Granted Patent B2

US 10,428,987 · App. 15/037,716 · Granted Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

Claims (37)

1. A fluid quick connector assembly comprising:

an endform having an annular bead;

a housing having a passage configured to receive the endform and slots that extend downwardly to lower surfaces; and

a retainer carried by the housing and translatable between a shipping position and an engaged position, the retainer including a bridge, a beam extending from the bridge, two retainer arms extending from the bridge to retain the endform in the passage of the housing when the retainer is in an engaged position, and two guiding legs extending from the bridge that guide the retainer during movement to the engaged position, the two guiding legs each comprising an upper detent near the bridge,

wherein the two guiding legs are elastically movable so as to permit passage of the bead of the endform and overlie the bead of the endform in the shipping position to provide a degree of protection against withdrawal of the endform in the shipping position,

wherein the slots receive the upper detents as the retainer is translated from the shipping position to the engaged position, and

wherein the beam contacts the bead of the endform when the retainer is moved from the shipping position to the engaged position and thereby provide a redundant latch to further prevent removal of the endform from the housing.

2. The fluid quick connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion, wherein the first portion and the second portion are connected by first flanges with a first space defined therebetween, the second portion and the third portion are connected by second flanges with a second space defined therebetween, the two retainer arms are received in the first space, and the two guiding legs are received in second space, and

wherein the second flanges define the slots.

3. The fluid quick connector assembly of claim 2 , wherein the second portion of the housing includes a stop and the two retainer arms each include a hooked projection that engages the stop of the housing to prevent the retainer from moving from the shipping position to the engaged position.

4. The fluid quick connector assembly of claim 3 , wherein the two retainer arms of the retainer each include an upset encountering tab, and the annular bead of the endform engages the upset encountering tabs to bias the two retainer arms outwardly to remove the hooked projections from the stop to allow the retainer to move from the shipping position to the engaged position.

5. The fluid quick connector assembly of claim 4 , wherein, when the retainer is in the engaged position, the two retainer arms bias inwardly to secure the endform in the housing.

6. The fluid quick connector assembly of claim 2 , wherein the second portion of the housing includes a first detent and the two retainer arms of the retainer includes a second detent, and the first detent and the second detent engage to prevent removal of the retainer from the housing when the retainer is in the engaged position.

7. The fluid quick connector assembly of claim 2 , wherein the two guiding legs each further include a lower detent at an end of each leg, and a middle detent located between the upper detent and the lower detent.

8. The fluid quick connector assembly of claim 7 , wherein, when the retainer is in a service position, the second flanges are located between the middle detents and the lower detents, when the retainer is in a shipping position, the second flanges are located between the middle detents and the upper detents, and when the retainer is in the engaged position, the upper detents are received in the slots of the second flanges.

9. The fluid quick connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of the two retainer arms includes a chamfered inner surface that is engaged by the annular bead of the endform.

10. The fluid quick connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the beam, the two retainer arms and the two guiding legs extend in a common direction.

11. The fluid quick connector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bridge, the beam, the two retainer arms, and the two guiding legs are an integral unitary single piece component.

12. A fluid quick connector assembly comprising:

an endform including a tubular body having an annular bead;

a housing having a passage configured to receive the endform, wherein the housing includes a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion, the first portion and the second portion are connected by first flanges with a first space defined therebetween, the second portion and the third portion are connected by second flanges with a second space defined therebetween, the second flanges defining downward slots; and

a retainer carried by the housing and translatable between a shipping position and an engaged position, the retainer including a bridge, a beam extending from the bridge, wherein the beam has a curved lower surface, the retainer including two retainer arms extending from the bridge to retain the endform in the passage of the housing when the retainer is in an engaged position, and two guiding legs extending from the bridge that guide the retainer during movement to the engaged position, the two guiding legs each comprising an upper detent near the bridge,

wherein the two guiding legs are elastically movable so as to permit passage of the bead of the endform and overlie the bead of the endform in the shipping position to provide a degree of protection against withdrawal of the endform in the shipping position,

wherein the slots receive the upper detents as the retainer is moved from the shipping position to the engaged position

wherein the beam contacts the endform when the retainer is moved from the shipping position to the engaged position, and the beam is positioned axially forward of the annular bead when the retainer is in the engaged position to provide a redundant latch to further prevent removal of the endform from the housing, wherein the two retainer arms are received in the first space of the housing, and the two guiding legs are received in second space of the housing.

13. The fluid quick connector assembly of claim 12 , wherein the second portion of the housing includes a stop and the two retainer arms each include a hooked projection that engages the stop of the housing to prevent the retainer from moving from the shipping position to the engaged position.

14. The fluid quick connector assembly of claim 13 , wherein the two retainer arms of the retainer each include an upset encountering tab, and the annular bead of the endform engages the upset encountering tabs to bias the two retainer arms outwardly to remove the hooked projections from the stop to allow the retainer to move from the shipping position to the engaged position.

15. The fluid quick connector assembly of claim 14 , wherein, when the retainer is in the engaged position, the two retainer arms bias inwardly to secure the endform in the housing.

16. The fluid quick connector assembly of claim 12 , wherein the second portion of the housing includes a first detent and the two retainer arms of the retainer includes a second detent, and the first detent and the second detent engage to prevent removal of the retainer from the housing when the retainer is in the engaged position.

17. The fluid quick connector assembly of claim 12 , wherein the two guiding legs each further include a lower detent at an end of each leg, and a middle detent located between the upper detent and the lower detent.

18. The fluid quick connector assembly of claim 17 , wherein, when the retainer is in a service position, the second flanges are located between the middle detents and the lower detents, when the retainer is in a shipping position, the second flanges are located between the middle detents and the upper detents, and when the retainer is in the engaged position, the upper detents are received in the slots of the second flanges.

19. The fluid quick connector assembly of claim 12 , wherein each of the two retainer arms includes a chamfered inner surface that is engaged by the annular bead of the endform.

20. A fluid quick connector assembly comprising:

an endform having an annular bead;

a housing having a passage configured to receive the endform, the housing further including a stop and downward slots; and

a retainer carried by the housing and linearly movable between a first position and a second position, the retainer including a bridge, a beam extending from the bridge, two retainer arms extending from the bridge, and two guiding legs extending from the bridge that guide the retainer during movement of the retainer from the first position to the second position, each of the two guiding legs including an upper detent near the bridge that is received by the slots when the retainer is in the second position, and each of the two retainer arms including a hooked projection that engages the stop of the housing to prevent the retainer from moving from the first position to the second position, the two retainer arms of the retainer each include an upset encountering tab for biasing the two retainer arms outwardly to remove the hooked projections from the stop to allow the retainer to move from the first position to the second position,

wherein the two guiding legs cooperate with the annual bead of the endform in the first position to provide a degree of protection against withdrawal of the endform from the housing and the beam contacts the bead of the endform in the second position to provide a redundant latch to further prevent removal of the endform from the housing.

Assignments (11)