Quick Connector Female Element With Ring-Guided Latches Under Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Quick connectors face challenges in maintaining connection security under high pressure, particularly due to the mechanical stress that can lead to unintentional disconnection, and existing secure locking devices are bulky and complex, making them expensive to manufacture.
Innovation Solution
A female element of a quick connector design featuring radial openings with latches and an actuating ring, where the actuating ring's guide grooves interact with pins to control latch movement, ensuring the latches are driven into and out of the receiving volume based on the ring's position, providing secure engagement without the need for complex mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a secure locking device with multiple latches and springs is used to prevent unintentional disconnection under high pressure, then connection security is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple latches into a single integrated latch element that interacts with the actuating ring through guide grooves. This merging of multiple separate components into one unified component reduces device complexity while maintaining the security function against high pressure forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuating ring serves multiple functions: it acts as a locking mechanism, provides guidance for the latch element through its guide grooves, and responds to axial forces from fluid pressure. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If a secure locking device with multiple components is used to maintain connection under high pressure, then connection security is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging multiple latches into a single latch element and integrating the guiding function into the actuating ring's guide grooves, the number of parts to manufacture is reduced. This simplification directly lowers manufacturing costs while preserving the secure locking function under high pressure conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates unnecessary intermediate components from traditional secure locking devices. By using a simplified latch element that directly interacts with the actuating ring's guide grooves, the design removes redundant parts, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining connection security.
3Reliability
If traditional secure locking devices are used to prevent disconnection under high pressure, then connection security is improved, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The latch element is received within radial openings of the actuating ring structure, and the guide grooves are integrated into the ring itself. This nesting of components within each other reduces the overall volume occupied by the locking mechanism while maintaining its security function against high pressure forces.
Solution Approach 2:
By merging the guiding function into the actuating ring's guide grooves rather than using separate guide components, the patent reduces the overall volume of the locking device. The integrated design eliminates the need for additional space that would be required for separate guiding mechanisms, thereby reducing device size while maintaining connection security.
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
This design enhances connection security by fully absorbing repelling forces under pressure, reducing the risk of unintentional disconnection while maintaining a compact and economical structure.
Implementation Method 1
a return member, configured to return the actuating ring to its locked position
Data Source
AI summary
This female element of a quick connector that connects to a male element and has a hollow body, which extends along an insertion axis and which delimits a receiving volume for the male element. Radial openings, formed in the body along a radial axis, open into the receiving volume. Each radial opening receives a latch, translatable in relation to the body along the corresponding radial axis, between a locked and an unlocked position. The female element has an actuating ring arranged about the body and translatable between a locked and an unlocked position. The ring has guide grooves, which interact with pins of each latch. The guide grooves associated with each latch are geometrically carried by a guide plane inclined in relation to the insertion axis so that each latch is driven between its locked and unlocked positions when the actuating ring is moved between its locked and unlocked positions.