Plug connector

Abstract

Plug connector (10) that can be detachably coupled to an associated socket coupling member (1), the plug connector (10) comprising: a cylindrical outer coupling body (18) with a first end (11) that can be inserted into and fitted into the socket coupling member (1), with a second end (12) opposite the first end (11) and with a passage (14) extending from the first end (11) to the second end (12) in the direction of a longitudinal axis (L); a cylindrical inner coupling body (19) that is arranged in the passage (14) at a position closer to the first end (11) coaxially to the outer coupling body (18), the inner coupling body (19) being detachably attached to the outer coupling body (18) from the first end (11);and a filter element (20) which is detachably attached to the inner coupling body (19), wherein the filter element (20) is held in the passage (14) when the inner coupling body (19) is attached to the outer coupling body (18), wherein the filter element (20) is detachable from the inner coupling body (19) when the inner coupling body (19) is detached from the outer coupling body (18); wherein the filter element (20) has a cylindrical part (20a) which has a filter part (20g) and extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis (L), further a downstream closing end part (20c) which closes the cylindrical part (20a) at a position closer to the second end (12) than the filter part (20g), and a flange part (20i) which projects from the cylindrical part (20a) in a radial direction of the cylindrical part (20a);wherein the outer coupling body (18) has a retaining part (43) which extends radially inwards from a circumferential wall surface (42) of the passage (14) at a position closer to the second end (12) than to the flange part (20i); wherein a displacement of the filter element (20) towards the second end (12) is prevented by the contact of the flange part (20i) and the retaining part (43) in the direction of the longitudinal axis (L).

Description

Technical field The present invention relates to a plug coupling or connector element which can be detachably coupled to an associated socket coupling element. Technical background A fuel cell vehicle, for example, has a receptacle (male coupling or plug connector) attached to a fuel supply section of the vehicle body. This receptacle can be detachably connected to a nozzle (female coupling or socket coupling) located at a hydrogen delivery station that supplies hydrogen used as fuel. When hydrogen delivery is not in progress, the receptacle is capped at its upstream opening to prevent dust or other contaminants from entering. However, when the nozzle at the hydrogen delivery station is to be connected to the receptacle, the cap is removed, and the upstream opening and fluid passage are exposed to the ambient air.Accordingly, dust or similar particles can enter the interior of the fluid passage. Dust or similar particles may also adhere to the nozzle at the hydrogen delivery station. Furthermore, the hydrogen supplied by the hydrogen delivery station itself may contain dust or similar particles. Therefore, this dust may be present in the hydrogen delivered from the hydrogen delivery station through the intake. Accordingly, the intake is typically equipped with a filter element to remove dust from the hydrogen intended for delivery into the vehicle body (see JP 2014-202254 A). Furthermore, WO 2014 / 163 131 A1 shows a check valve body including a check valve with a locking section, a support section for a sliding resistance applying element which carries a sliding resistance applying element which slides along the wall of the downstream flow path when the check valve element is moved upstream and downstream, and with a pressure applying element support section which carries a pressure applying element which is pushed upstream and which, when the sliding resistance applying element is pushed upstream by the pressure applying element, causes the sliding resistance applying element to expand in the outer diameter while engaging in the locking section. Summary of the invention With the male coupling / plug connector described above, which has a filter element, dust gradually accumulates in the filter medium of the filter element when the coupling is used repeatedly. Therefore, it becomes necessary to replace the filter element after a significant number of uses. Typically, replacing the filter element requires disconnecting the coupling from the vehicle body or similar structure before removing the connector body. However, the coupling is attached to the vehicle body or similar structure and also has a tube attached to it. Therefore, disconnecting the coupling, replacing the filter element, and then reattaching the coupling is a cumbersome and complicated process.Furthermore, a fluid such as hydrogen can leak if the pipe is not properly connected when the connector is reattached, which is dangerous. Therefore, it is not advisable to perform this procedure frequently. In view of the circumstances described above, an objective of the present invention is to provide a plug coupling element which is configured to allow the replacement of the filter element, wherein the plug coupling element remains attached to the vehicle body or similar. The object of the present invention is achieved by a male coupling element or plug connector according to claim 1, which can be detachably coupled to an associated female coupling element or socket coupling element. The dependent claims relate to preferred embodiments of the invention. The plug coupling element comprises, among other things, the following elements: A cylindrical outer coupling body with a first end that is to be inserted into and fitted into a socket coupling element.A second end opposite the first end, and a passage extending from the first end to the second end in the direction of a longitudinal axis; a cylindrical inner coupling body arranged in the passage at a position closer to the first end coaxially to the outer coupling body, the inner coupling body being removably attached to the outer coupling body from the first end; and a filter element being detachably attached to one body of the inner coupling body, the filter element being held in the passage when the inner coupling body is attached to the outer coupling body, and the filter element being detachable from one body of the inner coupling body when the inner coupling body is detached from the outer coupling body. With this plug-in coupling, the inner coupling body can be attached to and detached from the outer coupling body, which is typically attached to another link, such as the vehicle body, and which is also attached to a pipe. This allows the filter element to be detached from the outer coupling body by loosening the inner coupling body. Consequently, the filter element can be replaced without detaching the outer coupling body from another link to which it is attached, thus simplifying the filter element replacement process compared to the conventional plug-in coupling described above. Preferably, the filter element has a cylindrical section containing a filter element and extending along the longitudinal axis, a downstream closing end section that closes the cylindrical section at a position closer to the second end than the filter element, and a flange section that projects radially from the cylindrical section. The outer coupling body has a retaining element that extends radially inward from the circumferential wall surface of the passage at a position closer to the second end than to the flange section. Displacement of the filter element toward the second end is prevented by the flange section and the retaining element bearing against it along the longitudinal axis. In particular, the arrangement can preferably be as follows. The flange part has a through-hole extending through it in the direction of the longitudinal axis. The through-hole forms part of a flow path for a fluid that runs through the opening. Preferably, the arrangement can be as follows: The inner coupling body has a nozzle insertion part configured to receive a distal nozzle end of the female coupling member or socket coupling member. The male coupling member or plug coupling member further comprises a sealing ring fitted to the inner circumferential surface of the nozzle insertion part to engage with the distal nozzle end in a sealing manner. The sealing ring, which engages with the distal nozzle end in a sealing manner, gradually wears down with repeated insertion of the distal nozzle end. Therefore, the sealing ring typically needs to be replaced after a certain number of uses. In the case of the plug-type coupling element, the sealing ring is located within the inner coupling body; thus, the sealing ring can be removed along with the inner coupling body by separating the inner coupling body from the outer coupling body. Accordingly, the process of replacing the sealing ring can be carried out simultaneously with the process of replacing the filter element in an environment where the operation can be performed easily. Exemplary embodiments of the plug coupling element according to the present invention are explained below based on the accompanying drawings. Brief description of the drawings Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a connector coupling element according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 shows a state where the connector coupling element shown in Fig. 1 is coupled to a nozzle at a hydrogen delivery station and hydrogen is supplied from the hydrogen delivery station. Fig. 3 shows a state where a filter element of the connector coupling element shown in Fig. 1 is detached together with an inner coupling body. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a connector coupling element according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Description of exemplary implementations As shown in Fig. 1, a male coupling element or plug coupling or connector element 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention comprises a cylindrical outer coupling body 18, a cylindrical inner coupling body 19, and a filter element 20. The outer coupling body 18 has a first end 11, which is arranged on the left side as shown in the figure, a second end 12, which is arranged on the right side as shown in the figure, and a passage 14 extending from the first end 11 to the second end 12 in the direction of the longitudinal axis L. The inner coupling body 19 is arranged in the passage 14 at a position closer to the first end 11, coaxial with the outer coupling body 18. The filter element 20 is attached to the inner coupling body 19 and is held in the passage 14.The plug-in coupling member 10 is a receptacle (male coupling member) attached to a fuel cell vehicle and used as a hydrogen delivery connection. As shown in Fig. 2, the plug-in coupling member 10 has a first end that is inserted and fitted into a nozzle (coupling member) 1, which is provided at the distal end of a hydrogen delivery hose at a hydrogen delivery station, and a locking element 3 of the nozzle engages with a locking engagement groove 18 formed in an outer circumferential surface 18a of the outer coupling body 18. Thus, the plug-in coupling member 10 is coupled to the nozzle 1 to receive hydrogen supplied by the hydrogen delivery station.The outer coupling body 18 and the inner coupling body 19 form a fluid passage 16, which extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis L from an upstream opening 22 formed in the inner coupling body 19 to a downstream opening 23 formed in the outer coupling body 18. Hydrogen taken in by the upstream opening 22 passes through the filter element 20 to reach the downstream opening 23. The downstream opening 23 has a pipe connection 24 formed therein. The pipe connection 24 can be connected to a hydrogen pipe extending from a hydrogen tank located in the vehicle body. The outer coupling body 18 comprises a first body member 31 with the locking element engagement groove 18b, a second body member 32 which holds a (later described) check valve 48, and a third body member 33 which is formed with the downstream opening 23 and is attached to the first body member 31. The first body member 31 has an internally threaded portion 26 formed on it. The inner coupling body 19 is attached to the first body member 31 by the internally threaded portion 26. The second body member 32 has a clamping flange portion 34 that projects radially outwards. The clamping flange part 34 is clamped between a locking surface 36 of the first body member 31 and a locking surface 38 of the third body member 33, thereby allowing the second body member 32 to be locked with the first and third body members 31 and 33. The inner coupling body 19 has a nozzle insertion port 39 configured to receive a distal nozzle end 2 of the nozzle 1. The nozzle insertion port 39 is provided with a plurality of sealing rings 40 arranged to engage sealingly with the outer circumferential surface of the distal nozzle end 2. Furthermore, the inner coupling body 19 has a sealing ring receiving groove 19b on its outer circumferential surface 19a, which receives a sealing ring 41. The sealing ring 41 allows the inner coupling body 19 to engage sealingly with a circumferential wall surface 42 of the passage 14 in the outer coupling body 18. The filter element 20 is a cylindrical element with a cylindrical section 20a extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis L, an inlet opening section 20b open at the upstream end of the cylindrical section 20a to communicate with the upstream opening 22, and a downstream closing section 20c that closes the downstream end of the cylindrical section 20a. The filter element 20 is detachably attached to the inner coupling body 19 by the threaded engagement of an external threaded section 20d at the upstream end of the filter element 20 with an internal threaded section 46 of the inner coupling body 19. The cylindrical part 20a is provided with a filter part 20g, which has a plurality of radially extending filter holes 20e and a circular cylindrical filter surface element 20f, which covers the filter holes 20e radially from within.The fluid passage 16, formed by the outer coupling body 18 and the inner coupling body 19, is divided by the filter element 20 into an upstream pre-filter passage section 16a and a downstream post-filter passage section 16b. Furthermore, a downstream part 16c of the pre-filter passage section 16a and an upstream part 16d of the post-filter passage section 16b are separated from each other in the radial direction. The downstream part 16c of the pre-filter passage section 16a forms a flow path located within the cylindrical part 20a of the filter element 20, and the upstream part 16d of the post-filter passage section 16b forms a passage with an annular cross-section formed between the outer circumferential surface 20h of the filter element 20 and the circumferential wall surface 42 of the fluid passage 16.Thus, the downstream part 16c of the pre-filter passage section 16a and the upstream part 16d of the post-filter passage section 16b are radially connected to each other by the filter part 20g of the cylindrical part 20a. The filter element 20 has a flange part 20i that projects radially outwards from the cylindrical part 20a. The flange part 20i points in the direction of the longitudinal axis L, with a retaining part 43 extending radially inwards from the circumferential wall surface 42 of the passage 14 to prevent displacement of the filter element 20 towards the downstream opening 23. For example, if hydrogen flows under high pressure through the fluid passage 16 in the plug coupling element 10 from the upstream opening 22 to the downstream opening 23, the filter element 20 is subjected to a large force acting in a direction towards the downstream opening 23 in the direction of the longitudinal axis L.If the connector coupling element 10 is used repeatedly, the threaded engagement between the filter element 20 and the inner coupling body 19 can loosen, causing the filter element 20 to move downstream. Even if the threaded engagement loosens, the flange part 20i remains in contact with the retaining part 43 of the outer coupling body 18; therefore, the filter element 20 cannot be moved further downstream. It should be noted that the flange part 20i is provided with a plurality of through holes 20j extending radially inside the retaining part 43 in the direction of the longitudinal axis L, allowing the fluid to flow through the through holes 20j. In the connector coupling element 10, the fluid supplied from the upstream opening 22 flows through the pre-filter section 16a in the direction of the longitudinal axis L and reaches the downstream part 16c of the pre-filter section 16a, which is formed within the filter element 20. In the downstream part 16c, the fluid changes its flow direction to radially outward and flows radially through the filter part 20g of the filter element 20 to reach the upstream part 16d of the post-filter section 16b. At this time, dust contained in the fluid moves through the pre-filter section 16a in the direction of the longitudinal axis L if it is carried or entrained by the fluid flow. In the downstream part 16c, the dust is forced by inertia to continue moving in a straight line in the direction of the longitudinal axis L.Relatively large dust particles are subject to large inertial forces and thus flow through the downstream section 16c in the direction of the longitudinal axis L, even though they are subject to a force towards the filter section 20g due to the flow medium, which has changed its flow direction. The dust particles reach a dust collection section 44, which is provided in the downstream closure section 20c, and are trapped therein. Thus, at least some of the dust contained in the flow medium is trapped in the dust collection section 44. Accordingly, the amount of dust trapped in the filter section 20g of the filter element 20 is reduced. As a result, the replacement cycle of the filter element 20 can be extended. The check valve 48 is slidably held in the second body section 32 in the direction of the longitudinal axis L and is pressed towards the upstream side (to the left, as shown in the figures) by a spring 50, so that a closing surface 48a of the front end of the check valve 48 is pressed against a valve seat surface 52 of the second body section 32. When the closing surface 48a of the front end is pressed against the valve seat surface 52 to close an intermediate opening 54 of the fluid passage 16, as shown in Fig. 1, the fluid passage 16 is closed. When the plug coupling member 10 is coupled to the nozzle 1 at the hydrogen delivery station, as shown in Fig. 2, hydrogen is delivered into the plug coupling member 10.When a pressure higher than a predetermined level is applied to the upstream side of the plug coupling member 10, the check valve 48 is displaced to the downstream side (to the right, as shown in the figure) against the compressive force of the spring 50. The second body member 32 has a plurality of lateral openings 56 shaped to open radially. When a lateral closing portion 48b of the check valve 48 is displaced to the downstream side beyond the lateral openings 56, the intermediate opening 54 and the lateral openings 56 are connected, and the fluid passage 16 establishes a connection between the upstream opening 22 and the downstream opening 23. This allows the fluid received by the upstream opening 22 to flow to the downstream opening 23.The second body section 32 further has a backpressure port 60 formed in a downstream end section 58. Through the backpressure port 60, the pressure at the downstream port 23 is applied to a rear end surface 48c of the check valve 48. Consequently, if the pressure at the downstream port 23 is higher than the pressure at the upstream port 22, the check valve 48 is forced closed by a pressure force generated by the differential pressure between the upstream port 22 and the downstream port 23, in addition to the pressure force of the spring 50, thus closing the intermediate port 54 and preventing backflow from the downstream port 23 to the upstream port 22. As shown in Fig. 3, the plug coupling element 10 is configured to allow the inner coupling body 19 to be detached from the outer coupling body 18 at the side of its first end 11. The filter element 20 is attached to the inner coupling body 19, as mentioned above; therefore, when the inner coupling body 19 is detached, the filter element 20 is detached along with the inner coupling body 19. The plug coupling element 10 allows the filter element 20 to be removed without detaching the outer coupling body 18 from any other component, such as the vehicle body, or from the pipe to which the outer coupling body 18 is attached. Therefore, the process of replacing the filter element 20 can be carried out easily. Fig. 4 shows a male coupling member or plug coupling member 110 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the plug coupling member 110, a filter member 120 is attached to the second body member 132 of an outer coupling body 118. The filter member 120 has an outlet opening part 120b, which is open at the downstream end of a cylindrical part 120a to connect with a downstream opening 123, and an upstream closing part 120c, which closes the upstream end of the cylindrical part 120a. The filter member 120 further has a filter part 120g, which has filter holes 120e formed in the cylindrical part 120a, and a filter surface element 120f, which is arranged to cover the filter holes 120e from the outside. The filter element 120 is arranged in reverse relation to the filter element 20 in the first embodiment.This means that the filter element 120 is detachably attached to the second body element 132 by an external threaded section 120d at its downstream end. The filter element 120 divides the fluid passage 116 into a pre-filter passage section 116a and a post-filter passage section 116b. A downstream portion 116c of the pre-filter passage section 116a forms an annular flow path located outside the cylindrical portion 120a of the filter element 120, and an upstream portion 116d of the post-filter passage section 116b forms a straight passage located inside the cylindrical portion 120a of the filter element 120. The pre-filter passage section 116a has a dust collection section 144 formed downstream of the downstream section 116c. The dust collection section 144 is an annular recess formed between the inner circumferential surface 128 of the first body member 131 of the outer coupling body 118 and the outer circumferential surface 132a of the second body member 132. The dust collection section 144 has an annular inlet section 144a with a narrow radial width, connected to the downstream section 116c of the pre-filter passage section 116a, and an annular dust storage section 144b, which merges with the inlet section 144a and has a wider radial width than the inlet section 144a. If dust is present in the fluid supplied by the upstream opening 122, the dust moves through the pre-filter section 116a along with the fluid and reaches the annular downstream section 116c, which extends along the longitudinal axis L. In the downstream section 116c, the fluid changes its flow direction to radially inward, so that it flows radially through the filter section 120g of the filter element 120 and reaches the post-filter section 116b. Furthermore, inertia acts on the dust contained in the fluid, forcing it to continue moving in a straight line through the downstream section 116c to the downstream opening 123 along the longitudinal axis L.Relatively large dust particles are subject to large inertial forces and thus, despite being subject to a force directed towards the filter section 120g due to the fluid changing its flow direction, pass through the downstream section 116c in the direction of the longitudinal axis L. The dust particles then reach the dust collection section 144 and are trapped therein. The dust collection section 144 has the narrow inlet section 144a and the wide dust storage section 144b, as mentioned above. Once the dust has reached the dust storage section 144b, it cannot easily return to the downstream section 116c through the narrow inlet section 144a. The connector coupling 110 is configured such that the inner coupling body 119 can be attached to and detached from the outer coupling body 118 from the first end 111 of the outer coupling body 118 in the same manner as with the connector coupling 10 according to the first embodiment. When the inner coupling body 119 is attached to the outer coupling body 118, the filter element 120 is held permanently in the passage 114. When the inner coupling body 119 is detached from the outer coupling body 118, the filter element 120 can be detached from the first end 111 of the outer coupling body. Similarly, the filter element 120 can be removed using the connector coupling 110 without detaching the outer coupling body 118 from any other component, such as the vehicle body to which the outer coupling body 118 is attached.Therefore, the process of replacing filter element 120 can be easily carried out. Although in the preceding embodiments the connector coupling element according to the present invention has been described as a receptacle for supplying hydrogen to a fuel cell vehicle, the connector coupling element can, of course, also be designed as a connector coupling element for use in other applications. In the preceding embodiments, the first end 11 (111), which is inserted and fitted into the nozzle (female coupling element) 1, is defined as the upstream end, and the second end 12 (112), which is opposite the first end 11 (111), is defined as the downstream end. However, the connector coupling element according to the present invention can be configured such that it is used in such a way that the first end is defined as the downstream end and the second end as the upstream end. List of reference symbols: Nozzle 1; distal nozzle end 2; locking element 3; male coupling member 10; first end 11; second end 12; passage 14; fluid passage 16; pre-filter passage section 16a; post-filter passage section 16b; downstream part 16c; upstream part 16d; outer coupling body 18; outer circumferential surface 18a; locking element engagement groove 18b; inner coupling body 19; outer circumferential surface 19a; sealing ring receptacle groove 19b; filter element 20; cylindrical part 20a; inlet opening part 20b; downstream closure part 20c; external threaded part 20d; filter holes 20e; filter surface element 20f; filter part 20g; outer circumferential surface 20h; Flange parts 20i; through holes 20j; upstream opening 22; downstream opening 23; pipe connection part 24; internal thread part 26; first body member 31; second body member 32; third body member 33; clamping flange part 34;Locking surface 36 (of the first body member 31); Locking surface 38 (of the third body member 33); Nozzle inlet part 39; Sealing rings 40; Sealing ring 41; Circumferential wall surface 42; Retaining part 43; Internal thread part 46; Dust collection part 44; Check valve 48; Closing surface 48a of the front end; Side closing part 48b; Rear end surface 48c; Spring 50; Valve seat surface 52; Intermediate opening 54; Side openings 56; Downstream end part 58; Back pressure orifice 60; Coupling member 110; First end 111; Second end 112; Passage 114; Fluid passage 116; Pre-filter passage section 116a; Post-filter passage section 116b; Downstream part 116c; upstream part 116d; outer coupling body 118; inner coupling body 119; filter element 120; cylindrical part 120a; outlet opening part 120b; upstream closure part 120c; external threaded part 120d; filter holes 120e; filter surface element 120f; filter part 120g;upstream opening 122; downstream opening 123; inner circumferential surface 128; first body segment 131; second body segment 132; outer circumferential surface 132a; circumferential wall surface 142; dust collection part 144; inlet part 144a; dust storage part 144b; longitudinal axis L.;

Claims

Plug connector (10) that can be detachably coupled to an associated socket coupling member (1), the plug connector (10) comprising: a cylindrical outer coupling body (18) with a first end (11) that can be inserted into and fitted into the socket coupling member (1), with a second end (12) opposite the first end (11) and with a passage (14) extending from the first end (11) to the second end (12) in the direction of a longitudinal axis (L); a cylindrical inner coupling body (19) that is arranged in the passage (14) at a position closer to the first end (11) coaxially to the outer coupling body (18), the inner coupling body (19) being detachably attached to the outer coupling body (18) from the first end (11);and a filter element (20) which is detachably attached to the inner coupling body (19), wherein the filter element (20) is held in the passage (14) when the inner coupling body (19) is attached to the outer coupling body (18), wherein the filter element (20) is detachable from the inner coupling body (19) when the inner coupling body (19) is detached from the outer coupling body (18); wherein the filter element (20) has a cylindrical part (20a) which has a filter part (20g) and extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis (L), further a downstream closing end part (20c) which closes the cylindrical part (20a) at a position closer to the second end (12) than the filter part (20g), and a flange part (20i) which projects from the cylindrical part (20a) in a radial direction of the cylindrical part (20a);wherein the outer coupling body (18) has a retaining part (43) which extends radially inwards from a circumferential wall surface (42) of the passage (14) at a position closer to the second end (12) than to the flange part (20i); wherein a displacement of the filter element (20) towards the second end (12) is prevented by the contact of the flange part (20i) and the retaining part (43) in the direction of the longitudinal axis (L). Plug connector (10) according to claim 1, wherein the flange part (20i) has a through hole (20j) extending through it in the direction of the longitudinal axis (L), wherein the through hole (20j) forms part of a flow path of a fluid that runs through the passage (14). Plug connector (10) according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the inner coupling body (19) has a nozzle insertion port (39) configured to receive a distal nozzle end (2) of the bushing coupling member (1); wherein the plug connector (10) has a sealing ring (40) fitted into an inner circumferential surface (42) of the nozzle insertion port (39) to engage sealingly with the distal nozzle end (2).

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