Quick disconnect coupling

Claim 2

A releasable coupling comprising, engageable male and female coupling members, an expandable and contractible locking member carried by the male coupling member in both assembled and disassembled positions, means on the female coupling member for receiving in locking engagement the locking member to lock the coupling members together, means integral with the female coupling member and means integral with said male coupling member for removing the locking member from locking engagement with the female coupling member upon axial movement of the coupling members together beyond the locked position thereof to place the coupling members in unlocked condition whereby the locking member is carried axially by the male member, means integral with the male coupling member for capturing the locking member in said unlocked condition upon further axial movement of the coupling members together to release the coupling members for axial separation.

Claim 3

The releasable coupling as defined in claim 1 wherein said locking member comprises a resilient contractible split annular member, and said capturing means comprises cooperating flange and recess means formed on the locking member and male coupling member which are engageable in the unlocked condition of the coupling.

Claim 4

The releaseable coupling as defined in claim 1 including a removable stop member on the coupling to limit axial engagement of the coupling members for permitting axial engagement of the coupling members to locking condition while preventing further axial engagement thereof together to prevent locking member capture.

Claim 5

The releasable coupling defined in claim 1 wherein said locking member is in an axially movable position with said male coupling member in the unlocked condition of the engaged coupling members

Claim 6

A releaseable coupling comprising, a female coupling member having a bore thereiN which includes a rearward outer portion and adjacent locking groove inwardly thereof, a male coupling member formed with an annular groove insertable into the bore of the female coupling member, a radially contractible locking ring carried in the annular groove in the male coupling member in both the assembled and disassembled positions, said locking ring being contracted by camming action with the rearward portion of the bore in the female coupling member upon insertion of the male coupling member therein and radially expandable into the locking groove into locking position, said locking ring being contractible by camming action with the female coupling member to an unlocked position upon further axial movement of the male coupling member and locking ring into the bore of the female coupling member, and means integral with the male coupling member for capturing the locking ring in the unlocked position within the annular groove in the male coupling member upon still further axial movement of the male coupling member into the bore of the female coupling member to permit axial separation of the coupling members.

Claim 7

A releaseable coupling comprising, a female coupling member having a bore thereiN which includes a rearward outer portion and adjacent locking groove inwardly thereof, a male coupling member formed with an annular groove insertable into the bore of the female coupling member, a radially contractible locking ring carried in the annular groove in the male coupling member in both the assembled and disassembled positions, said locking ring being contracted by camming action with the rearward portion of the bore in the female coupling member upon insertion of the male coupling member therein and radially expandable into the locking groove into locking position, said locking ring being contractible by camming action with the female coupling member to an unlocked position upon further axial movement of the male coupling member and locking ring into the bore of the female coupling member, and means integral with the male coupling member for capturing the locking ring in the unlocked position within the annular groove in the male coupling member upon still further axial movement of the male coupling member into the bore of the female coupling member to permit axial separation of the coupling members.

Claim 8

The releasable coupling as defined in claim 5 wherein said male coupling member is formed with a second annular groove, and said female coupling member bore is formed with an inner forward portion of smaller diameter than the outer bore portion, and a seal ring carried in the second annular groove for sealing engagement with the inner bore portion of the female coupling member in the coupled condition.

Claim 9

The releasable coupling as defined in claim 5 wherein said locking ring comprises a split ring formed with a radially inwardly and forwardly tapered outer wall for camming engagement with the rearward bore portion and locking groove of the bore in the female coupling member, said locking groove having a complementary tapered wall and a locking shoulder between said tapered wall and outer bore portion for locking engagement with the split ring.

Claim 10

The releasable coupling as defined in claim 5 wherein said capturing means includes complementary frictional engaging means on the locking ring and male coupling member which are tightly frictionally engageable in the captured condition of the locking ring.

Claim 11

The releasable coupling as defined in claim 8 wherein said capturing means includes a rearwardly extending flange formed on the locking ring and a complementary forwardly facing recess formed in the rear wall of the annular groove in the male member to receive the flange in tight frictional engagement in the captured unlocked condition of the locking ring.

Claim 12

The releaseable coupling as defined in claim 5 including a removable stop member on the coupling for limiting axial engagement of the coupling members to prevent capture of the locking ring while permitting locking engagement of the coupling members.

Claim 13

The releasable coupling as defined in claim 10 wherein the removable stop member comprises a split ring removably attached to the male member and engageable by the female member for limiting axial engagement.

Claim 14

A releaseable coupling comprising, a female coupling member having an inner circumferential groove, a male coupling member receivable in the female coupling member and having an outer circumferential groove, an expandable and contractible locking member carried in both assembled and diasssembled positions in one of said grooves and movable laterally into locking engagement in the other of said grooves upon axial movement of the coupling members together into locked position, means integral with one of said members for removing the locking member from locking engagement upon further axial movement of the coupling members together beyond said locked position thereof to place the coupling members in unlocked condition whereby the locking member is carried axially by one of said member, means integral with the one coupling member which carries the locking member for capturing the locking member In said unlocked condition upon still further axial movement of the coupling members together to release the coupling members for axial separation.

Claim 15

A releaseable coupling comprising, a female coupling member having an inner circumferential groove, a male coupling member receivable in the female coupling member and having an outer circumferential groove, an expandable and contractible locking member carried in both assembled and diasssembled positions in one of said grooves and movable laterally into locking engagement in the other of said grooves upon axial movement of the coupling members together into locked position, means integral with one of said members for removing the locking member from locking engagement upon further axial movement of the coupling members together beyond said locked position thereof to place the coupling members in unlocked condition whereby the locking member is carried axially by one of said member, means integral with the one coupling member which carries the locking member for capturing the locking member In said unlocked condition upon still further axial movement of the coupling members together to release the coupling members for axial separation.

Claim 16

The releaseable coupling as defined in claim 12 wherein said locking member comprises a resilient split annular member, and said capturing means comprises cooperating flange and recess means formed on the locking member and the one coupling member which carries said locking member which flange and recess means are engageable in the unlocked condition of the coupling by relative axial movement of the locking member and the one coupling member which carries the same.