IL265427B - Drinking water coupling with contamination protection - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a drinking water coupling for coupling to a connection of a drinking water tank, comprising a fitting having a first axial end comprising an outlet opening and a second axial end for connecting to an infeed hose, and a coupling member for coupling to a corresponding mating coupling member of the drinking water tank, the coupling member being implemented such that a fluidic 5 connection is produced when coupled to the mating coupling member.

Such drinking water couplings are used in passenger trains or passenger buses, for example, where a drinking water tank is to be filled with drinking water. Passenger trains typically comprise such a drinking water tank in which drinking 10 water is stored for sanitary facilities. One problem here is the contamination of the drinking water coupling during use if a user is careless and the axial end comprising the outlet opening is contaminated. Said problem is exacerbated in that passenger cars typically also comprise a sewage tank in which sewage from the sanitary facilities is collected and typically emptied by the same operating personnel filling the fresh water tank. The filling of the drinking water tank 15 typically takes place at about the same time as the emptying of the sewage tank, whereby the risk of contamination of the drinking water coupling is particularly high. Unless absolute caution is used when working here, contamination of the drinking water coupling is nearly inevitable.

The object of the present invention is thus to provide a drinking water coupling of 20 the type indicated above for preventing contamination of the drinking water.

The object is achieved according to the invention for a drinking water coupling of the type indicated above by a protection device for protecting against contamination and which is adapted for protecting at least the first axial end 25 against contamination by contact in a decoupled state.

The idea underlying the invention is that contamination typically occurs in the decoupled state, as the first axial end of the fitting is connected to a corresponding mating fitting of the mating coupling in the coupled state. The *2019200032* *2019200032* coupling member and the mating coupling member are thereby connected to each other, so that no contamination can occur. Contamination occurs when the drinking water coupling is decoupled and the first axial end is freely accessible. The drinking water coupling is then often placed on the ground by a user, and the 5 first axial end is unprotected and can be contaminated. Contamination is prevented according to the invention by the protection device. Said protection device protects the first axial end comprising the outlet opening from contact and thereby from contamination.

The fitting preferably forms the base body of the drinking water coupling. The 10 fitting can be substantially pipe-like in form, for example, and the first axial end can be received in a corresponding pipe segment of the mating coupling, for example. The first coupling member is preferably implemented approximately about the first axial end and is typically implemented as what is known as a bayonet coupling. Additional sealing elements, such as an O-ring or the like, can 15 be disposed at the first axial end.

The second axial end of the drinking water coupling serves for connecting the same to a corresponding hose or another line of an infeed system for drinking water. The second axial end can accordingly comprise a typical hose coupling or the like. The geometry of the fitting and the geometry of the first and second axial 20 ends are fundamentally known from the prior art and are also defined by the further peripheral elements, particularly the mating coupling, as well as the drinking water infeed line.

According to a first preferred embodiment, the protection device comprises at least one first closure element displaceably supported on the fitting and 25 displaceable between a closed position in which the closure element at least partially closes off the first axial end and an open position in which the closure element exposes the first axial end. Such a closure element accordingly closes off the first axial end and thus provides physical protection against contact. If the first axial end is closed off by the closure element, contact with the first axial end 30 is impossible and contamination cannot occur. The first closure element is thereby supported on the fitting, so that said element cannot be lost. Said element is displaceably disposed on the fitting and is displaceable relative to the fitting.

It is thereby particularly preferred that the closure element is pretensioned in the closed position. The closure element is preferably pretensioned in the closed 5 position by means of a spring. Such pretensioning ensures that the closure element is in the closed position in the decoupled state and thus the first axial end is protected against contamination. After decoupling of the drinking water coupling, the first closure element thus automatically reaches the closed position, and the first axial end is directly protected against contamination. Prior to coupling, the first closure element is displaced into the open position, either 10 manually or automatically.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, an actuating element is provided for the protection device and can be actuated by a user, so that the first axial end can be exposed for producing a fluidic connection. The 15 actuating element is preferably connected to the closure element and the closure element can be placed in the open position by means of the actuating element. A user must therefore actuate the actuating element appropriately in order to place the closure element in the open position. If it is provided at the same time that the closure element is pretensioned in the closed position, then a user must actuate the actuating element during the entire procedure of operating of the drinking 20 water coupling in order to retain the closure element in the open position. That is, as long as the first axial end is exposed and not fixedly connected to the mating coupling, a user must continuously actuate the actuating element. Protection is thereby simultaneously achieved that a user cannot personally contaminate the 25 axial end. The user holds the actuating element and therefore cannot contaminate the first axial end with the hand actuating the actuating element. Additional protection against contamination is thereby achieved.

The actuating element is preferably displaceable along a first trajectory and is coupled to the closure element such that said closure element is displaceable 30 along a second trajectory when the actuating element is actuated. The actuating element is particularly preferably supported axially displaceably on the fitting. It is further preferable that the closure element is pivotable between the closed position and the open position. While the actuating element is displaced axially, said motion is thus converted into a rotational motion of the closure element and pivots the same. For example, the actuating element is axially displaceable 5 toward the second axial end of the fitting, that is, away from the first axial end. Intuitive operation is thereby achieved. The actuating element is to be pulled toward the user holding the drinking water coupling during operation, in order to place the first closure element in the open position.

It is further preferable that the drinking water coupling comprises a second 10 closure element, wherein the first and second closure element together close off the first axial end. For example, the two closure elements are displaceable toward each other and are displaced away from each other for placing in an open position. The features described above for the first closure element also preferably apply correspondingly to the second closure element.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the first closure element is substantially partially spherical in design. The second closure element is preferably also substantially partially spherical in design. The two closure elements are approximately quarter-spherical in design, for example, wherein said elements are pivotally mounted on the fitting approximately in the region of the central axes 20 thereof. The first axial end can thus be opened and closed in a simple manner. Partial spheres further have the advantage of forming together in the closed position a partially spherical closure surface for the first axial end, such that said end is partially enclosed by a partial sphere. Not only is an axial covering of the first axial end thereby achieved, but also partial enclosing.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the drinking water coupling 25 comprises a guide handle for guiding and holding the drinking water coupling when coupling. If the first coupling member is formed according to a bayonet coupling, then it is necessary to initially guide the drinking water coupling axially for coupling to the corresponding mating part on the drinking water tank, and then 30 to rotate the coupling about the longitudinal axis thereof in order to engage the protrusions of the bayonet coupling with the corresponding mating protrusions of the mating coupling member. The guide handle is preferably provided for this purpose. If a manually actuated actuating member is also provided, then a user must always contact the drinking water coupling with two hands when using the same, namely having a first hand on the actuating element and a second hand on 5 the guide handle. Contamination of the axial end of the fitting is also thereby largely prevented. Both hands of the user are placed on corresponding handles, and said hand therefore cannot make contact with the axial end of the fitting.

The invention is described in more detail below, using an embodiment example and referencing the attached figures. Shown are: Fig. 1 a perspective view of a drinking water coupling according to the prior art; Fig. 2 a section view through the drinking water coupling from Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a perspective view of a drinking water coupling according to the invention; Fig. 4 a side view of the drinking water coupling from Fig. 3 having closed closure elements; Fig. 5 the drinking water coupling from Fig. 4 having open closure elements; Fig. 6 a plan view of the drinking water coupling according to Fig. 4; and Fig. 7 a plan view of the drinking water coupling according to Fig. 5.

Drinking water couplings 100 having a fitting 102 forming a base body of the drinking water coupling 100 are known from the prior art. The fitting 102 (cf. Fig. 2) comprises a first axial end 104 defining an outlet opening 106. The outlet opening 106 is fluidically connected to an inlet opening 108 implemented at the second axial end 110 of the fitting 102. The second axial end 110 is implemented as a connection for an infeed hose for threading onto a thread segment 112 by means of a corresponding nut, particularly a hose nut.

The first axial end 104 comprises a conically tapering segment 114 intended for making contact with a correspondingly conical segment of a line of a drinking 5 water tank. An O-ring 116 is disposed on the conical segment 114 for sealing and is retained in a corresponding groove 118.

A female coupling member of a bayonet coupling is provided as the first coupling member 120. The first coupling member 120 therefore comprises a collar 122 rotationally fixedly attached to the fitting 102. The collar 122 comprises opposing 10 protrusions 124 for engaging behind (only one of which is visible in Fig. 2) engaging behind corresponding radially extending protrusions of a mating coupling on the fresh water tank. In a coupled state, the opening 106 is fluidically connected to the fresh water tank, and fresh water flows from the inlet opening 108 to the outlet opening 106 and into the fresh water tank.

A guide handle 130 is further provided for operating the drinking water coupling 100, extending radially relative to a longitudinal axis A (cf. Fig. 2) from the fitting 102 and also rotationally fixedly coupled to the same. The guide handle 130 can be used for guiding the drinking water coupling 100 and for rotating the collar 122 together with the fitting 102 in order to bring about coupling of the bayonet 20 connection.

As can be seen particularly in Fig. 2, the axial end 104 is always exposed to the surrounding area, and contamination can easily occur here. It is particularly conceivable that a user, for example wearing contaminated gloves, having previously emptied a sewage tank of a passenger train car, makes contact with 25 the axial end 104 or reaches into the interior of the fitting 102. Contamination of the fresh water flowing through the fitting thereby occurs.

The invention has recognized said disadvantage and proposes a drinking water coupling 1 according to the invention (cf. Fig. 3-7 ). The fundamental principle of the drinking water coupling 1 is similar to that of the drinking water coupling 100 according to the prior art. The drinking water coupling 1 according to the invention also comprises a fitting 2 forming the base body of the drinking water coupling 1. The fitting 2 comprises a first axial end 4 (cf. Fig. 5 and 7) defining an outlet opening 6. The first axial end also comprises a conical segment 8 on which 5 an O-ring seal 10 (cf. Fig. 7) is disposed. The first axial end 4 is substantially formed corresponding to the first axial end 104 according to the prior art.

The second axial end 12 is also formed as known in the prior art. The reason is that both the first and the second axial ends 4, 12 must be able to connect to further connection elements, namely the corresponding connection on the 10 drinking water tank and the hose. Therefore the second axial end 12 of the drinking water coupling according to the invention also comprises a threaded segment 14 onto which a nut of a hose clamp can be threaded.

According to the invention, the drinking water coupling 1 comprises a protection device 20 adapted for protecting at least the first axial end 4 against 15 contamination by contact in a decoupled state (cf. Fig. 3, 4, and 6).

The protection device 20 according to the present embodiment example comprises a first closure element 22 and a second closure element 24. The two closure elements 22, 24 are substantially partially spherical in shape, namely quarter-spherical, and are pivotable about first and second pivot axes S1, S2 (cf. 20 Fig. 3 and 6). As can be seen in Fig. 3 through 7, in the closed state the closure elements 22, 24 cover (cf. Fig. 3,4, and 6) not only the first axial end 4, but also the collar 26 of the first coupling member 28 disposed thereunder, also implemented as a bayonet closure coupling in the drinking water coupling 1 according to the invention.

The two pivot axes S1, S2 run near the longitudinal axis A and perpendicular to the same, so that the contact point 30 between the first and second closure elements 22, 24 extends approximately centered over the first axial end 4. The plane defined by the contact point 30 contains the longitudinal axis A in the present embodiment example.

An actuating element 32 is provided for actuating the protection device 20, that is, for opening the protection device 20, and is implemented as an annular body in the present embodiment example. The annular actuating element 32 is supported on the fitting 2 displaceably along the longitudinal axis A. Said element can be 5 displaced into an upper position P1 (cf. Fig. 4) and a lower position 2 (cf. Fig. 5). The actuating element 32 is pivotally connected to the first and second closure elements 22, 24 by means of two gear rods 34, 36. When the actuating element 32 is displaced from the first position P1 into the second position P2, the gear rods 34, 36 pull on the first and second closure elements 22, 24 at the corresponding contact points and pivot the same about the axes S1, S2, so that 10 the protection device 20 opens.

The first and second closure elements 22, 24 can thus also be displaced from a first position P3 (cf. Fig. 3, 4, and 6) into a second, opened position P4. In the open position P4, both the axial end 4 and the first coupling member 28 are 15 exposed.

The first and second closure elements 22, 24 are pretensioned in the closed position P3 (Fig. 3, 4, and 6). To this end, a spiral compression spring 40 is provided in the present embodiment example. The spring 40 is disposed substantially coaxial to axis A about a segment of the fitting 2. Said spring is 20 supported on one side on the actuating element 32 and on the other side on a radial collar 42 forming part of a guide handle 44 and also rotationally fixedly connected to the fitting 2, as is known from the prior art. The spring 40 is thus disposed between the radial segment 42 and the actuating element 32 and presses the actuating element 32 into the first position P1.

For operating, a user must then grip the drinking water coupling 1 at the guide 25 handle 44 and guide the same to a corresponding mating coupling on a fresh water tank. In order to then couple the drinking water coupling 1 to the corresponding mating coupling, the protection device 20 must first be opened. To this end, the user grips the actuating element 32 with the other hand, for example 30 with two fingers, and pulls the actuating element 32 toward himself, that is, in the direction of the guide handle 44, so that the spring 40 is compressed. The actuating element 32 is thereby guided from the first position P1 into the second position P2. The gear rods 34, 36 then pull the two closure elements 22, 24 apart, and said closure elements pivot about the corresponding axes S1, S2 and separate from each other at the contact point 30. If the actuating element 32 is 5 pulled sufficiently far in the direction of the guide handle 44, then both the first axial end 4 and the corresponding first coupling member 28 are exposed (cf. Fig. 5 and 7), and the first coupling member 28 can be coupled to the corresponding mating coupling member on the drinking water tank. When this has occurred, fresh water can be fed through the drinking water coupling 1.

After the filling procedure is complete, the user in turn grips the guide handle 44 and turns the same, so that the engaged protrusions 46, 48 of the first coupling member 28 disengage from the corresponding mating coupling member and the drinking water coupling 1 can be pulled off of the drinking water tank. Due to the pretensioning of the closure elements 22, 24, said elements automatically snap 15 together, and the first axial end 4 and the first coupling member 28 are in turn protected against contamination by contact.

Claims (9)

1. Claims 1. A drinking water coupling for coupling to a connection of a drinking water tank, comprising: - a fitting having a first axial end comprising an outlet opening and a second axial 5 end for connecting to an infeed hose, - a coupling member for coupling to a corresponding mating coupling member of the drinking water tank, the coupling member being implemented such that a fluidic connection is produced when coupled to the mating coupling member, characterized by a protection device for protecting against contamination, which 10 is adapted for protecting at least the first axial end against contamination by contact in a decoupled state wherein the protection device comprises at least one first closure element displaceably supported on the fitting and displaceable between a closed position in which the closure element at least partially closes off the first axial end , and an open position in which the closure element exposes 15 the first axial end, characterized by an actuating element for the protection device for actuating by a user, so that the first axial end can be exposed for producing a fluidic connection, wherein the actuating element is connected to the closure element and the closure element can be placed in the open position by means of the actuating element. 20
2. 2. The drinking water coupling according to claim 1, wherein the closure element is pretensioned in the closed position.
3. 3. The drinking water coupling according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the closure element is pretensioned in the closed position by means of a spring.
4. 4. The drinking water coupling according to any one of the preceding claims, 25 wherein the actuating element is displaceable along a first trajectory and is coupled to the closure element such that said closure element is displaceable along a second trajectory when the actuating element is actuated.
5. 5. The drinking water coupling according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the actuating element is axially displaceably supported on the fitting. 02640731\59-01 11 265427/2
6. 6. The drinking water coupling according to any one of the preceding claims , wherein the closure element is pivotable between the closed and open position.
7. 7. The drinking water coupling according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a second closure element, wherein the first and second closure 5 element together close off the first axial end.
8. 8. The drinking water coupling according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the closure element is substantially partially spherical in shape.
9. 9. The drinking water coupling according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a guide handle for guiding and holding the drinking water 10 coupling when coupling. 02640731\59-01