MULTI COUPLING FOR COUPLING LINES WITH AN ALIGNMENT AID

Abstract

A multi-coupling (1)-couples lines (2) with an alignment aid (5) assigned to a first coupling part (3) and a second coupling part (4) for compensating for offset tolerances during threading of the first coupling part (3) into the second coupling part (4) during coupling of medium couplings (6). At least one coupling part has a coupling carrier (8) mounted floatingly transversely with respect to the coupling direction (7), and the alignment aid (5) has, on one coupling part, a central precentring journal (9) protruding from a coupling carrier in the coupling direction (7) and at least one precision centring journal (11) protruding from the coupling carrier (8) in the coupling direction (7) and arranged radially around the precentring journal axis (10). The precision centering journal head is set back in the coupling direction (7) with respect to the precentring journal head, and the alignment aid (5) has, on the coupling socket side, a central jaw (12) that merges in the coupling direction (7) into a precentring guide (13) for the precentring journal (9) and is equipped with at least one precision centering guide (15), arranged around the precentring guide axis (14), for the precision centering journal (11).

Claims

1. A multi-coupling comprising: coupling lines; an alignment aid being associated with a first coupling part and a second coupling part and compensating for offset tolerances during threading of the first coupling part into the second coupling part during coupling of media couplings; at least one of said coupling parts has a coupling carrier that is mounted floatingly transversely with respect to a coupling direction; the alignment aid having, on one of the coupling parts, a central pre-centering journal that projects from a coupling carrier in the coupling direction and at least one precision centering journal protruding from the coupling carrier in the coupling direction and arranged radially outward of a pre-centering journal axis; wherein the precision centering journal has a head that is set back in the coupling direction with respect to a head of the pre-centering journal; and wherein the alignment aid has a coupling socket side on the other of the coupling parts, said coupling socket side having thereon a central catching jaw that merges in the coupling direction into a pre-centering guide configured to coact with the pre-centering journal;at least one precision centering guide, arranged outward of a pre-centering guide axis configured to coact with the precision centering journal.

2. A multi-coupling comprising: coupling lines; an alignment aid being associated with a first coupling part and a second coupling part and compensating for offset tolerances during threading of the first coupling part into the second coupling part during coupling of media couplings; wherein the coupling parts each has a coupling carrier, one of said coupling carriers being mounted floatingly transversely to a coupling direction; wherein the alignment aid has, on said one of the coupling parts, a central pre-centering journal projecting from the coupling carrier in the coupling direction and at least one precision centering guide, arranged outward of a pre-centering journal axis of the pre-centering journal axis, configured to coact with a precision centering journal; wherein the alignment aid has, on the other of said coupling parts, a central catching jaw and at least one precision centering journal that projects from the coupling carrier in the coupling direction and is arranged radially outward of the catching jaw; wherein the head of the precision centering journal projects less far beyond the coupling carrier thereof than the head of the pre-centering journal from the other coupling carrier thereof; and wherein the central catching jaw merges in the coupling direction into a pre-centering guide.

3. The multi-coupling according to claim 1, wherein the coupling carrier is mounted floatingly with respect to a carrier base transversely to the coupling direction, with at least one spring is arranged between the coupling carrier and the carrier base, and said spring is pretensioned by tensioning structure acting at one end thereof on the coupling carrier and at an opposing end thereof on the carrier base.

4. The multi-coupling according to claim 3, wherein the coupling carrier, the carrier base, and the tensioning structure form an articulated parallelogram arrangement providing at least approximately axis-parallel alignment of the coupling parts, during coupling of the coupling lines.

5. The multi-coupling according to claim 3, wherein at least one spring is arranged between the coupling carrier and the carrier base,with three springs arranged in a star shape around the longitudinal axis of the coupling, wherein the springs are helical springs.

6. The multi-coupling according to claim 1, wherein the pre-centering journal operates as a media coupling or an actuator.

7. The multi-coupling according to claim 1, wherein at least one precision centering journal operates as a media coupling or an actuator.

8. The multi-coupling according to claim 1, wherein the coupling carrier accommodates a plurality of media couplings arranged, in a star shape, around the pre-centering journal axis.

9. The multi-coupling according to claim 1, wherein the media couplings are mounted floatingly transversely to the coupling direction in the coupling carrier.

10. A coupling plug configured for use in a multi-coupling according to claim 1, said coupling plug comprising: a central pre-centering journal projecting in the coupling direction from a coupling carrier mounted floatingly transversely to the coupling direction; and three precision centering journals arranged radially around the pre-centering journal axis and projecting from the coupling carrier in the coupling direction; wherein the precision centering journal heads are set back relative to the pre-centering journal head in the coupling direction (7), and by a plurality of media couplings (6) arranged in a star shape around the pre-centering journal axis (10).

11. A coupling socket configured for use in a multi-coupling according to claim 1 said coupling socket comprising: a central catching jaw that merges into a pre-centering guide in the coupling direction; three precision centering guides arranged in a star shape around the pre-centering guide axis; and a plurality of media couplings arranged in a star shape around the pre-centering guide axis.

12. The multi-coupling according to claim 2, wherein the coupling carrier is mounted floatingly with respect to a carrier base transversely to the coupling direction, with at least one spring is arranged between the coupling carrier and the carrier base, and said spring is pretensioned by tensioning structure acting at one end thereof on the coupling carrier and at an opposing end thereof on the carrier base.

13. The multi-coupling according to claim 12, wherein the coupling carrier, the carrier base, and the tensioning structure form an articulated parallelogram arrangement providing at least approximately axis-parallel alignment of the coupling parts during coupling of the coupling lines.

14. The multi-coupling according to claim 13, wherein at least one spring is arranged between the coupling carrier and the carrier base, with three springs arranged in a star shape around the longitudinal axis of the coupling, wherein the springs are helical springs.

15. The multi-coupling according to claim 2, wherein the pre-centering journal operates as a media coupling or an actuator.

16. The multi-coupling according to claim 2, wherein at least one precision centering journal operates as a media coupling or an actuator.

17. The multi-coupling according to claim 2, wherein the coupling carrier accommodates a plurality of media couplings arranged in a star shape around the pre-centering journal axis.

18. The multi-coupling according to claim 2, wherein the media couplings are mounted floatingly transversely to the coupling direction in the coupling carrier.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] In the drawing, the subject matter of the invention is shown by way of example, wherein:

[0023] FIG. 1 shows an oblique view of a decoupled multi-coupling,

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a side view of a decoupled multi-coupling with a lateral offset between the coupling plug and coupling socket,

[0025] FIG. 3 shows the coupled multi-coupling from FIG. 2,

[0026] FIG. 4 shows an oblique view of a design variant of a multi-coupling from FIG. 1,

[0027] FIG. 5 shows a side view of an object with a decoupled multi-coupling,

[0028] FIG. 6 shows the coupled object from FIG. 4 placed on a trolley,

[0029] FIG. 7 shows a vehicle with decoupled multi-coupling in side view, and

[0030] FIG. 8 shows the vehicle from FIG. 7 coupled to a charging station via the multi-coupling with the linear actuator extended.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0031] The multi-coupling 1 for coupling lines 2 included an alignment aid 5 assigned to a first coupling part 3, in this case a coupling plug, and a second coupling part 4, in this case a coupling socket, for compensating for offset tolerances when threading the first coupling part 3 into the second coupling part 4 when coupling media couplings 6.

[0032] On the coupling plug side, the alignment aid 5 has a central pre-centering journal 9 projecting from a coupling carrier 8 of the first coupling part 3, which is mounted in a floating manner transverse to the coupling direction 7, towards the second coupling part 4 in the coupling direction 7, and three precision centering journals 11 projecting from the coupling carrier 8 in the coupling direction 7 and arranged radially around the pre-centering journal axis 10. The coupling direction 7 is marked with a double arrow, since both the first to the second coupling part, the second to the first coupling part and both coupling parts can be moved towards each other for coupling. The spherical precision centering journal heads are set back with respect to the spherical pre-centering journal head in coupling direction 7. In addition, the alignment aid 5 comprises, on the coupling socket side, a central catching jaw 12 which merges into a pre-centering guide 13 in the coupling direction 7 and is equipped with three precision centering guides 15 arranged around the pre-centering guide axis 14. The receiving openings of precision centering guides 15 and catching jaw 12 are located here, for example, in a plane that is not necessarily common on a coupling-socket-side coupling carrier.

[0033] The coupling carrier 8 is mounted so as to float with respect to a carrier base 16 transversely to the coupling direction 7, for which purpose a helical spring 17 is arranged between the coupling carrier 8 and the carrier base 16 about the pre-centering journal axis 10, which spring is pretensioned by tensioning means 18 acting at one end on the coupling carrier 8 and at the other end on the carrier base 16.

[0034] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the pre-centering journal 9 and the precision centering journals 11 are assigned to the second coupling part 4, and the catching jaw 12 and precision centering guides 15 are assigned to the first coupling part 3, which is mounted so that it floats transversely to the coupling direction 7.

[0035] The pre-centering journal 9 can itself form a media coupling, as can the precision centering journals 11. The coupling carrier 8 accommodates a number of media couplings 6 arranged in a star shape around the pre-centering journal axis 10. In the coupling carrier 8, media couplings 6 are mounted in a floating manner transverse to the coupling direction.

[0036] A decoupled multi-coupling can also be properly coupled with a lateral offset V between the first and second coupling parts.

[0037] In the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 7 and 8, the first coupling part 3 is moved to the second coupling part 4 by means of a linear actuator 19. The offset V shows the automatic compensation in case of a deviation transverse to the coupling direction. Likewise, the spring-elastic design compensates for deviations in the axial direction.