Fluid coupling with vacuum assisted valve elements

Claim 1

IN A FLUID COUPLING ASSEMBLY WHEREIN A FIRST COUPLING BODY MATES TELESCOPICALLY WITH A SECOND COUPLING BODY AND IN DOING SO ABUTS AND RETRACTS A NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE MEMBER IN THE SECOND BODY TO OPEN POSITION TO PERMIT FLUID FLOW THROUGH THE ASSEMBLY, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: SAID COUPLING BODY AND SAID VALVE MEMBER BEING SHAPED AND DIMENSIONED TO TELESCOPE TOGETHER IN A SLIDING MANNER TO FORM A SUCTION CHAMBER THAT CONTRACTS AS THE TWO BODIES CLOSE TOGETHER AND EXPANDS AS THE TWO BODIES SUBSEQUENTLY MOVE APART; AND MEANS TO SEAL SAID SUCTION CHAMBER AGAINST INFLOW OF AIR WHILE PERMITTING OUTFLOW OF AIR, WHEREBY MATING OF THE TWO COUPLING BODIES FORMS AND CONTRACTS THE SUCTION CHAMBER WITH CONSEQUENT EXPULSION OF AIR THEREFROM AND SUBSEQUENT RELATIVE MOVEMENT APART OF THE TWO COUPLING BODIES CREATES A VACUUM IN THE SUCTION CHAMBER TO PNEUMATICALLY COUPLE THE VALVE MEMBER WITH THE FIRST COUPLING BODY TO CAUSE THE VALVE MEMBER TO FOLLOW THE FIRST COUPLING BODY TO THE CLOSED POSITION OF THE VALVE MEMBER BEFORE THE TELESCOPING RELATION BETWEEN THE TWO COUPLING BODIES IS BROKEN THEREBY TO SUBSTANTIALLY PREVENT SPILLAGE OF FLUID FROM THE INTERIOR OF THE SECOND COUPLING BODY.