QUICK CONNECTION DEVICE BETWEEN TWO FLUID PIPES

Abstract

The invention relates to a quick-connect device comprising a male fitting (A) and a female fitting (B) intended to be connected to the ends of two pipes, the male fitting (A) and the female fitting (B) being designed to be inserted into one another, said device comprising, on the one hand, a spring-loaded locking pin (2) mounted around said fittings and, on the other hand, a sealing O-ring (E) housed in a peripheral recess (B2) of the inner wall of the female fitting (B), characterized in that it further comprises a ring (1) inserted in the diametrical plane of the recess of the female fitting to ensure the positioning and compression of the seal, said ring (1) being movable under the pressure of the male fitting (A) during its insertion to release the seal (E) and to come to a stop against a radial shoulder (B3) formed in the inner wall of the female connector. Figure 3

Description

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

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

[0002] Fluid circuits in motor vehicles use numerous connections between different fluid conduits or lines. Some connections are made via connecting elements known as "quick-connect fittings." These connecting elements generally comprise a male end and a female end, each carrying, in particular, a seal and a locking clip or metal pin designed to cooperate, by deformation, with a flange and a groove.

[0003] These fittings 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 to them.

[0004] However, during the conduit connection operations, the assembly of these connection means requires significant effort from the operator because he must simultaneously compress the joint and forcefully separate the arms of the metal clip.

[0005] From an ergonomic standpoint for a factory assembly line, the maximum manual effort exerted by an operator is linked to the frequency of assembly operations performed. In other words, the higher the frequency, the lower the effort required. It is therefore crucial to offer quick connection methods requiring minimal assembly effort to reduce operator strain and avoid both the installation of multiple workstations, the need for a larger number of operators, and longer assembly times.

[0006] Connection methods already exist, such as the quick-connect fitting described in patent application FR3119220A1, intended for connecting the cooling circuit pipes of a motor vehicle. This fitting comprises a male end and a female end, each comprising, respectively, a ring and a collar. The ring has a first and a second rib, while the collar has 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 prevent errors in connection.

[0007] Furthermore, patent EP2602531B1 describes locking means for equipping a quick-connect device for fluid transfer lines integrated, for example, into a motor vehicle air intake system. This connection device comprises, on the one hand, a male fitting provided with a flange and an annular sealing gasket and, on the other hand, a female fitting carrying a pin that cooperates forcefully with the flange to ensure the locking of the connection between the male and female fittings.

[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 effort that the operator must exert manually to assemble and lock the connection between the male and female ends.

[0009] In particular, these known means of connection do not allow the elimination, or even the reduction, of the efforts required to ensure the spacing of the locking pin when the sealing gasket is already compressed by fitting the male end into the female end.

[0010] In this context, the invention consists, mainly, of solving the problem raised by previous connection means by proposing a quick connection device that allows the sealing gasket to be retained in its housing before the male end is fitted and then to be released during fitting while guiding the male end.

[0011] This goal is achieved, according to the invention, by means of a quick connection device comprising a male end and a female end intended to be connected to the ends of two pipes, the male end and the female end being intended to be fitted into each other, said device comprising, on the one hand, a spring-effect locking pin mounted around said ends and, on the other hand, a sealing O-ring housed in a peripheral recess of the internal wall of the female end, characterized in that it further comprises a crown attached in the diametrical plane of the recess of the female end to ensure the shimming and compression of the seal, said crown being movable under the pressure of the male end during its fitting to release the seal and come to a stop at the end of travel against a radial shoulder provided in the internal wall of the female end.

[0012] According to an advantageous feature of the device of the invention, the crown includes a peripheral flap extending axially towards the rear in contact with the internal wall of the female end and being, before the fitting of the male end, in radial support contact against the O-ring.

[0013] Consequently, the length of the flap is less than or equal to the distance separating the front edge of the draft from the radial shoulder.

[0014] According to a specific embodiment, the crown is held, before fitting the male end piece, in the diametrical plane of the recess of the female end piece by the support, on its front edge, of an elastically deformable element under stress.

[0015] Preferably, this elastically deformable element is a coil spring. Alternatively, this elastically deformable element can be a bellows.

[0016] Where applicable, the crown has longitudinal guide ribs cooperating with grooves formed on the inner wall of the female end. It is also possible to provide the crown with ratcheting elements ensuring that it is locked in place at the end of its travel, after insertion.

[0017] In all cases, the calibration of the force exerted by the elastically deformable element against the crown is determined so as to be compatible with a manual force exerted during the fitting of the male end.

[0018] According to another feature of the device of the invention, the male end is provided, on its outer wall, with a peripheral groove in which the locking pin is housed after release during fitting.

[0019] According to yet another feature of the device of the invention, the female end fitting has, at the rear of the recess, a chamfered wall intended to receive the support of a beveled front flank carried by the external wall of the male end fitting.

[0020] In this case, the male end has, at the front of the beveled side, a cylindrical section which, when fitted, pushes the crown and radially closes the recess of the seal housing.

[0021] Another object of the invention is a motor vehicle equipped with fluid lines connected by means of a quick-connect device as defined above.

[0022] In its most general aspect, the invention proposes a connection device providing an improved technical solution to the problem raised by the search for an easy, watertight and lockable assembly of the male and female ends of a quick fitting.

[0023] More specifically, the crown that is inserted into the female end temporarily ensures, before insertion, the retention and compression of the sealing gasket. This crown is then designed to slide axially and retract when the male end is inserted into the female end to release the gasket, and then to lock axially at the end of its travel, leaving the male end alone to seal the gasket housing and compress it.

[0024] Thanks to the invention, the stroke / force ratio of the quick link is thus modified by reducing or even eliminating the peak force linked to the compression of the joint.

[0025] Consequently, it is no longer necessary to exert a significant axial force to compress the sealing gasket radially because it is already compressed by the crown previously mounted in the female end.

[0026] As a result, the operator only has to exert the necessary effort to spread and open the locking pin before it engages in the groove provided for this purpose, which facilitates the assembly operations.

[0027] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, with reference to the accompanying figures, for which:

[0028] [Fig-1] is a half-section view of the female end of a pre-existing embodiment ferrular of the quick connection device according to the invention in standby position.

[0029] [Fig.2] is a half-section view of the device according to the invention in an intermediate position when the male end is inserted into the female end.

[0030] [Fig.3] is a half-section view of the device according to the invention in the final position after fitting the male end into the female end.

[0031] For clarity, identical or similar elements are identified by identical reference signs throughout the figures.

[0032] Naturally, the embodiment of the quick-connect device of the invention schematically illustrated in the figures above and described below is given only by way of non-limiting examples. It is explicitly provided for in the scope of the invention that different embodiments can be proposed and combined to offer other embodiments.

[0033] The invention relates to the general field of connecting fluid pipes using so-called "quick" fittings and is more particularly concerned with a device for the quick connection of fluid pipes integrated into the heat transfer fluid circuits equipping motor vehicles.

[0034] In general and traditionally, the respective ends of these pipes are provided with a male end A and a female end B intended to be manually fitted into one another by an operator.

[0035] Devices enabling quick connection of these conduits include sealing means generally formed of an O-ring E housed in a peripheral recess B2 of the internal wall of the female end B and locking means mounted intercalarily on at least one of the ends.

[0036] As illustrated by [Fig. 1] to 3 representing an embodiment to which the invention applies, these locking means comprise, on the one hand, a peripheral collar A3 carried here by the wall of the male end A in which a radial groove A2 is provided and, on the other hand, a metal pin 2, attached and spring-loaded, intended to come to rest, during fitting and after release, in the groove A2.

[0037] The female end B has, at the rear of the recess B2, a chamfered wall B1 intended to receive the support of a beveled front flank Al carried by the external wall of the male end A. The groove A2 for receiving the locking pin 2 is located, on the male end A, at the rear of the beveled flank Al, as illustrated by figures 2 and 3. The orientations "front" and "rear" are defined here in relation to the sides, respectively, left and right of the device shown in figures 1 to 3 and correspond to positions relative to the direction of fitting.

[0038] The invention aims to minimize the efforts exerted by an operator to ensure the assembly of the connection device which, currently, are essentially linked to the accumulation of two peaks of effort required, on the one hand, for the compression of the sealing joint E and, on the other hand, for the forced separation of the metal pin 2.

[0039] To this end, the invention consists of eliminating, or at least significantly reducing, the effort exerted by the operator to compress the seal E in order to concentrate his efforts on the sole deformation of the locking pin 2.

[0040] To this end, the invention proposes mounting a ring 1, attached in the female end B substantially at the level of the diametrical plane of the draft B2, to ensure the shimming and temporary compression of the seal E while awaiting the fitting of the male end A. Also according to the invention, this ring 1 is provided to be movable under the pressure of the male end A during its fitting in order to release the seal E and to come, at the end of its travel, to abut against a radial shoulder B3 formed in the internal wall of the female end B.

[0041] In conjunction, the male end A has, at the front of its beveled side, a cylindrical section A3 which, when fitted, pushes the ring 1 and radially closes the recess B2 housing the seal E, thus replacing the compression action of the seal E previously ensured by the ring 1.

[0042] In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3, the crown 1 includes a peripheral flap 11 extending axially in contact with the inner wall of the female end B. This flap 11 extends rearward and, before the fitting of the male end A ([Fig.1]), is in radial contact against the O-ring E to ensure its retention in the recess B2 and its compression.

[0043] Under these conditions, it is provided that the length of the flap 11 is less than or equal to the distance separating, in the female end B, the front edge of the draft B2 from the radial shoulder B3.

[0044] In a specific embodiment of the connection device of the invention (not shown), the crown 1 is held, before fitting the male end A, in the diametrical plane of the recess B2 of the female end B by the support, on its front edge, of an elastically deformable element placed under stress.

[0045] Preferably, this elastically deformable element is a helical coil spring or, alternatively, a bellows. In all cases, the force setting exerted by the elastically deformable element against the crown 1 is determined so as to be compatible with a normal manual force exerted by an operator when fitting the male end A.

[0046] Where applicable, the crown 1 carries longitudinal guide ribs (not shown) cooperating with grooves formed on the internal wall of the female end piece.

[0047] It is also possible to provide that the crown 1 is equipped with snap-on elements, such as pins 12 cooperating with grooves B4 formed on the inner wall of the female end B so as to ensure its positioning and retention in the standby position ([Fig.1]) and at the end of travel ([Fig.3]), after the male end A has been fitted. The connection device of the invention is thus provided with means ensuring, jointly, radial locking via the pin 2 and axial locking via the snap-on elements of the crown 1.

[0048] The connection method using the device of the invention is carried out as follows. Before assembly of the quick link, the crown 1 is in a retracted position in the female end B and compresses the sealing gasket E in its housing B2 ([Fig.1]).

[0049] When the operator proceeds with the fitting, the front section A3 of the male end A enters the center of the flap 11 and rests on the bottom of the ring 1. The flap 11 thus forms a guide bearing for the male end A on the diameter at the entrance of the recess B2 and at the level of the sealing joint E.

[0050] By continuing the fitting ([Fig.2]), the crown 1 moves progressively towards the inside of the female end B, where applicable, opposing the reaction of the elastically deformable element (in the specific variant where it is present) while the flap 11 slides in contact with the inner wall.

[0051] When the flap 11 extends beyond the front edge of the draft B2, the seal E releases as it moves away and comes into contact with the wall of the front section A3 of the male fitting A, which then secures it in place of the flap. The operator thus only feels the force related to the spreading of the metal pin 2.

[0052] Then, the pin, which was previously under stress, automatically moves into the groove of the male element to lock the connection. At the end of its travel, the ring is abutted against the shoulder and / or against the elastic element in compression.

[0053] The sealing ring E is in a free state before the crown 1 is mounted in the female end B, and is then radially compressed by the flap 11 after mounting. When the male end A is inserted, this radial compression is maintained and replaced by an axial force, thus eliminating the previous radial force. Consequently, the connection device of the invention facilitates the task of the operator.

Claims

Demands

1. A quick-connect device comprising a male fitting (A) and a female fitting (B) for connecting to the ends of two pipes, the male fitting (A) and the female fitting (B) being designed to be inserted into one another, said device comprising, on the one hand, a spring-loaded locking pin (2) mounted around said fittings and, on the other hand, a sealing O-ring (E) housed in a peripheral recess (B2) of the inner wall of the female fitting (B), characterized in that it further comprises a ring (1) inserted in the diametrical plane of the recess of the female fitting to ensure the positioning and compression of the seal, said ring (1) being movable under the pressure of the male fitting (A) during its insertion to release the seal (E) and to come to a stop against a radial shoulder (B3) formed in the inner wall of the female end.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said crown (1) comprises a peripheral flap (11) extending axially backwards in contact with the internal wall of the female end (B) and being, before the fitting of the male end (A), in radial support contact against the O-ring (E).

3. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the length of the flap (11) is less than or equal to the distance separating the front edge of the draft (B2) from the radial shoulder (B3).

4. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said crown (1) is held, before fitting the male end (A), in the diametrical plane of the recess (B2) of the female end by the support, on its front edge, of an elastically deformable element under stress.

5. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said crown (1) has longitudinal guide ribs cooperating with grooves formed on the internal wall of the female end (B).

6. Device according to any one of claims 4 or 5, characterized in that the setting of the force exerted by said elastically deformable element against the crown (1) is determined so as to be compatible with a manual force exerted during the fitting of the male end (A).

7. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the male end (A) is provided, on its outer wall, with a groove for... peripheral (A2) in which the locking pin (2) is housed after release during insertion.

8. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the female end (B) has, at the rear of said recess (B2), a chamfered wall (Bl) intended to receive the support of a beveled front flank (Al) carried by the external wall of the male end (A).

9. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the male end (A) has, at the front of the beveled flank (Al), a cylindrical section (A3) which, when fitted, pushes the crown (1) and radially closes the recess (B2) of the housing of the seal (E).

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

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