Coupling device for fluid lines
View Patent ↗A coupling device for fluid lines includes a female part having an annular wall with an aperture, a locking arm with a cam, and a male part having an annular wall with an outside surface with a circumferential groove and defining a longitudinal channel extending into the groove. The male part can be inserted into and rotated within the female part. The locking arm has a cam, and can be rotated between a locked position in which the cam is in a locked position and an unlocked position in which the cam is in an unlocked position. When the cam is in either the locked or unlocked position, the cam engages the groove to retain the male part within the female part, unless the male part is rotationally positioned relative to the female part such that cam is aligned with the channel, in which case the male part is releasable from the female part.
1. A coupling device for coupling a first fluid line to a second fluid line, said device comprising:
(a) a female part comprising:
(i) a line end for sealably connecting to the first fluid line; and
(ii) a female mating end comprising a cylindrical annular wall with an aperture;
(iii) at least one locking arm comprising a cam, said arm rotatably connected to the female mating end and rotatable between a locked position wherein the cam protrudes through the aperture to a locked position, and an unlocked position wherein the cam protrudes through the aperture to an unlocked position;
(b) a male part comprising:
(i) a line end for sealably connecting to the second fluid line; and
(ii) a male mating end comprising a cylindrical annular wall, comprising an outside surface with a circumferentially formed groove and defining a longitudinally formed channel extending from the end of the male mating end into the groove, the groove intersecting the channel;
(iii) a safety stop formed in the intersection of the channel and the groove;
wherein the at least one locking arm cannot be rotated to the locked position when the cam is aligned with the safety stop, and the cam in either the locked or unlocked position engages the male cylindrical annular wall within the groove to retain the male mating end in the female mating end, unless the male part is rotationally positioned relative to the female part such that cam is aligned with the channel, in which case the male part is releasable from the female part.
2. The coupling device of claim 1 wherein the female part has two locking arms having an angular separation, the male mating end has two channels having an angular separation, and the angular separation between the two locking arms is equal to the angular separation between the two channels.
3. The coupling device of claim 2 wherein the angular separation between the two locking arms is about 180°.
4. The coupling device of claim 1 further comprising markings on one or both of the male part or the female part to indicate when the at least one locking arm is aligned with the channel or when the at least one locking arm is not aligned with the channel.
5. The coupling device of claim 1 wherein the safety stop is a raised element.
6. A male part of a coupling device for coupling a first fluid line to a second fluid line, for engaging a female part comprising a female mating end comprising a cylindrical annular wall with an aperture; and at least one locking arm comprising a cam, said arm rotatably connected to the female mating end and rotatable between a locked position wherein the cam protrudes through the aperture to a locked position, and an unlocked position wherein the cam protrudes through the aperture to an unlocked position;
wherein the male part comprises:
(i) a line end for sealably connecting to the second fluid line; and
(ii) a male mating end comprising a cylindrical annular wall, comprising an outside surface with a circumferentially formed groove and defining a longitudinally formed channel extending from the end of the male mating end into the groove, the groove intersecting the channel;
(iii) a safety stop formed in the intersection of the channel and the groove;
and wherein the safety stop physically prevents the locking arm from moving to the locked position, and the cam in either the locked or unlocked position engages the male cylindrical annular wall within the groove to retain the male mating end in the female mating end, unless the male part is rotationally positioned relative to the female part such that cam is aligned with the channel, in which case the male part is releasable from the female part.
7. The male part of claim 6 wherein the safety stop is a raised element 1 .