INTEGRATED SEAL AND QUICK CONNECT PLUG BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to an integrated seal and quick connect plug utilized to prevent leakage of transmission fluid in an automotive transmission during shipment and after assembly and to retain a tubular endform inserted into the plug during assembly of the transmission.
Automotive transmissions are often filled with transmission fluid prior to shipment to an automobile assembly plant. The fluid is retained in the transmission fluid oil cooler by threaded plastic plugs inserted into the fluid connection ports in the housing of the transmission. These plugs, however, are not completely efficient in retaining the fluid in the transmission, often requiring the fluid to be drained prior to shipment.
Seals are commonly employed in the plugs to prevent leakage of transmission fluid from the transmission during shipment. After installation of the transmission in an automobile, a tubular endform is inserted into the plug, creating a fluid passageway. The endform tears the seal along a weakened tear seam, forming a sealing surface around the endform to prevent the leakage of fluid after the tear seam is torn. However, once the transmission is installed and the seal is punctured by the endform, leakage can occur if the endform is not secured within the plug. A separate retention mechanism is commonly employed to retain the endform in the plug. As the retention mechanism is separate from the seal, additional parts and more time is needed to assemble the transmission. It would be beneficial to provide a plug which integrates both the seal and the retention mechanism to prevent leakage of fluid.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An integrated seal and quick connect plug inserted into a fluid opening of a transmission assembly prevents leakage of transmission fluid. The plug includes a seal and an annular retainer. The seal is secured to a housing of the plug by a crimped attachment portion and includes a flat portion and an annular sealing portion having an annular protrusion. The flat portion of the seal includes a C-
shaped tear seam of reduced thickness which extends circumferentially approximately 300° about an axial center of the seal, separating the flat portion into an annular lip and a web portion attached to the annular lip by a hinge portion.
After assembly of the transmission, an endform is inserted into the plug to create a fluid passageway. The endform engages and breaks the seal, separating the web portion from the annular lip. As the endform continues to be inserted, an annular projection on the endform engages and expands the annular retainer, allowing passage of the annular projection. After the annular projection passes through the retainer, the retainer retracts, retaining the endform in the plug in a quick connect attachment.
After insertion of the endform, the annular protrusion forms a main seal around the endform, preventing leakage of the transmission fluid. The annular lip also forms a lip seal around the endform to further prevent leakage of fluid. The web portion remains attached to the annular lip by the hinge portion and is contained in the inner recess cavity of the plug against the endform.
Accordingly, the present invention provides an integrated seal and quick connect apparatus for use with an automotive transmission.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The various features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the currently preferred embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows: Figure 1 illustrates a cross sectional side view of the integrated seal and quick connect plug of the present invention inserted into a transmission assembly ; Figure 2 illustrates a front view of a seal; Figure 3 illustrates a side cross-sectional view of the seal; Figure 4 illustrates a cross sectional side view of an endform ; and Figure 5 illustrates a cross sectional side view of the endform inserted into the integrated seal and quick connect plug.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Figure 1 schematically illustrates an integrated seal and quick connect plug 10 inserted into a fluid opening 12 of a transmission assembly 14 filled with transmission fluid 16. The plug 10 prevents leakage of the transmission fluid 16 from the transmission assembly 14 both during shipment and after assembly and includes a housing 20, a seal 22 and a retainer 24. The seal 22 is secured to the housing 20 by a crimped attachment portion 26. Preferably, the crimped attachment portion 26 is L-shaped. The inner edges 28 and 30 of the attachment portion 26 are secured to the housing 20, and an outer edge 32 of the attachment portion 26 is secured to the seal 22.
As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the seal 22 includes a flat portion 34 and an annular sealing portion 36 having an inward annular protrusion 38. Preferably, the seal 22 is made of ethylene acrylic. The flat portion 34 has a thickness 40 and includes a C-shaped tear seam 42 which extends circumferentially approximately 300° about an axial center 44 of the seal 22. However, it is to be understood that other shapes of the tear seam 42 are possible. The tear seam 42 is of a reduced thickness 46 less than the thickness 40 and separates the flat portion 34 into an annular lip 48 and a web portion 50 secured to the annular lip 48 by a hinge portion 70. Preferably, as shown in Figure 3, the tear seam 42 is substantially V-shaped and includes an inner flattened portion 54. The radial distance Rl of the flattened portion 52 of the tear seam 42 to the axial center 44 of the seal 22 is between the radius R2 of the flat portion 34 and one half the radius R2 of the flat portion 34. The length of the tear seam 42 is between the circumference of the flat portion 34 and one-half the circumference of the flat portion 34.
Returning to Figure 1, an annular retainer 24 having an inner radius 56 is positioned inside the housing 20 proximate to a first opening 58 of the housing 20 at a first end 60. The housing 20 defines a passage 62 defined by the first opening 58 at the first end 60 and an opposing second opening 64 at a second end 66.
Preferably, the annular retainer 24 is made of an expandable material such as nylon.
Most preferably, the retainer 16 is made of AmodelTM. The annular retainer 24 retains an endform 68 in the plug 10 in a quick connect attachment. However, it is
to be understood that other types of quick connect mechanism can be used, including other radially inward quick connect mechanisms.
As illustrated in Figure 4, the endform 68 includes a first portion 70 having a first outer radius 72 which is inserted into the plug 10 to break the seal 22.
Preferably, the first outer radius 72 is approximately equal to the radial distance Rl of the flattened portion 52 of the tear seam 42. The endform 68 further includes an opposing second portion 74 having a second outer radius 76 which is greater than the first outer radius 72 and an annular projection 78 having a projection radius 80 which is greater than the second outer radius 76. The inner outer radius 72 of the annular retainer 24 is approximately equal to the second outer radius 76 of the second portion 74 of the endform 68, but less than the projection radius 80 of the annular projection 78. Additionally, the second outer radius 76 is greater than the radial distance Ri of the flattened portion 52 of the tear seam 42.
As illustrated in Figure 5, when the endform 68 is inserted into the first opening 58 of the housing 20, the first portion 70 engages the seal 22. As the first outer radius 72 of the first portion 70 is approximately equal to the radial distance Rl of the flattened portion 52 of the tear seam 42, the seal 22 is broken along the flattened portion 54, separating the web portion 50 from the annular lip 48. As the endform 68 continues to be inserted, the second portion 74 passes through the seal 22. As the second outer radius 76 of the second portion 74 is greater than the radial distance Rl of the flattened portion 52 of the tear seam 28, a tight seal forms around the second portion 74. The annular protrusion 38 forms a main seal around the second portion 74 to prevent leakage of the transmission fluid 16. Additionally, the broken annular lip 40 forms a lip seal around the second portion 74 to further prevent leakage of fluid 16. The web portion 50 remains attached to the annular lip 48 by the hinge portion 52 and is contained in the inner passage 62 of the plug 10 against the second portion 58 of the endform 68. The attachment of the web portion 50 to the annular lip 48 prevents the web portion 50 from floating freely in the fluid 16.
As the endform 68 continues to be inserted, the annular projection 78 on the endform 68 engages and expands the annular retainer 24 from the inner radius 56,
allowing passage of the annular projection 78 through the annular retainer 24. After the annular projection 78 passes through the annular retainer 24, the annular retainer 24 retracts and returns to the inner radius 56, retaining the endform 68 in the plug 10. As the annular retainer 24 has an inner radius 56 less than the projection radius 80 of the annular projection 78, the endform 68 is prevented from removing from the plug 10.
If the endform 68 is to be removed from the plug 10, a release tool is used to expand the annular retainer 24 and allow removal of the endform 68.
The foregoing description is only exemplary of the principles of the invention. Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. The preferred embodiments of this invention have been disclosed, however, so that one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specially described. For that reason the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.
