QUICK CONNECTION DEVICE BETWEEN TWO FLUID PIPES

Abstract

The invention relates to a quick-connect device for two pipes, the respective ends of which are provided with a male fitting (A) and a female fitting (B) intended to be inserted into one another. The device comprises locking means mounted intercalated on the fittings and consisting of a peripheral collar (1) attached and tightened by a circular pin (2). The collar is characterized in that it comprises an inclined, elastically compressible front portion (11) articulated to a central portion (12) in which the pin (2) is housed, and extending into a projecting rear portion (13) beneath which a spring blade (3) is trapped. The collar (1) is mounted under spring tension and slides within a slot (A1) formed on the outer wall of the male fitting (A). Figure 3

Description

Title of the invention: QUICK CONNECTION DEVICE BETWEEN TWO FLUID PIPES

[0001] The invention relates, in general, to the field of connecting pipes and is more particularly concerned with a device suitable and intended to ensure a simple and rapid connection between two pipes of a heat transfer circuit of a motor vehicle.

[0002] The fluid circuits equipping motor vehicles use numerous connections between different conduits or fluid lines. Some connections are made via connecting elements called "quick connectors". These connecting elements generally comprise a male end piece and a female end piece carrying, in particular, a seal and a clip or a metal locking pin intended to cooperate, by deformation, with a collar and a groove.

[0003] These connections also require angular indexing means between the two conduits to be connected in order to allow, on the one hand, the passage and housing of these conduits in the engine compartment and, on the other hand, the optimization of the mechanical resistance of the connection between these conduits and the equipment intended to be connected thereto.

[0004] However, during the operations of connecting the conduits, the assembly of these connection means requires significant efforts on the part of the operator because he must, jointly, compress the joint in compression and forcefully separate the branches of the metal clip.

[0005] However, from the point of view of the ergonomics of a factory assembly line, it turns out that the maximum manual effort exerted by an operator is linked to the frequency of the assembly operations carried out. In other words, the higher this frequency, the lower the effort applied must be. It is therefore crucial to propose rapid connection means requiring low assembly effort to protect operators and avoid, at the same time, the installation of several stations, the use of a greater number of operators and an extension of the duration of assembly procedures.

[0006] There already exist connection means such as the quick connector described in patent application FR3119220A1 intended for connecting the pipes of the cooling circuit of a motor vehicle. This connector comprises a male end piece and a female end piece comprising, respectively, a ring and a collar. The ring carries a first and a second rib while the collar is provided with a first notch receiving the first rib and a second notch angularly offset from the first notch and receiving, by deformation, the second rib so as to form keying or indexing means intended to avoid errors in connection.

[0007] Furthermore, patent EP2602531B1 describes locking means intended to equip a quick connection device for fluid transfer pipes integrated, for example, into a motor vehicle air intake circuit. This connection device comprises, on the one hand, a male end piece provided with a collar and an annular seal and, on the other hand, a female end piece carrying a pin cooperating forcefully with the collar to ensure the locking of the connection between the male end piece and the female end piece.

[0008] However, the quick connection means described in these documents do not provide a solution to the technical problem posed by the excessive level of cumulative forces that the operator must exert manually to carry out the assembly and locking of the connection between the male and female ends.

[0009] In this context, the invention consists, mainly, in proposing a quick connection device making it possible to eliminate, or at least significantly reduce, the force required to deform and retract the locking pin as it passes over the collar.

[0010] This object is achieved, according to the invention, by means of a quick connection device between two pipes, the respective ends of which are provided with a male end piece and a female end piece intended to be fitted into one another, said device comprising locking means mounted in an interposed manner on the end pieces and consisting of a peripheral collar attached and tightened by a circular pin, characterized in that said collar comprises an elastically compressible inclined front part articulated on a middle part in which the pin is housed and extending by a projecting rear part under which a spring blade is trapped, said collar being mounted under spring tension and in a sliding manner in a slot provided on the external wall of the male end piece.

[0011] According to an advantageous characteristic of the device of the invention, the female end piece is provided, on its internal wall, with a relief formed by an inclined part forming a pusher which comes to bear towards the rear against the front part of the collar during the partial withdrawal of the male end piece and which is extended by a rectilinear front part which jointly releases the spring to block it in the slot of the male end piece, thus ensuring the locking of the connection.

[0012] According to a specific variant embodiment of the device of the invention, the female end piece is provided, on its internal wall at the rear of the draft, with a peripheral groove in which a sealing gasket is housed.

[0013] According to another characteristic of the device of the invention, the length of the notch of the male end piece corresponds substantially to the length of the collar in the position of compression of its front part and locking of the spring.

[0014] According to yet another characteristic of the device of the invention, the front part of the collar is connected to the middle part by a radial shoulder at the base of which is formed a tangential slot forming said articulation.

[0015] Preferably, the middle part forms a groove delimited by said shoulder and the rear projecting part of the collar.

[0016] According to still other characteristics of the device of the invention, the front part of the collar is composed of a front wedging edge connected to a rigid inclined wall and extended by an elastically deformable wall.

[0017] According to another variant embodiment of the device of the invention, the spring blade has an external wedging branch extending parallel to the wall of the male end piece and an internal branch capable of deploying to come into abutment in the slot and ensure the locking of the connection.

[0018] According to yet another variant embodiment of the device of the invention, the middle part is connected to the rear part by an internal notch which comes into abutment against the rear edge of the slot in the waiting position of the male end piece.

[0019] Another object of the invention is a motor vehicle equipped with fluid lines connected by means of a quick connection device as defined above.

[0020] In its most general aspect, the invention proposes a connection device providing an improved technical solution to the problem of easy, watertight and lockable assembly of the male and female ends of a quick connector.

[0021] More precisely, the collar which is attached to the male end piece is of variable geometry under low constraints. This collar is capable and intended to slide axially and to retract during fitting into the female end piece and then to deploy radially in front of the metal pin. The assembly is then locked by manual traction and partial withdrawal of the male end piece which has the effect, by relaxation of the spring, of blocking the pin and the collar and securing the connection.

[0022] Thanks to the invention, it is no longer necessary to force the pin apart and the operator only has to exert a simple effort to compress the seal, which facilitates assembly operations.

[0023] Furthermore, upon first assembly, the collar becomes compliant with the standards again, ensuring its function of locking the pin in the groove and a reliable and rapid connection of the pipes.

[0024] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge on reading the description which follows, with reference to the appended figures, for which:

[0025] [Fig.l] is a schematic view in partial section of a preferred embodiment of the male end piece provided with the collar of the quick connection device according to the invention in the waiting position.

[0026] [Fig.2] is a schematic view in partial section of the male end of [Fig. 1] in intermediate position after fitting into the female end.

[0027] [Fig.3] is a schematic view in partial section of the device of [Fig.l] in final position after locking the connection.

[0028] For clarity, identical or similar elements are identified by identical reference signs throughout the figures.

[0029] Naturally, the embodiment of the quick connection device of the invention illustrated schematically by the figures presented above and described below, is given only as non-limiting examples. It is explicitly provided within the scope of the invention that different modes can be proposed and combined with each other to propose others.

[0030] The invention relates to the general field of the connection of fluid pipes by means of so-called "quick" connectors and is more particularly concerned with a device intended for the rapid connection of fluid pipes integrated into the heat transfer liquid circuits equipping motor vehicles.

[0031] In general and traditionally, the respective ends of these pipes are provided with a male end piece A and a female end piece B intended to be manually fitted into each other by an operator.

[0032] The devices allowing rapid connection of these pipes further comprise locking means mounted in an interposed manner on the end pieces. These locking means are, for example, constituted by a peripheral collar 1 attached and tightened by a metal pin 2 in the form of an open loop with two branches, as illustrated in section by Figures 1 to 3 representing an embodiment to which the invention applies (the branches of the pin not being visible in these figures).

[0033] The invention aims to minimize the forces exerted to ensure the assembly of the connection device which, currently, are essentially linked to the accumulation of two peak forces required, on the one hand, for the compression of the sealing joint and, on the other hand, for the forced separation of the metal pin. To this end, the invention consists of eliminating, or at least very significantly reducing, the force exerted by the operator on the pin to concentrate his forces on the compression of the joint alone.

[0034] To this end, the invention proposes a collar 1 comprising an inclined and elastically compressible front part 11 articulated on a middle part 12 forming a groove in which the pin 2 is housed. This middle part 12 is extended by a rear part 13 projecting under which a spring blade 3 is trapped. This collar 1 is mounted under tension of the spring 3 and in a sliding manner in a notch A1 formed on the external wall of the male end piece A, as illustrated by the [Fig.l] and 2.

[0035] The female end piece B is provided, for its part, on its internal wall, with a relief B1 formed by an inclined part bl forming a pusher which comes to bear towards the rear against the front part 11 of the collar 1 during the partial withdrawal of the male end piece A, as illustrated by [Fig. 3]. This inclined part bl is extended by a rectilinear front part b2 which jointly releases the spring 3 to block it in the notch Al of the male end piece A, thus ensuring the locking of the connection.

[0036] The female end piece B is, in addition, provided, on its internal wall at the rear of the relief Bl, with a peripheral groove B2 in which a sealing gasket 4 is housed.

[0037] The length of the notch A1 of the male end piece A corresponds substantially to the length of the collar 1 in the compression position of its front part 11 and locking of the spring 3 in the notch.

[0038] The front part 11 of the collar 1 is connected to the middle part 12 by a radial shoulder 11d at the base of which is formed a tangential slot 10 ([Fig.2]) ensuring the articulated connection with this front part. Preferably, the pin 2 is slidably mounted in the groove of the middle part 12 which is delimited by the shoulder 11d and the rear part 13 projecting from the collar 1.

[0039] The front part 11 of the collar 1 is composed of a front edge 11a for wedging resting on the edge of the notch A1 which is connected to a rigid inclined wall 11b itself extended by an elastically deformable wall 11c.

[0040] The spring blade 3 has a substantially V-shaped section with an external wedging branch 31 extending parallel to the wall of the male end piece A and an internal branch 32 capable of deploying to come into abutment in the notch A1 and ensure the locking of the connection, as illustrated by [Fig.3].

[0041] The middle part 12 is connected to the rear part 13 by an internal notch 14 which abuts against the rear edge of the notch A1 of the male end piece A in the waiting position.

[0042] The connection method using the device of the invention is carried out in the following manner. Before assembling the quick connection by fitting the male end piece A into the female end piece B, the collar 1 is flattened and in the retracted position while the retaining spring 3 is free and released. The parts 11, 12, 13 of the collar 1 are then folded over the male end piece A, thus forming a peripheral cylinder, as illustrated in [Fig.l].

[0043] Then, when the operator pushes the male end piece A into the female end piece B, the pin 2 slides into the middle part 12 of the cylindrical collar and is wedged at the bottom of the groove, as illustrated in [Fig.2]. The spring 3 is compressed and pressed against the external wall of the male end piece A by the support of the internal wall of the female end piece B against the rear part 13 of the collar 1.

[0044] The operator then exerts traction on the male end piece A towards the outside of the female end piece B over a short distance so as to lock the connection. In this phase, the pin 2 remains blocked in the groove and pushes the front part 11 of the collar 1 to make it take its final step shape thanks to the slotted articulation 10 and the specific deformation properties of the walls 11b, 11c and 11d. At the end of assembly and as illustrated by [Fig. 3], the retaining spring 3 is then released and its branch 32 comes to lock in abutment in the notch A1 of the male end piece A to keep the collar 1 unfolded and in the advanced position.

Claims

Claims

1. Quick connection device between two pipes, the respective ends of which are provided with a male end piece (A) and a female end piece (B) intended to be fitted into each other, said device comprising locking means mounted in an intermediate manner on the end pieces and consisting of a peripheral collar (1) attached and tightened by a circular pin (2), characterized in that said collar comprises an inclined front part (11) elastically compressible articulated on a middle part (12) in which the pin (2) is housed and extending by a rear part (13) projecting under which a spring blade (3) is trapped, said collar (1) being mounted under spring tension and slidingly in a notch (Al) formed on the external wall of the male end piece (A).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the female end piece (B) is provided, on its internal wall, with a relief (Bl) formed of an inclined part (bl) forming a pusher which comes to bear towards the rear against the front part (11) of the collar (1) during the partial withdrawal of the male end piece (A) and which is extended by a rectilinear front part (b2) which jointly releases the spring (3) to block it in the slot (Al) of the male end piece, thus ensuring the locking of the connection.

3. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the female end piece (B) is provided, on its internal wall at the rear of the undercut (B1), with a peripheral groove (B2) in which a sealing gasket (4) is housed.

4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the length of the notch (Al) of the male end piece (A) corresponds substantially to the length of the collar (1) in the compression position of its front part (11) and locking of the spring (3).

5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the front part (11) of the collar (1) is connected to the middle part (12) by a radial shoulder (1 Id) at the base of which is formed a tangential slot (10) forming said articulation.

6. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the middle part (12) forms a groove delimited by said shoulder (1 Id) and the rear part (13) projecting from the collar (1).

7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that that the front part (11) of the collar (1) is composed of a front edge (11a) of wedging connected to a rigid inclined wall (11b) and extended by an elastically deformable wall (11c).

8. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said spring blade (3) has an external wedging branch (31) extending parallel to the wall of the male end piece (A) and an internal branch (32) capable of deploying to come into abutment in the notch (Al) and ensure the locking of the connection.

9. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the middle part (12) is connected to the rear part (13) by an internal notch (14) coming into abutment against the rear edge of the notch (Al) in the waiting position of the male end piece (A).

10. Motor vehicle equipped with fluid lines connected by means of a quick connection device according to one of the preceding claims.

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