Valved coupler

Claim 1

A QUICK CONNECT COUPLER FOR A FLUID CONDUIT, COMPRISING: A TUBULAR HOUSING HAVING AN OPEN ENTRANCE END; A PLURALITY OF JAWS HAVING RADIALLY INTERIOR SURFACES JOINTLY DEFINING A CYLINDRICAL CRADLE LYING AROUND A COMMON AXIS OF THE HOUSING AND JAWS; SAID JAWS MOVABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID TUBULAR HOUSING FOR LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION PROTRUDING FROM SAID ENTRANCE END, AND A SECOND POSITION RETRACTED THEREFROM; SAID JAWS HAVING EXTERIOR CAM FOLLOWER SURFACES; SAID HOUSING HAVING CAM MEANS THEREIN FOR COACTING WITH THE SAID CAM FOLLOWER SURFACES TO CAUSE SAID JAWS TO CLOSE RADIALLY AS THEY MOVE FROM SAID SECOND TOWARD SAID FIRST POSITION AND TO OPEN AS THE JAWS TRAVEL IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION; AN ANNULAR PISTON WITHIN SAID HOUSING AXIALLY ALIGNED WITH THE SAID AXIS AND POSITIONED AT THE END OF SAID JAWS OPPOSITE SAID PROTRUDING ENDS, IN DRIVE EXERTING RELATIONSHIP TO MOVE SAID JAWS TOWARD SAID FIRST POSITION UPON ACTIVATION BY FLUID UNDER PRESSURE; SAID CRADLE AND PISTON DEFINING A THROUGH PASSAGEWAY FOR THE RECEIPT OF A TUBE MEMBER INSERTED THEREIN THROUGH SAID JAWS, SAID PISTON INCLUDING MEANS FORMING A FLUID TIGHT SEAL WITH SAID TUBE; FLUID SUPPLY VALVE MEANS POSITIONED ON THE SIDE OF SAID PISTON OPPOSITE SAID JAWS AND IN A POSITION TO BE CONTACTED BY AN ELONGATED MEMBER INSERTED THROUGH SAID CRADLE, SAID VALVE MEANS HAVING AN OPEN CONDITION UPON CONTACT BY SUCH ELONGATED MEMBER AND A CLOSED CONDITION WHEN RELEASED; AND PASSAGEWAY MEANS FROM SAID VALVE MEANS TO SAID PISTON; WHEREBY, AN ELONGATED MEMBER MUST BE INSERTED THROUGH SAID JAWS AND PISTON TO OPEN SAID VALVE MEANS AND THEREBY CAUSE A GRIP MOVEMENT OF THE JAWS TO TAKE PLACE FULLY UPON SAID MEMBER, AND WHEREBY THE GRIP OF THE JAWS CAN BE BROKEN ONLY BY APPLYING EXTERNAL FORCE TO THE JAWS AGAINST THE ACTION OF SAID PISTON TO MOVE FROM SAID FIRST TOWARD SAID SECOND CONDITION.