Quick Connector Female Coupling for Residual Pressure Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing quick connector systems for hydraulic and pneumatic applications face issues such as fluid flow turbulence, difficulty in disconnection with residual pressure, and increased complexity and cost due to mechanical locking mechanisms, which affect reliability and ease of use, especially in small-size equipment.
Innovation Solution
A semi-integrated connector system with a female coupling that uses a partially inserted cartridge with side pins and a lever for actuation, incorporating decompression niches and seals to manage residual pressure, allowing for reliable connection and disconnection without a lever, and facilitating the use of various ISO-standard couplings with different sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manifolds with integrated cartridges and levers are used, then connection/disconnection efforts are reduced and oil recovery is enabled, but fluid flow turbulence increases and loss of load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The female coupling is divided into a cartridge portion (containing valve assembly) and a body portion, which can be separately replaced. This segmentation allows optimization of the flow path in the body portion while maintaining the valve functionality in the cartridge, reducing turbulence and energy loss while preserving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cartridge is extracted as a separate replaceable component from the manifold. This allows the flow channels in the manifold body to be designed for central, laminar flow without the constraints of integrated cartridge mounting, thereby reducing turbulence and energy loss while the cartridge itself maintains the lever actuation functionality for easy operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If simple interface manifolds are used, then ease of replacement and versatility are improved, but disconnection with residual pressure becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Decompression niches are provided in the cartridge to enable preliminary decompression of residual pressure before disconnection. This preliminary action allows the coupling to be disconnected even when residual pressure is present, overcoming the limitation of simple interface manifolds while maintaining versatility and ease of replacement.
3Reliability
If mechanical locking mechanisms are added to prevent accidental disconnection, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The valve assembly is designed to automatically maintain the open position through self-service mechanisms (such as spring-loaded valve elements that remain open due to pressure differential and mechanical bias). This eliminates the need for additional mechanical locking mechanisms to prevent accidental disconnection, maintaining reliability while avoiding increased complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical locking function is replaced by hydraulic/pneumatic pressure differential and spring mechanisms that automatically maintain connection stability. The valve assembly uses fluid pressure and mechanical springs rather than complex mechanical locks to prevent accidental disconnection, reducing device complexity while maintaining reliability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A female coupling (102) for a hydraulic and/or pneumatic quick connector, said female coupling (102) being adapted to be alternatively connected to and disconnected from a corresponding male coupling (150) of said connector, said female coupling (102) comprising a female valve assembly with a valve (103) adapted to be translated alternatively between a first closing position and a second opening position, wherein the flow of a fluid from said female coupling (102) towards said male coupling (150) and/or in the opposite direction is possible with said valve in said second opening position, wherein said female coupling (102) comprises a hollow main body, which defines a first substantially tubular inner cavity with a longitudinal extension axis for the flow of said fluid, said female valve assembly being housed in said first inner cavity of said hollow main body, said hollow main body comprising a first end portion adapted to be housed in a first housing seat of an interface manifold (101), wherein with said first end portion of said hollow main body in said first housing seat, said first inner cavity of said hollow main body is placed in fluid connection with at least one inner channel of said interface manifold (101), said female coupling (102) comprising mechanical constraining means for mutually constraining said first end portion of said hollow main body in said first housing seat, wherein said mechanical constraining means are shaped so as to prevent both the rotation and the translation of said hollow main body with respect to said first housing seat.