Quick-Disconnect Coupling Preventing Fuel Cross-Contamination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current camlock coupling systems are inflexible and prone to cross-contamination of fuels due to identical design and size, leading to costly mix-ups and safety issues in the fuel delivery industry, as they lack the ability to easily reconfigure or align protrusions and recesses independently before assembly, causing assembly difficulties and potential jamming.

Innovation Solution

A quick-disconnect coupling system featuring a male plug member and female socket member with cooperatively shaped protrusions and recesses that prevent assembly unless matching, allowing for easy alignment and rotation before assembly, and enabling easy reconfiguration by separate body portions that can be rotated or replaced, ensuring compatibility and preventing cross-contamination.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If machining recesses in the male plug member to prevent interchangeability, then cross-contamination is prevented, but the male plug member cannot be reconfigured and material is removed from the seal face affecting sealing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprevention of fuel cross-contaminationVSAvoidreconfigurability of male plug member

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The coupling system is divided into two separate body portions: a male body portion with protrusions and a female body portion with recesses. These can be independently configured and attached to different male plug members, allowing reconfiguration without modifying the plug member itself. The separate body portions can be attached using various methods (machining, casting, bonding, mechanical attachment) enabling flexibility in implementation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system allows dynamic reconfiguration by enabling the removal and replacement of separate body portions on male plug members. This permits the coupling system to adapt to different fuel types and configurations without permanent modification, maintaining versatility while preventing cross-contamination through proper alignment of protrusions and recesses.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If machining large recesses to prevent interchangeability, then cross-contamination is prevented, but the coupling halves can bind or jam when misaligned

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprevention of fuel cross-contaminationVSAvoidassembly ease of coupling halves

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The separate body portions are pre-configured with protrusions or recesses in specific angular orientations before attachment to the coupling halves. This preliminary configuration ensures proper alignment is maintained during assembly, preventing binding or jamming while still preventing interchangeability between different fuel types.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If machining recesses in the male plug member, then interchangeability is prevented, but rotation of recesses to align prior to assembly is not possible

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprevention of fuel cross-contaminationVSAvoidalignment procedure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

By separating the configuration features (protrusions and recesses) into independent separate body portions that can be attached to either male or female coupling halves, the system allows rotational alignment to occur independently of the other half. This reduces alignment complexity while maintaining prevention of interchangeability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Reliability

If using non-standard castings or permanent modification to prevent interchangeability, then cross-contamination is prevented, but the coupling becomes complex and expensive

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprevention of fuel cross-contaminationVSAvoidcoupling design complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The separate body portions are designed to be universally attachable to standard male plug members and female socket members. This universal attachment approach allows the same separate body portion designs to be used across different coupling configurations, reducing overall system complexity and cost while effectively preventing interchangeability between incompatible fuel types.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS9927055B2Coupling with components which prevent interchangeability

Publication Date: 2018.03.27 ZONNEVELD EDWIN JOHN WILLIAM

AI summary

A quick-disconnect coupling such as a camlock includes a male plug and a female socket defining a duct for communication of a fluid with a locking arrangement for locking the male plug in the female socket. Protrusions are provided on an outside surface of the female socket or on an outside surface of the male plug and corresponding recesses are provided on an outside surface of the male plug or on an outside surface of a female socket with the recesses and protrusions beings cooperatively shaped and arranged to allow insertion of the male plug member into the female socket member to the locking position only when the recesses and protrusions match.