium transmission channel; on the basis of achieving medium transmission, the overall structure is simple and the radial size is small; in this way, while ensuring the floating gap between the transmission core tube and the plug housing, the radial size of the plug housing can be reduced, thereby solving the problem that the existing blind-plug fluid connector needs to add a floating module in order to take into account the large radial floating tolerance and the angular floating tolerance, resulting in the entire floating plug occupying a large space.
[0016] The fluid connector assembly of the present invention includes a floating plug and a socket, the floating plug including a plug housing, a mounting inner cavity extending forward and backward in the plug housing, a transmission core tube for transmitting a medium being passed through the mounting inner cavity, a front end of the transmission core tube extending out of the mounting inner cavity being sealedly connected to a plug tube, the plug tube being communicated with the inner cavity of the transmission core tube, a valve port being provided at the front end of the plug tube, a movable valve core cooperating with the valve port being provided in the plug tube, a valve core spring being provided at the rear side of the movable valve core, the valve core spring maintaining the movable valve core in a position of sealing cooperation with the valve port in a natural state, a radial gap being provided between the transmission core tube and the plug housing so that the transmission core tube can float and / or deflect radially in order to adapt to the insertion of the plug, a return-to-center elastic structure being provided between the transmission core tube and the plug housing so as to urge the plug tube to return to the center after the plug is detached from the socket; the socket including a socket housing, a socket housing being provided with an outwardly expanding guide surface at a port near the plugging end for guiding the plug tube of the floating plug during plugging.
[0017] Furthermore, a stopping structure for stopping the transmission core tube in the forward direction is provided in the plug housing, and a return spring for providing elastic force to the transmission core tube forward is also provided in the plug housing to elastically press the transmission core tube against the stopping structure.
[0018] Furthermore, the installation inner cavity of the plug housing is a stepped inner cavity, including a large diameter section and a small diameter section. The stopping structure is a step structure formed at the transition between the large diameter section and the small diameter section. A conical convex ring is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the tube body of the transmission core tube, and the step structure cooperates with the conical surface of the conical convex ring for stopping.
[0019] Furthermore, the reset spring is a conical spring, with a large diameter end pressed against the plug housing and a small diameter end pressed against the rear side surface of the conical convex ring.
[0020] Furthermore, an annular groove for installing a return-to-center elastic structure is provided in the small-diameter section of the installation inner cavity. The return-to-center elastic structure is an annular spring installed in the annular groove. The transmission core tube passes through the inner hole of the annular spring, and the inner side of the annular spring elastically supports the transmission core tube.
[0021] Furthermore, the annular spring is formed by winding a metal spring wire in a triangular spiral along a circle. The vertex of the triangle is on the inner side of the circle so that the annular spring has an inner support sharp angle, and the base of the triangle is on the outer side of the circle so that the annular spring has an outer mounting circumference. The annular spring is installed in the annular groove through the outer mounting circumference, and the annular spring elastically supports the transmission core tube through the inner support sharp angle.
[0022] Furthermore, the groove walls on both sides of the annular groove are inverted structures to constrain the annular spring to retract inward.
[0023] Furthermore, the centering elastic mechanism includes a hollow tube body, and at least two outward-extending punching spring arms are provided on the side wall of the tube body. The ends of the punching spring arms are tightly pressed against the bottom of the annular groove. The transmission core tube passes through the tube body and fits against the inner side surface of the tube body to elastically support the tube body.
[0024] Furthermore, the centering elastic mechanism includes a hollow tube body, and at least two inwardly extending punching spring arms are provided on the side wall of the tube body. The ends of the punching spring arms press against the outer tube wall of the transmission core tube, and the outer side surface of the tube body is installed in the annular groove.
[0025] Furthermore, the outward-expanding guide surface is an inner conical surface.
[0026] The present utility model provides a fluid connector assembly. By optimizing the floating plug structure in the fluid connector assembly and adopting a simple tube body docking structure as a medium transmission channel, the radial size of the floating plug as a whole is reduced to a certain extent. As a result, the fluid connector assembly can take into account a larger radial floating tolerance and an angular floating tolerance while avoiding the problem of a larger floating plug occupying space due to the addition of a floating module, which further has a beneficial effect on the miniaturization of the fluid connector assembly as a whole and improves the structural accuracy and aesthetics of the server. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of a blind plug architecture server;
[0028] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A partial enlarged schematic diagram of point A in the middle;
[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the floating plug and fluid connector assembly of the present invention being applied inside a blind-plug architecture server;
[0030] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the floating plug and socket of the utility model;
[0031] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the floating plug and socket of the utility model from another perspective;
[0032] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the floating plug and socket of the utility model from another perspective;
[0033] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the floating plug of the present invention;
[0034] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the floating plug and socket of the utility model in the plugged-in state;
[0035] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the floating plug and the socket of the present invention in a state where the axes are concentric;
[0036] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the floating plug and socket of the present invention floating in the radial direction;
[0037] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the floating plug and socket of the present invention when they deflect in the radial direction;
[0038] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the floating plug and socket of the present invention floating and deflecting simultaneously in the radial direction;
[0039] Figure 13 This is a structural schematic diagram of a centering elastic structure of the present invention in an installed state;
[0040] Figure 14 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a centering elastic structure of the present invention in an installed state;
[0041] Figure 15 It is a structural schematic diagram showing a centering elastic structure of the floating plug of the present invention in an extruded state when the floating plug is radially floating;
[0042] Figure 16 A three-dimensional structural diagram of an embodiment of the centering elastic structure of the present utility model;
[0043] Figure 17 for Figure 15 The three-dimensional structure diagram of the centering elastic structure from another perspective;
[0044] Figure 18 This is a structural diagram of a second embodiment of the center-restoring elastic structure of the present invention;
[0045] Figure 19 This is a structural diagram of a third embodiment of the centering elastic structure of the present invention;
[0046] In the figure: 1. Server cabinet; 11. Server single node; 12. Water distributor; 2. Floating plug; 21. Plug housing; 211. Annular groove; 212. Inverted structure; 22. Transmission core tube; 221. Conical convex ring; 222. Outer convex ring; 23. Plug-in tube; 24. Movable valve core; 25. Valve core spring; 26. Return elastic structure; 261. Tube body; 262. Punching spring arm; 3. Socket; 31. Socket housing; 311. Outward expansion guide surface; 32. Sliding bushing; 33. Support structure; 34. Fixed valve core; 35. Socket valve core spring; 4. Floating plug mounting bracket; 5. Hose; 6. Sealing ring; 7. Stop structure; 8. Reset spring; 9. Mounting nut; 10. Annular spring; 101. Vertex; 102. Bottom. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0047] The features and performance of the present invention are further described in detail below in conjunction with the embodiments.
[0048] For the sake of convenience in the following explanation, the "front" and "rear" of a floating plug refer to the end of the floating plug closest to the plug-in end of the socket and the end facing away from the plug-in end, respectively; the "front" and "rear" of a socket refer to the end of the socket closest to the plug-in end of the floating plug and the end facing away from the plug-in end, respectively.
[0049] The utility model provides a new floating plug, which uses a transmission core tube for transmitting the medium and a sealing connection of a plug-in tube for plugging with a socket as a medium transmission channel, simplifies the medium transmission structure and has a smaller radial dimension. It is floatingly assembled with the shell, so that the radial dimension of the floating plug as a whole can be reduced on the basis of meeting the floating clearance, which not only simplifies the structure but also reduces its overall occupied space.
[0050] The present invention provides a fluid connector assembly comprising a receptacle and a floating plug. The receptacle includes a receptacle housing. When the floating plug and receptacle are mated, the floating plug connects to the receptacle via an outwardly flared guide surface provided on the receptacle housing near the mating end. The floating plug includes a plug housing having a mounting cavity extending forward and backward within the housing. A transmission core tube for transmitting a medium is positioned within the mounting cavity. A radial gap and a centering spring structure are provided between the transmission core tube and the plug housing to ensure radial floating and / or deflection of the transmission core tube relative to the plug housing.
[0051] Since the floating plug of the present invention can realize rapid conduction and disconnection between a single node of the server and the server cabinet, and has a large floating tolerance at a large inclination angle, and can realize radial and angular floating between a single node of the server and the server cabinet, the fluid connector assembly can take into account a large radial floating tolerance and an angular floating tolerance, and can to a certain extent reduce the locking strength requirements for the entire server, and reduce the installation space occupied by the floating plug. Therefore, the fluid connector assembly of the present invention can effectively reduce the deformation of the server main structure and improve the structural accuracy and aesthetics of the server.
[0052] Based on the above main concepts, the following provides an application scenario of an embodiment of a connector assembly when applied to media transmission between a single server node and a server cabinet for illustration.
[0053] like Figure 1-12 As shown, a water divider 13 and multiple server single nodes 11 are provided in the server cabinet 1. The water divider 12 and the side panels of the server single node 11 are connected by a fluid connector assembly. The fluid connector assembly in the embodiment includes a socket 3 and a floating plug 2. In addition, in the server single node 11, the side of the floating plug 2 facing away from the plug end of the socket 3 is connected to the floating plug 2 in the same row through a hose 5, thereby realizing rapid connection and disconnection of the transmission medium between the server single node 11 and the server cabinet 1.
[0054] The floating plug 2 includes a plug housing 21, which has an installation inner cavity extending forward and backward. A transmission core tube 22 for transmitting a medium is installed in the installation inner cavity. The front end of the transmission core tube 22 extending out of the installation inner cavity is sealed and connected to a plug tube 23. The plug tube 23 is communicated with the inner cavity of the transmission core tube 22. A valve port is provided at the front end of the plug tube 23. A movable valve core 24 cooperating with the valve port is provided in the plug tube 23. A valve core spring 25 is provided on the rear side of the movable valve core 24. The valve core spring 25 keeps the movable valve core 24 in a position that seals and cooperates with the valve port in a natural state. A radial gap is provided between the transmission core tube 22 and the plug housing 21 so that the transmission core tube 22 can float and / or deflect radially to adapt to the insertion of the plug. A return-to-center elastic structure 26 is provided between the transmission core tube 22 and the plug housing 21 to prompt the plug tube 23 to return to the center after the plug is disconnected from the socket.
[0055] The socket 3 in this embodiment is similar to the socket included in the fluid connector assembly disclosed in Chinese invention patent application number CN104565629B in the background art. The socket 3 includes a socket housing 31. A flared guide surface 311 is provided near the front end of the housing 31, which guides the plug tube 23 of the floating plug 2 during insertion. An axially slidable sliding bushing 32 is also provided within the housing 31, near the flared guide surface 311. A fixed valve core 34 is installed within the socket 3. The fixed valve core 34 is fixed within the socket 3 by a support structure 33 provided at its rear end. A socket valve core spring 35 is provided between the sliding bushing 32 and the support structure 33. When the plug and socket are fully disconnected, the front end of the fixed valve core 34 seals against the sliding bushing 32. Furthermore, a sealing structure is provided between the sliding bushing 32 and the socket housing 31. This sealing structure is a sealing ring 6 of a certain length provided on the socket housing 31.
[0056] In a conventional fluid connector assembly, during the mating process between the floating plug 2 and the receptacle 3, the plug tube 23 of the floating plug 2 is guided by the outwardly flared guide surface 311 of the receptacle 3 and inserted into the receptacle housing 31. During further mating, the plug tube 23 pushes against the sliding bushing 32, causing the sliding bushing 32 to move axially toward the rear end of the receptacle 3. The fixed valve core 34, which is in sealing engagement with the sliding bushing 32, is exposed and contacts the movable valve core 24 on the floating plug 2. The plug tube 23 then replaces the sliding bushing 32 and maintains a sealed engagement with the receptacle housing 31. After the floating plug and receptacle are fully mated, the fixed valve core 34 and the movable valve core 24 push against each other, compressing both the valve core spring 25 and the receptacle valve core spring 35, generating a significant separation force between the floating plug 2 and the receptacle 3.
[0057] In order to maintain the plug and socket connected in place, the separation force generated by the valve core spring 25 and the socket valve core spring 35 needs to be overcome, which requires the server to have a high locking strength. Existing fluid connector assemblies mostly use large locking members to overcome the above separation force.
[0058] In order to avoid the problem of tight space for arranging electronic components in a single node of the server due to the large locking member used to overcome the separation force, reduce the possibility of deformation of the server main structure, and further improve the structural accuracy and aesthetics of the server, in a more preferred embodiment, a stopping structure 7 is provided in the plug housing 21 to stop the transmission core tube 22 in the forward direction, and a reset spring 8 is also provided in the plug housing 21 to provide an elastic force to the transmission core tube 22 in the forward direction. When the plug and socket are in a completely disengaged state, the reset spring 8 provides a forward elastic force to the transmission core tube 22, pressing the transmission core tube 22 against the stopping structure 7. After the plug and socket are inserted into place, the reset spring 8 is subjected to backward pressure. At this time, the reset spring 8 provides a force in the opposite direction of the separation force to overcome a part of the separation force, thereby reducing the separation force generated by the valve core spring 25 and the socket valve core spring 35 to a certain extent, and reducing the locking strength requirements of the server.
[0059] The stopping structure 7 provided on the mounting inner cavity of the plug housing 21 can have various settings. For example, the stopping structure 7 can be an annular protrusion provided on the mounting inner cavity. Specifically, the mounting inner cavity is an inner cavity with the same inner diameter at the front and rear ends. The annular protrusion provided on the mounting inner cavity can stop the transmission core tube 22 in the forward direction in the axial direction. However, considering that the transmission core tube 22 and the plug housing 21 must also be able to achieve radial floating and deflection, in a better embodiment, the mounting inner cavity of the plug housing 21 is a stepped inner cavity, including a large diameter section and a small diameter section. The stopping structure 7 is a step structure formed at the transition between the large diameter section and the small diameter section. A conical convex ring 221 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the tube body of the transmission core tube 22, and the step structure cooperates with the conical surface of the conical convex ring 221 for stopping. The two vertical step surfaces of the step structure are provided with chamfers at the intersection of the surfaces, which can fit with the conical surface of the conical convex ring 221, ensuring that when the transmission core tube 22 floats or deflects radially relative to the plug housing 21, the conical surface and the chamfer are more likely to slide relative to each other.
[0060] When the return spring 8 is a cylindrical spring, its rear end abuts against the plug housing 21, and its front end abuts against the rear side of the conical protruding ring 221. When the transmission core tube 22 experiences radial floating and / or deflection relative to the plug housing 21, the rear side of the conical protruding ring 221 drives the front end of the cylindrical spring toward the side of the plug housing 21. However, since the cylindrical spring has a substantially uniform diameter throughout, the front end of the cylindrical spring cannot cooperate with the rear side of the conical protruding ring 221 to move toward the side of the plug housing 21. The return spring 8 is preferably designed to overcome a portion of the separation force while also facilitating radial floating and / or deflection of the transmission core tube 22. Therefore, in one embodiment, the return spring 8 provided in the plug housing 21 for providing elastic force to the transmission core tube 22 toward the front is a conical spring, and the large-diameter end is pressed against the plug housing 21, and the small-diameter end is pressed against the rear side surface of the conical convex ring 221. When the transmission core tube 22 floats and / or deflects radially relative to the plug housing 21, the rear side surface of the conical convex ring 221 drives the small-diameter end toward one side of the plug housing 21. At this time, the corresponding side of the conical spring is squeezed, cooperating with the transmission core tube 22 to complete the radial floating and / or deflection relative to the plug housing 21.
[0061] In addition to providing a radial gap between the transmission core tube 22 and the plug housing 21 to allow the transmission core tube 22 to float and deflect radially relative to the plug housing 21, a resilient re-centering structure 26 is also provided between the transmission core tube 22 and the plug housing 21 to urge the plug tube 23 back to center after the floating plug 2 is completely separated from the receptacle 3. The resilient re-centering structure 26 can be configured in a variety of ways. For example, the resilient re-centering structure 26 can be configured by providing two sets of support arms on the outside of the transmission core tube 22, one set of support arms extending obliquely forward and the other set of support arms extending obliquely backward. One end of each set of support arms is hinged to a hinged seat on the outside of the transmission core tube, and the other end is provided with a support arm sliding wheel that rolls with the mounting cavity. A limit spring is provided between the support arms and the transmission core tube 22 to provide a force that causes the two sets of support arms to swing toward each other. The elastic force generated by the spring during the rebound process after being stretched resets the support arms, thereby enabling the transmission core tube 22 to quickly urge the plug tube 23 back to center after radial floating and deflecting relative to the plug housing 21.
[0062] Considering that the above setting method will have an adverse impact on the processing cost and difficulty of parts, such as Figure 13-17As shown, in one embodiment, the centering elastic structure 26 is an annular spring 10 installed in an annular groove 211. The transmission core tube 22 passes through the inner hole of the annular spring 10, and the inner side of the annular spring 10 elastically supports the transmission core tube 22. Specifically, the annular spring 10 is formed by winding a metal spring wire in a triangular spiral along a circumference. The vertex 101 of the triangular spiral is located on the inner side of the annular spring 10, and the base 102 of the triangle forms the outer circumference of the annular spring 10. The annular spring 10 is installed in the annular groove 211 via its outer circumference. The annular spring 10 elastically supports the transmission core tube 22 through the inner support angle formed by the inner vertex 101. Under the action of the annular spring 10, the transmission core tube 22, the plug housing 21 and the plug tube 23 maintain concentricity in the axial direction. When the floating plug 2 and the socket 3 are plugged into each other, the plug tube 23 floats and deflects radially under the guidance of the outward-expanded guide surface 311 of the socket housing 31. At this time, the transmission core tube 22, the plug housing 21 and the plug tube 23 are not concentric in the axial direction. One side of the outer side of the transmission core tube 22 compresses the annular spring 10, and the other side opposite to it moves away from the annular spring 10. When the floating plug 2 is separated from the socket 3, the transmission core tube 22 drives the plug tube 23 at the front end to return to a state of being concentric with the axis of the plug housing 21 under the action of the annular spring 10.
[0063] In order to prevent the annular spring 10 from being squeezed out of the annular groove 211 due to excessive extrusion pressure, in a more preferred embodiment, the groove walls on both sides of the annular groove 211 are inward-turned structures 212. Specifically, the annular groove 211 is provided with inward bends at both end notches in the length direction to constrain the annular spring 211 to retract inward.
[0064] like Figure 18 As shown, in one embodiment, the re-centering elastic mechanism 26 comprises a hollow tubular body 261 with at least two outwardly extending punching spring arms 262 disposed on the sidewalls of the tubular body 261. The ends of the punching spring arms 262 press against the bottom of the annular groove 211. The transmission core tube 22 passes through the tubular body 261 and abuts against the inner surface of the tubular body 261, providing elastic support for the tubular body 261. Similarly, when the floating plug 2 is mated with the receptacle 3, the plug tube 23 undergoes radial floating and deflection guided by the outwardly flared guide surface 311 of the receptacle housing 31. At this time, the axes of the transmission core tube 22, the plug housing 21, and the plug tube 23 are not axially concentric. The punching spring arms 262 on one side of the re-centering elastic mechanism of this embodiment are squeezed by the inner wall of the mounting cavity of the plug housing 21. When the floating plug 2 is separated from the receptacle 3, the punching spring arms 262 return to an unstressed state, and the re-centering elastic mechanism of this embodiment drives the transmission core tube 22 and the plug tube 23 back to a concentric state with the axis of the plug housing 21.
[0065] like Figure 19As shown, in another embodiment, the re-centering elastic mechanism 26 includes a hollow tube body 261, with at least two inwardly extending punching spring arms 262 provided on the sidewalls of the tube body 261. The ends of the punching spring arms 262 press against the outer tube wall of the transmission core tube 22, and the outer side surface of the tube body 261 is mounted in the annular groove 211. When the floating plug 2 is plugged into the socket 3, the plug tube 23 floats and deflects radially under the guidance of the outwardly expanded guide surface 311 of the socket housing 31. At this time, the transmission core tube 22, the plug housing 21, and the plug tube 23 are not axially concentric. The punching spring arms 262 on one side of the re-centering elastic mechanism of this embodiment are squeezed by the transmission core tube 22. When the floating plug 2 is separated from the socket 3, the punching spring arms 262 return to an unstressed state, and the transmission core tube 22 drives the plug tube 23 to return to a state concentric with the axis of the plug housing 21.
[0066] In order to ensure that the plug-in tube 23 and the transmission core tube 22 always maintain a sealed connection, in one embodiment, the plug-in tube 23 is forcibly inserted into the transmission core tube 22, and a sealing ring 6 is provided between the plug-in tube 23 and the transmission core tube 22 to ensure a sealed connection. In another embodiment, the plug-in tube 23 is installed on the transmission core tube 22 by means of a threaded connection. Specifically, the outer periphery of the transmission core tube 22 is provided with an external thread, and the plug-in tube 23 is provided with an internal thread for use with the external thread. A sealing ring 6 is provided at the front end of the threaded connection section. The above arrangement ensures that the plug-in tube 23 and the transmission core tube 22 always maintain a sealed connection. The outer periphery of the transmission core tube 22 is provided with a stop structure that stops the plug-in tube 23 in the backward direction, so that the transmission core tube 22 and the plug-in tube 23 remain in a sealed position and will not cause leakage of the transmission medium due to radial or angular floating.
[0067] Based on this, in one embodiment, a groove is provided on the outer circumference of the transmission core tube 22. The groove is an annular groove, and a C-shaped collar is installed in the groove. The C-shaped collar constitutes a retaining structure. The front end surface of the C-shaped collar fits against the rear end surface of the plug-in tube 23, blocking the plug-in tube 23 in the rearward direction. In another embodiment, the retaining structure is an outer convex ring 222. The front end surface of the outer convex ring 222 fits against the rear end surface of the plug-in tube 23, blocking the plug-in tube 23 in the rearward direction.
[0068] When the floating plug 2 and the socket 3 are plugged into each other, the outward-expanding guide surface 311 provided at the front end of the socket 3 guides the plug and socket. Based on this, in one embodiment, the outward-expanding guide surface can be a trumpet-shaped arc surface, and when the plug and socket are plugged into each other, the trumpet-shaped arc surface cooperates with the plug tube 23. In another embodiment, the outward-expanding guide surface 311 is an inner conical surface. After the floating plug 2 and the socket 3 are plugged into place, the mounting nut 9 is used to simultaneously lock the outer sides of the plug housing 21 and the socket housing 31. In this embodiment, the mounting nut is sleeved on the outer side of the plug housing 21, and when the plug and socket are completely disengaged, the mounting nut 9 is located at the front end of the outer side of the plug housing 21 by means of a threaded connection. After the plug and socket are plugged into place, the mounting nut 9 is screwed to simultaneously sleeve the plug housing 21 and the socket housing 31 inside to realize the locking function.
[0069] The present invention further provides a floating plug. The embodiment of the floating plug has the same structure as the floating plug in the above-mentioned fluid connector assembly, and will not be further described herein.
[0070] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. The scope of patent protection of the present invention shall be based on the claims. Any equivalent structural changes made using the description and drawings of the present invention shall also be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. A floating plug, characterized in that: The invention comprises a plug housing (21), wherein the plug housing (21) has an installation inner cavity extending forward and backward, a transmission core tube (22) for transmitting a medium is installed in the installation inner cavity, a front end of the transmission core tube (22) extending out of the installation inner cavity is sealedly connected to a plug tube (23), the plug tube (23) is communicated with the inner cavity of the transmission core tube (22), a valve port is provided at the front end of the plug tube (23), a movable valve core (24) cooperating with the valve port is provided in the plug tube (23), a valve core spring (25) is provided on the rear side of the movable valve core (24), the valve core spring (25) keeps the movable valve core (24) in a position in which it is sealed and matched with the valve port in a natural state, a radial gap is provided between the transmission core tube (22) and the plug housing (21) so that the transmission core tube (22) can float and / or deflect radially in order to adapt to the insertion of the plug, and a return elastic structure (26) is provided between the transmission core tube (22) and the plug housing (21) to prompt the plug tube (23) to return to the center after the plug is separated from the socket.
2. The floating plug according to claim 1, characterized in that A stopping structure (7) for stopping the transmission core tube (22) in the forward direction is provided in the plug housing (21), and a return spring (8) for providing elastic force to the transmission core tube (22) in the forward direction is also provided in the plug housing (21) to elastically press the transmission core tube (22) against the stopping structure (7).
3. The floating plug according to claim 2, characterized in that: The installation inner cavity of the plug housing (21) is a stepped inner cavity, including a large diameter section and a small diameter section. The stop structure (7) is a step structure formed at the transition between the large diameter section and the small diameter section. A conical convex ring (221) is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the tube body of the transmission core tube (22). The step structure is engaged with the conical surface of the conical convex ring (221).
4. The floating plug according to claim 2, characterized in that: The return spring (8) is a conical spring, with a large diameter end pressed against the plug housing and a small diameter end pressed against the rear side of the conical convex ring (221).
5. The floating plug according to claim 3, characterized in that: An annular groove (211) for installing a centering elastic structure (26) is provided in the small-diameter section of the installation inner cavity. The centering elastic structure (26) is an annular spring (10) installed in the annular groove (211). The transmission core tube (22) passes through the inner hole of the annular spring (10). The inner side of the annular spring (10) elastically supports the transmission core tube (22).
6. The floating plug according to claim 5, characterized in that: The annular spring (10) is formed by winding a metal spring wire in a triangular spiral along a circumference. The vertex (101) of the triangle is located on the inner side of the circumference so that the annular spring (10) has an inner support sharp corner. The base (102) of the triangle is located on the outer side of the circumference so that the annular spring (10) has an outer mounting circumference. The annular spring (10) is installed in the annular groove (211) through the outer mounting circumference. The annular spring (10) elastically supports the transmission core tube (22) through the inner support sharp corner.
7. The floating plug according to claim 5, characterized in that: The groove walls on both sides of the annular groove (211) are inverted structures (212) to constrain the annular spring from retracting.
8. The floating plug according to claim 1, characterized in that The centering elastic structure (26) comprises a hollow tube body (261), and at least two outwardly extending punching elastic arms (262) are provided on the side wall of the tube body. The ends of the punching elastic arms (262) are tightly pressed against the bottom of the annular groove (211). The transmission core tube (22) passes through the tube body (261) and abuts against the inner side surface of the tube body (261) to elastically support the tube body (261).
9. The floating plug according to claim 1, characterized in that The centering elastic structure (26) comprises a hollow tube body (261), and at least two inwardly extending punching elastic arms (262) are provided on the side wall of the tube body. The ends of the punching elastic arms (262) press against the outer tube wall of the transmission core tube (22), and the outer side surface of the tube body (261) is installed in the annular groove (211).
10. A fluid connector assembly comprising a floating plug (2) and a socket (3), characterized in that The floating plug (2) is the floating plug according to any one of claims 1 to 9; the socket (3) comprises a socket housing (31), and the socket housing (31) is provided with an outwardly expanded guide surface (311) at a port near the plug-in end for guiding the plug-in tube (23) of the floating plug (2) during plugging.
11. The fluid connector assembly according to claim 10, wherein: The outwardly expanding guide surface (311) is an inner conical surface.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Fluid connector assembly
CN104565629B
Fluid connector socket and fluid connector assembly
CN117685439A