US 11,879,581 B2
Unisex ball valve coupling with safety locking mechanism
Jason Koller, Eden Prairie, MN (US); Paul E. Lemay, Cleveland, OH (US); Shawn D. Ellis, College Place, WA (US); and Timothy Marquis, Otsego, MN (US)
Assigned to Parker-Hannifin Corporation, Cleveland, OH (US)
Appl. No. 17/792,854
Filed by Parker-Hannifin Corporation, Cleveland, OH (US)
PCT Filed Mar. 19, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/023117
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 14, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/202125, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 7, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/084,691, filed on Sep. 29, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/002,656, filed on Mar. 31, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0021378 A1, Jan. 26, 2023
Int. Cl. F16L 37/373 (2006.01); F16L 37/36 (2006.01)
CPC F16L 37/373 (2013.01) [F16L 37/36 (2013.01); F16L 2201/10 (2013.01); F16L 2201/20 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A coupling assembly comprising:
a coupler body having a first end and a second end opposite from the first end;
a valve that is housed within the coupler body and is moveable between a closed position and an open position;
a lock indicator that is movable along an outer surface of the coupler body between a first lock indicator position in which the lock indicator extends from the first end of the coupler body and a second lock indicator position that is retracted toward the second end of the coupler body relative to the first lock indicator position, wherein the lock indicator is biased toward the first lock indicator position and includes a restriction member;
an actuator that is movable between a first actuator position and a second actuator position, wherein when the lock indicator is in the first lock indicator position the restriction member maintains the actuator in the first actuator position and precludes movement of the actuator to the second actuator position, and when the lock indicator is in the second lock indicator position the restriction member permits the actuator to move between the first actuator position and the second actuator position; and
a locking pin that is moveable between a retracted position in which the locking pin is encompassed by the coupler body and an extended position in which the locking pin extends outward from the coupler body;
wherein the actuator moves the valve from the closed position to the open position when the actuator moves from the first actuator position to the second actuator position, and moves the valve from the open position to the closed position when the actuator moves from the second actuator position to the first actuator position; and
the actuator includes a leg that drives the locking pin from the retracted position to the extended position when the actuator moves from the first actuator position to the second actuator position, and drives the locking pin from the extended position to the retracted position when the actuator moves from the second actuator position to the first actuator position.