Coupling device with spring locking detent means

Claim 2

A coupling device for sealingly connecting the adjacent ends of axially aligned members in end-to-end relation, comprising: a. a coupling structure having two cylindrical parts threadedly connected at adjacent ends and upon relative rotation being axially contractible, the other ends of said parts being adapted to respectively surround the members to be coupled; b. sealing means for peripherally sealing the adjacent ends of the coupled members and said coupling structure in response to the axial contraction of said coupling structure; and c. detent means interconnecting the threadedly connected ends of said parts, said detent means having resiliently engaged elements coacting to yieldably oppose relative rotational movement of said connected parts at spaced dwell points, and at each dwell point yieldably restraining relative movement of the parts therefrom in opposite directions.

Claim 3

A coupling device according to claim 1, wherein the relative movement of said parts from said dwell points is restrained by a greater resistive force in one direction than in the opposite direction.

Claim 4

A coupling device according to claim 1, wherein one of said coupling structure parts comprises a rotatable nut and the other part comprises a cylindrical body, and the detent means comprises spring urged elements carried by said nut, and a series of spaced depressions carried by the cylindrical body positioned in the path of travel of said spring urged elements and providing dwell points at which incremental movements of the nut will be releasably retained.

Claim 5

A coupling device for sealingly connecting the adjacent ends of axially aligned members in end-to-end relation, comprising: a. a coupling structure having two cylindrical parts threadedly connected at adjacent ends and upon relative rotation being axially contractible, the other ends of said parts being adapted to respectively surround the members to be coupled, one of said parts comprising: a nut assembly having a threaded bore and an inner annular flange, an axially extending elongate ring member of smaller diameter than the threaded bore supported at one end from the inner periphery of said annular flange of the nut, and having an outer circumferential flange, b. sealing means for peripherally sealing the adjacent ends of the coupled members in response to the axial contraction of said coupling structure; and c. detent means interconnecting the threadedly connected ends of said parts, said detent means having resiliently engaged elements coacting to releasably oppose relative rotational movement of said connected parts at spaced dwell points, and at each dwell point restraining relative movement of the parts therefrom in opposite directions, said detent means comprising: an annular flat body member gripped between said inner annular flange of the nut and the outer circumferential flange of the ring member, said body member having a plurality of integral inclined spring fingers positioned to coact with associated detent elements carried by the other part of said coupling structure.

Claim 6

A coupling device for sealingly connecting the adjacent ends of axially aligned members in end-to-end relation, comprising: a. a coupling structure having two cylindrical parts threadedly connected at adjacent ends and upon relative rotation being axially contractible, the other ends of said parts being adapted to respectively surround the members to be coupled, one of said parts comprising: a nut assembly having a threaded bore and an inner annular flange, an axially extending elongate ring member of smaller diameter than the threaded bore supported at one end from the inner periphery of said annular flange of the nut, and having an outer circumferential flange, b. sealing means for peripherally sealing the adjacent ends of the coupled members in response to the axial contraction of said coupling structure; and c. detent means interconnecting the threadedly connected ends of said parts, said detent means having resiliently engaged elements coacting to releasably oppose relative rotational movement of said connected parts at spaced dwell points, and at each dwell point restraining relative movement of the parts therefrom in opposite directions, said detent means comprising: an annular flat body member gripped between said inner annular flange of the nut and the outer circumferential flange of the ring member, said body member having a plurality of integral inclined spring fingers positioned to coact with associated detent elements carried by the other part of said coupling structure.

Claim 7

A coupling device according to claim 4, wherein the detent elements carried by the other part of said coupling structure comprise a plurality of circumferentially spaced U-shaped notches adapted to seatingly receive a curved portion formed at the outer end of each of said spring fingers.

Claim 8

A coupling device according to claim 5, wherein the U-shaped notches are positioned in a confronting end surface of said other part of said coupling.

Claim 9

A coupling device according to claim 5, wherein said curved portion at the outer end of the spring finger presents contiguous ramp faces having different effective seating angles of engagement with thE opposite edges of the associated notch, whereby a greater resisting force opposes displacement of the finger end portion from the notch in one direction of nut rotation than in an opposite direction of rotation thereof.

Claim 10

A coupling device according to claim 1, wherein the other part at its outer end carries an inner annular flange, and including annular channel means connecting the adjacent ends of the axially aligned members against separation, and wherein the sealing means are positioned between said channel means and the inner end of the elongate ring member of the nut assembly, and between said channel means and the inner annular flange of said other part.

Claim 11

A coupling device for releasably joining the ends of tubing members having an end terminal surrounding projection, comprising: an annular channel circumscribing and enclosing the adjacent end projections of tubing members in coaxial alignment; a coupling structure surrounding said channel having two cylindrical parts threadedly connected at adjacent ends and upon relative rotation being axially contractible, the outer ends of said parts being adapted to respectively surround the adjacent ends of the coupled tubing members, and each of said outer ends having an inwardly extending end flange axially outwardly spaced from said channel; an O-ring surrounding each coupled tubing end positioned between the end flange of the associated part and the channel, whereupon the axial contraction of the coupling structure will compress the O-rings into a sealing condition between said channel, coupled tubing and said end flanges; a plurality of circumferentially equally spaced notches carried by one of said parts; and spring detent means carried by the other of said parts including spring fingers having ends yieldably engageable in said notches and coacting therewith to form a low ramp angle on the leading side in the tightening sense of said parts and a relatively high ramp angle on the leading side in the untightening sense of said parts, whereby said parts may be relatively rotated in a direction to contract the coupling structure more readily than in the opposite direction, so as to compress both O-rings into a sealing condition at the same time that the ends of the spring fingers are pressed with increasing pressure against said notches.

Claim 12

A coupling device for releasably joining the ends of tubing members having an end terminal surrounding projection, comprising: an annular channel circumscribing and enclosing the adjacent end projections of tubing members in coaxial alignment; a coupling structure surrounding said channel having two cylindrical parts threadedly connected at adjacent ends and upon relative rotation being axially contractible, the outer ends of said parts being adapted to respectively surround the adjacent ends of the coupled tubing members, and each of said outer ends having an inwardly extending end flange axially outwardly spaced from said channel; an O-ring surrounding each coupled tubing end positioned between the end flange of the associated part and the channel, whereupon the axial contraction of the coupling structure will compress the O-rings into a sealing condition between said channel, coupled tubing and said end flanges; a plurality of circumferentially equally spaced notches carried by one of said parts; and spring detent means carried by the other of said parts including spring fingers having ends yieldably engageable in said notches and coacting therewith to form a low ramp angle on the leading side in the tightening sense of said parts and a relatively high ramp angle on the leading side in the untightening sense of said parts, whereby said parts may be relatively rotated in a direction to contract the coupling structure more readily than in the opposite direction, so as to compress both O-rings into a sealing condition at the same time that the ends of the spring fingers are pressed with increasing pressure against said notches.

Claim 13

A coupling device according to claim 9, in which one of said coupling structure parts is a nut and the other part is a cylindrical body, the spring fingers being carried by the nut and the notches being carried by the cylindrical body.