High strength fluid connector

Abstract

The present invention relates to a high strength fluid connector and has a tube body in which a moveable valve, a spring and a supporting ring are mounted from front to rear. The supporting ring is securely mounted in a rear opening of the tube body by an elastic engaging member so the present invention does not require an elastic supporting ring. Since the elastic engaging member is outside the supporting ring, the elastic engaging member is separated from a fluid passage of the tube body through the supporting ring. Therefore, the elastic engaging member is not immersed in the fluid for a long time, and its service life is extended. Compared with a fluid connector using the elastic supporting ring, the present invention with the elastic engaging member has a longer service life.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a connector, and more particularly to a fluid connector. [Previous Technology]

[0002] As shown in Figure 5, a fluid connector 50 includes a tube body 51, a movable valve 52, and a spring 53. The movable valve 52 is located at a front opening 511 of the tube body 51, and the two ends of the spring 53 abut against the movable valve 52 and a rear opening 512 of the tube body 51, respectively. When this fluid connector 50 is plugged into another matching fluid connector (not shown in the figure), its movable valve 52 will move toward the rear opening 512 and compress the spring 53, so that the movable valve 52 no longer seals the front opening 511, and the front opening 511 will communicate with the rear opening 512, allowing fluid to flow through it.

[0003] To improve the number of insertions and removals of the fluid connector 50, the stability of the spring 53 is crucial. A stable structure must be provided for the spring 53 to abut against the rear opening 512. As shown in FIG5, a concave ring portion 513 is formed near the rear opening 512 in the tube body 51. During the insertion of an elastic support member 60 from the rear opening 512, multiple elastic arms 61 extending from its rear end will compress inward to pass smoothly through the rear opening 512. As it continues to pass inward through the concave ring portion 513, these elastic arms 61 will open outward and engage in the concave ring portion 513, thereby fixing the elastic support member 60 in the fluid channel 510 of the tube body 51. The front end of the elastic support member 60 is recessed with an annular groove 62 to accommodate one end of the spring 53, thereby stably supporting the spring 53 in the tube body 51.

[0004] Although the above-mentioned elastic support can stabilize the spring in the tube body, a concave ring 513 must be formed in the tube body 51 near the rear opening 512, which reduces the thickness of the tube body 51 corresponding to the concave ring 513, thereby compromising the structural strength of the tube body 51 and potentially shortening the service life of the fluid connector; therefore, this fluid connector needs further improvement. [Summary of the Invention]

[0005] In view of the short service life of the existing fluid connectors, the present invention provides a high-strength fluid connector that can be used for a long time.

[0006] The main technical means used to achieve the above objective is to make the high-strength fluid connector include: a pipe body having a front opening, a fluid conduit and a rear opening connected from front to back; wherein the diameter of the rear opening is smaller than the inner diameter of the fluid conduit, so as to form a locking annular surface at the junction of the rear opening and the fluid conduit; a support collar located in the rear opening of the pipe body and including: a collar body fitted in the rear opening; and a plurality of first spring arms extending forward from the collar body and extending outward at one end with a locking portion, the locking portions abutting against the locking annular surface of the pipe body; a movable valve sliding in the fluid conduit of the pipe body and selectively closing the front opening of the pipe body; and a spring disposed in the fluid conduit of the pipe body, a first end of which abuts against the movable valve and a second end of which abuts against the support collar.

[0007] As can be seen from the above description, the high-strength fluid connector of the present invention mainly reduces the diameter of the rear opening of its tube body, so that a locking ring surface is formed at the junction with the fluid pipe. Therefore, the thickness of the tube body corresponding to the rear opening is increased, thereby improving the overall structural strength. Furthermore, corresponding to the locking ring surface, the support collar of the present invention has a plurality of first elastic arms, with the locking parts of these first elastic arms abutting against the locking ring surface, thereby firmly fixing the support collar in the tube body, and having a long service life.

Implementation Method

[0008] The present invention is an improvement on a fluid connector. The technical content is described in detail below with reference to several embodiments and drawings.

[0009] Please refer to Figures 1 and 2, which show the first embodiment of the high-strength fluid connector of the present invention, which includes a tube body 10, a support collar 20, a movable valve 30 and a spring 40.

[0010] Referring to Figure 3, the aforementioned pipe body 10 has a front opening 11, a fluid conduit 12, and a rear opening 13 connected from front to back. In this embodiment, the diameter R5 of the rear opening 13 is smaller than the inner diameter R2 of the fluid conduit 12 (R5 < R2), thus forming a locking annular surface 131 at the junction of the rear opening 13 and the fluid conduit 12. Furthermore, the diameter R1 of the front opening 11 can be smaller than the inner diameter R2 of the fluid conduit 12 (R1 < R2). In one embodiment, the tube body 10 is used for a male fluid connector. Therefore, when inserted into a matching female fluid connector (not shown in the figure), it can be engaged by the locking structure of the female fluid connector to ensure a stable connection. Thus, the tube body 10 is integrally formed from front to back with an outer locking portion 14, a protrusion 15, an external thread 16, and a second sealing ring 17. The second sealing ring 17 is located between the protrusion 15 and the external thread 16, and the external thread 16 corresponds to the rear opening 13.

[0011] The aforementioned support collar 20 is matched and disposed within the rear opening 13 of the pipe body 10, and includes a collar body 21 and a plurality of first spring arms 23, and may further include a plurality of second spring arms 22. Referring to Figures 3 and 5, the inner diameter R3 of the collar body 21 is smaller than the inner pipe diameter R2 of the fluid pipe 12 and the diameter R1 of the front opening 11 (R3 < R1 < R2), while its outer diameter matches the diameter R5 of the rear opening 13. The first spring arms 23 extend forward from the collar body 21, and at one end extend an engaging portion 231 outward, which abuts against the engaging ring surface 131 of the pipe body 10. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the second elastic arms 22 also extend forward from the collar body 21, and extend inward at one end to form a support portion 221, thereby constituting the minimum inner diameter R4 of the support collar 20; wherein the first and second elastic arms 23, 22 are arranged in an alternating pattern; in this embodiment, the collar body 21 has four first elastic arms 23 and four second elastic arms 22 arranged in an alternating pattern, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the support collar 20 is made of metal and can be made by stamping or powder metallurgy, and is corrosion resistant.

[0012] The aforementioned movable valve 30 is slidably disposed within the fluid conduit 12 of the pipe body 10 and selectively closes the front opening 11 of the pipe body 10. In this embodiment, the movable valve 30 includes a head 31 that matches the front opening 11, a body 32 that matches the fluid conduit 12, and a tail 33 that passes through the spring 40; in one embodiment, the head 31 is fitted with a first sealing ring 34, and when the head 31 is located at the front opening 11, the first sealing ring 34 is located between the head 31 and the front opening 11, providing a better sealing effect.

[0013] As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, the spring 40 is disposed in the fluid pipe 12 of the pipe body 10. One of its first ends 41 abuts against the movable valve 30. Specifically, it abuts against the body 32 of the movable valve 30. The second end 42 of the spring 40 abuts against the support portions 221 of the second spring arms 22 of the support collar 20. That is, the outer diameter R6 of the spring 40 is smaller than the inner pipe diameter R2 of the fluid pipe 12, the diameter R5 of the rear opening 13 and the inner diameter R3 of the collar body 21, but larger than the minimum inner diameter R4 of the support collar 20.

[0014] Please also refer to Figures 3 and 4. When the tube body 10 is inserted into a matching female fluid connector (not shown in the figure), its movable valve 30 slides backward from the front opening 11 into the fluid pipe 12 of the tube body 10, and no longer closes the front opening 11 of the tube body 10. As shown in Figure 4, the head 31 and the first sealing ring 34 on it no longer seal against the front opening 11. At this time, the spring 40 will be compressed backward, and the second end 42 of the spring 40 can be stably supported by the support parts 221.

[0015] Please refer to Figure 5 for a second embodiment of the high-strength fluid connector of the present invention. Its structure is mostly the same as that of the first embodiment shown in Figure 3. However, a spring 40a with a larger outer diameter R6' is selected. That is, the outer diameter R6' of the spring 40a is smaller than the inner diameter R2 of the fluid pipe 12, but larger than the diameter R5 of the rear opening 13, the inner diameter R3 of the collar body 21, and the minimum inner diameter R4 of the support collar 20. Therefore, one end of the spring 40a abuts against the engagement parts 231 of the support collar 20. When compressed, the spring 40a abuts against one end of the support collar 20 and can be stably supported by the engagement parts 231.

[0016] In summary, the high-strength fluid connector of the present invention mainly features a reduced diameter at the rear opening of its tube body, forming a locking ring surface at the junction with the fluid pipe. This increases the thickness of the tube body corresponding to the rear opening, thereby improving the overall structural strength. Furthermore, corresponding to the locking ring surface, the support collar of the present invention has multiple first spring arms. The locking portions of these first spring arms abut against the locking ring surface, thus firmly fixing the support collar within the tube body, resulting in a longer service life. Moreover, the support collar may further include multiple second spring arms, each second spring arm having an inwardly extending support portion at one end. This allows the high-strength fluid connector to utilize springs with either larger or smaller outer diameters depending on the application.

[0017] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Although the present invention has been disclosed above by way of embodiment, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone with ordinary knowledge in the art can make some modifications or alterations to the above-disclosed technical content to create equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the present invention. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0018] Figure 1: A perspective view of a first embodiment of a high-strength fluid connector of the present invention. Figure 2: An exploded perspective view of Figure 1. Figure 3: A cross-sectional view of Figure 1. Figure 4: An operational cross-sectional view of Figure 1. Figure 5: A cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a high-strength fluid connector of the present invention. Figure 6: A cross-sectional view of a conventional fluid connector.

Claims

1. A high-strength fluid connector, comprising: A pipe body comprises, from front to back, an interconnected front opening, a fluid conduit, and a rear opening; wherein the diameter of the rear opening is smaller than the inner diameter of the fluid conduit, forming a locking annular surface at the junction of the rear opening and the fluid conduit; a support collar is located within the rear opening of the pipe body and includes: a collar body fitted within the rear opening; and a plurality of first spring arms extending forward from the collar body and extending outward at one end with a locking portion, the locking portions abutting against the locking annular surface of the pipe body; a movable valve slidably disposed within the fluid conduit of the pipe body and selectively closing the front opening of the pipe body; and a spring disposed within the fluid conduit of the pipe body, a first end of which abuts against the movable valve, and a second end of which abuts against the support collar.

2. The high-strength fluid connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support collar system further includes a plurality of second spring arms that extend forward from the collar body and extend inward at one end to form the minimum inner diameter of the support collar; wherein the first spring arms and the second spring arms are arranged in an alternating pattern.

3. The high-strength fluid connector as described in claim 2, wherein: The outer diameter of the spring is smaller than the inner diameter of the fluid pipe, the diameter of the rear opening, and the inner diameter of the collar body, but larger than the minimum inner diameter of the support collar; and the second end of the spring abuts against the support portions of the support collar.

4. The high-strength fluid connector as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein: The outer diameter of the spring is smaller than the inner diameter of the fluid conduit, but larger than the diameter of the rear opening; and the second end of the spring abuts against the engagement portions of the support collar.

5. The high-strength fluid connector as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the support collar is made of metal.

6. The high-strength fluid connector as described in claim 4, wherein the support collar is made of metal.

7. The high-strength fluid connector as described in claim 5, wherein: The diameter of the front opening of the pipe body is smaller than the inner diameter of the fluid conduit, and the inner diameter of the collar body is smaller than the diameter of the front opening; and the movable valve is integrally composed from front to back as follows: a head that matches the front opening and is fitted with a first sealing ring to seal the front opening; a body that matches the fluid conduit; and a tail that passes through the spring.

8. The high-strength fluid connector as described in claim 6, wherein: The diameter of the front opening of the pipe body is smaller than the inner diameter of the fluid conduit, and the inner diameter of the collar body is smaller than the diameter of the front opening; and the movable valve is integrally composed from front to back as follows: a head that matches the front opening and is fitted with a first sealing ring to seal the front opening; a body that matches the fluid conduit; and a tail that passes through the spring.

9. The high-strength fluid connector as claimed in claim 7, wherein an outer wall surface of the tube body is integrally formed from front to back with an outer engaging portion, a protrusion, an external thread and a second sealing ring, the second sealing ring being located between the protrusion and the external thread, and the external thread corresponding to the rear opening.

10. The high-strength fluid connector as claimed in claim 8, wherein an outer wall surface of the tube body is integrally formed from front to back with an outer engaging portion, a protrusion, an external thread and a second sealing ring, the second sealing ring being located between the protrusion and the external thread, and the external thread being aligned with the rear opening.

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