US 12,455,030 B2
Low-spill coupling assembly
David J. Vranish, Mound, MN (US)
Assigned to Colder Products Company, Roseville, MN (US)
Filed by Colder Products Company, Roseville, MN (US)
Filed on Jul. 9, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/767,066.
Application 18/767,066 is a continuation of application No. 18/765,777, filed on Jul. 8, 2024, granted, now 12,129,952.
Application 18/765,777 is a continuation of application No. 18/761,002, filed on Jul. 1, 2024, granted, now 12,123,531.
Application 18/761,002 is a continuation of application No. 18/427,004, filed on Jan. 30, 2024, granted, now 12,025,256, issued on Jul. 2, 2024.
Application 18/427,004 is a continuation of application No. 18/532,514, filed on Dec. 7, 2023, granted, now 12,359,759.
Application 18/532,514 is a continuation of application No. 17/362,288, filed on Jun. 29, 2021, granted, now 11,885,451, issued on Jan. 3, 2023.
Application 17/362,288 is a continuation of application No. 16/670,294, filed on Oct. 31, 2019, granted, now 11,079,052, issued on Aug. 3, 2021.
Application 16/670,294 is a continuation of application No. 16/668,537, filed on Oct. 30, 2019, granted, now 11,060,650, issued on Jul. 13, 2021.
Application 16/668,537 is a continuation of application No. 14/567,254, filed on Dec. 11, 2014, granted, now 11,067,210, issued on Jul. 20, 2021.
Application 14/567,254 is a continuation in part of application No. 14/212,322, filed on Mar. 14, 2014, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/799,612, filed on Mar. 15, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2024/0360939 A1, Oct. 31, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. F16L 37/413 (2006.01); F16L 27/073 (2006.01); F16L 37/086 (2006.01); F16L 37/34 (2006.01); F16L 37/35 (2006.01)
CPC F16L 37/413 (2013.01) [F16L 27/073 (2013.01); F16L 37/086 (2013.01); F16L 37/34 (2013.01); F16L 37/35 (2013.01); Y10T 137/87957 (2015.04)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A coupling system for liquid cooling of electronics, comprising:
a female coupling device having a quick disconnect lock and being configured to releasably receive a male coupling device in a pre-coupled position in which fluid flow is occluded between the female coupling device and the male coupling device, a partially-coupled position, and a fully-coupled position in which fluid flow is provided between the female coupling device and the male coupling device, wherein the female coupling device includes:
a female main body defining: a front opening at a front-most face of the female main body, a sidewall opening positioned rearwardly of front opening and being sized to slidably receive a movable lock member, a first interior shoulder that is positioned rearwardly of the sidewall opening and that tapers inwardly to a first interior bore having a first bore diameter, the first interior bore extending rearwardly from the first interior shoulder for a first bore axial length to a second interior shoulder that transitions to a second larger interior bore having a second bore axial length greater than the first bore axial length, and forward and rear grooves formed along the first interior bore, wherein both the sidewall opening and a front-most end of the first interior shoulder are positioned axially closer to the front opening of the female main body than to the second larger interior bore of the female main body;
a forward bore seal seated in the forward groove along the first interior bore and radially inward from a maximum exterior circumferential surface of the quick disconnect lock of the female coupling device;
a stem having a stem head positioned in the first interior bore and being stationary relative to the front-most face of the female main body when the female coupling device releasably receives the male coupling device in the partially-coupled position and the fully-coupled position, wherein the stem head carries a stem seal mounted to an exterior thereof and defines a stem front face that is oriented toward the front opening and that has a stem front diameter greater than half the first bore diameter;
a rear bore seal positioned rearwardly of the forward bore seal in the rear groove along the first interior bore of the female main body at a same axial distance from the front opening as the stem seal, wherein the rear bore seal is positioned further from the front opening than the forward bore seal so that the forward bore seal is configured to sealingly engage with an exterior of the male coupling device while the rear bore seal is spaced apart from the male coupling device when the male coupling device is arranged in the pre-coupled position within the interior bore;
a movable sleeve slideable within the interior bore relative to the stem head so that the stem seal is releasably engageable with an interior circumferential sleeve surface of the sleeve, wherein the movable sleeve is biased by a sleeve spring toward a closed position in which the movable sleeve abuts with the second interior shoulder of the female main body and simultaneously engages with the rear bore seal and the stem seal, wherein the movable sleeve is configured to slide in a longitudinally rearward direction in response to movement of the male coupling device from the pre-coupled position toward the partially-coupled position such that the sleeve contemporaneously disengages from the stem seal and the rear bore seal and the male coupling device simultaneously engages with all three of the forward bore seal, the stem seal, and the rear bore seal; and
the quick disconnect lock comprising the movable lock member slidable within the sidewall opening of the female main body, an exterior user-adjustable actuator engaged with the movable lock member for actuation of the movable lock member, and a single coil spring positioned entirely forward of the sleeve spring at a location between the exterior user-adjustable actuator and the female main body so as to bias the movable lock member into the sidewall opening of the female main body;
wherein the stem seal is configured to disengage from both the movable sleeve and the male coupling device when the female coupling device releasably receives the male coupling device in the fully-coupled position.