Quick-Disconnect Coupling Venting for Safe Pressure Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing quick-disconnect couplings for hoses and pipes often fail to safely manage pressure release during disconnection, risking accidental ejection of the adapter body due to residual pressure within the coupling assembly.
Innovation Solution
The coupling assembly incorporates cam arms for locking and safety-release tabs with vent channels, allowing for a controlled pressure release by creating a vent path when the adapter body is disconnected, ensuring a fluid-tight seal and safe pressure dissipation without complete separation from the coupler body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a quick-disconnect coupling allows complete separation of the adapter body from the coupler body, then disconnection speed is improved, but residual pressure causes accidental ejection and safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The vent channel is pre-formed in the coupler body sidewall, positioned to automatically align with the adapter body's internal cavity when the adapter is partially inserted. This preliminary configuration enables automatic pressure venting as soon as the adapter begins to separate, before complete disconnection occurs, preventing residual pressure accumulation that could cause accidental ejection
Solution Approach 2:
The vent channel acts as an intermediary pressure relief path between the adapter body's internal cavity and the external environment. Instead of allowing direct high-pressure ejection during disconnection, the vent channel provides a controlled intermediate pathway for gradual pressure dissipation, mediating the transition from pressurized to atmospheric pressure states
2Adaptability or versatility
If the adapter body is completely separated from the coupler body during disconnection, then operational flexibility is improved, but residual pressure within the coupling assembly causes harmful ejection
Solution Approach 1:
The vent channel converts the harmful effect of residual pressure into a beneficial controlled venting process. By providing a dedicated pressure relief pathway, the design transforms the potential hazard of pressure-induced ejection into a controlled pressure dissipation mechanism that actually enables safer complete separation of the coupling components
3Reliability
If a sealing ring is compressed to form a fluid-tight seal, then sealing performance is improved, but pressure buildup during disconnection increases ejection risk
Solution Approach 1:
The vent channel is pre-configured in the coupler body to automatically engage with the adapter body's internal cavity when the adapter is partially inserted. This preliminary alignment creates an immediate pressure relief pathway as disconnection begins, preventing pressure buildup that would otherwise occur due to the sealed configuration, thereby enabling safe maintenance of sealing performance without ejection risk
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables safe and efficient disconnection of the adapter body from the coupler body while maintaining a fluid-tight seal, effectively venting any residual pressure and preventing accidental ejection, thereby ensuring operational safety and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
The at least one cam arm is connected to the sidewall of the coupler body and is able to pivot relative to the coupler body from an unlocking position in which a camming surface of the cam arm is pivoted out of the adapter-receiving socket and a locking position in which the camming surface of the cam arm is pivoted into the adapter-receiving socket through an opening in the sidewall of the coupler body for engagement with the circumferential groove of the adapter body
Implementation Method 2
a fluid-tight seal is formed by the sealing ring between the adapter body and the coupler body
Implementation Method 3
The at least one vent channel is formed in the sidewall of the coupler body within the adapter-receiving socket and extends from the end wall flange to beyond the gasket retaining lip of the coupler body adjacent an outer periphery of the sealing ring
Implementation Method 4
The at least one safety-release tab is connected to the sidewall of the coupler body such that the at least one safety-release tab is resiliently pivoted relative to the coupler body between a normal position that prevents release of the adapter body from the coupler body and a release position that permits release of the adapter body from the coupler body
Data Source
AI summary
A coupler assembly is provided that includes an adapter body, a coupler body, and a sealing gasket. The adapter body has a sidewall with a circumferential groove in an outer periphery thereof, the coupler body has a sidewall defining an adapter-receiving socket therein, and the sealing ring is housed within the coupler body and captured between an end wall flange of the coupler body at a base of the adapter-receiving socket and a radially inward extending gasket retaining lip of the coupler body spaced from the end wall flange. At least one cam arm and at least one safety-release tab are connected to the sidewall of the coupler body, and at least one vent channel is formed in the sidewall of the coupler body within the adapter-receiving socket and extends from the end wall flange to beyond the gasket retaining lip of the coupler body adjacent an outer periphery of the sealing ring.