Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
9~
The present inyention relates to a coupling
member.
The present invention is aimed at utilisation,
inter alia, on <~environmental couplings)~ or non-spill
couplings where the a coupling member is, by means
of a rapid coupling function, capable of interacting with
another coupling member. The connected medium can com-
prise hydraulic oil.
The method is already known of dsigning the said
environmental couplings as <<flat nose c~uplings>>, which
are characterized in that both coupling members are pro-
vided with nose sections with essentially plane frontal
surfaces which can easily be wiped dry prior to the cou-
pling members being connected together. In such a non-
spill flat nose coupling the said sleeve is incorporated
in the form of an inner sleeve which is spring-actuated in
one direction, and in its other direction it can be dis-
placed by means of the second coupling component against
the said spring action. Here it is important that the
sleeve in the position in which it is not affected by the
second coupling member can adopt a sealing position by
means of the said spring action and possibly pressure
from a medium which is present in the coupling member
which is thus closed. In this connection -the sealing
arrangement should be such that the force when the coupling
members are joined together does not become excessive. In
the known type of flat nose couplings a covering sleeve
arrangement is also employed which is displaceable rela-
tive to the said sleeve and valve body. The said sealing
covering sleeve arrangement exhibits an external surfacewhich forms part of the essentially plane frontal surface
of the coupling member.
With the relevant types of couplings it is
important to be able to bring about a sealing arrangement
for the inner sleeve and the valve body which provides
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~he necessary high standard of sealing, whilst at the
same time the componen-ts involved are constructed in such
a way that manufacturing costs can be kept at a relatively
low level.
It is also important that the different portions
of the coupling be designed so that dirt and extraneous
particles are prevented from entering at the frontal
surfaces of the coupling members concerned.
According to the present invention, there is
provided a coupling member comprising: a valve body,
a sleeve which is displaceable in a longitudinal direc-
tion in relation to said valve body, a sealing element
provided on said valve body, said sleeve having a sealing
position in which it seals said valve body by means of
said sealing element, said valve body being provided
with a supporting device having a substantially radial
surface, and said sleeve being provided with a corres-
ponding radial surface and in said sealing position said
sleeve resting on said radial surface of said supporting
device by means of said corresponding radial surface of
its own. A cylindrical inner wall of said sleeve extends
past said sealing element, said cylindrical wall forming
together with the valve body and the supporting device
a substantially closed chamber for the sealing element.
A gap faces away from the supporting device and communi-
cates with a medium pressure inside the coupling member,
the medium pressure actuatiny the sealing element and
contributing to an effective mutual sealing of the valve
body and the sleeve by means of the sealing element.
In further embodiments of the present invention
a flap may be provided, capable of being folded down, andforming part of the valve body, which in the rolled down
position fixes the sealing element to the valve body. The
said flap may be furthermore so arranged that the sealing
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element is given a protected position with respect to the
medium pressure.
Furthermore, more comprehensive details are
given of the construction of the supporting device and
the inner sleeve so as to preferably form a suitable cham-
ber which fundamentally exceeds the volume of the sealing
element and is arranged in such a way that effective defor-
mation of the sealing element is brought about, which is
to some exten-t pressed directly axially against the radial
top surface of the supporting device, and to some extent
directly radially against the inner wall of the sleeve,
whereby reliable sealing of the essentially radial gap
between the valve body and sleeve is achieved.
In connection with the said further embodiments,
improvements are also proposed in connection with the
design of the inner sleeve and of the valve body which
become feasible thanks to the invention. In addition
details are given as to how the supporting device is to be
arranged in relation to the opposing sections on a further
~o sleeve, in the form of a covering sleeve, which is located
outside and capable of movement in relation both to the
inner sleeve and the valve body. The latter-mentioned
components can in this connection form part of a flat-
nosed environmental coupling arranged with rapid coupling
function for the two coupling members.
The proposals above provide an effective sealing
arrangement with technical/economical advantages for,
inter alia, the above mentioned types of couplings, the
other components of which can - thanks to the present
invention - also be given an appropriate and economic
design.
Thanks to the new arrangement there is only one
gap in the essentially plane frontal surface on the cou-
pling component concerned, which in an excellent manner
also reduces the risk of dirt penetration in the media
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system. Furthermore the sealing e:Lement is given a loca-
tion which is protected from the said dirt and extraneous
particles.
The sealing arrangement may function both at
low and high pressure, the latter for example being
capable of exceeding 30 Mpa. In the la-tter case the
sealing arrangement and sleeve may be so arranged that the
pressure of the actual medium affects the sealing element
and, by exerting purely axial and radial forces on this,
contributes to effective sealing.
Thanks to the proposals above, I avoid the
sleeve resting on the supporting device via slanting
sealing surfaces which require relatively high manufac-
turing precision and considerable thickness of the mate-
rial in the sleeve.
A preferred embodiment will now be described
hereinafter as example only, with no limitative manner,
having reference the attached drawings in which:
Fig. 1 shows in longitudinal section two quick
coupling members designed for hydraulic oil
in the de-coupled position, the said quick
coupling members forming together a non-spill
environmental coupling with essentially plane
frontal surfaces on the coupling members,
Fig. 2 shows in longitudinal section the coupling
members as in fig. 1 in a fully coupled posi-
tion, whereby coupling together takes place
with the aid of automatic coupling components
on the coupling members,
Fig. 3 showsenlarged and in longitudinal section
portions of the frontal section of the first
coupling component (female portion) of the
coupling members in fig. 1 and 2,
Fig. 4 shows in longitudinal section a modified
embodiment of the components shown in fig. 3,
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Fig. 5 shows in longitudinal section one half of the
female coupling member in a further modified
embodiment, and
Fig. 6 shows in longitudinal section one half of the
female coupling member in an embodiment modified
over all the other embodiments.
The coupling as shown in fig. 1 and 2 comprises
first coupling member 1 and a second coupling member 2,
whereby coupling member 1 comprises a female portion and
coupling 2 is a male portion.
The coupling forms a aflat nose coupling>> where
the respective coupling members are made with an essentially
plane frontal surface la and 2a respectively.
Couplings of this type are as such assumed to be
well known, so that only a brief account will be given here
of their fundamental construction and function. The first
coupling member 1 includes a valve body, of the <<shank
design)>, which is located firmly and coaxially relevant to
the first coupling member inside the first coupling member.
An inner sleeve 4 and an outer sleeve or covering sleeve 5
are arranged so that they can be displaced relative to the
valve body 3. The outer sleeve 5 is angled at one end and
at its other end is subject to spring action by a spiral
spring 6 which tries to keep the outer sleeve pressed against
the said frontal surface la.
The valve body includes inter alia a valve head 3a
which carries a seal 7 and on its first end sections 4a the
inner sleeve is designed, when in a sealing position as shown
in fig. 1, to interact with the said valve head 3a and the
sealing ring 7, so that a sealing function is obtained
between the sleeve 4 and the valve head 3 with the aid of the
seal. A spring 8, preferably a helical spring, is effective
against the other end portions of the sleeve 4, more precisely
the end edge 4b, and tries to maintain the inner sleeve in
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the sealing position. At its upper end sections the inner
sleeve carries a further seal 9 which comprises a <~back-up>>
seal of a type which as such is well known. The sleeve 4 is
mounted in a first recess lb in the first coupling member,
whereby the sleeve receives guidance on a first internal
wall lb' of the said recess. The seal between the sleeve 4
and the said inner wall lb' is provided by means of the said
seal 9. The said first chamber or recess lb comprises a
partial chamber in the first coupling member and is provided
with a portion lc which extends axially inside the first
coupling member.
The outer sleeve rests in the second chamber ld in
the first coupling member, whereby the wall of the chamber
is designated ld'. The outer surface rests against this
inner wall ld' and the outer extreme position of the outer
sleeve is governed by a lip 5a thereon. The angled portion
5b of the outer sleeve is designed to be capable of inter-
acting with frontal portions of the second coupling member,
with the aid of which the outer sleeve is thus capable of
insertion in the first coupling member. With a given degree
of insertion the outer sleeve interacts with the inner sleeve
4 and entrains this. This entrainment occurs as a result of
the interaction between the free end of the angled portion
5a and a shoulder 4c, which is provided by means of a recess
4d on the inner sleeve.
The valve body is also provided with a shank por-
tion 3b which extends coaxially in relation to the inner
sleeve and up to or beyond the upper end surface 4b of the
latter. The end of the shank which faces towards the valve
head 3a is linked with a flow distribution housing 3c which
is similarly part of the valve body and which is provided
with an external thread, which can be screwed into a
corresponding internal thread le in the coupling member 1.
In the flow distribution housing the flow which
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1~41 ~8
arrives from the incoming chamber lf of the coupling
member is distributed to~a number oE outlets 3c', 3c'',
which can for example be four in number and uniformly dis-
tributed around the central axis 10 of the coupling member.
The exit holes are furthermore sloping and the shank is
terminated in the housing by a tip 3b' which projects into
the housing and by sloping surfaces 3b'' and 3b'''. From
the said outlets the flow is led down into chamber lb and
into the sleeve 4. With the sleeve in its sealing position
the pressure in the first coupling membe~ is inter alia
effective on the upper end surface 4b of the inner sleeve.
The medium is sealed off as outlined above by means of the
seals 7 and 9.
The first coupling member also incorporates outer
locking sleeves 11 and 12, which as such are well known, and
which with the aid of locking balls 13 and 14 and a further
spring 15 are arranged to bring about in a known manner an
automatic quick coupling function when coupling members 1
and 2 are joined together. The second coupling component is
for this purpose provided with a radial outer groove 2b, via
which interaction occurs with the locking balls 13 in the
first coupling member.
The second coupling member 2 exhibits an axially
displaceable valve body 16 which by means of a spring 17 is
pressed against the front portions of the coupling member.
The valve body 16 is coaxially mounted in a cross mounting
18 which rests against the inner wall 2c of coupling member
2. The valve body 16 is expanded at its free end and is
sealed by means of a seal 19 of the <<back-up>> type.
Fig. 2 shows inter alia how the flow path is
formed through the connected members 1 and 2, whereby the
flow medium is indicated by 20. Even if the flow as such
can be imagined as being led in the opposite direction, the
flow path 20 in the present case leads from chamber lf,
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98
through the flow distribution housing 3c to the chamber
between the inner sleeve 4 and the shank 3b, then on the
outside of valve heads 3a and 16j and down and through the
wings 18 of the cross mounting. With the position for the
medium thus open, sealing of the flow takes place by means
of the seal 9 and seal 19 which seal against the outside of
the inner sleeve 4 at the recess 4d.
Fig. 3 shows in greater detail, inter alia, a
flap 21 arranged in the material of the valve head 3a,
lo which adopts a rolled-down position over,the sealing element
7 so that the sealing element is reliably fastened to the
valve head. The valve head 3a also carries a supporting
device 22 extending radially which supports a supporting
flange, which is essentially radial, or supporting surface
22a, against which the sleeve end 4a is arranged to rest
with its end edge surface 4a' which extends straight and
parallel with the surface 22a. The outer tip of the rolled-
down flat 21 and the outer tip of the supporting device 22
are denoted by 21' and 22' respectively.
If we again examine Fig. 2 the said outer tips 21'
and 22' are also indicated here. This shows that an imagi-
nary straight line drawn between the said tips extends right
outside the sealing element, or essentially in connection
with the tangents of the sealing element which are parallel
with the straight line. This means that the sealing element
is provided with an excellently protected position for the
flow of the medium which is deflected towards the top surface
3a' of the valve head 3a. If for example the medium com-
prises hydraulic oil, then no extraneous particles present
in the hydraulic oil can have a harmful effect on the sealing
element.
Fig. 2 also shows that the lower portions 4a of the
inner sleeve exhibit an internal chamber for 4a" which
facilitates the guidance of the sleeve to the sealing position
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via the tip of the flap 21' which thereby also functions
as the guidance device for the inner sleeve.
The inner sleeve is simple in construction with a
straight inner wall 4e and a straight outer wall which is
reduced in section one step with the straight recess 4d
(fig. 1).
The supporting device 22 shown in fig. 3 is rela-
tively strong and is between 0,5 - 5 mm in thickness, which
dependent on coupling type and/or coupling size. The straight
radial upper surface 22a is height level~ed at the location
of the sealing ring 7, whereby a surface which is displaced
in parallel in relation to the surface 22a is denoted by 22b.
The latter partial surface is directly adjacent to the inner
wall 4e of the inner sleeve, when the inner sleeve rests on
the supporting device. The said surface 22b changes into a
curved circular partial surface 22c which is terminated at
the top by the said rolled-down flap 21. The supporting
device is essentially the same thickness as, preferably some-
what thicker, than the free end 5a' of the angled portion Sa
of the outer sleeve 5.
An essentially closed chamber 23 is thus formed
for the sealing element 7 with the partial surfaces 22b and
22c, the rolled down flap 21 and the inner wall 4e. The said
closed chamber communicates with the inner chamber of the
sleeve 4 via a gap 24, facing away from the supporting device
22, which gap is between 0,1 and 0,2 mm. In the closed posi-
tion of the sleeve, the inner wall 4e is guided by the axial
surface or step which connects surfaces 22a and 22b, and the
gap between the sleeve and last mentioned surfaces is right-
angled, i.e. the gap between the axial surface and 22a formsa <<L>>.
The volume of the chamber 23 exceeds the volume
of the sealing element 7 and the sealing element projects
beyond the flap 21 in a radial direction by 2/5 - 1/10 of
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1~179~
its section which is circular in the present case. The
degree of projection is about 1/5.
As a result of the step-shaped radial sealing
surface 22a and 22b, where the end surface 4a' on the sleeve
rests against the surface 22a and surface 22b originates
from the inner surface 4e of the sleeve, an effective sealing
function is obtained even with high pressure of the medium
which affects the sealing element in the axial direction via
the gap 24. The sealing element is pressed axially against
the surface 22b by the pressure and the ~adial forces gener-
ated in the sealing element are effective against the inner
surface 4e of the sleeve. This provides an effective sealing
function and the sleeve 4 can be dimensioned so that its
sleeve end is made of relatively thin material. At low
medium pressures the spring 8 ensures that the sleeve is
pressed against the supporting surface 22a so that a required
seal is obtained via the inner wall 4e of the sleeve. The
pressure of the medium is effective on the end surface 4b of
the sleeve and at high pressure this together with the spring
ensures adequate contact on the part of the sleeve.
The said free end 5a of the angled portion 5c of
the outer sleeve 5 is opposite to the free end surface 22d
of the supporting device, the opposite surfaces having essen-
tially the same height and being arranged with an intervening
gap of 0,1 - 0,5 mm. The essentially plane lower surface
5a'' of the angled portion, the free end of which connects
with the plane lower surface of the valve head 3a, is also
sloping, in as much as it slopes from the outer edge inwards/
upwards. An angle of slope a is thus equal to 0 - 15, pref-
erably about 5 in the case illustrated.
The outer edge 5a''' of the radial portion of 5aconnects with a chamfer lg' on the ball holder lg arranged
on the first coupling member, which chamfer is about 45 in
relation to the axis 10 and extends along ca half up to 2/3
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.. , . , . . .. .. _ _
79~3
of the material in the ball holder lg. The front surface
of the first coupling component is formed in this way by
straight and mutually interrupted partial surfaces 26 ~on
the valve head 3a), 5a'' (on component 5a), and lg' and lg''
(on component lg). The sald chamfered surface 5a'' with
the coupling components connected together, gives rise to a
ring-shaped and wedge-shaped chamber 27, into which small
quantities of dirt, oil etc. which have not been wiped off
can penetrate downwards so that they do not interfere with
the engagement of the couplings.
Fig. 4 illustrates the case where the lower sur-
face 5a'' is also straight. In this case the thickness of
the supporting device is illustrated by a and the step
between the surfaces 22a and 22b is denoted by b. The
latter-mentioned distance is 0,1 - 2,0 mm.
The function of the coupling is known from prior
art. The male portion 2 is introduced into the female por-
tion, whereby the outer sleeve 5 is pushed in and the seal
19 seals against the inner sleeve when the valve 16 in the
male portion 2 is opened by the coupling force. When the
outer sleeve 5 is inserted to a certain extent this interacts
with the inner sleeve and entrains the latter, whereby the
sealing arrangement together with the seal 7 is opened.
When the components are locked to each other the flow path
20 is thus completely open.
When the members are disengaged the springs 6 and
8 retract the sleeves 5 and 4 respectively. The seal 19 no
longer interacts with the sleeve 4 after this has sealed
against the valve head 3a, whereupon finally the outer sleeve
5, also the valve 16 in coupling member 2, revert to their
outer position as shown in fig. 1.
Figs. 5 and 6 show further embodiments of the
coupling member of the present invention. At large medium
pressure it can be advantageous to discharge the fixed valve
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body from forces of the sleeve 4', 4'' so the latter one
does not rest only on the valve head 3a', 3a'' in the closed
or sealed position. According to said embodiments the first
coupling member is provided with a tube portion or tube
formed part fastened to the body of the first coupling
member and separating the space of the spring for the outer
sleeve 5', 5'' from the space of the inner sleeve 4', 4''.
Said tube formed part is attached to the coupling body via
threads 29 and 32, respectively. The embodiment of Fig. 5
having a seal 30 as well for preventing leakage.
Said tube formed part carries the flow distribution
housint 28, which according to Fig. 5 can be attached by
means of press fit or, according to Fig. 6, by means of
threads 34. The valve body can in a corresponding way be
attached to the flow distribution housing by press fit as in
Fig. 5 or by threads 33 as in Fig. 6.
In the lower parts, the tube formed part is pro-
vided with an inwardly directed flange which serves as dis-
charging device for the sleeve 4', 4'', which having a
corresponding flange or shoulder positioned below the sealing
device of the sleeve, which sealing device is of aback-up>>
type. The end positions of the sleeve are shown by full and
dotted lines, respectively. Furthermore, the sleeve having
on its upper end a shoulder allotted to its belonging spring.
Said discharging devices are adapted so that the
sealing function between the sleeve 4', 4'' and the valve
head 3a', 3a'' always is carried through safely before dis-
charging occurs. The outer sleeve 5', 5'' is in these embodi-
ments provided with not shown axial slots at its upper parts.
Said slots make it possible to push in said outer sleeve via
the front surface of the coupling member in the manufacturing
procedure of the coupling. At the applying, the slotted parts
of the sleeve can spring inwards and after that spring back
again when the sleeve obtains its working position according
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1798
to Figs. 5 and 6. The embodiments of Figs. 5 and 5 allow
also a comparatively simple and cheap production of the
concerned coupling member. The assembling of a unit of
concerned preassembled components can be carried out mainly
from the rear of the coupling member. Material savings are
attained as well, which contributes to a simple and cheap
coupling member.
The invention is not restricted to the embodiments
described above by way of example, but can also be subjected
to modifications within the framework of,the subsequent
patent claims. Thus for example the whole or parts of valves
3a, 3b, 3c can be arranged so as to be capable of some
movement in the axial direction relative to the first coupling
member. Similarly the exits from the flow distribution
housing 3c can be located further out in relation to the
orifice on the first coupling member i.e. the outer wall 3c'''
can be lengthened and the shank 3b can be shortened to the
desired extent.
The object of the present invention facilitates
couplings which are suitable for rational production methods
in large and small workshops. The right-angled gap between
the inner sleeve 4 and the supporting member 22 of the valve
head is easy to manufacture with great accuracy which
guarantees a good sealing function as described above. The
axial surface which connects surfaces 22a and 22b guarantees
that the inner sleeve always gets coaxially the right posi-
tion in relation to the sealing surfaces on member 22 and
seal 7.
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