FOR COMPRESSED AIR SYSTEMS

Technical Field:

This invention relates to quick coupling elements easily coupled and decoupled, providing sealing and used in vehicles and machines equipped with compressed air systems. With this invention “composite double-secured quick- mountable coupling elements for compressed air systems” have been developed.

Fiberglass-reinforced plastic material with dimensional stability as composite material was used in this invention. Plastic material containing high levels of fiberglass is used in reinforced polymers as a composite material.

Fiberglasses are one of the most commonly used reinforcing fibers in reinforced polymers. Fiberglass-reinforced polyamides have good mechanical, chemical and dielectric properties as well as being more lightweight and more low- cost, and composite materials developed with these fibers have mechanical properties with high tensile and compressive strength. Further, thermal dimensional stability also increases. The composite material may contain fiberglass-reinforced polyamides in a ratio of 35 to 55% by weight.

Prior Art:

In the state of the art, compressed air systems are used when manpower is not enough to slow down, stop and lift vehicles and to start machines. In the compressed air system, coupling elements are the parts of equipment that use air pressure to form the compressed air coupling with each other.

In the state of the art, systems, where compressed air is used, have one compressed air generating system (compressor). Compressed air generated by this compressor is used to supply and drive a plurality of systems and equipment (air brake chamber for every wheel, air suspension bellows, air doors and valves that manage them, etc.). Therefore, all elements in this system are coupled with pipes in which the compressed air flows. The elements that will ensure the coupling for the coupling therebetween not to decouple in case of vibration and movement by providing the sealing between the equipment and these pipes (plastic hose in accordance with DIN 74234), are also the coupling elements.

In the state of the art, coupling elements where this type of compressed air is used was made of metal and ensure sealing by tightening with tools. Because this was not enough for high production quantities, quick coupling elements also made of metal were developed. The mounting of these elements was not done by tightening, it was only done with a certain pressure, it was both better and quicker than coupling elements of a prior generation.

In the state of the art, it has been aimed to develop quick coupling elements made of lightweight, i.e. composite material so as to be environment friendly and to use the world resources efficiently in the new vehicles.

The patent publications determined regarding the composite double-secured quick-mountable coupling elements for the compressed air systems developed with this invention are listed below.

• CN 103032644 A

• EP0795102 B1

• EP1072837 B1

• EP1714068 B1

• US 9383049

• US 2020 164553 A1

Coupling elements where this type of compressed air is used in the state of the art have disadvantages as follows:

• they are heavy because they are made of metal,

• they have long assembly time,

• there is no system to check whether the mounting was done correctly after mounting,

• the entire coupling is guaranteed with just one coupling.

Object of the Invention:

The following are intended in the development of this invention: • to produce a lighter coupling element (using the world resources less and polluting the environment less by using less fuel because it is lightweight), safer, coupled quickly and where compressed air is used that is important for the environment and humanity in today's world,

• to produce a coupling element where compressed air is used, which is lightweight, coupled quickly (mountable) and ensured to be securely mounted,

• to develop a system where it can be ensured that composite double-secured quick-mountable coupling elements are mounted correctly after being coupled and it can be ensured that they cannot be disassembled by themselves in any way accidentally for compressed air systems developed with this invention used in mounting straps.

Description of the Drawings/Figures

The description of the accompanying drawings/figures prepared to better explain the composite double-secured quick-mountable coupling elements for the compressed air systems developed with this invention are below.

Fig. 1; Exploded Drawing with All Sub-parts,

Fig. 2; Cross-sectional Drawing with All Sub-parts,

Fig. 3; Drawing of Safety Lock,

Fig. 4; Detailed Cross-sectional Drawing.

Description of the References:

The description of the parts/elements in the drawings/figures prepared to better explain the composite double-secured quick-mountable coupling elements for the compressed air systems developed with this invention are explained below.

1- Cover,

2- Dust O-ring,

3- Plastic Housing,

4- Clip,

5- Sealing O-ring,

6- Centering collar,

7- Male Coupling Element Body, 8- Quick Coupling Dust O-ring,

9- Quick Coupling Sealing O-ring,

10- Female Coupling Element Body,

11- Ring 12- Safety Lock

13- Hose

Detailed Description of the Invention

The subject of the invention is a coupling that makes the coupling between the hose (13) used for the compressed air coupling and the element that will use it, quickly and ergonomically, is lightweight (i.e. made of composite material), is mounted securely and ensured to be mounted securely (it is ensured that the assembly is done in the safest way) and can be mounted quickly.

For the compressed air systems developed with this invention, the double- secured quick-mountable coupling element made of composite material consists of two main elements. One of them is called male and the other is called female.

The male element comprises:

• Cover (1),

• Dust O-ring (2),

• Plastic housing (3), · Clip (4),

• Sealing O-ring (5),

• Centering collar (6),

• Male coupling element body (7),

• Quick coupling dust O-ring (8), · Quick coupling sealing O-ring (9).

The female element comprises:

• Female coupling element body (10),

• Ring (11), and Safety Lock (12).

Among these elements, the clip (4) and the ring (11) are made of metal (preferably spring steel), and all other parts are made of composite material. Thus, the weight of these parts has been significantly reduced compared to metal (compared to metals such as iron or brass). The composite material may contain fiberglass-reinforced polyamides in a ratio of 35 to 55% by weight.

Both sides of the female part are exactly the same. In other words, the same male element (fitting) can be fastened to both sides, or it can be directly coupled to a valve or equipment that has the shape of a male coupling element.

All lower parts of the male element are prepared in an assembled manner. Whereby:

First, the centering collar (6) is driven into the male coupling element body (7). After, the sealing O-ring (5), clip (4), plastic housing (3), dust O-ring (2) are placed into the male coupling element body (7), respectively. Then, the cover part (1) is inserted onto the male coupling element body (7) by pressing.

In other words, by inserting the cover part (1) onto the male coupling element body (7), dust O-ring (2), plastic housing (3), clip (4), sealing O-ring (5), centering collar parts (6) mounted into the male coupling element body (7).

The quick coupling dust O-ring (8) and the quick coupling sealing O-ring (9) are inserted in its own channel by streching them separately (i.e. the diameter is enlarged) and bringing them into the channels located separately for each of them on the male coupling element body (7). The hose (13) is only mounted by pushing over the centering collar part (6). This mounting is done after the male element and the female element mounted to each other are fastened on the vehicle.

The dust O-ring (2) protects the coupling against dirt such as external dust, etc. will come from the pipe coupling part. The sealing O-ring (5) ensures the sealing of this coupling.

The quick coupling dust O-ring (8) protects the coupling against dirt such as external dust, etc. will come from the coupling part of the male and female element. The quick coupling sealing O-ring (9) ensures the sealing of this coupling. The male element fits into place in two steps. In the first step, noise is generated due to air leakage and warns that the coupling is not complete. In the second step, the correct fitting position where the sealing is provided is realized. Two-step fitting is shown in the detailed cross-sectional drawing in Figure 4. In the 1st step, the male element is inserted into the female element and mounted to each other with the ring (11). In the 1st step, there will be air leakage because the O-rings are not fully fitted. This leak will cause noise and this noise will be noticed by the mounting element. It will complete the mounting by pressing more on it. Even if it does not complete this process by not hearing the sound, the mounting error can be corrected since the safety lock (12) is not fastened. Therefore, the correct mounting is checked in two steps.

In this way, these coupling elements are used and the system and coupling are made more secure with an extra safety lock (12).

While the mounted male coupling element body (7) enters the female coupling element body (10), it opens the ring (11) and fits into place. Then, the safety lock (12) is mounted on the female coupling element body (10) as shown in the detailed cross- sectional drawing in Figure 4. The safety lock (12) both ensures that the ring (11) fits correctly and also forms a second mechanical coupling between the male coupling element body (7) and the female coupling element body (10).