Quick-connect device for multiple fluid lines

Claim 1

A COUPLING FOR MULTIPLE FLUID LINES COMPRISING: (A) A FEMALE COUPLING MEMBER HAVING AN END WITH AN INWARDLY EXTENDING GENERALLY AXIALLY DIRECTED SOCKET; (B) TRANSVERSE BOTTOM WALL DEFINING MEANS AT THE INNER END OF SAID SOCKET; (C) A MALE COUPLING MEMBER HAVING AN END RECEIVED WITHIN SAID SOCKET WHEN THE COUPLING MEMBERS ARE CONNECTED AND PROVIDED WITH TRANSVERSE END WALL DEFINING MEANS OPPOSED TO THE BOTTOM WALL DEFINING MEANS OF THE SOCKET; SAID MALE COUPLING MEANS HAVING ITS SAID END AXIALLY SEPARATED FROM SAID SOCKET BOTTOM WALL AND DEFINING THEREWITH A FULLY ENCLOSED ANNULAR CAVITY; (D) A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED HOLLOW MALE NIPPLE MEMBERS GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE COUPLING SAID MALE NIPPLE MEMBERS BEING CARRIED BY ONE OF SAID WALL DEFINING MEANS AND PROJECTING LONGITUDINALLY THEREBEYOND; (E) A PLURALITY OF BORES PROVIDED IN THE OTHER OF SAID WALL DEFINING MEANS AND ALIGNED WITH THE MALE NIPPLE MEMBERS WHEN THE COUPLING IS CONNECTED; (F) ELASTOMER SEALING MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID END AND BOTTOM WALL DEFINING MEANS WITH SAID SEALING MEANS BEING CHARACTERIZED IN THAT IT SUBSTANTIALLY FILLS THE CAVITY AT LEAST BETWEEN THE TRANSVERSE BOTTOM WALL DEFINING MEANS AND THE TRANSVERSE END WALL DEFINING MEANS WHEN THE COUPLING MEMBERS ARE INTERCONNECTED; (G) A PLURALITY OF APERTURES PROVIDED THROUGH SAID ELASTOMER SEALING MEANS WITH THE NUMBER OF SAID APERTURES BEING AT LEAST EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF SAID MALE NIPPLE MEMBERS AND OF A SIZE AND SHAPE GENERALLY CORRESPONDING TO THAT OF THE MALE NIPPLE MEMBERS, SAID MALE NIPPLE MEMBERS EXTENDING THROUGH AND BEYOND CORRESPONDING ONES OF SUCH APERTURES INTO CORRESPONDING BORES OF SAID OTHER WALL DEFINING MEANS WHEN THE COUPLING MEMBERS ARE CONNECTED; LOCATOR LUG MEANS COMPRISING A PIN CARRIED BY ONE OF SAID WALL DEFINING MEANS WITH THE AXIS OF SAID PIN BEING GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE COUPLING; A CAVITY FORMED IN THE OTHER OF SAID WALL DEFINING MEANS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID LUG MEANS WHEN THE COUPLING IS CONNECTED; AN APERTURE IN SAID SEALING MEANS THROUGH WHICH SAID PIN PROJECTS AT LEAST WHEN SAID COUPLING MEMBERS ARE INTERCONNECTED; (H) MEANS TO CONNECT THE NIPPLE MEMBERS AND SAID BORES, RESPECTIVELY, WITH APPROPRIATE FLUID LINES, AND (I) MEANS TO DRAW THE MALE AND FEMALE COUPLING MEMBERS TOGETHER INTO CONNECTED RELATIONSHIP AND TO COMPRESS THE ELASTOMER SEALING MEANS BETWEEN THE WALL DEFINING MEANS AND AGAINST THE EXTERNAL SURFACES OF THE MALE NIPPLE MEMBERS TO ESTABLISH A FLUID SEAL BETWEEN THE COUPLING MEMBERS; SAID LAST MENTIONED MEANS INCLUDING A COUPLING NUT ROTATABLY RECEIVED OVER THE END OF ONE OF SAID COUPLING MEMBERS; MEANS RESTRAINING SAID COUPLING NUT FROM MOVEMENT LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID ONE MEMBER; MEANS ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE OTHER OF SAID COUPLING MEMBERS ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH SAID COUPLING NUT THEREBY TO CONNECT THE COUPLING MEMBERS.